5.2.2025
Jyväskylä awards 2024 event and congress organisers
2024 was a record-breaking year for events and congresses. Major events such as SM-week, Baseball East-West, Kuninkuusravit and Secto Rally Finland attracted up to 300 000 visitors.
A record number of participants attended international meetings and conferences, with more than 5,800 scientists gathering in Jyväskylä during the year.
Kuninkuusravit was awarded as the event of the year
Kuninkuusravit was awarded with the Event of the Year Award. The event was organised by Keski-Suomen Ravirata Oy.
The event, which was excellent in terms of organisation, attracted almost 50 000 people to Killeri over the weekend and provided a major boost to the town's summer tourism season. The economic impact was considerable, leaving €10.5 million for the region of Central Finland.
It was a multi-year project in which the equestrian community and volunteers in the region made a great commitment as partners. The event received excellent ratings in the annual survey, with both the popularity index and partner satisfaction rising.
The Congress Award was presented to the Congress of the Sports Sector
The Congress Prize was awarded to the organising committee of the 2024 AIESEP conference. Organised at the Faculty of Exercise and Sport Sciences of the University of Jyväskylä, AIESEP was the largest conference organised in the city in 2024, attracting 550 participants from 52 different countries, from all continents. The conference theme "Past meets Future" paid tribute to Jyväskylä as a pioneer in physical education teacher education. The highly successful conference took advantage of the spring campus in creative ways.
Honourable mention for excellent communication at the conference
The IAEVG 2024 conference received an honourable mention for its outstanding communication and for creating a good atmosphere and a good team spirit during the event. The conference was organised by the University of Jyväskylä's Institute of Education and Training. The conference was attended by 401 participants from 45 countries on site and 320 participants remotely. The conference addressed key issues in the field of guidance in a rapidly changing world.
Congress Ambassador Award for strong backround work
Congress Ambassador Varpu Marjomäki awarded the Congress Ambassador Award to Satu Julin and Johanna Nousiainen, project coordinators of the University of Jyväskylä.
The award was given to Julin and Nousiainen for their important work as conference facilitators. They assist conference organisers in areas such as finance and project management.
A new Congress Ambassador, Associate Professor Arja Sääkslahti from the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Jyväskylä, was also announced at the award ceremony. The Congress Ambassador will encourage scientists in Jyväskylä to actively communicate science internationally, especially by organising congresses and conferences.
The Event of the Year Award is given annually by the Event City Jyväskylä steering committee.
The Convention Award is awarded by the Jyväskylä Convention Bureau Steering Committee, which consists of representatives of educational institutions, the city and companies providing convention services.
