Anniversary: 20 years NordicMarketing

Happy Birthday, NordicMarketing!

It has already been 20 years since Heleena Luusua and Jan Badur founded NordicMarketing, based in Frankfurt am Main. Shortly afterwards, the tourism marketing agency's website went online and the first German-language newsletter was sent to tour operators from the DACH countries.

Many newsletters and several website updates later, NordicMarketing is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Reason enough to take a look back.

Moving to Bochum (North Rhine-Westphalia)

After six years in Frankfurt am Main, it was time to pack up and move to the Ruhr area. More precisely, to Bochum Langendreer, to an office with a small kitchen, three (initially rather green) offices and an ice cream parlour directly opposite. We're not giving too much away when we say that we visited it frequently every summer! :)

In the years that followed, there were several personnel changes. In 2012, Heleena Luusua retired and Juha Tanskanen became the new shareholder of NordicMarketing GmbH. Jan Badur became Managing Director, a role he continues to hold to this day.

In 2014, Juha's wife, Greta Tanskanen, founded our Finnish sister company NordicMarketing Finland Oy in Vuokatti and became a shareholder of NordicMarketing GmbH in place of her husband – alongside Jan Badur.

(Un)voluntary digitalisation

A lot has happened at NordicMarketing over the years. Even though we still create product manuals for customers that tour operators can use as a working tool, not every product manual is now printed on paper; the keyword here is digitalisation.

Our aim is to deliver as much relevant digital content as possible. This includes the online versions of the product manuals, news on our blogs, regular newsletters and online events (though we were forced to do this by external circumstances, but more on that in a moment).

In 2018, we introduced a comprehensive online platform for CRM, web presence, newsletter marketing, social media and online campaigns to drive forward our digitalisation. After all, the many opportunities it opened up for us also meant many challenges, conversions, process optimisations, making plans and then throwing them overboard again shortly afterwards.

Looking back, however, we can say that every grey hair during the platform migration was worth it. The fact that we are so well-organised digitally has at least made it a little easier for us to get through the coronavirus pandemic as a company.

Virtually through the Corona years

From the beginning of 2020, corona has ensured exceptional years in the travel industry. Even though we were not yet aware of the extent of the pandemic at the time, the cancellation of ITB in March 2020 at short notice was the "starting signal" for the pandemic years for us. Our stand was planned and prepared, some of our exhibitors were already in Berlin, and we were ready to travel to the German capital as a team when, just a few days before the start of the trade fair, it was announced that ITB was cancelled.

We had the weekend to develop a plan B – and then realise it successfully. As a team, we travelled to Berlin (our hotel rooms were booked anyway), where we met some of our exhibitors and organised our own small sales event with 20 companies from Scandinavia – online for the first time. It was all pretty improvised, with the odd technical problem, but it was an experience we won't forget anytime soon. ;)

Shortly after our trip to Berlin, we decided as a team to switch to working from home for the time being. At the time, it was "for a fortnight to allow the situation to calm down". At the time, we clearly didn't realise that these "two weeks" would turn into several years of the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic forced us – and the entire industry – to get creative.

Closed borders made sales tours, FAM trips, trade fairs and the like impossible. So, we developed alternative online formats for our tried-and-tested services in record time, including our virtual FAM trips and #NordicMeetings, which were designed to enable tour operators to get to know regions without having to travel.

Particularly popular and in demand with tour operators during the pandemic: our almost daily updated overviews of which travellers are allowed to travel where, when and why – or in most cases: not allowed to travel. Take our word for it: that experience did give us a few grey hairs. Nevertheless, it was truly rewarding to witness how we could assist many of you by addressing travellers' questions. :)

Online sales event NORDEUROPA

What originally started as a "plan B" for the cancelled ITB has now become a fixed date in our (and hopefully your) calendar. In 2021, our online sales event NORDEUROPA celebrated its premiere. In the first year of the event, suppliers from Finland, Sweden and Norway took part, with a total of 957 virtual meetings taking place. 

In 2022, ITB was cancelled for the third time, a confirmation for us to host our online event again. Over two days, tour operators from DACH and Benelux, among others, were able to meet suppliers from Finland, Norway, Sweden and, for the first time, Iceland and Denmark.

Although ITB opened its doors on site again in 2023, one thing was certain for us: our online sales event has become established and will continue to be held. In the third year of our event, we were able to bring Estonia on board for the first time. A total of 260 participants from 19 countries met virtually for 1278 meetings over two days. And not only that: we also organised our online event MÖKKI for the first time, which enables virtual meetings with cottage providers from Finland.

Following all NORDEUROPA events, we have received great feedback from both sides – suppliers and tour operators. Customer satisfaction has been our top priority for 20 years, and we are delighted that with NORDEUROPA we have been able to create a format that ensures this customer satisfaction.

We're certainly not telling you a secret when we say that NORDEUROPA will be taking place for the fourth time in a row this year. This time around, in addition to suppliers from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Estonia, we will also be welcoming suppliers from Lithuania and Greenland for the first time.

Team working from home

However, the coronavirus pandemic has not only made us creative, it has also changed the way we work. To this day, all of our employees work remotely, spread across the country. On the one hand, this naturally gives us great flexibility, but on the other hand, we have also had to learn over the years how to keep the team together virtually and how to work together effectively. A process that is still not complete – and certainly never will be, because continuous development has always been part of NordicMarketing.

As we still have colleagues in Finland (congratulations to our Finnish sister company as well, which is celebrating its 10th birthday this year), we try to organise regular meetings on site. Preferably in Finland of course, I think you understand why. ;)

Whether short city trips to Helsinki, a Mökki stay in Nuuksio National Park, team meetings in the new office in Bochum or – coming up – a trip to Copenhagen to the Nordic Marketplace. Stays that bring variety, new inspiration, fresh ideas and time together.

Speaking of new offices: NordicMarketing is still based in Bochum. But no longer the office opposite the ice cream parlour. At the end of 2022, the company moved again, into a modern, Scandinavian, sustainable wooden building that was built during the pandemic. Including a large kitchen, space for (rare but important) team meetings and plenty of room for new ideas.

Cheers to the next few years

After 20 years, some easier, some harder, we are excited to see what the future brings for NordicMarketing.

We are looking forward to new, exciting projects, to even more NORDEUROPA, to further developing partnerships, acquiring new customers and maintaining close relationships with existing customers. We look forward to expanding our expertise and placing an increasing focus on Norway and Sweden in addition to Finland.

We look forward to continuing to discover Northern Europe with you tour operators – virtually and on site. Thank you for your support, feedback and interest over the past 20 years. We are fully prepared for the exciting chapters that lie ahead!