With fall on its way, it was time to learn something new and escape the office environment for a few hours. That’s why SCA visited some events. The first was on September 18 in Helsinki, hosted by the language organization NEaT Nordic Editors & Translators ry. I have been a member there for a few years now, and their annual event is always something to look forward to, because it’s organized by people who truly love language and are, quite frankly, total language nerds. I don’t think anyone takes offense at that.

This time, following the introduction by chair Alice Lehtinen, the following speakers took the floor:

– Laura Hekanaho, University of Helsinki: Attitudes toward the influence of English on Finnish: Findings from a survey study
– Päivi Iikkanen, University of Jyväskylä: On whiteness, coloniality, and English in Finland: Valued versus unwanted Others
– Minna Nevala and Jenni Räikkönen (LanCris project, University of Helsinki): Representations of participants in health crises
– Niina Elomaa, Prime Minister’s Office: Terminology under pressure

Marketing Morning in Helsinki

The second event was on the 29th of September: Marketing Morning, organized by Obsidian Helsinki. It’s not often that you find yourself sitting in a movie theater in the morning with about a hundred other people, with a bucket of popcorn and a drink in hand. No language nerds this time, but marketing professionals, because I wanted to learn more about how people in this industry in Finland talk about their field. Finland doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being good at marketing itself, but here I saw passionate people who really know what marketing is all about.

Mirjam Mäki warmly welcomed us, followed by presentations from:

– Ossi Ahto (Ahto Advisory): Marketing as a Growth Engine
– Halfdan Moth Timm (Partner at Obsidian): The AI-Enabled Marketing Department
– Akira Ahola (Head of Marketing and Communications – Mearra): Decide Faster, Implement Easier: The Necessity of Proof-of-Direction in AI-Era Marketing
– Matias Vahtola (Web Manager at Sympa): Winning Visibility in AI Search
– Louise Philipsen (Engagement Partner at Obsidian): 5 LinkedIn Steps to Win Share of Voice in the LLMs

Marketing edge for writing

Language professionals are, almost by definition, not marketing professionals, so I wanted to bring those two worlds together a bit more within myself as the founder of SCA. After all, you often write to promote a topic, product, or service on behalf of a client. The first event focused purely on content with specific topics. The second was incredibly commercial, full of jargon, and heavy on AI. But both were useful for my profession: writing things well, clearly, and engagingly for a broad audience.

Vegan fair in Tallinn

And on 10-11 October Sustainability Content Agency went to Veganmess in Tallinn, the stunning capital of Estonia. Despite the feeling that you’re often walking around as if you were in the Middle Ages here, the country is doing exceptionally well in terms of sustainability: in both 2024 and 2026, it came first in the Yale–Columbia Environmental Performance Index. It is particularly ahead of the EU averages in renewable energy and organic farming, and although it has a population of only around 1.4 million, it has been a frontrunner in advanced digital public services for many years.

And there’s certainly plenty happening in the plant-based food sector too. The fair wasn’t large, but with a variety of interesting exhibitors, workshops and talks, there was plenty to get stuck into. And SA Tallinna Kultuurikatel (the creative hub), close to the harbour and the city centre, always provides a great setting for events, as it was also the venue for the Impact Fair (which, sadly, is no more), which we attended on several occasions. It is a former power station built in 1912–1913, and the boilers, brick walls and tall chimney still serve as a reminder of its past.

Interest in vegan food is growing, partly because more and more alternatives are becoming available, but to say there’s a sharp upward trend? No. It remains incredibly difficult to break old habits, even though there are so many reasons to do so (now). From a commercial point of view, it is therefore still not particularly attractive to set up a business in plant-based food or ingredients, which is why trade fairs of this kind remain essential for giving these brave entrepreneurs visibility.

Panel discussion between animal rights specialists

I also enjoyed the panel discussion on animal welfare featuring Ann De Greef and Alexandra Ștefan – respectively, the managing director of GAIA (Belgium’s best-known animal rights organisation) and vice-chair of F.R.E.E. (a Romanian animal rights organisation) – moderated by Evelyn Valtin. And if you’re still unsure whether plant-based food is healthy enough? To round off the event, Estonian powerlifter and personal trainer Gert Koovit and Lithuanian bikini fitness professional and coach Deimantė Lis spoke about their strictly vegan diets, which enable them to compete successfully at the highest level. But I’m sure you’re also familiar with the names Novak Djokovic and Lewis Hamilton.

More info about the fair: https://veganmess.ee/en/

Companies and brands that were exhibiting (among others): Premium Brands ⏐ Ellyt, Nordic Milk (Deary), Vego Good Food GmbH, SUNFLY, Fresmy, Thormi, bedda, YOOK, Bon Vegan, Yellow Pea, Namm, Luna Mare, True Dates, Shroomwell Innovation, Casheury – Swedish Vegan Creamery, DAVA Foods, Rebane Mandelu Camembert, FURIOUS FOODS SIA, Rise & Zen, Ecoshop, Mati Foods, Raw Edge, NordTempeh and Süü Ää Mahenäksi Vabrik.

SCA helps organizations of all sizes with their content in almost all European languages. Just send a message to info@sustainabilitycontentagency.com for more info or schedule a short meeting via the buttons on this website.