Erämessi's operations will continue thanks to the merger

The international Erämessut will take place on June 9–12.6.2022, 50, when the Erämessut will turn XNUMX years old. The corona pandemic has brought many challenges to the event industry. Riihimäki Messut Oy merged with its parent company at the beginning of the year to Riihimäki Tilat ja Kehitys Oy. This merger, which the Riihimäki city board decided on in September, guarantees the operation of Erämessu. The batch fair will be organized as an annual event in the future. Jubilee year the president of the republic, Sauli Niinistö, has promised to be the patron of the event.

The International Wilderness Fair will take place in June 2022. "The corona situation is really serious at the moment," says fair director Ninni Manninen. "Several large fairs were organized in the fall, such as the one in Helsinki
Book Fair and Tampere Handicrafts Fair. Vaccine coverage is good in Finland and the corona passport has been introduced. At the moment, we are very hopeful that the event will actually take place in June," Manninen continues.

There is reason to celebrate in June, because the International Desert Fair turns 50 years old. It is rare for an event to reach such a high age, and Erämessut is Finland's oldest wilderness event.

The celebration is further enhanced by the fact that the President of the Republic, Sauli Niinistö, has pledged to be the patron of Erämessu. The patron of the first Erämessu in 1972 was the then president of the republic, Urho Kekkonen.

Erämessut has traditionally been organized in Riihimäki every two years. Because of the corona, the event has already had to be postponed three times. The number of hobbyists in the batch industry and the sales of products are during the corona
rose wildly. The customers have been hoping for the Erämessu to be organized every year.

"The fair is renewed every year. In the future, we will implement annual themes and new theme areas. In the anniversary year, our theme is responsibility in hunting, fishing and camping," says Manninen.

The city of Riihimäki, Riihimäki Tilat ja Kehitys Oy and Riihimäki Fairs had a common will that the International Wilderness Fair will be able to be organized in the future in Riihimäki.

"Erämessut is an important part of Riihimäki's event activities. With the merger, we want to secure the continuation and development of Erämessu", says Mika Herpiö, CEO of Riihimäki Tilat ja Kehitys Oy, the vitality director of the city of Riihimäki. Herpiö also served for a long time as the chairman of the board of the Riihimäki Fair.

"The merger is not really visible to the customers," adds Manninen. "The fair team has remained the same, as has our common goal - to continue to make Finland's best Erämsut for visitors and exhibitors."