Region Stavanger Hosts Meet in Norway 2025

Just before the autumn holidays, Region Stavanger had the honor of hosting the international business event Meet in Norway. The event is one of Innovation Norway’s most important workshops for the tourism industry, bringing together Norwegian suppliers and destinations with international agents and meeting planners from across the world.

The event provided an invaluable opportunity to showcase the very best of Norway and the Stavanger region as a meeting-, conference-, and incentive destination.

Half of the invited clients also joined a three-day FAM (Familiarisation) trip, designed to let them experience first-hand the activities, attractions, and hospitality the region has to offer, for them to share with their own clients in the future.

Positive feedback and promising leads
Innovation Norway worked strategically to attract high-quality international participants to this year’s Meet in Norway. Many of the attending buyers had never visited Norway before, while others sought updates and new insights about Norway and the Stavanger region.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: participants were genuinely surprised and impressed by the region’s diversity, accessibility, and potential. Many expressed strong enthusiasm for offering Stavanger as a new destination to their clients.

Hosting Meet in Norway was a strategic choice for Region Stavanger, providing a direct platform to showcase the destination to the global MICE market. Innovation Norway awarded hosting rights in May 2024, and Region Stavanger has since worked closely with partners to develop a creative and high-quality program.

“Being the host of Meet in Norway is an extremely effective way to profile a destination toward international MICE agents and event planners. I’m confident that hosting such an event will yield long-term results,”
— Kari Anne Schwach,
Project Manager, Innovation Norway

Region of Contrasts – Bringing the concept to life
For the event’s creative framework, we revived the Region of Contrasts concept, a well-developed and versatile theme that perfectly represents the Stavanger region’s unique opportunities and attractions.

From program design to imagery, food, and entertainment, everything was crafted to highlight contrasts: between sea and mountains, urban culture and nature, innovation and tradition. The result was a dynamic, playful, and inspiring program that revealed the full range of what the region has to offer.

MEET IN NORWAY PROGRAM – Region of Contrasts
Day 1
Early arrivals joined a site inspection of key venues including Siddis Center, Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel, IMI Forum, Stavanger Forum, Forum Expo, DNB Arena, and Clarion Hotel Energy.

The official opening took place at Stavanger Concert Hall, followed by a culinary walk through the city center of Stavanger with Guidecompaniet — featuring canapés, classical music, tapas, wine, and local chocolate tastings at venues like IDDIS, Harry Pepper, Salon du Nord, and Gaffel & Karaffel. This immersive evening gave guests a taste of both Stavanger’s history and its gastronomy.

Day 2
Morning activities included options for running, yoga, or sleeping in — with over 20% choosing to start their day with movement, setting a positive tone for a lively and sporty group.

The business workshop took place at Fiskepiren, where participants had 15 pre-booked one-to-one meetings with exhibitors from across Norway. Entertainment included live street art performances by Underground Gallery and a thrilling X-trial demo by world champion Huldeborg Barkved during lunch.

The evening program featured a truly exotic experience with dinner at Flor & Fjære, the region’s tropical island paradise, and ending the night with karaoke at Stavanger Camping.

Day 3
The final day introduced regenerative tourism activities, a pilot project in collaboration with the City of Stavanger focusing on activities that go beyond sustainability by giving back to local communities and increasing participants’ environmental and social awareness. Guests could choose between beach cleaning at Boretunet, foraging with Sankeliv, or coastal culture and boatbuilding at Engøyholmen.

🎥 Watch the aftermovie for Meet in Norway 2025:

FAM Trip – Discovering the Edge of Norway
After the business event Meet in Norway concluded, half of the participants stayed on for a FAM trip in the Edge of Norway region, while the others continued to Bergen and Sognefjord for similar experiences on the west coast.

The goal in our region was to deepen the Region of Contrasts narrative, taking participants through the southern and inland parts of the region, from stunning coastal landscapes, to rich cultural and culinary experiences, and top it all of with fjord activities.

FAM Trip Program Highlights
Friday, September 19
The day began at Solastranden Gård and Strandhuset at Ølberg, with Viking storytelling, hands-on activities, and a delicious local lunch. The group then followed the North Sea Road along the Jæren beaches to Berentsen Distillery for whisky tasting and a tour, before visiting Eigerøy Lighthouse and exploring the Magma UNESCO Global Geopark. The evening concluded with an amasing dinner and overnight stay at Grand Hotel Egersund.

Saturday, September 20
The next morning, fancy cars awaited to take guests to Motorcenter Norway, the country’s premier motorsports facility, dramatically located in the mountains of Sokndal. Here, guests tested both speed and skills on the racetrack and the off-road course.

Lunch was served at Nyyyt at Røysland Gård, where participants got a true taste of Norwegian farm life with tractor rides and up-close encounters with happy pigs and cows.

The afternoon journey led through beautiful mountain landscapes to Gloppedalsura, Europe’s largest rock scree, and on to Byrkjedalstunet for overnight stay. Before dinner, participants could choose between a via ferrata climb or a hike to Månafossen waterfall – both physically and emotionally rewarding challenges. The day ended with dinner in Gloppehallen, a photo contest prize ceremony, and guided storytelling at Byrkjedalstunet.

Sunday, September 21
The final morning offered water-based activities such as SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) and kayaking in Frafjord, with several participants taking their very first dip in a Norwegian fjord. A thrilling RIB tour through Lysefjorden brought the group back to Stavanger, wrapping up with a Viking-themed storytelling session at the Swords in Rock monument led by our own Viking Queen, Line.

Tangible Sales Results and Stronger Market Presence

“Participants were genuinely impressed by what they saw and experienced. Several of our member companies have already received group inquiries from clients who attended. This shows direct sales impact from Meet in Norway — and confirms that bringing clients here to experience the region firsthand is a strong investment.”
– Ole Weierholt, Sales Manager MICE at Region Stavanger

One international client even plans to replicate the exact FAM trip itinerary for their own groups, demonstrating the direct commercial potential of such programs.

Anette Bognø Larsen, Director of B2B at Region Stavanger, emphasizes the importance of these familiarisation visits; “Most international buyers are not yet familiar with Norway or our region. They need to come here and experience the region themselves to be able to sell it. After their visit, we continue close follow-up with our partners to ensure everyone benefits from the new leads and inspiration. These FAM trips are essential for strengthening awareness and generating real business opportunities for our members.”

Praise from participants and partners
Kari Anne Schwach from Innovation Norway confirms the measurable impact. “Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. They highlight the unique combination of breathtaking nature, high-quality products, and professional hospitality. Many left with newfound knowledge and inspiration about Stavanger as a meeting and incentive destination. Huge thanks to Region Stavanger Convention Bureau for creating an outstanding framework for this year’s Meet in Norway.”

And as one Swedish participant, Dag Kastensson, Matros DMC, puts it:

“A huge thank you to all of you for a fantastic week! Even though I had high expectations, reality surpassed them — majestic nature, friendliness, hospitality, and smiles everywhere. Surprises around every corner. I’ll make sure to prioritize what I’ve learned in future productions.”

Thank you to our partners
A heartfelt thank-you to all our partners who made Meet in Norway and the FAM trip possible. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Special thanks to The MICE Guru for their invaluable support in developing and delivering the FAM trip program.

Team Edge of Norway