Messukeskus 100 poster competition

Habitare will celebrate Messukeskus’ 100th anniversary and the rich history of fair posters by challenging designers to create a fair poster that captures the theme of the centenary year. Shortlisted posters will be on display at Habitare at Messukeskus from 11 to 15 September 2019.

The theme of the Messukeskus centenary year An unforgettable beginning of dreams acts as the theme of the poster competition. The competition is open for participation to members of Grafia, the Association of Visual Communication Designers in Finland, and graphic design students. The poster designs that make it into the top ten in the competition will be displayed at a pop-up exhibition at Habitare and featured in the Messukeskus centenary year marketing.

“Posters are an important part of our story, because we used them as early as the 1920s to promote our events. This shows how the event industry has always sought visual power and graphic design artistry for its communications. Over the years, our posters have been created by a number of talented graphic designers. For example, in the 1960s, a poster for the Helsinki International Boat Show was designed by the legendary Erik Bruun, and a poster for the 1928 Radio Fair was designed by Tove Jansson’s mother Signe Hammarsten-Jansson”, says the marketing and communications director at Messukeskus, Maria Mroue.

What makes a good poster?

The Messukeskus poster design competition also discusses the importance of event posters as we approach the 2020s.

“The information in the poster should be conveyed to the viewer at a glance, and should inspire action. This requires simplification, and indeed, images play a key role in posters. Posters are particularly effective in event marketing. Posters have always been used to attract tourists to Finland and visitors to various events. A good poster reflects the nature of the event and catches the attention of the intended target group”, says the executive director of Grafia, Katri Soramäki.

The competition is now open, and the last day to enter is 30 April 2019. Ten designs will be chosen for the final and will be announced on the Messukeskus website by 19 August 2019. The ten finalist posters will also be shown at Habitare in their own exhibition. The winner and the audience’s favourite will be announced on the opening day of Habitare, 11 September 2019. The prize for the poster design competition winner is €3,000. The jury includes: Maria Mroue, marketing and communications director, the Finnish Fair Corporation; Laura Sarvilinna, creative director of Habitare; Timo Berry, graphic designer, Berry Creative; Katri Soramäki, executive director, Grafia; and Antti Uotila, graphic designer, Tsto.

More information about participating in the competition here.

More information about Habitare: communications manager Eva Kiviranta, tel. +358 40 7756609, eva.kiviranta@messukeskus.com

Habitare

Habitare, the largest furniture, design and interior decoration event in Finland, will be held at Messukeskus in Helsinki, from 11 to 15 September 2019. Habitare offers experiences and ideas on interior decoration, and on the functioning and look of homes and other spaces. Habitare highlights the ideas and works by a new generation of designers, and sparks discussion. The International Friend of Habitare in 2019 will be Alberto Alessi. To be held concurrently with Habitare are HiFi, and the Habitare Pro professionals event. | www.habitare.fi | @HabitareFair | www.facebook.com/habitare | #habitare2019