1/26/2016 Iceland wants business to 'meet in the middle' CNN.com
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(CNN) Despite public perception, Iceland is hot. Sure, summer
temperatures rarely rise above 13 C, but the small Nordic country
has become a holiday superstar.
Tourism has nearly doubled since 2000 (last year saw over 565,000
visitors), but while tourism has helped jolt Iceland out of recession,
the country is courting a different demographic: it wants to woo
business travelers.
"The tourism numbers fluctuate a lot, depending on the season,
whereas corporate travel is distributed more evenly throughout the
year," explains Thorsteinn Orn Gudmundsson, managing director of
Meet in Reykjavik, the official convention bureau for the Icelandic
capital. Hoping to tap into the events market, Reykjavik has set to
work building its conference infrastructure.
Perhaps the most prominent display of the city's corporate courtship
is the newly built Harpa, a combo concert hall and convention
center that opened May 2011.
A joint effort by IcelandicDanish artist Olafur Eliasson,
Henning Larsen Architects and Batteriio Architects, Harpa
is one of the most cuttingedge conference centers in the
world. Its glittery, discolike facade is meant to mimic the
country's stunning glacial surrounds, while the interior
evokes Iceland's lava fields.
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The acoustics, however, are the real star. Each of
Harpa's four concert halls has a large overhead reflector
system and acoustics control chambers, all of which are
intended to produce a superior sound.
"We may be a small country, but we've got big ideas,"
Part of complete coverage on
Business Traveller
Iceland wants business to 'meet in the
middle'
By Daisy Carrington, for CNN
December 21, 2012 Updated 1237 GMT (2037 HKT)
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Harpa is a stateoftheart concert
hall and conference center in
Reykjavik, Iceland. Its facade is
meant to mimic the country's
stunning glacial surrounds.
Harpa, Reykjavik
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Iceland is trying to attract more
business travelers
It is pitching itself as a halfway
point between Europe and the
United States
Hightech Harpa is a stateof
theart convention center
Famous Blue Lagoon springs is
also set up for meetings and
conferences
A presidential tour of Iceland
Tourism drives Iceland's growth
A delayed flight in 2011 led
entrepreneur Steve
Pasternack to create
Meetattheairport.com an
online dating platform for jet
setting singles.
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Bythehour stays no longer
imply a romantic rendezvous,
with tourists and business
travelers choosing partday
hotel stays.
Luxury hotels offer dayonly rooms
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economic uncertainty is forcing
European firms to make tough
cuts to their travel budgets.
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essence of a foreign
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