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After fifteen years in the leadership team at Stockholmsmässan, one of the Nordic region’s largest exhibition and convention centres, Camilla Hållbro believed she knew the major players in the industry.
Then she received a phone call about a leadership position in Norway.
She had never heard of Oslofjord Convention Center.
“We thought we had mapped all of our competitors. Clearly, we hadn’t,” she recalls in the Checkin podcast.
A few weeks later she arrived to see the venue for herself.
Her first impression came instantly.
“It was simply wow. I saw an unpolished diamond.”
Shortly afterwards she accepted the position as CEO. Since 2024 she has led Oslofjord Convention Center through a new phase, with an ambitious commercial strategy and a growing focus on the international meetings and congress market.
It Wasn’t the Size
What impressed her most wasn’t the scale.
It was how everything worked together.
While many large convention and exhibition venues are surrounded by traffic, concrete and busy cities, Oslofjord combines large-scale meeting infrastructure with the sea, nature and open surroundings.
Hotels, meeting rooms, congress halls and social spaces are integrated into one connected destination, allowing delegates to move between accommodation, sessions and activities on foot.
“You’re part of the event wherever you are. That’s what creates the energy.”
Designed by renowned Norwegian architect Niels Torp, the venue was created with one guiding principle: people should meet naturally throughout their stay. The architecture is therefore not simply a backdrop, it actively shapes the experience.
For organisers, this means simpler logistics, fewer internal transfers and more time focused on the event itself.
Built for Complex Events
As events grow in size and complexity, the number of venues capable of delivering them becomes surprisingly small.
“The larger the event, the fewer venues are actually able to host it.”
Today Oslofjord offers around 1,750 hotel rooms integrated into the venue and capacity for events with up to 14,000 participants.
Large-scale events are supported by specialist teams covering production, logistics and in-house AV, working closely with organisers and external partners to tailor each event.
The venue is located less than two hours from Oslo and close to Sandefjord Torp Airport, making it easily accessible for both domestic and international delegates.
An International Venue Few Have Discovered
One thing surprised Hållbro almost as much as the venue itself.
How few people knew about it.
Today Oslofjord welcomes around 110,000 visitors annually, with approximately half arriving from outside Norway. According to an independent analysis by Menon Economics, the venue also supports around 650 jobs and creates substantial economic value for the surrounding region.
For Hållbro, however, the biggest opportunity lies elsewhere.
Awareness.
“Many people still don’t know what this place really is. That’s what we want to change.”
She hopes more international organisers will have the same reaction she did during her first visit.
“This is something Norway should be proud of. And something the world deserves to discover.”