Messukeskus Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre has been awarded the Helsinki Travel Award, as it celebrates its centenary.
The venue also installed a new, seven metre-tall artwork to mark the occasion.
The Helsinki Tourism Foundation granted the award as special recognition of the long-term work done by Messukeskus in promoting international congress tourism. The venue hosts around 1,500 meetings and congresses every year.
The new artwork was designed by Berry Creative, and takes the form of a striking red ‘M’ concealing a slide up a flight of stairs.
Chief Designer and Creative Directors Kaisa Berry and Timo Berry commented: “The idea of a slide as an artwork takes people by surprise and encourages adventurousness. We hope the slide will delight visitors to Messukeskus and attract townspeople to Pasila to try it out. People need to experience this for themselves!”
Mikko Leisti, chair of the board of the Helsinki Tourism Foundation, said of the award: “For decades, trade fairs and events have been an important method for many industries to enable encounters; showcase expertise, products and innovations; promote business; achieve goals; share and obtain information; and network and build relationships.
“The fact that we have an attractive and internationally competitive venue that can be adapted for meetings of any size and type is a key success factor for Finland and Helsinki. In Helsinki, Messukeskus does significant work to enable events and encounters. The great variety of industries and the thousands of events are a huge indication that the future is being built through encounters.”
