Tartu’s European Capital of Culture 2024 mantle has led to a
record-breaking year for international conferences with delegates preparing to enjoy a city buzzing with activity.
Estonia’s second-largest city is hosting a brimming cultural
programme over the next 12 months, with 300 events in the calendar, from folk
music concerts to Japanese forest bathing.
This has caught the attention of dozens of organisations,
including European and international associations, who have chosen Tartu for
their flagship meetings and events in 2024.
The conference year begins this month (January) with
sTARTUpday, the largest business festival in the Baltics. More than 4,400 entrepreneurs
are expected to convene for the three-day event.
Other notable conferences will be held by the Science
Fiction Research Association, the European Society for Intercultural Theology
and Interreligious Studies, the Association of European Printing Museums,
Learner Corpus Research, and the International Committee for Exhibitions and
Exchange. Academic events include the European Conference on Ecological
Restoration, the BBBB conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the
International Symposium on Applied Phonetics.
Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas said: “Given the sheer number of
prestigious international events coming our way in 2024, we can already call
Tartu’s European Capital of Culture efforts a success. We look forward to
welcoming the entrepreneurs, academics, and creators these events will bring. We
are proud to have the opportunity to show them our wonderful city.”
The ‘City of Good Thoughts’, as Tartu is called, has long
been a magnet for international conferences, particularly those related to
scientific and medical fields. The city is home to University of Tartu (the
nation’s largest) and the Estonian University of Life Sciences, as well as several
other institutes, research centres, biotechnology industries and several
software companies. Tartu is also known as the focal point of Estonia’s active
biotechnology sector and a hotbed of IT development.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
