The Arctic Circle Berlin Forum, held for the first time in May, prompted Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of the Arctic Circle, to send a clear message in his introduction to the panel Forging Joint Climate Action: Accelerating Global Energy Transition. "If we want to protect the Arctic, the ice and the glaciers, we have to stop climate change. And we can only achieve this through a global energy transition." Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson knows what he is talking about. The former President of Iceland (1996 - 2016) has campaigned for climate and sustainability and founded the Arctic Circle in 2013. "What we see here in the Arctic is what the world will see 20 years later. That's why the Arctic Circle is so important," emphasises Sigurjóna Sverrisdóttir. For the Account Manager at the Iceland Convention Meet in Reykjavík, this is a "wake-up call". Nature and sustainability go hand in hand in her country, but Icelanders don't talk much about it, she criticises. "We are good at telling stories about our legends and elves, but not about our environmental protection." Yet Icelanders have a lot to tell. The abundance of water and the activity of the volcanoes open up many opportunities for them. They generate all of their electricity from renewable sources; 70 per cent from hydropower and 30 per cent from geothermal energy. This can be experienced in the interactive nature museum Perlan. Under its glass dome is a huge hot water storage tank. The tanks supply the city with hot water and largely replace the winter road maintenance service, as they heat the streets and pavements.

The Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre uses hydroelectric and geothermal energy sources as part of its Green Policy. Harpa has completed all five stages of the Icelandic Environment Agency's Green Steps programme and submitted its first Annual and Sustainability Report last year. "Sustainability was already taken into account during the planning phase," reports Sigurjóna Sverrisdóttir. However, the investor had to file for bankruptcy during the financial crisis. Construction was halted. After discussions about the pros and cons of the project, the state and city took over the building, which opened in 2011. "We built it for hope. Hope for the future," emphasises Sverrisdóttir. When she talks about hope, she talks about values. Icelanders are rightly proud of the fact that they had the first female president in the world: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir from 1980 to 1996. Icelanders are closer to gender parity than any other country. In the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2024, Iceland once again comes in first place and has led the index for more than a decade. And when Icelanders see their rights restricted, more than 100,000 women take to the streets for the Equality Strike, as they did last year. Important events such as the Reykjavík Global Forum - Women Leaders in November are held in the concert hall and conference centre Harpa, as are Iceland's symphony orchestra and opera. "Harpa is our house," emphasises Sigurjóna Sverrisdóttir. And 94 per cent of Icelanders now see it that way. They are expecting the first study on the economic effects of Harpa in mid-December. Its 28,000 square metres have space for a concert hall with 1,600 seats and other halls and rooms for conferences such as the Council of Europe or the European Leadership Summit. The architecture by Henning Larsen Architects and Batteríið and the glass façades by Ólafur Elíasson draw the eye outwards and put Reykjavik at the feet of the participants.

It is a 15-minute walk to a dozen hotels and just a few steps to the Reykjavik Edition. The hotel from Marriott's lifestyle and luxury brand was opened in November 2021 and complements the Harpa Conference Centre. With its 502 square metres for events such as the Arctic Circle Business Forum and 253 rooms as accommodation. The lobby's fireplace with seating area, bar and stacked lava stones provide a local flavour. The Iceland Collection includes seven hotels that Icelandair sold to the Malaysian chain Berjaya Hotels & Resorts during the pandemic. The Iceland Parliament Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, consisting of seven reconstructed and new buildings, offers 163 rooms and six conference rooms. Special features include the Hall of Independence with 362 square metres, where Iceland signed its independence from Denmark in 1918, and the Ladies' School with 111 square metres in the former telecommunications building. For the Berjaya Reykjavik Marina Hotel, the former paint factory in the old harbour district has been converted into an urban-style hotel with meeting facilities. The Islandshotels are represented with 17 hotels. All of them carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and six of them offer conference facilities. The largest conference hotel is the Hotel Reykjavik Grand with 314 rooms and eleven meeting rooms for 26 to 298 people. It will be expanded by 139 rooms and ten conference rooms by summer 2027 and will then have 2,267 square metres of meeting space. The Hotel Reykjavik Saga with 130 rooms only opened in 2022.

After a good three hours, visitors from Germany land at Leifur Eiríksson Airport near Keflavík, around 60 kilometres west of Reykjavík. Icelandair flies directly to Reykjavík from Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Munich. The Blue Lagoon Iceland is located halfway to the city. National Geographic has named the Blue Lagoon one of the 25 Wonders of the World. Its geothermal seawater is rich in silica, algae and minerals that are said to heal and nourish the skin. The Blue Lagoon Retreat, which opened in 2018, is based on this concept. It offers two meeting rooms and two restaurants with views of the lagoon and lava landscape as well as 60 suites with a concierge service and a private lagoon. "We are used to groups," says Styrmir Sigurðsson, Sales and Service Manager at Blue Lagoon Iceland. He welcomes 900,000 guests a year, including 60,000 participants in meetings and incentives. In October, his guests include participants in the Arctic Circle Assembly. "With its combination of natural beauty and upscale amenities, the Blue Lagoon Retreat offers an ideal environment for productive and relaxing corporate days," advertises DMC Sandra Yr Dungal. She adds: "In addition to relaxation, corporate teams can take part in team-building activities, such as hiking on the picturesque Reykjanes Peninsula, exploring the geology of the Blue Lagoon or participating in mindfulness wellness workshops."

Anyone in Iceland who asks: "What should I not miss?" gets the answer: Get out of Reykjavik! It's the keyword for Sandra YR Dungal. "Welcome to Mars!" is how she likes to greet her guests as she drives through lava landscapes. "We at Sena have made it our mission to create unforgettable experiences for event participants in Iceland," she says, describing her concept. Her team works closely with event planners to understand their goals and the interests of the participants. Sandra YR Dungal: "By customising activities and itineraries, we ensure that each event resonates personally with the participants." To do this, she incorporates the local culture and nature. Her closeness to nature and her love of discovery allow her to seek out sustainable places such as the family-run Farm Skalakot, a boutique hotel with 14 rooms, 350 sheep and 150 Icelandic horses in the south. You can also enjoy lunch in a local farmer's goat pen with fresh dishes from the farm, garnished with lessons on sustainable goat farming. If you want to extend the experience, spend the night under the stars in a luxury tent in Thorsmörk, a remote area in the southern highlands. The "Golden Circle" can be explored in a specially converted super jeep with 44-inch tyres, the Langjökull glacier on a snowmobile tour, glacier buffet and a rave in the snowmobile bunker are included. "For an extra thrill, you can board a helicopter and take a scenic flight from the glacier for a breathtaking view of Iceland's majestic landscapes," says Sandra YR Dungal. For dinner, head to the Friðheimar Wine Bar, a greenhouse with Icelandic specialities.