Professional Growth Day
Habitare Pro: Professional Growth Day, 3 September 2026
The Professional Growth Day brings together professionals, entrepreneurs and designers from the creative sectors to explore topical issues, take part in practical workshops and engage in fascinating discussions. The day’s programme will explore topics such as building your own expert brand, effective communication, design education and the future of materials.
The event also offers opportunities to network with other insustry professionals, share ideas and discover new perspectives on one’s own work and business. The programme is organised in collaboration with the Federation of Finnish Enterprises.
Do you know your own story? Professional Growth Day workshop
Time: 10am–12pm
Venue: Habitare Pro Workshop
Organisers: Suomen Yrittäjät ry and the LUKAS project
How do you make your own story memorable? The brand of an expert, entrepreneur or designer is built not only on what they do, but also on how they tell their story. In this walk-in workshop, you’ll practise crafting your own story and identify which messages are forgotten and which stick in the mind. Through practical group exercises, you’ll have the chance to both receive and give feedback. The workshop will be facilitated by Hanna Salonen and Laura Sutinen.
Talk in Finnish
Communicating Design Across Buyers, Cultures, and the Media
Time: 1pm–1:45pm
Venue: Habitare Pro Workshop
Every designer has to win support for their ideas. Whether navigating international design fairs, presenting concepts, or collaborating with stakeholders, communication is one of a designer’s most important tools. This workshop will introduce practical communications strategies for building trust and buy-in, and the psychology behind them.
Daniel Stanzel is a communication advisor based in Helsinki, coaching clients worldwide on their pitches, keynote speeches, and communications campaigns. After 15 years in academia and in front of the camera as a sports coach, Daniel guides people to communicate with impact in a range of high-stakes moments. He is also a partner at Kong, a Vienna-based agency specializing in the DACH markets.
Panel discussion: Design Education and Material Futures
Time: 2pm–2:45pm
Venue: Habitare Pro Workshop
A panel discussion examining the relationship between design education and emerging material innovation. Moderated by Michael Martin (Senior Lecturer at the University of the Arts London), speakers include Johanna Normiala (MO6) and Joona Kontinen (Sulapac).
Jessica-Christin Hametner in conversation with the Architecture & Design Museum
Time: 3pm–3:45pm
Venue: Habitare Pro Workshop
What does Finnish design reveal about its era, its creators and the world around it? In the Nordic Quarters discussion, Jessica-Christin Hametner in conversqwith architecture and design museum Jutta Tynkkynen will discuss the exhibition’s themes and current perspectives on Finnish design.
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