Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre will continue to plan the autumn event season at full capacity with the objective that participation in events is as safe as possible for clients and staff. Detailed guidelines have been prepared as cornerstones for safety, guiding the activities of visitors, business clients and staff at fairs, meetings and other events.

Messukeskus’ safety instructions cover the entire path of the client. It includes detailed information on, among other things, safety distances, hygiene, event space planning, services, cleaning, air conditioning and staff protection. For companies participating in exhibitions, the guidelines also comment on the stand design to ensure the safety of staff at the stand and visitors visiting the stand. Messukeskus is built for large public events, so hygiene standards and expertise are already inherently high.

The safety guidelines are based on the guidelines of the Government, the regional authorities and the health authorities, and are updated if necessary. Good basic information has been obtained from the international umbrella organization UFI. Additionally, Messukeskus follows the self-monitoring guidelines prepared by The Association of Trade Fair and Event Organisers in Finland (MeTa ry) covering the entire Finnish exhibition industry. In addition to official information, MeTa’s guidelines are based on an extensive customer survey.

Messukeskus closely monitors the experiences of other countries as the exhibition activities have already started in, for instance, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Poland, China, Austria and Italy.

"We make every effort to ensure that it is safe to come to Messukeskus Helsinki. Our restart team, made up of staff with multidisciplinary expertise, has done a great job of putting together instructions in a rapidly changing situation. I would also like to thank our clients. We have received valuable information about the needs and plenty of encouragement as events are needed. Exhibitions have a huge significance for the recovery of business life," said Anni Vepsalainen, Managing Director of Messukeskus.

In the exhibition sector’s recent customer survey, 74% of respondents said they wanted to visit a fair as soon as an event of interest to them was held again. More than 8000 Finns responded to the survey conducted at the beginning of June.