Eloon! tour brings together the creative industries and traditional business sectors to solve the challenges of regional vitality
The Eloon! tour aims to find creative solutions to the challenges of regional vitality, such as improving the attractiveness, vitality and retention ability of Finnish regions. These challenges will be addressed by actors from traditional business sectors together with representatives of the arts, culture and creative industries.
“The tour will offer an opportunity for networking and cross-disciplinary ideation. At the same time, it will serve as a platform for developing new commercial activities between local businesses and the creative industries,” says Sonja Antosalo from Suomen Yrittäjät.
The Eloon! tour will take place in autumn 2024 and visit four locations: Lappeenranta, Jyväskylä, Rovaniemi and Rauma. At each stop along the tour, the local organisers have identified their own regional vitality challenges, which will then be tackled in multidisciplinary workshops.
This May, actors from traditional business sectors together with representatives of the arts, culture and creative industries operating in the regions will be invited to attend the autumn meetings. In June, registration will also open for other interested actors in these fields.
“We hope that the Eloon! tour will create such interesting initiatives and forms of cooperation that it can continue again in spring 2025. We would be happy to discuss with other locations their needs for developing vitality together with the creative industries and other sectors,” says Sofia-Charlotta Kakko from Taike.
The Eloon! tour is being organised by Suomen Yrittäjät – the Federation of Finnish Enterprises and the Creative Net project (ESF+) of the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike). The tour will be carried out in close cooperation with municipalities, ELY Centres, regional councils and the local organisations of Suomen Yrittäjät.
Eloon! tour schedule, autumn 2024:
- 16 September 2024, Lappeenranta: Making Lappeenranta attractive for skilled workers (in Finnish)
- 30 September – 1 October 2024, Jyväskylä: Vibrant urban centres in Central Finland (in Finnish)
- 8 October 2024, Rovaniemi: Lapland’s creative networks in the innovation work of companies (in Finnish)
- 28–29 October 2024 Rauma: Year-round collaboration in Rauma (in Finnish)
Further information
Sofia-Charlotta Kakko, Project Manager, Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike), [email protected], +358 295 330 912
Sonja Antosalo, Specialist, Suomen Yrittäjät [email protected], +358 50 303 7846
Creative Net is the coordination project for the national Creative and Cultural Innovation Expertise ESF+ theme under the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike). The project assists and encourages professionals in the creative industries to apply for ESF+ funding and supports the practical work of funded projects. One of the aims is to encourage actors in the creative industries to engage in broader cooperation with other sectors, as well as to expand their networks and business opportunities.
Suomen Yrittäjät – the Federation of Finnish Enterprises represents entrepreneurs and SMEs. The organisation strengthens entrepreneurship, acts on behalf of entrepreneurs, and networks with entrepreneurs nationally, regionally and locally.
Visual design of the Eloon! tour: Aino Papinniemi