The Programme of the Year
The Programme of the Year exceeds the guests’ expectations, delights, entertains and evokes emotions – the experts share their know-how on the stage and the guests learn new things. At its best, the programme changes behaviour or opinions and leaves a lasting memory. The category winner will receive a € 3000 award.
The Finnish Software and E-business Association
The #mimmitkoodaa programme aims to encourage women interested in the software business to learn coding and find employment in the industry. Together with its member companies, the Finnish Software and E-business Association provides free training for women interested in the field who have no previous coding experience.
In 2018, we organised 39 workshops and 2 launches across the country. The aim of these events was to encourage women interested in the software business to learn coding and find employment in the field, as well as to acquaint people with the industry and get them excited about it and its possibilities. Within a year, 3,500 women participated in the programme. Many participants felt encouraged to continue on with their studies and some have also found employment. The programme continues in 2019.
“There was a demand for this – no artificial kindling was needed. We created the programme together with our member companies who offered their time and covered both teacher and facility expenses. The programme’s success required a sense of community and shared responsibility.”
The Trade Union of Education in Finland (OAJ)
The Trade Union of Education in Finland (OAJ) is the only labour market organisation in the world that protects the interests of education, training and research professionals from early childhood education up to adult education. With our theme “Education Solves Problems”, we work for the future of Finland. OAJ actively develops and improves the opportunities of teachers to do their work.
OAJ produced the programme for the Educa 2018 event. The aim was to reach a wide range of teachers and offer important up-to-date information about education, training and research, as well as encourage teachers to see the significance of their work. In addition, the latest pedagogical methods and materials were showcased.
Educa 2018 set a new visitor record, largely owing to the programme. Some sections were useful in more general terms, but everyone could also find sections that were of more immediate interest to them. In addition to Educa’s increased visitor numbers, different professions have become more strongly represented as well.
“There are fewer and fewer teachers in Finland. However, Educa’s visitor numbers have increased over 30% in the last five years. This increase reflects current needs: people want interaction and participation. It is a fact that people need other people – and teachers work through their own personality. Educa offers teachers the means to keep their ‘tool’ in shape by supporting their well-being.”
Forest Products Engineers (PI)
Forest Product Engineers is a network for professionals and corporations in the bioforest industry which aims to develop wood processing competence, attract more interest to the industry and function as an international pioneer. The association organises the PulPaper event together with Messukeskus and is responsible for the event’s programme.
The aim was to strengthen PulPaper’s position as one of the leading international events of the bioforest industry, create a wide-ranging programme to attract visitors from around the world and maximise media coverage. The event had a diverse, high-quality programme, and all research results suggest that the event was a success. There were 67 media representatives, 25 stories in both print media and television as well as 600 hits in digital channels.
“The success was due to the tight-knit collaboration between the field’s leading exhibitors and organisations. Media partnership with Finnfacts was also a success. The exhibitors’ development groups played an especially significant role.”