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The European Lottery Congress and Trade Show 2011 — the Northern Light — held in Helsinki last June 5-9, 2011 was a success. The event had a strong focus on lottery issues, spiced up with fresh views from outside of the industry. The Business Programme received a great deal of positive comments on its world-class quality and relevance to the lotteries and more than 600 participants from all over Europe and even further took part in the lottery event of the year. The venue, Marina Congress Center, impressed the participants with its luminous and intimate atmosphere. As an added bonus that the City of Helsinki bathed in sunshine and warm weather.
The event culminated with the inspiring keynote speech by Artistic Director Kasper Holten, who spotted connections between the world of arts and present-day working life such as talents, people, brainpower, and creativity, rather than technology. He also explains that everyone plays an important role and even the challenges of leadership are new, and the old learning’s don’t seem to work anymore.
“In a new kind of organization we expect people to be creative, to challenge our routines and dogmas. But they will challenge us too: they want to know the reason why they should do this. In the Royal Opera some of the biggest prima donnas don’t work on stage, they work in administration, technology…” he also adds, “There are many ways to inspire. It is my job to find a soft spot where I can plant my idea. If someone has to go northeast on stage, I have to make it so inspiring that they want to go there. There are many ways to get there and the inspiration is needed to find the right way.”
Northern Light introduced for the first time in the history of the EL Congress, an opportunity for young lottery professionals to show what they are capable of. The Young Lions, divided into three groups, set out to solve a common problem of the lottery business: how young people can be turned into active lottery customers.
The EL Congress also touched topics such as Social Peace and the Role of Lotteries, Learning from Apple and the Insights of the Future of Retail, and Lotteries at the Heart of European Sports. All of this contributes to the education of young people, which will serve them all along their sporting careers and, in a broader perspective, in their personal lives as men and women. To become a champion, you need talent, hard work, training, and financial support.
