Svenska Mässan or, in English, Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre is an exhibition and convention centre in Gothenburg, Sweden and is one of Scandinavia's biggest assembly points which attracts around one million visitors every year. It is run owned and run by a non-profit foundation .[1]
In March 2011, it was reported that a third tower rising 100 meters will be built and finished by 2014.[2] When completed, the third tower will be the tallest building in Gothenburg, and the second tallest in Sweden, surpassed only by Turning Torso in Malmö.
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In the early 20th century a variety of Swedish companies arranged fares in order to promote the Swedish industry. Hence emerged the idea of Svenska Mässan and on the 8th of July 1918 the official Svenska Mässan was opened.[3]
Svenska Mässan wanted to expand further and during the 1970s Svenska Mässan started to organize courses and conferences, thus conference and congress facilities were built.[4]
Svenska Mässan has 9 exhibition halls, 50 conference rooms, 7 restaurants and Scandinavia’s third largest hotel, Hotel Gothia Towers.[5]
Hotel Gothia Towers is the third largest hotel in the Nordic countries.[6] , only surpassed by Bella Sky Hotel and CabInn Metro in Copenhagen. It has 704 rooms and suites and offers a variety of restaurants and bars.[7]
The first tower was built in 1984 and the second in 2001. The hotel is due to be expanded by the addition of a third tower, and adding several floors to one of the existing towers.[8]
Heaven 23 is a bar and restaurant located on the 23rd floor. It was opened in connection with the second tower. The restaurant and bar has a total of 178 restaurant and bar seats. Here one can by the famous “King Size” shrimp sandwich.[9]
The location for Svenska Mässan was decided on by different trade commissions and industry corporations when Svenska Mässan was established. The location is very efficient since it is in the middle of Scandinavia with the same distance to all three capital cities, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo.[10]
Today the central location is also perfect since it is only walking distance to hotels, restaurants, pubs, shopping malls and theatres.[11]