Thanks to its vibrant cities with strong academic communities and a skilled meeting and tourism industry, Norway has become the rising star among congress destinations. You can be sure to find venues with modern and reliable high-tech facilities, including advanced solutions for hybrid events.
Expertise and business areas
A well-established academic and business culture makes Norway a relevant destination for a wide range of disciplines and sectors. Having said that, the fields where Norway is at the forefront of innovation may be particularly relevant for congresses. These fields include sustainable energy, maritime and ocean space management, seafood production, bioeconomy, technological development, theory of wealth, and healthcare.
Venues for every type of congress
There is a wide range of congress venues, from conference rooms in hotels to exhibition halls and world-class auditoria. Check out our venues and select according to what you need.
For congresses of more than 1,000 people, there are several conventions centres, hotels, and other venues in Norway's main cities that have plenty of experience with mass events.
Just outside of Oslo, there is the Norway Exhibition and Convention Centre. This massive complex is only 10 minutes away from Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport and is located near the train station of Lillestrøm, between the airport and the Oslo city centre. The venue consists of five big halls that can offer seats to a crowd up to 6,000 people.
In Fjord Norway, you can also find a few large convention centres. The Grieg Hall in Bergen have a total space of around 25,000 m² divided in 20 rooms and auditoriums that are equipped with the latest technological innovations. It’s the perfect conference venue for events ranging from 100 to 2,200 participants. A second big congress centre in Fjord Norway is the Stavanger Forum. Here as well, there are multiple meeting rooms and an exhibition space of 30,000m² to organise plenary sessions up to 4,000 people.
A final major convention centre to mention is the Oslofjord Convention Centre in Sandefjord. This venue is located close to the Oslo Torp Airport. It has space for up to 12,000 people indoors, and even up to 60,000 people outdoors! The convention centre also offers accommodation for 9,000 people in comfortable hotel rooms or apartments in immediate vicinity of the venue.
These are just a few examples of large venues in Norway, but there are a lot more congress venues throughout the country of different styles and sizes. For more information, check out our venue page.
High-tech facilities and hybrid events
Practically all meeting venues in Norway have the professional knowhow and experience to set up the technical facilities you need for a smooth event. You can count on reliable lighting, sound systems and projection equipment as well as facilities for interpreting, video conferencing, and recording.
Norway is highly advanced when it comes to hybrid events, making it possible to invite thousands of people to attend your congress online. Several venues have invested considerably in the technology needed for hybrid events recently. An example is the Oslofjord Hybrid Event that offers a 360-degree digital studio, a 120 m² LED screen, multiple interactive solutions, a dedicated app, and recording studios.
Norway’s congress destinations
One of the unique perks of organising a congress in Norway is that even in the main cities, you are close to nature.
The capital Oslo has the widest choice of venues, facilities and city entertainment. At the same time, you have easy access to vast recreational areas literally just outside the city centre. The same goes for Bergen, a lively student town on the west coast surrounded by seven mountains and with the fjords within easy reach. Another popular congress destination in Fjord Norway is the university town Stavanger, which is also known as the energy city.
Trondheim is known as the home of the Nordic flavours, but also as Norway’s technology capital, partly because of the presence of the biggest university in the country. If you’re more into a serene landscape of big and small islands in a mild climate, it’s good to check out Kristiansand in Southern Norway.
Up north there are also two major convention destinations. About 350 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, the Arctic city of Tromsø is the northernmost university city the world. Many people are surprised to find such a vibrant restaurant and bar scene at such a northern latitude. The city’s biggest venue can entertain up to 1,000 conference delegates. Another popular city in Northern Norway is Bodø, which is known as the gateway to Northern Norway. There you can find some spectacular nature phenomena such as the world’s strongest maelstrom Saltstraumen.
Explore these cities further on our destination page.