Destination Report Estonia is a special edition of HeadQuarters Magazine - June 2011published by Meeting Media Company (Belgium) - www.headquartersmagazine.com - press@headquartersmagazine.com

HEADQUARTERSE U R O P E , M I D D L E - E A S T, A F R I C A

meet estoniaa positively surprising e-country

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HEADQUARTERS 2

ESTOnIA IS THE SMALLEST OF THREE BAL-

TIC COUnTRIES, BUT DESPITE ITS SIzE IT

OFFERS A LOT TO EvERyBODy wHO SETS

A FOOT In THIS BEAUTIFUL REgIOn. IT IS

ALMOST UnBELIEvABLE HOw MAny HIgH

STAnDARD HOTELS, COnFEREnCE vEnUES

AnD OPPORTUnITIES ESTOnIA BOASTS.

THIS IS A PLACE TO RETURn BACk AgAIn

AnD AgAIn - AS EvERy TIME OnE CAn

FInD SOMETHIng nEw, LET IT BE A nEw

BOUTIQUE HOTEL, A HI-TECH COngRESS

CEnTRE, A FAnCy RESTAURAnT OR An

EnTERTAInIng SOCIAL PROgRAMME.

RepoRt AnitA KAlMAne

My last visit to Estonia took place in 2009,

and when I returned to this fascinating

country in April I was amazed to see how

much it’s changed. 2011 is definitely The year

of Estonia - from January 1 they have joined

Euro-zone, Tallinn is the official European

Capital of Culture and Tartu, the second big-

gest Estonian city, just inaugurated its new

science centre AHHAA. And that is not all as

high plans are also set for 2012: next year

Tallinn will be the (unofficial) Capital of Euro-

pean Law and Tallinn Tv-Tower will welcome

its visitors again not only for a nice view of

the city, but also for small conferences for up

to 100 people.

OlD anD nEw par excellenceBlend of old and new, modern and medieval,

in the last years Estonia has been a destina-

tion for several large-scale conferences

and events. In ICCA’s last statistics, Estonia

ranked 40th, its capital Tallinn 44th, and Esto-

nian capital of science Tartu 171th - not bad for

an emerging destination!

Estonia has just only 1,3 million inhabitants

although its territory is slightly larger than

Denmark or the netherlands. That means

that almost half of the country is covered

with forests, and Estonians them-selves like

to stress out how green and nature-friendly

they are. It takes less than half an hour to get

out of any city and organise a green meeting

in the countryside, although it is possible

to organise such a meeting also in the city

centre - a good example is the 5th Interna-

tional Conference of waste Management and

the Environment which took place at Radisson

Blu Hotel Olümpia.

On the other hand, Estonia is also a true

‘e-country’. Upon my arrival, an Estonian

friend reassured me in a heartbeat: ‘Wi-Fi is

one of our basic human rights.’ That being

said, all hotels have free wireless and some

go even further - for example, the busi-

ness rooms in nordic Hotel Forum include

a modern Skype telephone, which gives

the opportunity to call Skype users free of

charge. Oh and by the way, did you know

that Skype was invented in Estonia (although

Sweden is claiming the same as the lucky

combination consisted of Estonian brain and

Swedish money)?

TEsTiMOnialErik Bongcam-Rudloff,

member of the execu-

tive board of EMBnet

and chairman of

SeqAhead (Sweden),

says: ‘We are looking

for places to organise

conferences in 2012-2014. Last year I went to

Erik Bongcam-Rudloff

© Jarek Jõepera

estonia, the hard facts

+ Officiallanguage:Estonian+ Foreignlanguagesspoken:English

andGerman,oftenalsoRussianandFinnish

+ Officialcurrency:Euro+ Timezone:GMT+2+ Membership:Estoniaisapartof

NATO,EUandSchengenvisaarea

+ Neighbouringcountries:Finland,LatviaandRussia

+ RegisteredpublicWi-Fihotspots:1,140

E-country Estonia

HEADQUARTERS 3

Barcelona for EIBTM and got very interesting

information in the booth of Estonia, and I was

invited to come for the fam trip ‘Meet Estonia

2011’. We are very specific in our wishes –

we want to get a place that is technically

advanced, where there is good transportation

(not far away from the airport) and which has

good value for money. The first impression

of Estonia is so far very good. Three years

ago when I was here for one day as a tourist,

I just saw the old town. For me it was very

impressive, because it is one of the few places

where you can see a town which looks like a

medieval castle. Now that I have inspected

hotels I must say that the quality standard

is very high. Also it is very impressive that

everywhere we go there is free internet. In

the field of bioinformatics where I am working

it is very important, because we must always

be connected in order to be very efficient in

our work.’

EsTOnian COnvEnTiOn BuREaukadri karu, Managing

Director of Estonian

Convention Bureau,

explains: ‘Estonian Convention Bureau is

a young membership-based organisation

that was founded in 2008 and unites 23 key

players of the Estonian meetings industry,

including convention centres, conference

hotels, PCO’s and DMC’s and the cities of

Tartu and Tallinn. As a first contact point ECB

provides free of charge neutral information

and assistance in finding the local partners

for any meeting or incentive.’

She continues: ‘Organising an event in

Estonia is affordable and easy - facilities and

services come at very competitive rates and

offer good value for money when compared

to other European countries. E-solutions and

practically no need for transfers help to keep

the budget costs down and also contribute to

green approach that is widely recognized in

Estonia. Using electronical conference mate-

rials and communication, avoiding plastic

and paper and choosing local seasonal food

for catering are just few examples how to act

green in Estonia.’

She concludes: ‘Estonia is very informal

and friendly hence it is possible to organise

things quickly and easily. You can even rent

the centuries old Tallinn Town Hall for special

occasions or have the former Prime Minister

and historian Mart Laar as a tour guide in

the UNESCO Heritage listed Tallinn Old Town!

Just recently in May European Quality Asso-

ciation announced Tallinn to be the venue for

57th EOQ Congress in June 2013. We consider

the possibility to host 500 European quality

specialists as an important recognition to

Estonia as a top quality meeting destination!’

COnTACT

Kadri Karu, Managing Director

estonian Convention Bureau

kadri.karu@ecb.ee

T: +372 6 450 029

www.ecb.ee

past conferences held in estonia

+ AIDS2011InternationalConference+ InternationalIntegrativeMedicine

Conference+ AssociationofEuropeanThreat

AssessmentProfessionals(AETAP)Conference2011

+ 2011EFMDEntrepreneurshipConference+ TheWorldFederationofTouristGuide

Associations(WFTGA)2011Convention+ 5thInternationalBalticCongressof

AnaesthesiologyandIntensiveCare+ Europe’sEcotourismConference2010+ EuropeanCharophytologistsAnnual

Conference+ SUSI2010:11thInternationalConference

onStructuresUnderShockandImpact+ 3rdWorldConferenceonScienceand

TechnologyEducation+ EuropeanConferenceonCyberConflict

Full list of past and upcoming events you can see at www.ecb.ee

The programme ‘Promoting Estonia as a Tourism Destination’ is supported by Euro-pean Union Regional Development Fund.Kadri Karu

tallinn old town © Jaak Kadak

estonia Song Festival © Anton Klink

© Kirsti eerik

> I n T R O D U C T I O n

HEADQUARTERS 4

Most of travellers arrive to Estonia at

Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, which was not

only the first airport in the world to offer free

internet, but is also one of the few places

in Europe where one can literally walk from

the airport to the hotel as driving to the city

centre takes only five minutes. In May 2012 the

Airport Council International - Europe Region

and Tallinn Airport will be organising the 7th

Routes Europe event in Tallinn together with

key partners - Enterprise Estonia, Estonian

Tourist Board; Tallinn City and Estonian Air.

Thanks to their national carrier Estonian Air

and other companies, Tallinn airport offers

direct flights to 30 European cities as well

as good flight connections to everywhere

else in the world via Helsinki, Riga and other

European cities. It is also no problem to

arrive by train from Moscow or take a ferry

from Helsinki, Stockholm or St. Petersburg.

Planners often decide to organise combined

programmes including a post-conference

tour to Helsinki, St. Petersburg or Riga.

Once in Tallinn, most of the conference

venues and hotels are located in the city

centre which is only 10 minutes by foot

from the port and railway station. The short

distances in the capital and the fact that all

venues are about 5 to 10 minutes away from

each other help avoiding using public trans-

port. It also makes it convenient to discover

the city by night!

All together there are 7,500 hotel rooms

in Tallinn. In addition to numerous confer-

ence hotels, there are five star boutique

hotels, which are suitable for those looking

for something more unusual. Having visited

the boutique hotel Telegraaf, which was built

for the Estonian Telegraph company in 19th

century, and several conference hotels, I can

truly say that it is hard to choose where to

stay as each and every hotel gives a good

reason to come back for a longer time!

COnfEREnCE HOTEls in Tallin

swissôTEl Tallinn

During my time in Tallinn I stayed on the

29th floor of Swissôtel, which is the tallest

hotel in Estonia. The view from my room was

priceless, as I woke up with the sun, admiring

the view of the ferries slowly sliding along

the port. In total the hotel has 238 luxurious

guest rooms as well as the largest ballroom

in Estonia and seven other multi-functional

meeting rooms with various capacities from

9 to 500 people. not to forget also the only

ESTOnIAn CAPITAL TALLInn wITH ITS COMPACT SIzE SURPRISES yOU In EvERy ASPECT.

IT FEELS ALMOST LIkE BEIng In A FAIRyTALE AnD gOIng BACk TO 15TH CEnTURy

(ESPECIALLy wHEn vISITIng THE TOwn HALL PHARMACy, THE ELDEST STILL-RUnnIng

APOTHECARy In EUROPE), wHILE AT THE SAME TIME TALLInn AMAzES yOU wITH ITS

19TH CEnTURy FACTORy DISTRICT ROTERMAnn AnD 20TH CEnTURy BUILDIngS JUST

ACROSS THE STREET.

tallinn compact, yet diverse

Town Hall Pharmacy © Toomas volmer

Executive Lounge in Tallinn, business centre,

spa and wellness centre, several restaurants

and two private dining rooms.

MERiTOn GRanD COnfEREnCE

& sPa HOTEl

It seems that Meriton with its 21 treatment

rooms and several pools, saunas and jaccuzis

has the largest spa and wellness centre in

Tallinn, therefore it is an ideal place for partici-

pants to relax after a hard day’s work. Fourteen

multifunctional conference rooms give the

possibility to organisers to choose the most

suitable one for them, let it be a room with a

terrace overlooking the old town or a small

meeting room next to the aqua and sauna

centre. The biggest plenary room is suitable

for 380 participants and the hotel also offers

cocktail receptions for up to 600 people.

TallinK sPa & COnfEREnCE HOTEl

Tallink Hotel is not only special because of its

original pool bar and outdoor swimming pool,

but also because of the nice feeling it gives

its guests. During the day participants can

have a meeting in one of the six conference

halls (the largest one can seat 263 guests); at

night they are welcome to rest in one of its

275 rooms, among which there are four origi-

nal luxury suites, reminiscent of different,

distant worlds, whether it be French, Arabic,

Metropolitan or even from the Cosmos!

RaDissOn Blu HOTEl Tallinn &

RaDissOn Blu HOTEl OlüMPia

For those who prefer well-known brands,

both Radisson hotels situated in Tallinn’s

skyscrapers are the best choice. Combined,

the hotels offer 670 guest rooms and 29

multifunctional rooms, which in total can

host almost 2,000 delegates (the largest

room alone is suitable for 400 participants).

Being just 500 metres away from each other,

it is easy to host a large conference in both

venues.

nORDiC HOTEl fORuM

If there is one thing to be said about nordic

Hotel Forum, it is definitely its unique Skype

phones in all of its 23 business rooms,

making it clear that a real working atmos-

phere is possible everywhere. In addition

to its 267 rooms, the hotel boasts six multi-

functional conference and meeting rooms

with daylight, the biggest one seating 200

people in a theatre style. Definitely a good

choice for smaller conferences.

sOKOs HOTEl viRu

Back in 1972 Sokos Hotel viru was the first

skyscraper in Estonia. Today it’s been fully

modernised and includes 516 guest as well

HEADQUARTERS 5

Altogether there are 7,500 hotel rooms in Tallinn. In addition to the expected conference hotels, there are five star boutique hotels, which are suitable for those looking for something more unusual

Elo Aun and Liina guiter, Project Managers at Foun-dation Tallinn 2011, explain: ‘All together there are around 251 projects and 7,000 events as a part of Tallinn 2011 - European Capital of Culture. One of the biggest events that will last till September is a straw theatre. Another highlight is the 11th Youth Song and Dance Festival at the beginning of July, which tells seaside stories about Estonia and its people. It is the most important event for Estonians and will take place in open air, so it practically cannot be sold out and tickets can be bought even at the last minute. Of course, there is also a whole area by the seaside with special events and simply nice places to walk.’

tallinn, 2011 european capital of culture

> T A L L I n n

Tallink spa & Conference Hotelnokia Concert Hall swissôtel conference hall

HEADQUARTERS 6

> T A L L I n n

as 11 multifunctional conference rooms,

the biggest one of which seats up to 500

delegates. Those looking for entertainment

will be thrilled: the hotel has a nightclub,

a shopping mall or there is even the kgB

museum on the 23rd floor! Indeed, kgB, the

national security agency of the Soviet Union,

used several rooms in the hotel to spy on the

foreign guests and now hotel guests have

the exceptional possibility to hear the stories

about kgB and see the proofs of their work.

BOuTiQuE HOTEls - TElEGRaaf,

THE THREE sisTERs anD sCHlösslE

Although Tallinn boutique hotels do not have

facilities for big conferences, they represent

a good choice for discerning business travel-

ers. It can either be Telegraaf with its 86

rooms, special service cabinets and a lounge

for up to 50 persons, The Three Sisters with

23 unique rooms and suites, small meet-

ing rooms for a maximum of 90 people, or

Schlössle with 23 rooms and a board room

for up to 12 people. These places are perfect

for either small and very special meetings

or those conference participants seeking for

a difference. All three boutique hotels are in

the old town and just a few minutes by foot

from the biggest conference venues.

COnvEnTiOn vEnuEs

nOKia COnCERT Hall

Built only two years ago, nokia Concert Hall

is proud to have the best sound system in

northern Europe and the biggest multi-

functional room in Estonia, which can host

a wide amount of people, let it be 1,800

delegates or only 500 people (while covering

the rest of the hall with curtains). During

my visit, general Manager Aivar Sirelpuu

even mentioned you can drive a car on the

stage - everything is possible! Extensive

foyer areas are suitable for exhibitions

catering and posters. As if that was not

enough there are 9 auditorium-style cinema

halls in the same complex that can be used

as break-out rooms.

Tallinn univERsiTy

COnfEREnCE CEnTRE

Tallinn University Conference Centre

has found its home next to the port near

kadriorg Park. The academic environment

here is a good place for seminars, workshops

and conferences in one of the seven meeting

rooms the facility boasts. The biggest one of

them is suitable for 255 people, although next

year 15 new rooms will open. Then their larg-

est room will accommodate 400 delegates.

Tallinn’s uniQuE MEETinG faCiliTiEs

EsTOnia COnCERT Hall

anD EsTOnian naTiOnal OPERa

Just across the street of nokia Concert

Hall there is a ‘two in one’ facility, Estonia

Concert Hall and Estonian national Opera,

connected with the white Hall belonging

to the theatre. Hosting a conference in

such a majestic place guarantees a special

atmosphere and the guests can have a

seminar in the morning, a gala dinner in the

Estonian song festival © Kaarel Mikkin

Estonian national Opera © Harri Rospu

The Three sisters Hotel © Toomas volmer

Telegraaf Hotel

HEADQUARTERS 7

evening and a concert the next day - all in

the same hall as the removable chair system

of the Concert Hall enables to change the

set up in less than ten minutes. Besides the

theatre and concert halls both suitable for

conferences up to 800 persons, there are

foyer areas and 3 smaller rooms suitable for

exhibitions, catering and break-outs.

KuMu aRT MusEuM

kumu Art Museum offers more than culture,

as it hosts exhibitions of Estonian art that

can be used for private events. Awarded the

best European Museum of the year in 2008,

it has an auditorium suitable for conferences

and performances up to 245 people and the

main exhibition hall can be used for recep-

tions (up to 500 people) and gala dinner (up

to 280 people).

Tallinn sOnG fEsTival GROunDs

going further, the most extraordinary

place to have a conference is Song Festival

grounds as you will not find anything like

this out of the Baltic states. Once every five

years it is home to the Estonian Song Festival

gathering 30,000 singers and 8,000 dancers

in once place (this July there is 11th youth

Song and Dance Celebration, so do not miss

it if you are nearby!). At any other time, the

indoor facilities are available for banquets,

conferences, exhibitions and concerts,

hosting up to 1,000 people for a reception.

The empty indoor layout is highly flexible,

adapted to anyone’s demanding needs.

HOusE Of THE BROTHERHOOD

Of BlaCK HEaDs

In terms of majesty and special feelings, the

House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads

is competing with Estonia Concert Hall and

national Opera. During the medieval times

when Tallinn was part of the Hanseatic

League unmarried merchants gathered in

their guild here. now there are two spec-

tacular halls where one can get away from

the bustling noises of everyday’s life and feel

like one is back in the past. Maybe the only

preserved Renaissance building in Tallinn, it

can host up to 300 guests for reception or

150 guests for conference.

the XXv congress of the international federation for european law (fide) in estonia

Dr. iur Julia Laffranque, President of FIDE 2011-2012 and President of Estonian Association

for European Law, says: ‘Inspired by Tallinn being the 2011 European Capital of Culture,

Tallinn will be known as the Capital of European Law in 2012, when it will host one of the

most distinguished EU law conferences, the XXV Congress of the International Federation for

European Law (FIDE). The Congress will be hosted by the Estonian Association for European

Law and the Estonian Lawyers Association. As hosts to the 2012 FIDE Congress, we would like

to give the Congress a wide perspective and offer the people of Estonia and other Europeans

during the whole year of 2012 a unique opportunity to learn more about their rights under EU

law and how they can influence policy making at different levels. While the Congress will surely

contribute to the development and enrichment of European law, it will also introduce Estonia,

Tallinn and the country’s jurisprudence to European and global audiences, and help Estonia

prepare for the Estonian Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2018.’Julia laffranque

Thanks to their national carrier Estonian Air and other companies, Tallinn airport offers direct flights to 30 European cities as well as good flight connections to everywhere else in the world

COnTACT

Meeli Jaaksoo, Convention Manager

tallinn City tourist office & Convention

Bureau Meeli.Jaaksoo@tallinnlv.ee

T: +372 6 404 414

www.tourism.tallinn.ee

Kumu art Museum © Karel Koplimets

Tallinn Town Hall

House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads © Toomas Tuul

> T A L L I n n

HEADQUARTERS 8

Estonian scientists have achieved great

results in several areas - for example, gene

technology, nanotechnology, software devel-

opment, astronomy and biology, and most of

those scientists come exactly from Tartu as

the city has not only several higher educa-

tion institutions, but it is the national centre

of science and research, base to the oldest

science park in the Baltics and many research

institutes. In the summer, when the students

are resting and there are no lectures, the

city might seem more quiet, but every spring

and summer during Tartu Student Days the

city becomes really vibrant and opens up for

everybody, not only students.

Located only 180 km away from Tallinn, Tartu

is easily accessible by bus or train from the

Estonian capital and Tartu airport has regular

flight connections with Tallinn and Riga, the

capital of Latvia. As the city proudly boasts

the oldest university not only in Estonia, but

in all Baltic states, around 400 large-scale

science conferences and events take place

there every year. Tartu has only 100,000

inhabitants and is therefore compact and

easily walkable. There are four main confer-

ence hotels plus several smaller available and

a number of unique venues for conferences.

As Tartu is a small city, conferences truly

stand out there.

HOTEls in TaRTu

HOTEl lOnDOn

Hotel London has not only the most central

location in Tartu (directly in the middle of

the pedestrian street), but also a spacious

lobby and a small, interesting choice of travel

books one can read there while waiting for

the rest of the group to be ready - as I did!

Besides offering 60 rooms, the hotel has a

conference room for up 100 people with an

exit to a quiet courtyard, where it is possible

to organise banquets and coffee breaks.

HOTEl Pallas

Hotel Pallas is proud of its 61 rooms: the inte-

rior decoration received the Annual Award

of the Union of Estonian Architects. Located

just across the main department store and at

the same time just a few minutes away both

from the old town and all conference venues,

Hotel Pallas also has a small conference

room for up to 40 people, with a wonderful

view over the city.

HOTEl anTOnius

Hotel Antonius is a special place with a very

special atmosphere. you can feel it as soon as

you enter the lobby full of 19th century vibes.

Although the hotel has only 18 rooms, it is all

about quality, not quantity as they combine

both antique furniture and modern bath-

rooms. I had a chance to visit Antonius Suite

and I can only envy those who stay there

while enjoying their time in Tartu - although

once there, you might not want to go out of

the hotel at all! And why should you? Hotel

Antonius has also one of the best kitchens

tartu, Estonia’s capital oF sciEncE EvERy PLACE CAn BE CAPITAL In ESTOnIA. IF TALLInn IS THE CAPITAL

OF CULTURE THIS yEAR AnD CAPITAL OF LAw nExT yEAR, THEn THE SECOnD

BIggEST CITy TARTU IS CAPITAL OF SCIEnCE AnD STUDEnTS EvERy yEAR.

> T A R T U

HEADQUARTERS 9

in Tartu (the cellar restaurant seats up to 40

people and can be booked also for non-resi-

dents) and a cosy lounge which is suitable for

either a meeting or a meal for 15 people.

DORPaT COnvEnTiOn CEnTRE & HOTEl

For the bigger groups there is Dorpat Con-

vention Centre and Hotel which is both the

largest hotel (205 rooms for 410 guests) and

the largest convention centre (10 multi-

functional rooms, the biggest one of which

is for up to 500 people) in Tartu. It has a

spacious lobby with more than 600 m2 of

exhibition area and several possibilities for

catering. The convention centre is connected

with a corridor to the hotel, which has a

separate floor for people with allergies and

five rooms for guests with physical

disabilities. what makes it different from

other hotels in Tartu is its spa with ten

different massages and body treatments.

TaRTu’s MEETinG faCiliTiEs

aHHaa sCiEnCE CEnTRE

The new AHHAA Science Centre opened just

a few weeks ago in the beginning of May

as the biggest science centre in the Baltic

states. The new building includes an inter-

active exhibition area totalling 10,000 m2,

an auditorium for conferences up to 120

and 3 smaller meeting rooms.

vanEMuisE COnCERT Hall

Up to 959 people can feel comfortable seat-

ing in Tartu’s largest concert hall, which can

be transformed into a nice hall for a gala

dinner or a reception in about 20 minutes,

thanks to the ingenious removable chair

system. The spacious foyer areas around

the main hall are a perfect place for coffee

breaks, exhibitions or informal gatherings -

they also can be converted into 3 to 6 smaller

rooms with sound-proof transportable walls.

aTHEna COnfEREnCE anD

CulTuRE CEnTRE

Just a few seconds away from the University

of Tartu, Athena Conference Centre with three

main halls and a next-door restaurant offers its

services for those who are in favor of a 1920’s

style. The grand hall can host 253 people

together on the floor and balcony, the ‘black

box’ is suitable for 150 people, and the smallest

private room welcomes 35 people. One should

note that the conference centre does not have

an elevator. Right next door, Restaurant volga

caters for 260 people in total.

univERsiTy assEMBly Hall

If one of Tallinn’s highlights is the House

of Blackheads, then Tartu can be proud of

its University Assembly Hall with its neo-

classical architecture, its white columns and

magnificent chandeliers. 470 people can be

seated on the floor and balcony either for

conferences, concerts, lectures, gala event...

you name it! A good idea is to spend a longer

time in the University Main Building and pay

a visit to the top floor, where in the old days

students were locked-up for not obeying the

rules of the university. Accommodating up

to 100 people, the university also offers to

book the so-called ‘Soiree with Parrot’, with

the first rector of the university. georges-

Frederic Parrot himself then tells about the

university and the life in the beginning of 19th

century when it was built.

univERsiTy Of TaRTu HisTORy MusEuM

On the top of the hill where a medieval Dome

cathedral once was, University of Tartu

History Museum has found its home. Being

more than a museum, its two conference

halls are an extraordinary place for con-

gresses, concerts and receptions for up to

100 people. The museum has also a magnifi-

cent view of the city and its cathedral ruins.

COnTACT

Angela Järg, executive Director

tartu Convention Bureau

Angela.Jarg@visittartu.com

T: +372 7 441 464

www.visittartu.com

> T A R T U

Tartu university Main Building © andres Tennus Hotel antonius

st John’s Church © Meelis lokk

Tartu Town Hall © Jaak nilson

Tartu © sven Zacek

HEADQUARTERS 10

to relax and lay back. you can take a walk on

the beach, listen to the sea waves and after a

calm get-away return back to the conference.

Besides that, the city hosts several festivals all

year long, including Pärnu International Opera

Music Festival and Pärnu Hanseatic Days.

MEETinG faCiliTiEs in PäRnuThe most common place for conference

delegates in Pärnu is Strand SPA & Confer-

ence Hotel with its 187 rooms and a large

conference hall which seats up to 500

people. The biggest hall can be divided into

three smaller sections, and besides that the

hotel also has six other rooms, all but one

named after different Baltic seaside cities.

For bigger events there is Pärnu Concert Hall

with 800 seats in its grand Hall and 170 in its

Chamber Hall. Built less than ten years ago

and therefore being one of the most modern

concert halls in Estonia (the same as in

Tallinn and Tartu, also this concert hall as a

removable chair system), it is no wonder that

most of the biggest city events take place

exactly there, including receptions by the city

mayor, international scientific conferences

and corporate events like Price waterhouse

Coopers’ and Astrazeneca’s conferences.

EnTERPRisE EsTOnia, EsTOnia TOuRisT BOaRDTarmo Mutso, Director of Estonian Tourist

Board, says: ‘Positively surprising Estonia is a

new and exciting destination – it is relatively

undiscovered, but easily accessible. We

have brand new accommodation establish-

ments, conference

centres, restaurants,

unique venues and also

professional confer-

ence organisers with

extensive international

experience. Estonia

has a rich cultural and

historical heritage, but at the same time it is

also the most modern and high-tech capital

in the Europe.’

Tarmo continues: ‘It is important that Estonia

supports international conferences that

are held in Estonia. Enterprise Estonia has

Conference Support Scheme that can cover

up to 70 percent of the costs of international

conferences. In 2010, eight international

conferences were financed with 355,265

euro and for 2011 we have 320,000 euro.

The programme is financed by the European

Regional Development Fund and the aim

of the programme is to promote Estonia as

a conference destination and increase the

number of overnight stays. Together with

Estonian Convention Bureau we are working

to promote Estonia as an attractive confer-

ence destination. Welcome to Estonia!’

ESTOnIA’S THIRD CAPITAL IS PäRnU,

THE ‘SUMMER’ CAPITAL. BEIng EvEn

CLOSER TO TALLInn (129 kM) AnD On

THE SEASIDE, IT IS A COMMOn wEEkEnD

DESTInATIOn nOT OnLy FOR ESTOnIAnS,

BUT ALSO FOR THEIR LATvIAn

nEIgHBOURS AS RIgA IS LESS

THAn 200 kM AwAy.

Pärnu has been a renowned spa resort town

since the middle of the 19th century. nowadays

it offers a wide range of activities for anybody

who likes active holidays either in the forest

or on the seaside, with yachting and golf. Once

in Pärnu, you can easily forget the outside

world, as every part of the city demands you

summEr, spa and sEa

in pärnu© Madis Palm

© Toomas Tuul

ammende villa © Toomas Tuul

© anneli Tandorf

Pärnu Concert Hall

Tarmo Mutso

COnTACT

tarmo Mutso, Director

estonian tourist Board

Tarmo.mutso@eas.ee

T: +372 6279 770

visitestonia.com

HEADQUARTERS 11

Hotels on the islands have attractive spa

facilities - the first spa in Saaremaa opened

almost at the same time as in Pärnu. For

example, the small luxury resort and spa

Pädaste Manor on Muhu Island (which has

only 2,000 inhabitants) gives the possibility

not only to relax, but also to organise a small

meeting in one of its three private rooms

which in total are suitable for more than

150 guests. On an island where ‘the time

rests’ (their own slogan) it is also possible to

order party tents to be set up in the hotel’s

courtyard, a bonfire, horse-drawn carriages,

folklore dancers, fishing trips at dawn - again,

you name it!

And there are also Estonia’s beautiful forests.

The country’s oldest and largest national

park Lahemaa is worth discovering not only

for those looking for wireless internet in

the middle of the forest, but also for lovers

of nature and small villages. It is possible

to follow bog walking trails in the nature

reserve, fish and later have a campfire,

stay at manor houses or visit small villages.

Smaller conferences and meetings (with the

possibilities to stay overnight) are possible

in manor houses Palmse, Sagadi and vihula.

And whether it be in käsmu, an Estonian-

Finnish-Swedish village of captains or in the

little fishermen village of Altja, it is a true

voyage to the old days.

going more east, Estonians welcome visitors

in the Peipsi area. Lake Peipsi is the natural

frontier between Estonia and Russia, and in

the west bank of the lake old believers still

live their life the same as in the old times.

Four chapels and several villages show how

these people have strived to keep their

traditions alive. Estonian Ministry of Culture

is working to preserve these villages and

local culture as it is. not far away from the

old believers there is also the only Rus-

sian Orthodox cloister in Estonia - Pühtitsa

Dormition Convent in kuremäe. It has been a

sacred place already since the ancient times

and every year it welcomes thousands of

religious and curious visitors.

In the most Eastern point not only of Estonia,

but of the European Union a completely differ-

ent world can be seen in narva, a melting pot

of cultures and languages, where Estonian-

speakers are even in minority. Just across the

river narva (yes, the same name as the city

itself) there is already Russia - just a short

walk away from the city centre. who would

have thought Estonia had so much to offer?

For pre- and post-conference tours, Estonia could well be the place to be

Closer to the nature

in and around EstoniaBEFORE vISITIng ESTOnIA, I wAS vAgUELy AwARE OF THE FACT THAT THIS SMALL

COUnTRy HAS 1,521 ISLAnDS. THE TwO BIggEST OnES SAAREMAA AnD HIIUMAA ARE wELL

knOwn HOLIDAy DESTInATIOnS BOTH FOR ESTOnIAnS AnD FOREIgnERS. BUT ESTOnIAn

ISLAnDS ARE ALSO A gREAT PLACE FOR gREEn AnD SMALL COnFEREnCES FORUP TO 100

PEOPLE wHO SEEk SOMETHIng SPECIAL AnD UnUSUAL.

For pre- and post- conference tours, Estonia could well be the place to be

narva © Jaak Kadak

setu Kingdom in south-Estonia© Toomas Tuul

Bog walking © sven Zacek

Taste for something new? Estonia: Positively surprising!Estonian Convention Bureau is your partner forany and all meetings you plan to hold in Estonia.For more information on what we have to offer,please visit

www.ecb.ee visitestonia.com