3/29/2016 Reykjavik CVB attends ICCA for the first time | C&IT
http://www.citmagazine.com/article/1155781/reykjavikcvbattendsiccafirsttime 3/4
In May 2011, Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre opened,
which is an ideal venue for various international conferences with
accompanying trade shows and/or meetings. You don't need to take
just my word for it as Harpa just won the Best Conference Venue in
Northern Europe award for the Annual MICE Report Awards 2012.
Harpa offers a good value proposition for organisers wishing to run a
truly green conference too. It is one of the most ecofriendly conference
centres in the world. The building was designed to use mostly natural
light through the glass facade, which covers three of the four sides
resulting in significant reduction in power consumption, which is derived
from geothermal energy in the first place.
Constructions have begun on more venues. For example, Marriott is
planning to open a fivestar hotel with 270 rooms next to Harpa Concert
Hall and Conference Centre in 2015.
This spring saw the opening of Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina – a
new fourstar boutique hotel. Another wellestablished hotel that has
been in service for half a century has recently been remodelled in the
style of the 60s when it was first opened.
Partner programme ideas?
Another exciting project just recently launched is the Thríhnúkagígur
Volcano project. Now for the first time ever it is made possible to
explore the enormus magma chamber inside an empty volcano where
the height alone is more than double the height of Hallgrimskirkja, the
tallest church in Iceland.
Also, the Icelandic Meteorological Office has just announced that from
now on, as a brand new service, they will be predicting the best location
to view the Northern Lights at any given point in time.
Thorsteinn Örn Gudmundsson is managing director of Meet Reykjavik/
Reykjavik Convention Bureau
