FINLAND - By 1 January 2011, the Finland convention bureau (FCB) will cease trading, the Finnish Tourist Board (FTB) has announced at a statutory meeting in Helsinki.
The daily activities of the FCB, including supporting bids for international congresses and corporate events, will now be dealt by the FTB.
The board says the move’s aim was to clarify the FCB’s activities in accordance with the wishes of its members and it will ensure supporting the events industry will continue to be an important focus area.
Annually, international association meetings generate over €100m in economic benefit for Finland. It is currently ranked 22nd in the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) country rankings worldwide and 14th in European countries with 124 qualifying meetings held in 2009.
Created in 1974 the FCB will continue as the marketing name under which meetings industry operations will be concentrated and its four full-time employees will transfer to the Finnish Tourist Board as long-serving employees.
