Arena Energi has been nominated for the prestigious ‘Event of the Year 2024’ award, marking yet another major recognition of the trade association Energiföretagen’s efforts to drive progress and innovation within the highly topical and relevant energy sector. We spoke to project managers Anna Linderoth and Hannes Borg to find out what lies behind these successes and their plans for the future.
In recent years, Arena Energi has grown significantly and has become the go-to meeting place for the energy sector during Almedals Week. By bringing together stakeholders in a single venue, they have both simplified the logistics and created better conditions for collaboration and dialogue between stakeholders, politicians and visitors. One of the major developments this year was the choice of venue – for the first time, the event was held in the historic ruins of St Karin’s Church.
“A unique setting that inspires”
“It’s a fantastic place. I don’t think anyone can compete with us there,” says Hannes Borg, explaining that they used to be based in an annexe next to the ruin. “This year, we took the plunge and moved into the ruin itself, which really enhanced the whole experience.”
The visually striking setting played a major part in creating a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere, which encouraged both spontaneous encounters and engaging discussions. They also managed to expand to two large stages, compared with just one previously, enabling an even broader programme. Combined with an expanded digital focus and format, this year’s Arena Energi attracted a record number of visitors – both in person and online.
Innovation and lessons for the future
Among the key insights from this year’s event, Anna highlights the importance of making the event accessible to more people. “The digital broadcasts have become a hugely important part of the event, having developed significantly over recent years. We can see that the opportunity to follow seminars and panel discussions both live and via recordings afterwards is hugely appreciated,” she says.
Looking ahead, the team plans to continue developing spaces for spontaneous meetings and socialising between seminars and the activities on stage. In addition, they want to create more variety and dynamism with more shorter programme items and more focused discussions, based on the themes and issues raised by the participating partners. “We want it to be easy to take part, and we’ll offer a solution where we’ve thought of almost everything – from technology, catering and security to the finer details – so that participants can focus fully on the content,” adds Hannes.
A particularly memorable moment was when the Minister for Energy spoke to a large audience of 200–300 people. “When we saw that she was nearing the end of her speech and the audience began to move closer and closer to the stage because so many people wanted to speak to her afterwards… It was really handy that we realised we had a back door leading to a side street. That also gave us the chance to do a quick interview for our digital channels. A useful tip for anyone organising major events with important figures on stage,” concludes Hannes with a smile.
Arena Energi continues to lead the way
With this nomination, Arena Energi is strengthening its position as one of Sweden’s most important forums for energy issues. By combining innovation, accessibility and a unique environment, they continue to inspire and drive development forward – regardless of whether they win the award or not.
The ‘Event of the Year 2024’ award will be presented at the Möten och Event trade fair on 19–20 February in Stockholm.