Physician & Congress prize awarded to the power trio who brought EAS 2021 to Finland
Professor Katriina Aalto-Setälä, Professor Vesa Olkkonen and Professor Emerita Marja-Riitta Taskinen have won the prestigious Physician & Congress prize. The prize was awarded for bringing the EAS 2021 Congress to Finland. The prize, worth 5,000 euros, was presented at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
The award, presented for the second time, highlights doctors who have successfully brought a congress in their field to Finland. The winner was chosen from congresses held in Finland during 2017 -2021 in the field of medicine.
The European Atherosclerosis Association’s EAS 2021 congress was held as a virtual congress at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre from 30 May to 2 June 2021. The congress presented the latest research findings and clinical applications related to cardiovascular disease. The local organiser was the Finnish Atherosclerosis Association, with Professor Katriina Aalto-Setälä and Professor Vesa Olkkonen as main actors, with the support of Professor Emerita Marja-Riitta Taskinen, member of EAS’ Congress Committee.
-The power trio that brought the EAS Congress to Helsinki was rewarded for its positive attitude, perseverance, flexibility, consideration of the participants’ experience, rapid adoption of new ways, Helsinki’s strong marketing and the diplomatic navigation in the rough waters of the pandemic, says Juha Pekka Turunen, Deputy Secretary-General of the The Finnish Medical Society Duodecim who participated in choosing the winner.
- It is pleasant to organise large congresses in Helsinki. Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre offers an excellent setting for large-scale events as well. Finland is still a safe country, and Helsinki has good public traffic connections and excellent flight connections from the east and the west. In addition, Helsinki’s maritime location increases its attractiveness, Katriina Aalto-Setälä acknowledges.
- We are deeply grateful to the City of Helsinki and the staff at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The flexibility and technical support at all stages of the congress was excellent. Moreover, the Scientific Programme Committee of EAS, chaired by Professor Paolo Parin, did a great job with the congress programme. The Professional Conference Organiser KENES also helped us succeed. In addition, we would like to thank Marja-Riitta Taskinen, the “Grand Old Lady” of Finnish cardiovascular research and chairman of the EAS’ Congress Committee, for her experienced support, says Vesa Olkkonen.
The road to success for the EAS 2021 Congress was not easy
Hope was maintained until the autumn of 2020, that the EAS Congress could have been held as a physical event in Helsinki. The pandemic upset the plans and the already advanced planning stage of the congress was transformed into a virtual event. This was a big challenge for the organisers. The opening ceremony, the speeches by Finnish performers and the contributions of a few Chairmen were streamed from Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre’s studio to more than 2 400 participants. Finnish nature, Finnish design and the architecture of Helsinki could only be admired through videos. Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre rents its facilities and services as an arena for live, hybrid and virtual events. It organizes or hosts some 1,000 meetings and congresses in normal years and has become known especially for its large international scientific and organizational congresses, where the number of participants rises to several thousands. There is a fierce competition to host and arrange congresses because of the broad economic impact.
-Applying to arrange a congress requires hard work and extensive networks, as well as, without exception, good cooperation with the science community, companies and the City of Helsinki. The hard work is rewarded when industry decision makers, experts and the latest innovations are brought together, and the congress is a success. This is precisely the kind of meritorious work The Finnish Fair Foundation wants to reward, says Paula Blomster, Congress Manager at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
The following Physician & Congress prize will be awarded in one year. Organisers of international medical congresses held in 2018 – 2022 will be rewarded at that time. The choice will be made by a delegation consisting of medical and event experts. Prize nominations can be submitted using the application form available at
Photos from the award ceremony: https://mediabank.messukeskus.com/kuvat/Messukeskus+Helsinki/Palkinnot+%7C+Awards/L%C3%A4%C3%A4k%C3%A4ri_&_Kongressi/2022/
Finland Convention Bureau video of the EAS 2021 Congress:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg5PYdUZENA
Award winners:
Katriina Aalto-Setälä, telephone, katriina.aalto-setala@tuni.fi
Vesa Olkkonen, +358 50 4112 297, vesa.olkkonen@helsinki.fi
Marja-Riitta Taskinen, +358 50 5215 271, marja-riitta.taskinen@helsinki.fi
Delegation that selected the winner:
Juha Pekka Turunen, Training Manager, juha.turunen@duodecim.fi, tel. +358 9 6188 5217
Physician & Congress Prize:
Paula Blomster, Congress Manager, Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, paula.blomster@messukeskus.com, tel. +358 40 456 6066
The Finnish Fair Foundation supports Finnish industry by distributing scholarships, grants and recognition awards worth approximately 400,000 EUR annually. The Physician & Congress Award is presented annually. The award was handed out for the first time in 2020 and is now granted for the second time. www.messusäätiö.fi
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