Finnish Craft & Design Fair, Criteria for Participation

These criteria apply to all products sold at the Finnish Craft & Design Fair.

Ready-made Products

Ready-made products refer to items such as clothing, accessories, household utility and decorative objects, postcards, candles, etc., which are not intended for use in the production of other items.

1. Design in Finland
a. Products must demonstrate the creator’s own design and craftsmanship. The maker’s unique design and creative input must be visible.

2. Manufacturing in Finland
a. Ready-made products must be handmade or small‑scale industrially produced in Finland. Simply assembling ready‑made industrial components does not meet the fair’s criteria for design, form, and manufacturing.
b. The manufacturing process must include significant design or production work in Finland. Assembling only a few ready‑made parts is not sufficient. Acceptable forms of processing include polishing, patination, painting, varnishing, resin casting, chemical or other surface treatment, sewing or crocheting, soldering, engraving, bending, or other material shaping.
c. A product collection cannot consist solely of ready-made purchased components; products must include the maker’s own crafting. Fully finished industrial parts cannot be used without modification or significant design or processing work.
d. Specific theme areas may allow exceptions: In the Fashion & Design theme area in Hall E, companies whose production partially occurs in another EU country may participate. The design must be Finnish. Products imported directly from outside Finland are not accepted. These stand places in Hall E are limited.

3. Examples of Manufacturing in Finland
a. Accepted:
i. Material sourced abroad that is further processed into a finished product in Finland.
ii. Products combining partially ready-made components with materials processed by the maker.
iii. Products where a ready-made hook or ring is combined with a self-made element (e.g., reflector, pendant, keychain).
iv. Products with a ready-made base that is decorated with the maker’s own designed and crafted illustration (e.g., a card base printed with the creator’s artwork).
v. Products clearly demonstrating design work and craftsmanship and assembled from components, such as bead or stone jewelry.
b. Not accepted:
i. Products assembled solely from ready-made industrial components. Examples: a piece of jewelry combining a ready-made pendant + hook, or a ready-made pendant + chain; a wreath with a ready-made bow attached to a ready-made base.
ii. These products do not contain sufficient design or craftsmanship.

Materials and Tools

Materials and tools are products used for making other products, for example knitting needles, yarns, craft papers, beads, fabrics, supplies, and similar items.

4. Origin of Materials
a. Materials and tools may be imported as long as the business itself is Finnish. Supplies and equipment used in manufacturing may come from outside Finland. Special attention should be given to Section 6: Product Safety.
b. The fair may annually define specific theme areas where exhibitors from abroad are allowed.

Criteria Applying to All Products

5. Product Categories
a. Products sold at the fair must fall within the event’s product categories.

6. Product Safety
a. The exhibitor is responsible for the safety of the materials used. Written information about the materials or their origin must be available at the stand.
b. Materials used must comply with EU regulations.

7. Copyright
a. The exhibitor is responsible for ensuring no copyrights are violated in the products or materials used.
b. Copyright must be considered, for example, in illustrations used on products.
c. The exhibitor is liable for any potential copyright violations related to displayed or sold products.

8. Compliance with the Criteria
a. If needed, the fair’s product committee will evaluate whether products are suitable for the event. The evaluation considers the product’s design phase, production process, intended use, and the intended use of components and materials.
b. Exhibitors must be able to provide documentation on raw materials, product safety, and the design and manufacturing process.
c. The fair organizer has the right to remove from sale any products that do not meet these participation criteria.

Criteria updated on 1 March 2026.
The organizer reserves the right to modify the criteria as needed.