Ian Wu, the CEO of HUONE Singapore, visited HUONE Copenhagen for two weeks at the beginning of summer 2022. He had a chance to explore the city and its business meeting culture. HUONE asked Ian a couple of questions about how he saw Danish business meeting culture compared to the one in Singapore, the world’s number one meeting city.
The Danish meeting culture is mature and bold
The CEO of HUONE Singapore, Ian Wu, spent two weeks in Copenhagen in June and visited the most prominent meeting venues in Copenhagen. He learned interesting points about the meeting culture in Denmark. Read on to find out how Ian saw Danish business meeting culture and his impression of HUONE Copenhagen!
How was your visit to Denmark?
This was my first trip to Denmark for work or pleasure and I must say it was an incredible experience. The depth of Danish history is clearly evident in both the architecture (meeting venues included – of course), and the care for its population. It was especially nice to explore Copenhagen and Denmark, and afterward recognize specific locations and cultural flagpoles in HUONES meeting rooms; For example, Nyhavn and Bicycle room, clearly are tributes to Copenhagen city. Then there is the Hut Room, which celebrates the small traditional allotment huts with lush gardens, a traditional getaway for city dwellers. Finally, I have to mention Strand Room and Festival Room, both of which are a loving greeting to the Danish summer.
(Image: left to right: Louise Adolph, Evon Blomstedt, Ian Wu)
What’s your impression of Danish meeting culture and how does it differ from Singapore?
I would say that the meeting culture in Denmark is more mature, in the sense that corporate organizers are used to holding events in locations that would be considered off-beat here in Singapore, like castles, forests, beaches, or a former prison. It is not that it does not happen here in Singapore, it’s just less common to have these sorts of requests for run-of-the-mill corporate meetings and workshops. The Danes are bold when it comes to trying new things, and their fondness for inspiring meeting venues is amazing.
I would say that the meeting culture in Denmark is more mature, in the sense that company organizers are used to holding events in places that would be considered unconventional here in Singapore. –Ian Wu, CEO of HUONE Singapore
Why should people choose HUONE Copenhagen?
Well, I would say HUONE pays homage to the depth and diversity of meeting venues in Denmark, through its 20 differently themed spaces in one venue, with a lovely common area that is the dining and the bar area. Practically there isn’t a need to travel to say to have a meeting in a log cottage by the lake. In practice, you could for example have the Strand room as the main event room, which is inspired by the Amager beach, then host the marketing, operations, and finance department breakout sessions in completely different rooms to suit the intent and vibe of the groups.
If you had to choose, which of the HUONE Copenhagen rooms is your favorite?
My favorite room would be the Flow Room for its lovely incorporation of wood and curves, which has totally transformed a bare space into one which inspires ideas and innovation. We definitely don’t do boring at HUONE.