Helsinki – Stockholm | 2012
The 60th Annual ARGE Conference
Conference Summary
ARGE welcomed a new Executive as member the board: Mr Hans Weissenboeck. Hans is from Austria but represents the Swiss Association. He attended his first ARGE Conference in Budapest in 1993 when he was general manager of Grundmann GEGE (Austrian manufacturers of cylinders and locks). He continued as general manager after the merger of Grundmann with Kaba in 1997. For a number of years Hans has attended numerous ARGE congresses as a member of ARGE’s Working Group C and also, as convenor of TC33 WG4 TG4 on cylinders.
The delegates attending the General Meeting were informed of the official resignation of two board members that occurred earlier in the year. Mr Guiliano Modesti who had been a board member for eight years, resigned in April 2012 to focus on his work as Chief Executive of Dorma in Italy. And also Gerhard Wenger, who resigned in January 2012 after four years of service. Wenger relocated to Singapore, to become Head of Division (Access and Data Systems for Asia-Pacific) for Kaba. Both the Chairman, Jorma Siren, and General Secretary, Joachim Kieker, wished Modesti and Wenger well, and thanked them for their years of commitment to ARGE. The General Meeting in retrospect would have benefited by being given more than an hours time.
The Chairman ran through a list of what ARGE has achieved over the last year. Which included:- The 5 meetings of the executive board Development of the Business Plan Cooperation with EDSF Lobby work with KELLEN and ORGALIME The quarterly technical reports produced The numerous marketing communications created and distributed via website news stories and press releases. A review of the three active working groups and the single sub-group of WG C. Further detail of ARGE’s mission, aims and objectives are available in the 2012-13 Business Plan available from the General Secretary ( j.kieker@arge.org).
The theme of the 60th Annual Congress was Sustainability, and this was emphasised in the review of the Business Plan. ARGE’s commitment to Sustainability was further addressed with an action plan on this topic that was written by Paul Browne of Assa Abloy. Unfortunately, at the last minute he was unable to present it himself. Stephan Schmidt from FV S +B came to the rescue and was the perfect understudy yet again. Pierre Vilian presented his report on Standardisation. Arjen Koole presented his report on the lock and hardware market, with graphs and forecasts. All reports from the General Meeting are available for members only on the ARGE website. Zoe Quinlan, ARGE Marketing Executive, unveiled the new design of the ARGE website. This was very well received with some delegates jesting that it was too impressive to be British! It has been produced by web design company, Hullabaloo. For next year’s 61st Congress, Dublin has been put forward as a possible location.
Social Programme
M/S Silja Serenade
A majestic cruise liner is like a holiday centre – a small city planned for good time. A cruise on the Silja Serenade is like a city break in the Middle-Europe: imagine yourself walking Promenade on a shopping street!
The heart of the ship is the pedestrian street, where you can find a wide variety of shops, fascinating cafés and restaurants of a high standard.
All cabins are fitted with closet, air conditioning, shower, toilet, hair dryer, radio, TV and telephone with the possibility to install automatic wake-up. All the cabins are non-smoking areas. Silja Serenade’s restaurants serve delicious dishes to suit all tastes. Try the skilful creations that delight all senses.
Splendid shopping arcade
Silja Serenade’s Promenade is a paradise for shoppers. The shops tempt both women and men with the latest fragrances, skin care products, CDs, designer clothes – and plenty of other things.
Remember that our prices are lower than prices ashore – the more you buy, the more you save! There are more shops available on deck 6 below the Promenade: the Tax-Free Market offers a large selection of beverages and sweets, for example.
You can find both novel products and more traditional souvenirs in this shop. Our newest shop is called Trend Shop. The shop with its shoes, scarves and bags is a paradise for women in particular.
Bellamare Sauna & Wellbeing
In the new wellness area Bellamare Sauna & Wellbeing on deck 5 adults can find a refreshing and harmonical for beautiful moments.
Treat yourself and relax in Bellamare’s warm, oriental atmosphere. Here is enjoyment for all senses. Entrance fee is 8 € and includes towel and free use of the saunas and lounge area. For 2 € each you can get use of bath robe and bath slippers.
When having a treatment the bath robe is included in the price. The hair salon and sun beds can be found in the Sunflower Oasis spa on deck 12. Book your beauty care appointments immediately upon your arrival as they are very popular!
Helsinki
Design is the main attraction in Helsinki this year (Design Capital of the World), and the New York Times has already named Helsinki the second most interesting destination in 2012. In many ways Helsinki is the perfect city: big enough to offer rich diversity yet contained enough to be experienced easily, enjoyably and safely.
Helsinki is the capital (since 1812) and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.
Helsinki is unique among Northern European cities. The lifestyle in the second-most northern capital city in the world is full of contrasts and activities in the form of hundreds of events and friendly people.
Helsinki is a green city that is close to the surrounding nature. One third of the city consists of verdant parks and other green areas.
The majority of sights in Helsinki are situated conveniently within walking distance of the city centre. The excellent public transportation system makes getting around easy when visiting outlying areas. The heart of Helsinki is the impressive Senate Square and the Cathedral. “Must-sees” also include the Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress, the popular Market Square, Helsinki Music Centre, Temppeliaukio “Rock” Church and Uspenski Cathedral, which is the largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe. The fine arts can be admired at a large number of galleries and museums like Ateneum Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma.
Stockholm Old Town – Gamla Stan
There are a lot of unique things to see when visiting the old town in Stockholm. The old town is the original Stockholm and is the place to be if you want to experience the town’s pulse.
The town was set up during the 14th century and most of the buildings are from the 1700s and 1800s. There are about 3000 people living in the old city today. The area has Stockholm’s biggest ranges of restaurants, tourist shops, studios and museums. There are many wonderful paths to walk in the old town.
The dominant building in the old city is the king’s castle. The royal castle has 605 rooms. It is the biggest castle in word that is still in use by a king. The castle is the workplace for Karl XVI, but the royal family lives in another palace outside Stockholm. The castle is built on the old castle Tre Kronor that was destroyed in a fire in the year 1697. The royal castle was designed by the architect Nicodemus Tessin.
Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum is a maritime museum in Stockholm, Sweden. The Vasa Museum has become a natural part of Stockholm’s skyline. Its masts rising high above Djurgården have become a beacon guiding curious tourists and Stockholmers alike.
The museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th century ship that has ever been salvaged. The 64-gun warship Vasa sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. More than 95 percent of the ship is original, and it is decorated with hundreds of carved sculptures.
Today the Vasa Museum is the most visited museum in Scandinavia, with over one million visitors a year. There are nine different exhibitions around the ship to tell about life on board the ship. The film about the Vasa is shown in 16 different languages.
