Kipinä Event to new heights!
Erica Roiko • 16 June 2023
kipinä levi 2023 -we all benefit of selling globally
Erica Roiko, CEO Kipinä Event Oy (Text in ENG & FIN)
I used to work in a small cubicle and I thought, is this what life is going to be forever, working in a dark room of a few square metres? That was a long time ago and we've come a long way since then. Suddenly you find yourself doing international business: who the knew!? Not me. A little word of warning in the traditional way, be careful what you wish for, you might get it.
Growth doesn't happen by itself, sustainable growth certainly doesn't but at the end of the day growth has to happen. Without the right "mindset" and without blood, sweat and tears you can't get through this job of wonderful growth either, but what else can you do? Nothing else. My favourite lion from the lion's den, Kevin O`Leary aka Mr Wonderful said it in his own charming way "Business is war". War describes business and competition very well in some ways, in other ways it is far from it, it depends on the atmosphere you are in and your own attitude. Back when Nokia and Marimekko were growing, without a deal you didn't even say hello when you met. Personally, I don't believe in that, and I don't think it's a very sensible thing to do. Few things are as inspiring and exciting as entrepreneurship and building business growth. Modern selling is inspiring.
Global selling and new markets involves a lot of background research, getting to know people and companies, getting to know your market. Identifying the right customers, building on regional strengths is a skill and knowledge doesn't just fall out of the tree. Sincerity and an honest desire to do good things together is the basis for trust and long-term cooperation. Courage is about vision, taking the existing potential to the next level and creating new opportunities for everyone. An entrepreneurial attitude is the key here, there is no such thing as a ready-made table and realities must be kept in mind. Like everything, you have to start from somewhere. Who knows how many global clients you will get in the end but keep grinding, the key to success lies there.
It has been interesting, to say the least, to get to know the different regions of northern Finland, Sweden and Norway. The huge investments and seamless cross-border cooperation between companies is interesting and creates new opportunities.
Sharing your mission and message, sharing the information and press coverage is the key. What do you do with information you don't share? It's worthless. Keep noise in a positive but realistic context and dare to speak, this is the message that I share with young people every time im having a speech. It takes courage to be wise and speak up and ask the hard questions. If you don´t you miss out on all the good stuff. There's no point leaving even a crumb of courage unused in this life, the truth is you won't need it anymore when you´re six feet under anyway. Saving in this context, is a consuming element.
Erica Roiko, CEO
Kipinä Event Ltd.
***
Aikoinaan työskentelin pienessä kopin kaltaisessa huoneessa ja mietin että tässäkö tämä elämä nyt on, pimeässä muutaman neliön huoneessa? Ei se elämä ihan siinä ollutkaan. Yhtäkkiä huomaatkin tekeväsi kansainvälistä kauppaa: who the knew!? Not me. Pieni varoituksen sana perinteisellä tvistillä, ole varovainen mitä toivot, voit saada sen. Hienoja asioita tapahtuu tällä hetkellä kuitenkin ja hyvä niin.
Kasvu ei tapahdu itsestään, kestävä kasvu ei ainakaan mutta loppujen lopuksi, kasvu täytyy tehdä. Ilman oikeaa "mindsettiä" ja ilman verta, hikeä ja kyyneliä ei tästäkään hommasta selviä mutta mitäs muutakaan tässä sitten tekisi? Ei yhtään mitään. Suosikki leijonani USA:n Leijonanluolasta, Kevin O`Leary aka Mr Wonderful sanoi sen omalla viehättävällä tavallaan "Business is war". Sota kuvaa hyvin tietyltä osin liike-elämää ja kilpailua, toisaalta ollaan taas kaukana siitä, riippuu siitä atmosfääristä missä liikutaan ja asenteesta jonka omaksut. Silloin kun Nokiat ja Marimekot tekivät kasvua, ilman diiliä ei enää kuulemma edes moikattu kun tavattiin. Itse en siihen usko, eikä sellaista pidä kovinkaan järkevänä toimintana. Harva asia on niin inspiroiva ja jännittävä kun yrittäjyys ja yrityksen kasvun rakentaminen.
Työhön liittyy paljon taustatutkimusta, tutustumista ihmisiin ja yrityksiin, markkina-alueen tuntemiseen. Oikeiden asiakkaiden tunnistaminen, alueellisiin vahvuuksiin pohjautuvan tekeminen on taitolaji ja tieto ei vain tipahda puusta. Vilpittömyys ja rehellinen tahto tehdä yhdessä uusia hyviä asioita, on pohja luottamukselle ja pitkälle yhteistyölle. Rohkeutta on visioida, viedä eteenpäin olemassa olevaa potentiaalia ja luoda uusia mahdollisuuksia. Yrittäjämäinen asenne on tässä avainasemassa, valmiiksi katettua pöytää ei ole olemassakaan tässä maailmassa ja realiteetit pitää pitää mielessä. Moderni myynti on innostavaa touhua.
On ollut vähintäänkin kiinnostavaa tutustua Pohjois-Suomen eri alueisiin, Ruotsi ja Norja. Jättimäiset investoinnit ja saumaton rajoja ylittävä yhteistyö, yritysten välillä on kiinnostava ja luo uudenlaisia mahdollisuuksia.
Tiedon jakaminen ja tiedottaminen on avainasemassa. Mitä tekee tiedolla jota ei jaeta? Se on arvotonta. Pidä meteliä positiivisessa mutta realistisessa kontekstissa ja avaa suusi. Tämä on se viesti puhujatilaisuuksissa, jonka jaan joka kerta nuorille. Vaatii rohkeutta olla viisas ja esittää myös ne "vaikeat ja tyhmät kysymykset". Yhtään ainoaa murusta rohkeutta, ei kannata jättää elämässä käyttämättä, mullan alla sitä ei ainakaan enää tarvita. Säästäminen tässä kontekstissa on kuluttava elementti.
Erica Roiko, CEO
Kipinä Event Oy
Mitä eroa on AI-optimoinnilla ja SEO:lla? Lue, miksi yrityksesi tarvitsee molemmat ja miten Kipinä Saleshub auttaa kasvattamaan näkyvyyttä.
Kipinä Saleshub ja Mari Elina Coaching yhdistävät liiketoiminnan kehittämisen ja coachingin. Tutustu yhteistyöhön ja maksuttomaan valmennuskertaan.
Ulkoinen myynti voi tulla kalliiksi ilman toimivaa CRM:ää. Lue, miten myyntistrategia ja asiakasdata auttavat tehostamaan B2B-myyntiä.
Somesuunnitelma yritykselle, yhtenäinen someilme ja käytännön sparraus. Kipinä Saleshub auttaa rakentamaan ammattimaisen somen ja osaamisen omalle tiimille.
Löytävätkö ChatGPT ja Claude yrityksesi, kun asiakas etsii palvelua? Näin parannat AI-näkyvyyttä selkeillä ja ajantasaisilla verkkosivuilla.
Kipinä Saleshub – myyntiä, markkinointia ja teknologiaa yritysten kasvuun
Netta Salmi, Bachelor of Business Administration student · 28 April 2026
Press Release 21 August 2024, Kipinä Levi 2024, World Cup Floor Jansen to Speak at Kipinä Event – Marcel Hirscher Returns to World Cup with Wild Card Levi will be filled with internationally known performers, speakers, and global stars when Kipinä Event and World Cup Levi bring some star power to the Levi resort in 14.– 17.11.2024. Nightwish Singer Floor Jansen to Speak at Kipinä Event Kipinä Event brings together influential figures from the business world, creating inspiring discussions for business leaders. The event features pioneers and successful figures from various industries across the Nordics and Europe sharing their ideas and experiences. The keynote speaker for Friday’s Kipinä Event is none other than Floor Jansen (NED) from the rock world’s pinnacle, known as the lead singer of Nightwish. Her speech will focus on her illustrious career, the inspiring story of Nightwish, and what it’s like to work as a woman in a male-dominated field. Other notable speakers include author and TED Talk speaker David J.P. Phillips (SWE), who will discuss branding, communication, and selfleadership. International business leader Sabrina Suikki (SWE) from the Swedish Chamber of Commerce will speak on international business opportunities and crossborder synergies in Arctic Europe. Also taking the stage is Mehiläinen's Chief Quality Officer Maiju Welling, whose speech will focus on leadership for sustainable growth, powered by values and stories. The event's main themes include inspiration, corporate social responsibility, brand thinking, and leadership. “This is the first time we’re organizing the event in collaboration with international partners. We are thrilled to bring a global rock star, Floor Jansen of Nightwish, to our business event this year as well. She will share stories from her own career an Nightwish’s journey,” says the event’s CEO, Erica Roiko. In addition to international speakers, the Finnish Stock Exchange will be ceremoniously opened at 10:00 AM on Friday during the event. “One of the highlights of our event will be the grand opening of the Finnish Stock Exchange. We’re keeping it a secret for now which of our esteemed guests will have the honor of opening it. The event will also feature a range of entertaining side activities such as the Escaperoom Lapland edition, a Sip & Paint workshop, a Treehugging contest, and much more. We aim to create a comprehensive, inspiring, and enjoyable event with something for everyone.” The event will raise funds for charity in collaboration with UN Women, with the aim of improving Afghan women's opportunities to participate in business from home. Kipinä Event will take place at Hullu Poro Arena on 14.-15.11.2024, during the same week as the Levi World Cup. The partner companies' workshop day is on Thursday 14.11, and the main business event will be held on Friday 15.11. Men and Women Open the Slalom Season in Levi – World Cup Levi Celebrates 20 Years The experiential World Cup Levi event will shine even brighter during its’ anniversary year, promising enchanting Lapland magic and a grand sports celebration over three days. The 20th anniversary represents the long and successful history of World Cup Levi, which has made it one of the most prestigious alpine skiing events in the world. The stars of this unique race weekend will dazzle on the slopes under guaranteed snow conditions and new LED lighting. In addition to the world's best female slalom skiers, the men will also return to the Levi Black slope. Friday, 15.11: Levi Lapland Kids Race 2024 | Opening Ceremony & Women’s Start Number Draw Saturday, 16.11: Women’s Slalom | Men’s Start Number Draw Sunday, 17.11: Men’s Slalom New FIS Wild Card Rule Guarantees Marcel Hirscher a Spot in the World Cup Marcel Hirscher's return to the Alpine Skiing World Cup has been made possible by a new Wild Card rule introduced by the International Ski Federation (FIS). The rule, implemented in July this year, facilitates the return of former top skiers to World Cup competition. Without the FIS rule change, Hirscher, who retired five years ago, would have had to significantly improve his FIS ranking to secure a spot in World Cup races this season. However, the rule allows skiers with significant past achievements, like Hirscher, to participate without needing to be among the top 150 on the FIS points list. The wild card guarantees Hirscher start number 31 for one season. Preparing for his World Cup comeback, the Dutch representative is training in New Zealand. The multiple championship medalist has not yet revealed which World Cup race he will start his season in, but he will not compete in the World Cup opener in Sölden. "The Sölden World Cup opener is very far away, and it doesn’t play any role in my considerations at the moment," Hirscher said in his press release. Another slalom skier making his return to the World Cup, Lucas Braathen, now representing Brazil, is well-placed in terms of start numbers, despite not competing in the World Cup last season. “The change in nationality did not affect Braathen's start number because the Norwegian Ski Federation allowed him to change nationality without losing points. However, he did receive a small penalty for not competing, which caused his start number to drop slightly. Nevertheless, he’s in a good position to make his World Cup comeback. The new wild card rule change was a bit of a surprise, but it’s great that we’ll most likely have Hirscher back for the upcoming World Cup season. It would have been a tough road without the wild card," sums up Ski Sport Finland CEO Janne Leskinen. The women will return to the familiar and favoured Levi Black slope. Will Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States claim her seventh victory reindeer, or will Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova add to her herd? The competitions will be commentated by alpine legend Tanja Poutiainen and ski cross racer Jouni Pellinen. A Celebration of Sports in Levi Before the world’s best alpine skiers hit the slopes, the atmosphere will be set by Levi Lapland Kids Race 2024, spectacular opening ceremonies, and the Public Draw events for start numbers. The opening ceremonies and start number draws will be hosted by international sports journalist Mervi Kallio. Side events will keep the racing spirit alive off the slopes. The front slopes will offer an opportunity for the first turns of the season, and the après-ski will be unforgettable. Top Finnish artists will entertain late into the night. The Hullu Poro Arena will host, among others, Blind Channel, who gained international fame from Eurovision, during the race weekend #kipinalevi2024 #worldcuplevi
The Secret Sauce: Why Behavioral Change is Key to Innovation and Culture Transformation Problem: The Pitfall of Overwhelming Change Meet Alex, a newly appointed leader at a tech company. Eager to make his mark, Alex arrived with ambitious plans for a complete overhaul. He envisioned a cutting-edge work environment, advanced technologies, and a collaborative culture that would drive innovation. To achieve this, Alex implemented a series of drastic changes, from restructuring teams to enforcing new processes. His approach was straightforward: push hard, demand results, and expect everyone to adapt immediately. However, Alex quickly realized that things weren't going as planned. The employees, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of changes, struggled to keep up. The pressure led to burnout, decreased morale, and resistance. Alex was baffled. Despite his good intentions and clear vision, his strategy seemed to be backfiring. What went wrong? The Cost of Ignoring Behavioral Change The core issue was Alex's neglect of one critical factor: behavioral change. He assumed that by implementing structural and procedural changes, the organization's culture and innovation would naturally follow. However, he overlooked the human element—the need to guide people through the transition thoughtfully. Alex's approach of placing immense pressure on his team only created anxiety and confusion. Employees felt lost without a clear understanding of how to align their daily behaviors with the new expectations. The lack of gradual adaptation and support led to a breakdown in communication and trust, stifling the innovative spirit Alex aimed to foster. This scenario is a common pitfall in many organizations. Leaders often focus solely on the "what" and "how" of change—what needs to be done and how to do it—while neglecting the "why" and "who." Without addressing the underlying behaviors and mindsets, even the most well-intentioned changes can falter. The Power of Small Behavioral Changes Imagine if Alex had approached the situation differently. Instead of pushing for immediate and sweeping changes, he could have focused on small, incremental behavioral changes. This strategy would have allowed the team to gradually adapt and internalize the new way of working, building a foundation for lasting transformation. Behavioral change is the often-overlooked secret sauce in successful transformations. It is not enough to change structures and processes; leaders must also focus on shifting mindsets and behaviors. By prioritizing small, manageable changes and fostering an environment of trust and support, organizations can unlock the full potential of their teams. In Alex's case, a focus on behavioral change could have led to a more engaged, motivated, and innovative workforce. The team's collective energy could have been channeled into creative problem-solving and collaboration, driving the company towards its goals. Instead of feeling pressured and overwhelmed, employees would have felt empowered and excited about the future. Ultimately, the path to sustainable innovation and cultural transformation lies in understanding that change is not just about systems and strategies—it's about people. By cultivating the right behaviors, leaders can create a thriving organizational culture that embraces change and fosters continuous growth. The author Sabyasachi Sengupta, "Saby" is a behavioural change expert, uses his 15-year banking experience leading change to equip organisations. As a speaker & consultant, he tackles the human side of transformation. His focus? Helping teams navigate change with energy, humor, and a human touch. Saby tackles resistance to change, offering practical strategies for teams to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. His work results in more adaptable, innovative, and future-ready teams. #kipinalevi #businessevent #b2b #leadership #inspiration #csr
We are excited to announce our new Swedish partner, 46Elks! We are pleased to announce the exciting news that 46elks has joined our growing list of Nordic partners. As a major player in the communications industry, 46elks brings with it expertise and innovation. You can network with them and their services at our November event. This partnership is a significant step forward in our mission to promote strong connections and seamless communication solutions across the Nordic region. With 46elks on board, we can improve our offering and deliver even more value to our customers and event attendees. Together with our expanding network of partners, we are committed to promoting excellence and Nordic trade relations. We look forward to a successful and fruitful cooperation with 46elks, and together we will reach new heights. Welcome onboard, 46elks! #kipinalevi2024 #partners #B2B #business #businessevent #nordic