First Timer’s Guide to Nordic Business Forum

Is this your first time at Nordic Business Forum? Are you feeling a bit nervous and not sure what to expect or how to dress? And you have no idea what Brella is!? Not to worry, we have got you covered. 

This first-timer’s kit will answer all the questions you might have and some you didn’t even know you had. For your convenience, we have divided all the relevant information into three sections; Before the event, During the event, and After the event.

Please note that we also have our Event Information Website, where you can find all relevant information about the event, such as arriving to the venue, agenda, and more.

Before the event

Ticket & Badge

If you are reading this, it’s safe to assume you already have a ticket and are planning to come to Nordic Business Forum on the 27-28th of September in Messukeskus, Helsinki.

You will need to exchange your ticket for an event badge to enter the event. 

There are a couple of ways to receive your badge. 

1. If you updated your address information before the 17th of August, we will send it to your personal address by mail. You may even have received it already. 
2. If you missed the deadline for the badge mailing, don’t worry. You can collect your badge at the pre-check-in at Tallinn or Helsinki.
3. Or finally, you can just march into Messukeskus on the event days (27-28 September), and follow the signs for Check-in, and collect your badge there. Prepare to queue, bring a valid ID, have your ticket handy on your phone or printed out if you prefer it old-school, and collect your badge.

Once you have your badge, you can go drop your coat and any possible luggage off at the cloakroom, go through the security check, and start enjoying the event!

When planning your arrival, please reserve time for the check-in process and the security check.

Preparing for the event

To make the most out of your time at Nordic Business Forum, we recommend you take some time to get to know our speakers and their content. You can find introductions for each speaker on our event page, and we also recommend checking out these speaker book reviews by our Resident Reader Lauri Vaisto from Duunitori.

It’s also wise to check out the agenda to make sure you won’t miss anything you might find interesting. On the agenda, you will find all the keynotes and the HS Visio Studio interviews. The HS Visio Studio will be hosting a lot of interesting interviews during the networking breaks and even a presidential panel on the second day. 

At the event

Food & Drink

The event catering is included in your ticket. Lunch will be served on both days at buffets in the networking area, and during the breaks, there will be coffee, tea, and snacks available. We also have food trucks, and the restaurants at Messukeskus will be open. So, there will be plenty of choices for you! 

We are trying to move away from single-use products, so we recommend bringing a reusable bottle of water with you to stay hydrated (coffee doesn’t count!) We will have plenty of refill stations where you can fill your bottle with some refreshing and clean Finnish water. We will also have some reusable water bottles at the event, which you can grab (in the case that you will use them throughout the event and after.)

Networking at the event

Making new connections one of the most important parts of Nordic Business Forum for many. We recommend you prepare to introduce yourself, think in advance about who you’d like to connect with, and be open-minded to meeting new people! 

To meet new people, you can connect and set up meetings on our event app Brella, go to the Extreme Extroverts Area to chat about the event themes with other attendees, or even politely approach someone interesting and introduce yourself! If you need to recharge in between, find your way to the Area for Introverts for some quiet time. 

Take Notes

We will be providing you a handy-dandy event notebook, which includes important information about the event and plenty of empty pages for you to take notes on. We will also give you a pen, so no need to bring your own note-taking equipment! We suggest that you take notes during each session, as this will help you process everything you hear. It will also help you apply the knowledge in your own work.

What else can I do at the event?

In between networking and watching the sessions, there is a lot to do and see at the event. Many of our partners have stalls where you can go and find out more about them, we have some art exhibitions, such as the I Was Born A Girl exhibition by Sinako, or even some arcade games you can go and play! 

You keep talking about Brella. What is it?

Brella is our wonderful event app, which you should have received a link to join. Download Brella on your phone if you haven’t already, and use the link we sent to you (from either noreply@nbforum.fi or noreply@brella.io) to join our event platform.

On Brella, you can check the event agenda, visit our partner’s virtual booths, and book meetings with other attendees. We recommend creating your networking profile before the event to make the most of it. 

After the event

Recordings

All the speeches (except for the VIP sessions) will be recorded by us, and you will be able to watch them on Brella until the 26th of December. This will give you plenty of time to go back to your favorite speeches and the ones you may have missed. 

Keep learning

The two event days are packed with new people, new experiences, and a lot of new insights. We recommend to go back to the keynotes, checking the notes you made during the event, and checking in with the connections you started building. A few weeks after the event, we will also send you a post-learning package, which will contain visual and written summaries of the speeches.

Other questions:

Can I leave Messukeskus and come back?

Of course! Just note that on arrival, you will need to scan your badge and go through the security check again. The security check is mandatory every time you enter the networking area.

What should I wear?

Most people go for business casual, but you won’t stand out if you wish to go for a more formal look. We do recommend you wear comfortable shoes, as you will most likely be walking a lot.