Why Estonia and why Pärnu?
Pärnu was chosen as the conference host because it was the first Baltic city to join the ESPA. We asked ESPA general secretary Joachim Lieber for an assessment of the Estonian spa industry. “Estonia has beautiful natural areas, something spas are always connected with. Traffic levels are low and there is no pollution. What’s more, the area features the Baltic Sea, an attractive destination for tourists in the summer. In addition, there is also a year-round selection of treatment procedures. The area also offers as yet unexploited treatment methods based on the use of sea water."
Pärnu is approximately a 1.5 hour drive from the Estonia capital of Tallinn, which features an international airport and harbour. It is almost unbelievable that this small city, which can be crossed from one end to the other in under 15 minutes by car, contains picturesque nature, the sea, a captivating history, traditional culture and sporting events, a wide range of free-time activity possibilities, and last but not least, facilities for hosting conference and social events.
The area was certainly blessed with magnificent nature and local entrepreneurs and the town itself have decided to take advantage of this bounty. Possibilities include hiking in the local woods, boat trips on the river or on the bay, fishing, hunting, etc. Interesting experiences unquestionably include canoe trips into the local marshlands and nature parks. One of the tours is even entitled “safari with beavers.”
But let’s return to conference possibilities. Pärnu features 19 hotels and additional facilities with conference spaces that meet international standards. The largest space Pärnu Concert Hall with great acoustics holds 800 people for theatre performances and offers professional conference services. Spaces offered even include a boat with a capacity of 60 people and it is also possible to hold events directly in a natural setting. One of the great advantages of this town over other conference destinations is the functional conference organization Pärnu Convention Bureau, which represents the town itself as well as business subjects (apparently this is the only organization that functions in this manner in the entire country). The bureau offers free advice and assistance for parties interested in organizing events in Pärnu. This includes independent recommendations for accommodations and appropriate facilities for holding events, support in organizing accompanying programmes, excursions and trips, coordination of inspection visits for conference organizers and press tips for the media.
In the case that you are interested in the complete custom organization of your event PCO Reiser Conferences is available to provide these services. This member of the Pärnu Convention Bureau had a great role in organising ESPA 12th Annual Congress.
The 818 events that were held in the town of Pärnu in 2006, each with a minimum of 25 participants, offer proof of the high-quality services provided by the Bureau and the annual conference organized for the European Spas Association was certainly no exception.
Last modified: September 10, 2007
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