“Be open to local ideas and contribute to their realization.”
PEN’s international congress
In the end of September 2022, Swedish PEN together with PEN International hosted PEN’s international congress here in Uppsala. This was an opportunity to strengthen PEN internationally and nationally but also, locally here in Uppsala. More than two hundred international delegates, from eighty-nine different PEN-centres worldwide, attended the conference together with delegates and audience from various parts of Sweden. The congress also helped develop new meeting points and strengthened corporations and brought people together in the cultural life in Uppsala.
“For me, it was important to arrange the congress in a way that strengthens PEN in the long run, to let the international network meet local knowledge and invite more people to embrace the challenges of freedom of speech.” ‒ Hanna Nordell, Managing Director, Swedish PEN
Choose English subtitles in the menu to see the video translated.
"When others look at our business, we develop and learn more."
Water Meeting
Uppsala Vatten & Avfall welcomes more than 700 colleagues from all over Sweden to Uppsala for the Water Meeting (Vattenstämman). Sigrid de Geyter, CEO of Uppsala Water & Waste, is passionate about sustainability and infrastructure issues. For her, the Water Meeting is as much a chance to showcase Uppsala and share knowledge from all parts of the country, as it is an opportunity to showcase the company’s activities to local colleagues in various administrations, here in Uppsala.
"I want to build a feeling and a sense among my employees that we should be proud, that we are doing something good."
Archive Week
For Sara Håkansson, city archivist and head of Uppsala City Archives, Archive Week means a chance for her employees to feel proud – a chance to show off all their good work. Uppsala City Archives are very successful on a national playing field, something that Sara wants to showcase at home, in Uppsala, by hosting Archive Week.
“I think more people should consider hosting a meeting. It’s a lot of work but it’s rewarding work and I think it will lead to a lot of good things, not only for Uppsala but also for us as a workplace.” – Sara Håkansson.
"We’ve since seen an upturn in applicants when we recruit new talent, from all over the country."
Sweden's largest procurement conference
Congresses on home turf give fantastic opportunities to strengthen your brand as an attractive employer. Suzanne Afzelius, head of the procurement unit at Uppsala municipality, is happy to sign her name next to such a statement. In the spring of 2019, Uppsala hosted Sweden’s largest procurement conference. Hear her talk about the effects the conference has had – for her, for the procurement unit and for Uppsala.
"Thanks to the conference, we have learned how other countries are also working."
Skadeplats
For Elisabeth Samuelsson, Fire Chief Uppsala Fire Brigade, hosting Skadeplats – Sweden’s largest meeting place for operational rescue service personnel, represents a great opportunity to develop her own operations as her own colleagues get the opportunity to participate in both networking and skills development.
“To those of you who are thinking or hesitating about whether or not to organize a conference or not, I absolutely want to say; DO IT! It is very educational, developmental. ”
“Together, we were able to integrate our different perspectives into new ideas. There were many rewarding and inspiring conversations. ”
Communication breakdown? Food and health in an age of abundance (Health Communication Conference)
With the “Communication Breakdown? Food and health in an age of abundance” conference, Professor Paulina Nowicka wanted to give researchers in health communication a common platform on which to build on. At the Health Communication Conference, representatives from the health sector, relevant authorities, major employers, marketers and researchers from both Uppsala and several other universities met. Together, they have integrated different perspectives into new ideas, and from the time the doors to the conference opened, they have taken part in exactly the conversations they hoped for.
Hear Paulina Nowicka talk about the Health Communication Conference and what it has meant to her and many colleagues who work on health communication in healthcare, around the world.