The just published annual report of the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre (brand name Messukeskus) shows that 2022 was an exceptional year for the venue. Due to pandemic restrictions, business was at a standstill until the end of March, but as event restrictions were lifted, an unprecedentedly dense fair programme with events carried over from the Covid-19 season had to be implemented.

Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre’s business for the year 2022 started in an unstable operating environment. The effects on the Finnish economy were substantial due to the changed security situation in Europe, the energy crisis, the recession and the high inflation. Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre also had to take into account the long pause in events, the rescheduling of events, and the personnel changes that inevitably followed the exceptional period.

The venue responded to the challenges by intensifying contact with its customers, strongly communicating the return of events and working in many ways to restore visitor numbers. Starting in the spring of 2022, the restart of the business went well. The late spring and autumn programmes were unprecedently dense. Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre and its subsidiary Expomark Oy organised 25 fair trade events. In addition to the events produced by Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, 27 guest events, 476 meetings, congresses and parties, and one entertainment event was organised at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The turnover of the Group in 2022 was 46 million euros.

Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre continued its long-term responsibility work. They were the first event organiser in Finland to receive a Gold Excellent level SHORE safety certificate, which certifies high-quality work in risk management and building a responsible business.

Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is the most valued company by business decision makers

The successful return to everyday events is proven by the 2022 Business Decision Makers (TEP) survey by market research company Taloustutkimus Oy published in February. For the third year in a row, Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is the company most valued by business decision makers and the best-known company in the industry in Finland.

”During an exceptional and very fast-paced year, we were carried by strong confidence that our business is based on a sustainable mission. We work for the benefit of Finnish business life, and for that, we have excellent prerequisites, know-how and experience. The results of the extensive fair visitor survey commissioned by the Association of Trade Fair and Event Organisers in Finland at the end of 2022 are encouraging and show that people are longing to visit fairs and live events. The majority of respondents think they will visit trade fairs as often in the future as before Covid-19,” says CEO Anni Vepsäläinen at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.

View the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre annual report 2022 here.