Hyväntuulen Messut (Goodwill Fair): “Thank you to all participants!”

11.12.2024 | Hyväntuulen Messut was organised twice between 2023 and 2024. “Hyväntuulen Messut was the biggest fair in Kymenlaakso with about 20 000 visitors,” says Elina Sakkara, project coordinator and organiser of the Goodwill Fair.

Sakkara is happy that she and her team were able to organise the fair twice: “Organising the fair was really rewarding. It was really rewarding to organise the fairs. It was really rewarding to work with my wonderful fair assistant Kristiina Kärki. Of course, the entire Welfare and Employment Unit was involved in the fair, especially during the fair. You couldn’t organise such a big event without a fantastic team!”

Based on the customer survey, the feedback from the autumn event was positive. “The newly completed Port Arena was the main attraction of the first edition. While the stunning setting certainly plays a role in the event, we know from the audience survey that visitors were particularly interested in the content of the event this year.” Sakkara says. “Visitors particularly enjoyed the joint performance of Mozart to Avic by the Kotka City Theatre and the Kymi Symphony Orchestra. Tickets for the concerts were sold almost to the last seat,” Sakkara says.

The event attracted a large number of families with children and also reached a younger audience. “Both years, the star performers at the fair attracted a large number of young people. This year, we estimated that 1200 young people visited to meet the youtubers after the show. And while the young audience waited for their stars, Kotka’s sports coordinators had the opportunity to tell them about the Finnish model of recreation. The exhibitors also had an exceptional opportunity to meet young people. The event also proved to be a good place to collect feedback; several hundred responses to a safety survey organised by the City of Kotka were received at the fair.”

The fair channels will go silent by the end of December

Kotka City Council decided in November that the current format of the Hyväntuulen Messut, which is free of charge to the public, will be discontinued. The City of Kotka will therefore no longer organise the Hyväntuulen Messut. All communication channels for the fairs will cease to exist at the latest at the end of the year, and there will be no contact with the organisers.

“The event really reached the city’s citizens. It was like a showcase for the whole of Kotka as a cheerful, diverse and resident-friendly city of well-being. We hope that this Goodwill event will find a new organiser and we sincerely thank everyone who participated in the fair,” concludes Elina Sakkara, Project Coordinator.