Creativity x Events
Pitching Day

What kind of new experiential concepts would you create for events?

At the Creativity x Events Pitching Day on 7 October 2026, 13:30–17:00, creatives get to pitch their new event‑ready concepts directly to a jury made up of representatives from both the event and creative industries, receive targeted feedback from industry experts, and network with other professionals.

The aim of Creativity x Events Pitching Day is to bridge the gap between the creative field and the events sector, and to offer a platform for cross‑sector collaboration and new revenue opportunities. You are warmly welcome to join us!

A concept suitable for events could be, for example:

• an interactive artwork
• a sound or light installation
• an app, tool or other technological innovation
• a game or gamified experience
• an experience in extended reality (XR / VR / AR / MR)
• a performance
• a merch concept
• … or something completely different that brings new kinds of content, experiences, or support for event production or marketing.

Please note that the event is bilingual: pitches are held both in Finnish and in English.

Why attend?

By attending, you get to ...

• Present your idea in a safe and encouraging environment and strengthen your ownership of the concept (suitable for first-time pitchers too!)
• Move your concept forward faster with feedback from experts in the creative industry, events industry, and business development
• Expand your network across the creative and events industries
• Discover potential new partnerships and leads (e.g. our jury members are always on the lookout for exciting new concepts!)
• Gain new insights into collaboration and revenue opportunities at the intersection of the creative and events industries
• Enjoy free coffee and light refreshments

Register to pitch

Jury & feedback

The Creativity x Events Pitching Day jury consists of experts from the event industry and the creative industries. The jury will be present throughout the event and will give oral feedback to pitchers immediately after their presentations.

The jury line‑up includes:

• Emilia Mäki, CEO, Musiikkitalo
• Arttu Kallio, Creative Director, LIWLIG Finland (prev. Tapaus)
• Ronny Eriksson, CEO & Founder, ODDfest
• Fredrik Sirén, Business Coach & Trainer, Turbiini Pre-Incubator, Metropolia UAS

Read more about the jury members below!

Emilia Mäki

CEO, Helsingin Musiikkitalo Ltd.

Emilia Mäki is the CEO of Musiikkitalo and an experienced events industry professional. She has extensive expertise in event concept development and production, sales, service business development, and the strategic leadership of event companies. Emilia is especially inspired by creating new things, renewing the events industry, and turning bold ideas into practice.

Emilia's message to the pitchers:

"A fully developed concept is not a requirement for participation. If your idea contains something new, compelling, or capable of moving the industry forward, bring it in with confidence. This event could be exactly the step that helps your idea grow into a viable concept."

Arttu Kallio

Creative Director, LIWLIG Finland

Arttu Kallio believes that a good event is one where something truly happens: it sparks something in people that would not have emerged without that shared moment. The Creative Director of LIWLIG Finland has two decades of experience working with global brands and has received several international awards in event marketing. He sees enormous untapped potential in events as one of the last spaces where algorithms do not decide who we meet and what we experience.

Arttu's message to the pitchers:

"LIWLIG is looking for ideas and concepts for events with a clear purpose: ones that make the experience more memorable, create genuine encounters, help people discover something new, or give participants the opportunity to express and build their own identity. I hope to see and hear bold technological ideas, but also simple, analog, and meaningful concepts that serve the purpose of an event."

Ronny Eriksson

CEO & Founder, ODDfest

Ronny Eriksson is a creative entrepreneur, researcher, and community builder focused on unlocking the potential of the creative economy. Founder of ODDfest, New Nordic Way and several ventures like Ambitious.Africa and Norders Creative Agency, Ronny helps organizations integrate creativity and culture into their strategies. As a speaker and thought leader, he shares insights on creativity and entrepreneurship, inspiring audiences across Europe. During the last few years, Ronny has shined as the CEO of ODDfest, a bold new festival in the heart of Helsinki, where art, ideas, and oddness collide.

Ronny's message to the pitchers:

"The doors are open to those who take initiative, reach out, make suggestions, and get things done. The best kind of content for ODDfest is the kind that resists easy categorization: not just music, not just art, not just performances. Content fits, if it actively challenges the audience, creates encounters, or does something that wouldn’t normally happen. It’s the unexpected that interests the most."

Fredrik Sirén

Coach & Trainer, Turbiini Pre-Incubator / Metropolia

Fredrik Sirén has been an entrepreneur for the last 25+ years mainly working in the service design, advertisement and gaming sector. As an entrepreneur he has both seen the towering heights and the abysmal lows, but both were interesting. For the past 4 years Fredrik has worked inside incubators to facilitate the success of our next generation of talent, focusing on the soft skills that do bring the hard results. He hasn’t had this meaningful and fun in job in 15 years. He is always happy to help and spar with individuals and companies that want to develop themselves and reach further.

Fredrik's message to the pitchers:

"Don’t wait until everything is fully polished before you dare to pitch. Embrace incompleteness: when you put your concept out there early, you take ownership of it. What matters most is giving it a try, getting feedback, building connections, and developing your idea further. What do you really have to lose?"

Schedule

Below is the preliminary schedule for the event.

13:30 PM — Afternoon coffee + open networking (coffee available after 13.15 PM)

14:00 PM — Welcome words

14:05 PM — Pitches

Jury: Emilia Mäki (CEO, Musiikkitalo), Ronny Eriksson (Founder & CEO, ODDfest), Arttu Kallio (Creative Director, LIWLIG Finland) and Fredrik Sirén (Business Coach & Trainer, Turbiini Business Incubator, Metropolia).

Open networking

17:00 PM — Event ends (you are welcome to stay and continue discussions at the venue)

Contact information

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

Eeva Jäntti,
Project Manager,
Digital Creative Industries and Beyond project,
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences,
eeva.jantti [at] metropolia.fi (eeva[dot]jantti[at]metropolia[dot]fi),
p. +358 44 383 1656

This event is organized by the Digital Creative Industries and Beyond (DCIB) project in collaboration with "Collab – taloudellista kestävyyttä ja poikkialaista yhteistyötä tapahtuma-alalle" project. Both projects are co-funded by the European Union.