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TALLINN – MTLG Destination Update 2024

Tallinn itself is the secret

Dec 29, 2024

NEED TO KNOW IN 2024

Tallinn is a fantastic choice for open-minded organisers seeking unique, out-of-the-box solutions. The diverse events hosted in the city are proof of that! With its compact layout, Tallinn feels like one large conference centre, where venues come together to create unforgettable experiences. This flexibility makes up for the absence of a large, multipurpose conference centre. The city’s largest venue hosts up to 7,000 delegates, while the biggest conference center, Kultuurikatel (with 10+ breakout rooms), accommodates 600 guests. The clever layout of the venue has enabled events to welcome as many as 3,500 delegates. Tallinn’s distinctive offerings carve out a niche that attracts the perfect events to the city. A shared spirit of innovation between the city and organisers helps create magical experiences!

tallinn-creative-hub — Photo: www.ecb.ee

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

Tallinn, and Estonia in general, is perfect for incentive and motivation trips. They have a variety of activities that can be done throughout the city or close to Tallinn or further away (driving from one end of the country to the other takes about 3 hours total). There’s much to do and lots to explore for both 2 days and 2 weeks. For example, a wonderful outdoors incentive agency Wanderlust can set a group up with an array of activities both in Tallinn or in a forest or bog 30 minutes from Tallinn. The array of activities is impressive starting from a simple bike tour and ending with a fine dining dinner in the bog. Learn more: https://wanderlust.ee/en.

tallinn_incentive_ideas — Photo Credit: Estonian Convention Bureau

BEST KEPT SECRETS

Well, Tallinn itself is the secret. Our destination is still not top of mind for organisers, a second-tier city for event planners. However, it’s easier to get to Tallinn than ever before. Tallinn has over 50 flight connections during the spring-summer season and 35+ during the autumn/winter season. There are daily connections to most of the European international hubs, the closest ones being Helsinki and Riga. Flight time is respectively 20 minutes and 40 minutes. Plus, once you arrive in Tallinn, they have the cosiest little airport that’s only 4km from the centre (meaning a 10 minutes’ drive from the Old Town).

PERFECT GIFT

Being a sustainable destination, Tallinn doesn’t promote buying things. The best gift is time and unique experiences. One of the slogans of Visit Estonia is “It’s about time” meaning both, that it’s time to visit Estonia, but at the same time it’s about taking time off and being present. One possibility is to gift delegates Tallinn Cards that allow free access to all of the main museums and attractions. Tallinn Card is digital and has an award-winning mobile app. Plus there’s a discount offered for conference organizers.

TOP 5 EVENTS IN 2024

There’s a number of events and conferences in Tallinn. The standout event is definitely Latitude59, with its 3500 delegates (of whom around 3000 are international participants). Then Wise Mission Days in June, where annually 1500 delegates gather in Tallinn and hold a sustainable event with a local impact. Impact Day 2024 will be a festival in October with sustainability at its very core. And different international conferences like the 16th International Conference on Cyber Conflict: Over the Horizon, XXXV ISPIM Innovation Conference, Tallinn Digital Summit etc. See more here: https://www.ecb.ee/calendar/.

latitude_tallinn — Photo Credit: Latitude59 conference

TALLINN FACTORS

1. Natural and cultural factors

The country’s ranking in the World Air Quality report is impressive, placing Estonia second in Europe. The European Environment Agency’s European city air quality viewer places Tallinn is among the 4 northern capitals that have average fine particulate concentrations that were below the World Health Organization’s health-based guideline level – our supply of fresh air compliments the strive for fresh ideas. According to PISA 2022, the knowledge of Estonian children is at the top in the world and at the absolute top in Europe, meaning that our human capital is of great value and elevates, amongst everything else, the overall organising experience in Tallinn. Today 99% of public services in Estonia are digitally available as e-services (only divorce remains as a nononline service). The country is moving towards proactive government services or event services that aim to make using public services as easy and convenient as possible for an individual and businesses.

2. General and transport infrastructure

Tallinn is ranked 7th amongst the most walkable cities in the world by Insider Monkey. Making the city even more pedestrian friendly city is one of the strategic goals in the Tallinn 2035 development plan. Tallinn keeps investing in new tram lines, and Tallinn Airport will be connected to the Port of Tallinn by the end of 2024. The airport is remarkably close to the city center already and the new connections will make it even easier for visitors to travel. Business event organisers can apply for free public transport for delegates. By the end of this year the city has got most of the transport covered for organisers. The addition of new high tech PESA Twist trams to the tracks will add to the comfort. The renewal of the Tallinn City Transport’s machine park is part of a wider strategy of sustainable and efficient public transport.

3. Tourist infrastructure

54% of all Tallinn hotel rooms have sustainability certification (Green Key or Eco Stars). The % of certified rooms amongst 4* and 5* hotels is 61%. Due to the strict local environmental laws the Green Key is more sustainable than in countries with lower demands. The number of Green Key certified museums is steadily growing. Tallinn’s museums can also hold the certification of the local Green Museum system that was developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute in collaboration with the Estonian National Committee of the International Council of Museums. The system is managed by the Estonian Association for Environmental Management.

Tallinn prioritizes cultural accessibility, ensuring that its cultural sites and events are more inclusive. This includes improving physical access to museums, cultural centers, and public spaces and working with new technologies to guarantee that all visitors, regardless of background or ability, can fully enjoy the city’s rich heritage.

4. Meetings infrastructure

In addition to Green Key certified hotels there’s a surge in Green Key certified venues in 2024 as well. Well-known and much appreciated locations such as Alexela Concert Hall, Cruise Terminal’s Conference Center, Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, Tallinn Creative Hub, Kai Art Center, PROTO Invention Factory, Estonian National Museum of Art – KUMU Event center, Tallinn TV Tower Conference Center have all received the certification. The city has created guidelines and pointers on how to organised and attend conferences in a sustainable way and is setting an example with events organised by the city or with events receiving support from the city. The arrival of October will see the arrival of a new event center, T1 Venue. The total area of it is 2,200 square meters. The event area can be transformed into three different rooms. The standing capacity is 1,300 people and a theater-style capacity up to 800 people.

5. Marketing Buzz

Tallinn has advanced to the semifinals of the 10th European Innovation Capital (iCapital) competition, being the only capital city to make it this far. This means that Tallinn is still a forerunner of innovation in Europe.

TALLINN FACT SHEET

Destination population:	460,454
*The number of 4 and 5* category hotel rooms:**	5921
*The number of 4 and 5* category hotels:**	43
The size of the largest hall in the city (in m2):	7000
Maximum hall capacity in theatre style (largest hall in the city)	6999
Banquet hall maximum capacity (largest hall in the city):	740
The number of professional studios for digital and hybrid events:	10
Average internet speed when organising events (Mbps):	700