As usual, prominent Finnish public figures and decision-makers will gather in the summer city of Pori the week after Midsummer, June 23–26. The Finnish Olympic Committee will also participate and organize two discussion sessions that can be followed remotely via Katsomo or in person in Pori.
The Olympic Committee highlights the importance of athletic careers at the “Sports Awards Ceremony” (Urheilun todistustenjako), where prominent public figures are awarded a diploma for their athletic careers and the impact of those careers on their subsequent professional careers is discussed. The ceremony will be held on Friday, June 26, starting at 10 a.m. on the Satakunta Stage.
In addition, Olympic Committee, in collaboration with Suomen Työväen Urheiluliitto, TUL (the Finnish Workers’ Sports Federation), is organizing a discussion seminar on the future of physical activity and sports policy together with the country’s leading sports policymakers under the heading: “Does the Next Government Program Support a Functionally Capable Finland?” In January, all parliamentary parties committed to improving physical fitness in Finland — how will this be achieved? The event will take place on Friday, June 26, at 11 a.m. on the same Satakunta stage.
All program about exercise and sports
Below you’ll find all the highlights from the SuomiAreena program focusing on exercise and sports—whether you’re at the event, at home on the couch, or out for a run with your headphones on. SuomiAreena’s content is free for visitors. You can watch the panel discussions live or as recordings on MTV Katsomo.
Programs in Finnish about sports and exercise on SuomiAreena
Culture and Sports as Building Blocks for Community. Rantalava at 2:00
p.m. Organizer: Finnish Cultural Foundation
Culture and the arts, sports, and recreational activities play a central role in the well-being of Finns, a good quality of life, and the vitality of local communities. Local communities also foster trust in other people and in society at large. However, participation in cultural and sports activities is on the rise: the panel will discuss how participation—and thus engagement in society—can be increased, and how cross-sectoral collaboration could improve Finnish society and people’s well-being. Participants in the discussion include Member of Parliament Timo Furuholm and Director of Culture and Leisure Eeva Saarinen — both former elite athletes — as well as actress and director Katariina Havukainen and researcher Matti Heino. The discussion will be moderated by journalist Laura Arffman.
Goals and More Goals – What Can Businesses Achieve Together with the Culture and Sports Sectors? Stage at Raatihuoneenpuisto at 11 a.m.
Organizer: Neoen Renewables Finland
Without sponsors, there would be neither elite sports nor the arts. Neoen, a renewable energy producer, is hosting a discussion that asks the question head-on: What more can companies do to support sports and the arts? The discussion delves deeper into the topic through lively debate. The discussion is moderated by journalist and TV host Sami Sykkö.
The Gym Bag Over Your Shoulder – Does Exercise Boost Work Capacity and Productivity? Puuvilla Stage at 4:00 p.m.
Organizer: The Swedish Work Environment Authority
Physical activity increases work capacity—and thus productivity in the workplace. What methods can promote physical activity in the workplace, and how can the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s “Työikäiset liikkeelle” project bring about structural change?
In the panel discussion, the initiators of the “Suomi liikkeelle” program will meet with influential figures from the world of work. In addition to the gym bag for working-age adults, we’ll also get a virtual look at the best insights from the 100 workgroups that participated in the challenge, which has spread across Finland: how exercise can become an inspiring part of working life!
A Light in the Night – Is Finland Moving Forward? Satakunta Stage at 2:00 p.m.
Organizer: FC Inter Turku / Interaction
The lack of physical activity, obesity, and social exclusion among children and adolescents constitute a serious problem in Finnish society. All available means and resources must be utilized so that Finns can enjoy better well-being in various areas in the future.
The divide between, on the one hand, active people who exercise a lot and, on the other hand, those who are glued to their screens on the couch has become alarmingly wide. How can we find the happy medium that works for more people than it does today and that, in the long run, promotes both physical and mental well-being in a more natural way?
In this on-stage discussion, we hear encouraging and positive voices. We are aware that this larger problem cannot be solved with just one or two examples, but this heavy ship must gradually, through cooperation, be steered onto the right course. This requires faith and hope that change is possible. We are already seeing glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel.
Awards ceremony for sports competitions. Satakunta Stage at 10 a.m. Organizer: Finnish Olympic Committee
Even though physical education is not a school subject, it teaches a vast array of skills and attitudes that are useful in all areas of society. Goal orientation, teamwork, resilience, perseverance, and leadership are qualities that many have learned specifically through sports—and that are put to use every day in both the workplace and leadership roles.
At the event, the Finnish Olympic Committee will present symbolic “sports certificates” to community leaders who have a background in sports and who have applied the lessons they learned through sports to their own careers. The discussion will also address, more generally, how the importance of sports in society could be better recognized and articulated than it is today.
Does the next government program support a dynamic Finland? Satakunta Stage at 11 a.m.
Organizers: The Finnish Olympic Committee and the Finnish Workers’ Sports Federation (TUL)
What does the future hold for exercise and sports in the coming years—will daily physical activity increase, will there be enough resources for sports clubs, and what decisions are needed to ensure that Finland remains a nation of active people? Come and listen to a timely discussion about the solutions needed during the next government term and how they will affect us all.
Let children be children — self-confidence, physical activity, and a playful childhood. Stage at City Hall Square at 12
p.m. Organizer: Reima
The well-being of Finnish children is declining. Fewer and fewer children are getting enough physical activity. A panel discussion at SuomiArena will examine an active childhood from the perspective of trust. Do we view children as active participants or primarily as objects that need to be protected? Do we dare to give children the right to move around, play, and take appropriate risks? And do we, as a society, create daily lives and environments that make this possible?
The purpose of the panel discussion is to highlight concrete measures that can restore children’s right to physical activity, play, nature, and a fulfilling childhood. Petteri Kilpinen, President of the Olympic Committee, will participate in the panel discussion.
Cultural and Sports Facilities in Cities in Need of Renovation — Can Public Construction Projects Boost Vitality? Rantalava at 2:00 p.m.
Organizer: City of Pori
In many places, cities’ cultural and sports facilities are in need of renovation at the same time. The budget is tight, but these services must continue to function. Are public construction projects merely a burden — or a strategic investment that strengthens well-being and attractiveness? The discussion explores how renovations and new facility concepts should be planned so that they serve as many people as possible and foster vitality well into the future.
Participants in the discussion: a specialist at the Olympic Committee and the EU project “EU-buusti.”