Interview
The safest place on Earth?
MEET IN REYKJAVIK’S SIGURÐUR VALUR SIGURÐSSON SAYS HIS TEAM IS READY TO HIT THE NEW NORMAL
GROUND RUNNING WITH UNIQUE AND NATURAL OFFERS
ike many destinations,
Reykjavik convention
bureau has had to deal
with the developing
situation around Covid-19 with events
being postponed, cancelled and/or
moved online.
Iceland is the safest place on earth,
according to the Global Peace Index
and the venues and hotels in Reykjavik
are, at most, a 10-minute drive from
each other. It is a meetings destination
famed for its unique nature.
Reykjavík gets 100% of its electricity
and heat from domestically produced
renewable energy sources, making it
one of the greenest cities in the world
and the capital is five years into its plan
of becoming carbon neutral by 2040.
“We have seen a lot of interest from
associations involved in geothermal
energy, fish processing, and medical or
pharmaceutical products,” says Meet in
Reykjavik’s marketing director
Sigurður Valur Sigurðsson.
“Lately,” he adds, “we have also seen
an increase in demand from associations
that want to emphasise gender equality,
sustainability, and peace. High tech is
high in demand, like artificial
intelligence, and Iceland has invested a
lot in innovation in these past years.”
About 62% of international events
planned in Iceland March-December
2020 have been postponed.
Approximately 13% have been
cancelled, and 12% moved online. There
are still a few live events scheduled later
this year, with organisers evaluating
their options.
Gatherings of up to 100 people are
currently permitted in Iceland,
providing careful attention to hygiene
and personal distancing of 1-2 metres is
observed at all times.
Fast reaction
Sigurðsson believes the recovery is
going to take time and patience.
“Realistically, as an industry, we are not
going to be at the same level as 2019
until 2024 or 2025. We are a small city
with a lot of open spaces allowing us to
take measures to ensure social
distancing when needed. We have also
shown during this outbreak that we can
react fast when things go wrong.
“I don’t think virtual meetings will
replace live events,” Sigurðsson adds.
“What business events are all about is
the engagement and physical interaction
between delegates. That is what
companies and associations are looking
for when they host an event. That being
said, we can already see a lot of
experimentation with hybrid events, and
I’m sure that trend will continue.
Reykjavík is well equipped for this and
all our main venues have state-of-the-art
software and broadcast technology. We
have the know-how and the experience
needed to be at the front line of this
exciting change.”
Sigurðsson sees the CVB’s mission as
one of helping clients create an
Above: Reykjavik
Below: Sigurður
Valur Sigurðsson,
marketing director,
Meet in Reykjavik
unforgettable event in a one-of-a-kind
destination. He points out the Meet in
Reykjavík Ambassador club offers
support and advice to those interested in
attracting international conferences to
Iceland.
“History,” he says, “shows that a
limited number of individuals have been
the key influencers of bringing large
meetings/conferences to Iceland.”
New hotel openings have been
generally pushed back until next year;
although a couple that are in the pipeline
are the Marriott EDITION, a new
five-star property next to Harpa
Concert Hall and Conference Centre,
and Hilton, which is opening Iceland
Parliament Hotel Curio Collection.
Hotel capacity in Reykjavík has
almost doubled over the past 10 years
and the city now has close to 6,000 hotel
rooms.
Safety guidelines have been issued for
all venues and when social distancing
measures were first put in place in
Iceland on 16 March, Harpa Concert
Hall and Conference Center in
Reykjavík had to close temporarily,
although prior to the outbreak, 2020 had
been on track to be a record year for it
and international events. On 7 May
Harpa reopened, becoming one of the
first conference halls in Europe to do so
during the pandemic.
The centre is following strict
guidelines on hygiene, and has divided
its space into sections to meet
regulations on group size and social
distancing.
Sigurðsson says the bureau and
Reykjavik’s sector professionals have
used the last few months to prepare for
what comes next, be creative and
collaborative, reorganise, and learn from
this situation.
ISSUE 108 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 47