In the land of ice and fire
CMW REPORTER CATIE OWEN VISITS SOME OF ICELAND ’ S VAST ARRAY OF INCENTIVES AROUND ITS CAPITAL CITY , AND DISCOVERS MORE ABOUT THE COUNTRY ’ S THRIVING MICE INDUSTRY
I t ’ s undeniable that the very nature of meetings and conferences revolves around indoor spaces and bricks and mortar . We gather in functional glass-walled meeting rooms and stylish city conference centres to iron out the issues of our industries and associations , and set plans into motion . But shipping travellers from metropolis to metropolis can be a chore .
The small city of Reykjavík , Iceland , certainly feels more like a comforting coastal town than a sprawling capital . As of January 2022 , the city boasted only 135,688 inhabitants – about 36 % of the entire country ’ s population . Situated on a peninsula , the surrounding foggy mountains are an ever-present reminder that this is a location completely at the mercy of its dramatic volcanic landscape . It ’ s unsurprising , then , that Iceland ’ s distinct character is integral to both its leisure and B2B tourism industries .
A coastal landmark My tour of Reykjavík included the jewel in the city ’ s MICE crown – the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre . Harpa is the only hall of its type in the country and , like any gem , truly does sparkle . Its striking geometric structure is made from 714 coloured glass panels which are lit by an ever-changing LED light display . According to the management , the honeycomb-esque structure was designed to resemble the volcanic basalt rocks that make up Iceland ’ s fields and landscape .
Even beyond its design , the DNA of Iceland has been completely incorporated into Harpa , which is fitting considering its primary purpose as the Iceland Symphony Orchestra ’ s home ( resulting in the Eldborg main hall ). The venue offers 6,600sqm of conference space accommodating up to 3,500 delegates – the full extent of which is notable at events such as the Arctic Circle Assemblies . On top of this , the centre also provides a selection of smart meeting rooms .
The DNA of Iceland is also included in the building ’ s infrastructure . As a CO2-neutral building , Harpa uses Iceland ’ s power grid which is almost entirely made up of renewable hydroelectric and geothermal energy resources . Being at the pinnacle of sustainability has not gone unnoticed , as Harpa is also frequently home to events focused on climate change , Net
56 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 121