Northstar

Feature Rising stars in MICE 24 SEP-OCT 2018 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM "Our mission is to be the place where your meetings and events reach higher 'Return of Meeting Eort' than anywhere else." EVON SÖDERLAND, FOUNDER AND GROUP CEO, HUONE AND GROUP CEO, HUONE HUONE: THE CREATIVE VENUE SPECIALIST Think out of the box in the Cloud Room. Make an impactful presentation in the Runway Room. Or get in touch with your creative side in the Swing Room. Founded by Evon Söderland and her husband Jussi Söderland in 2012, Huone was an academic thesis that materialised into a concrete business venture after she graduated from university studies in hospitality management. Within the rst couple of months, they already had a line-up of 70 events in Finland, and Söderland has not slowed down since. Huone expanded into Singapore last year in February, and will soon launch in Denmark next year. INDUSTRY IMPACT Huone is the world's rst events hotel featuring various themed rooms that accommodate 10 to 100 pax and come with conference facilities such as the latest audiovisual technology, high-speed wi-, F&B catering and event coordinator services. "HUONE is a twist on your traditional meeting space. It is a creative meeting venue that is designed to cater to many dierent purposes and goals of business meetings. Our mission is to be the place where your meetings and events reach higher 'Return of Meeting Eort' than anywhere else," said Founder and Group CEO Evon Söderland. Söderland is also looking into building an event management software for meeting planners to easily book, plan and manage events. Huone has to date won seven awards, including Evento Award's Best Event Venue in Finland twice, while Huone Singapore was a nalist in the Best Business Event Venue category in Singapore Tourism Awards 2018. Söderland's achievements have won her accolades such as PwC's Most Valuable Entrepreneur in Finland in 2014; and she was featured on the cover of Forbes Finland magazine in October 2017. www.huone.events/sg TIPS FOR PLANNERS • Don't underestimate the power of breaks. When planned and facilitated well, breaks can be great content too. • Communication is key to great attendee satisfaction. Don't forget to communicate well before, during and after your event. • Focus on the quality – not quantity – of attendees. While planning your event agenda and content, remember to think: who is relevant to this event?

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