Congress city Jyväskylä offers everything in a compact package: venues for events, hotels, transport connections and the services visitors require.
Jyväskylä is Finland's second busiest city for fairs and exhibitions. As an organiser of international congresses the city ranks fifth nationally.
Many a city can offer first-class facilities for fairs and exhibitions, hotel accommodation and attractions for visitors, but few in such a tight package as Jyväskylä.
It is simple for visitors to walk to the fair or congress venue, hotel, restaurants, the city centre pedestrian precinct, or even the harbour.
"Being small is surprisingly enough a major strength", ventures Marketing Director Ari Ålander from Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Oy.
Many visitors are also enthralled by the attractive setting and close proximity to nature. "In Jyväskylä the Finland of lakes and forests finds combination with leading-edge technology. For those attending a fair or congress we can organise a lake cruise, for instance, or a visit to a traditional open-air dance pavilion", points out Paviljonki Companies' Managing Director Leo Potkonen.
The global economic recession has not affected the staging of international congresses, but according to Ålander Jyväskylä, too, must be able to respond to possible challenges if and when the competition for congresses gets tougher and the nature of such events changes. Maintaining Jyväskylä's position as a highly popular congress city will continue to demand an increasing number of personal contacts and networks.
"People's need to meet each other will remain strong in the future, too. Those planning an international congress weigh up carefully, however, when and how they arrange it. We intend to establish the extent to which we can increase the number of international visitors by taking an active approach", says Tuula Poutanen, Managing Director of Tmi Avete, which runs the operations of Jyväskylä Convention Bureau.
Jyväskylä Convention Bureau is engaged in congress marketing and promotes Jyväskylä's congress business. Free and independent expert help is also available through the bureau. Ålander states that in the future, too, congresses will occupy an important position in Jyväskylä, but in parallel to these the focus will be on attracting other international events, such as sports events, fairs and corporate gatherings.
By improving Jyväskylä Paviljonki, the locomotive of congress and event tourism, Jyväskylä's position as an organiser of fairs and congresses will be further reinforced. A new exhibition hall and parking facility were completed at Paviljonki in late 2008.
"A full-service congress hotel with direct access to Paviljonki will be built during the next couple of years", Potkonen adds.
Words by Tommi Salo Photos by Jukka Salmi