Rotary 120 – joint anniversary seminar and evening party May 24th, 2025
Rotary turns 120 this year. We will celebrate the anniversary on 24 May 2025 in Tampere Hall. It will be a spectacular joint event of Finland, Estonia and Åland. We look forward to meeting you there with other Rotarians, their partners, and friends of Rotary!
The theme of the event is peace. It is one of Rotary’s seven key themes and unfortunately relevant now. However, peace is a fundamental prerequisite for us to do good in the world. Without peace, you cannot drill wells, promote literacy or support local economies.
The celebration day consists of a festive seminar and an evening party. There will be top-level speakers, friendship, good deeds, joy and great emotions.
Come and celebrate 120 years of Rotary – let’s make this the event of the century together!
The price for the event is 120 euros per participant.
The price includes the seminar and evening party with dinner.
Wine for dinner can be booked when registering.
Book accommodation separately according to the instructions below.
Courtyard by Marriott Tampere City
Courtyard by Marriott Tampere City is a modern 4-star hotel in central Tampere, under the same roof as Tampere Hall and a few minutes from the Nokia Arena. When you make a reservation through this site, you will receive accommodation at a special price. The room rate includes a varied breakfast, taxes, free Wi-Fi and access to the well-equipped gym.
Confirm your reservation with a credit card (excluding Visa Electron) and your accommodation will be charged at check-in. You can change and cancel your reservation free of charge via your booking confirmation up to 24 hours before arrival.
If you want the rooms to be invoiced by the company, you can make the reservation normally via the website and send the booking’s billing information to our reception via email (info@courtyardtamperecity.com). Please provide billing information at least 3 weeks before arrival.
The offer is valid until April 23rd, 2025, and the number of reserved places is limited.
MAKE YOUR BOOKING VIA THIS LINK!
Scandic Tampere City
You can choose the desired room type and get an extra discount when paying for your reservation immediately upon booking.
The cancellation policy for an individual accommodation reservation depends on the booking type chosen by the guest. To confirm the reservation, the guest must provide the hotel with valid credit card information.
Rooms are available for booking, subject to availability, no later than 10 days before arrival.
Scandic Friends members should also check the available loyalty offers.
We offer guests a discount with the booking code EVNT.
MAKE YOUR BOOKING VIA THIS LINK!
Detailed information about the event
Welcome letter
Tervetuloa Rotary 120 _kirje ilmottautuneille
Tampere Hall floor map is available here
Tampere-talo_Kerrospohjakartta_2025
Anniversary seminar and evening party 24.5.2025
Program
| Dress code seminar: Business casual | ||
| 9-10 | House of Friendship construction | |
| 10 | Registration begins | |
| 11-12 | Brunch | |
| 12 | Opening of the event | Host Niko Lappalainen |
| Music | Trio Vidal | |
| Greetings from the city of Tampere | Maggie Keskinen | |
| Speech | President Stephanie A. Urchick, Rotary International | |
| The UN’s situation in the world and cooperation with Rotary | Policy and Planning Officer Marina Toivonen, UN Peace Operations Unit | |
| Rotary’s work over the years around the world | Architect, Science Journalist, PDG Aaro Söderlund | |
| The top projects in Districts 1385-1430 including Finland, Åland and Estonia | Video | |
14.30-15.15 | Coffee break | |
| Peacebuilding, social inclusion, gender equality | Rotary Peace Fellow Sadia Bibi | |
| Panel Discussion: The Future of Rotary | Stephanie A. Urchick, Suzan Stenberg, Christina Daous ja Jaana Koskela | |
| Finland and peace mediation | Member of Parliament Pekka Haavisto | |
| 17 | The seminar ends | |
| Dress code gala dinner: Dark suite and Rotary insignia | ||
| 19 | Gala dinner | Host Susanna Lohiniemi Magician Viljo Haapamäki Orchestra Sunny Side Swing Band |
The program is continuously supplemented. We reserve the right to make changes.
The main language of the seminar is English.
Possibility of interpretation into your own language.
Speakers and performers
Pekka Haavisto
Pekka Haavisto is a Member of Parliament and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland. Pekka Haavisto is a peace negotiator and a defender of democracy and human rights. He is well-versed in foreign policy and international affairs. He has led an investigation on the environmental impacts of wars and represented the EU and the UN in crises around the world. Haavisto has also written numerous books. His favorite hobbies are literature, old Volkswagen “Bubble” cars and wooden boats.
Stephanie Urchick
Stephanie Urchick is a member of the McMurray Rotary Club in Pennsylvania, USA. She is currently the president of Rotary International for the 2024–2025 Rotary year. Stephanie has previously served as an RI director and as a Rotary Foundation Trustee. She has served in a variety of roles within Rotary, such as educator, regional Rotary Foundation coordinator and RI president’s representative. Stephanie has also held significant positions in Rotary’s Council of Law (COL).
Suzan Stenberg
Suzan Stenberg is a member of the Åre Rotary Club. She is also a member of the Rotary International Board of Directors for the period 2024–2026 representing zones 17 and 18. Suzan has held many positions within Rotary, including Membership Coordinator within the zone.
Aaro Söderlund
Aaro Söderlund is an architect who has had design projects all over the world. He is also a science journalist and many of his programs can still be heard on Finnish Broadcasting company’s YLE-Areena. Aaro has worked as a teacher at Aalto University. He has lectured around the world and worked as a field architect on archaeological excavations and has also made international television documentaries on archaeology. He is a councilor in the city of Pargas and a member of the Rotary Club in Nagu as well as a former district governor. His hobbies include walking, Stephen Colbert and history.
Marina Toivonen
Marina Toivonen works in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Police department and its Operational unit. She has been a police officer since 1985 and has 39 years of experience in senior positions but also experience in various areas of the security sector, including organized, financial and cross-border crime. In addition to her national career, she has a significant 15 years of crisis management experience in various international roles, including the EU and UN.
Christina Daous
Christina Daous is a versatile professional in the media and entertainment industry. She holds a degree in cultural production and leads a modern digital investment company. Active in various fields, Christina is most prominently known for her work as a voice artist.
Christina is also committed to promoting the well-being of nature and animals and actively participates in community projects that support environmental values. She has been a member of the Tallinn Reval Rotary Club since the beginning of 2023 and joined Rotary because she saw an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on community spirit in Estonia.
Sadia Bibi
Sadia Bibi is a feminist peacebuilder and development practitioner from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, with extensive experience in grassroots peacebuilding, social inclusion, gender equality, and conflict transformation. As a Rotary Peace Fellow at Uppsala University, she is committed to promoting participatory approaches that empower marginalized communities and strengthen sustainable peace efforts.
Sadia has worked across the development sector of Pakistan, leading programs focused on women’s empowerment, youth leadership, community mobilization, and peace education. She brings strong expertise in designing and facilitating training, advocacy campaigns, and local capacity-building initiatives.
With an academic background in Applied Conflict Transformation, International Relations, and ongoing studies in Peace and Conflict Studies, Sadia is passionate about advancing inclusive, locally-driven solutions to complex social challenges.
Niko Lappalainen
Niko Lappalainen is a long-standing Rotary member with extensive experience in youth exchange programs and various trusted positions within the organization. He has served on the district committee, held multiple roles within the multidistrict organization, and been a board member of EEMA. Since 2024, he has served as the chair of the Finnish multidistrict youth exchange.
Professionally, Lappalainen has a strong background in finance and real estate. He holds a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Vaasa and has pursued further studies at Turku School of Economics and Copenhagen Business School. Over the course of his career, he has been involved with companies such as Kiinteistökartio Oy.
Lappalainen is also an active social influencer and serves in several positions of trust. He is a member of the Supervisory Board of the mutual insurance company Fennia and a board member of both the Microbiological Science Foundation and the Finnish Cultural Heritage Foundation.
.
Jaana Koskela
Jaana Koskela, 44, is the past president of the Rovaniemi Santa Claus Rotary Club, the club’s Youth Exchange Officer (YEO), and a member of the District 1385 Youth Exchange Committee. For her, the best part of Rotary is the principle of “Service above self”!
Susanna Lohiniemi
Susanna Lohiniemi is a member of the Rotary Club Tammer Nova. She works as Executive Director of the Tampere Children’s Hospital Support Association (Tampereen Lastenklinikan Tuki ry).
Viljo Haapamäki
Viljo Haapamäki is a magician and mentalist who has entertained audiences across Finland and Europe. He takes the stage with a relaxed confidence, captivating his audience with the latest wonders of magic and mentalism—his trademark—creating an unforgettable feel-good atmosphere.
Magician Viljo Haapamäki will entertain at the evening gala with stage magic and close-up magic performed at the tables.
Trio Vidál
Vidál is an atmospheric trio from Hamina, Finland, built around the harmony of cello, guitar, and vocals. Their repertoire consists of unique arrangements of contemporary pop and R&B classics. The story of Vidál began in 2020, and since then, they have been crafting their own distinctive sound.
Trio Vidál will perform at the beginning of the seminar, as well as during brunch and coffee breaks.
Sunny Side Swing Band
Sunny Side Swing Band is a big band founded in 2010 and based in the Southwest Finland region, with its home base in Naantali. The orchestra’s diverse repertoire ranges from classic big band standards to the latest gems of popular music.
