What’s on your plate at NBForum2018?

Those of you who have been to our events know that food plays an essential role, and NBForum2018 is no exception. Most business conferences do not include meals and other catering options in the price of a ticket, but we feel that it’s our duty to take care of it for our customers so all they have to focus on is enjoying the event.

We have to be honest, though. Despite our efforts last year at Nordic Business Forum 2017, our catering options didn’t meet the expectations of all our guests. We had hoped that serving food in individual portions – rather than from a buffet – would reduce food waste, but the portions ended up being too small for some of our guests. We also received negative feedback about the taste, visual appeal, and availability of the food. This year, we’ve put more time and effort to make improvements to our menus to make sure our guests (and their stomachs) are happy.

Let’s just say that catering to 7,500 people is a challenge. And catering to 7,500 people so that each one of them is content is an even bigger challenge. And catering to 7,500 people with responsible, local food so that each one of them is content is – you guessed it – an overwhelming challenge.

But we love a challenge!

Our chef, Jyrki Sukula, is dedicated to bake responsibility into the menus: “Again, we have responsible food and responsible food production as the theme for the menus. In practice, this means that we make sure the food offered to our guests is not only produced but also cooked and served in a responsible way.” The co-founder of Nordic Business Forum, Hans-Peter Siefen, agrees: “Locality and responsibility are the minimum requirements for us when designing the menus.” In fact, everything that you will find on your plate is locally produced.

Furthermore, Siefen is excited about the aspiring goals set for the food this year: “This year, we are especially proud of having game as the theme of our menu for day 1. Making that a reality for 7,500 people is not an easy task and we look forward to seeing how this resonates with the audience.” Sukula agrees: “Personally I’m most excited about the level of ambition set for the menu this year. For example, serving moose meat that has been slow-cooked for 28 hours to 7,500 people may not be their first choice, nor is the flamed Finnish trout from Saimaa. But, they both represent innovation in menu design. I’m also happy about the fact that we have numerous local producers who have developed their products into a variety of delicious snacks.”

So, what can you expect to find on your plate this year? Carnivores will be offered moose with root vegetables (day 1) and Finnish rainbow trout with Nordic tabbouleh (day 2), whereas vegetarians will be served hemp tofu with root vegetables (day 1) and beetroot and beans with Nordic tabbouleh (day 2). In addition to the lunch menus, during the session breaks, we offer a variety of delicious such as Karelian pasties, fresh blueberry porridge, and potato flatbreads with different fillings.

For those not interested in the official NBForum 2018 catering, some alternatives are available: pizza, sushi, or wok. A few restaurants in the lower gallery are open for limited hours during the event so you can grab something to eat from these restaurants as well on us! Your ticket covers the food at these locations too.

We are so very excited about the menus this year and especially excited to hear what you think!