Finnish Craft and Design fulfils expectations of trade fair visitors
Press release 18.11.2021
Last weekend marked the gathering of skilled experts and eager enthusiasts in the arts and crafts industry, as Finnish Craft and Design Fair assembled 22,117 visitors. This year, the event celebrated its 25th anniversary. Key themes this year were skills, skillfulness, and skilled experts. Next year’s Craft and Design Fair will be organised on 18.–20.11.2022, with the theme Future.
Despite the challenging times, Finnish Craft and Design Fair featured topics that many find meaningful – fascinating materials, fabulous domestic products, and face-to-face encounters.
– The pandemic showed us the importance of person-to-person interaction. According to public feedback, people are longing for events. A survey conducted during the fair indicates that visitor satisfaction for this year’s fair is over 97 per cent, attesting to the high quality, versatility and uniqueness of the featured products. We wish to thank the exhibitors and visitors for their commitment to the event and its health security. Together we have made this anniversary event a success, even as exceptional circumstances are still not over, says HR Manager Jasmin Saadetdin-Rikkinen of the Tampere Trade Fairs Group, who is in charge of the Finnish Craft and Design Fair.
Significant trading venue for craft entrepreneurs
For many craft entrepreneurs, Craft and Design Fair is a vital marketplace where they establish main contacts and do a major part of their trading for the year.
– I am so hyped! My products had huge sales. I had to go to Pori for a stock refill in the middle of the night. These events are of vast importance for small entrepreneurs, as here we get to keep all the profit for ourselves, says Katri Marmela of Joco Björneborg.
Maria Vääränen of Unique Design agrees with Marmela. Finnish Craft and Design Fair is the main event of the year for her, too.
– It has been wonderful to meet my regular customers again. Many come running to my section, to cherry-pick the best of my products, laughs Vääränen.
For Laura Pelkonen, yarn trader of Ilo Yarn, Finnish Craft and Design Fair is a great meeting place to form new company-customer relationships and refresh the old ones. Pelkonen has been lucky in that knitting enthusiasm has experienced an explosive growth during COVID and, because of this, the pandemic has not affected her business much at all.
– Handicrafts have gained a new role in people’s lives, as they have time to do things at home due to COVID, says Pelkonen.
Future as next year’s theme
Health security and uncrowded spaces were given special emphasis at this year’s Finnish Craft and Design Fair.
– Given the global situation, this event was of suitable size. We are elated by how responsibly people were wearing masks and adhering to the safety guidelines, says president of the exhibition committee for Finnish Craft and Design Fair, Executive Director Tuula Ruusumaa of Taito Pirkanmaa.
Next year’s Finnish Craft and Design Fair will be organised on 18.–20.11.2022. The event theme will be the Future.