Lecture tour in Vesterålen
Published 30 September 2026
Liv Helene Willumsen and Gøril Karlsen have been on a lecture tour in Vesterålen
04 November 2025
The Norwegian Experience Conference is a meeting place for players in experience-based tourism in Norway. The conference participants gather for professional replenishment, networking and exchange of experiences. The conference has been an important arena for discussing professional topics such as sustainability, emergency preparedness and crisis management, and for sharing ideas on how tourism can develop.
Its main purpose is to inspire and provide new insights through lectures, seminars, workshops and social events. It focuses on trends, challenges, and opportunities in the industry, such as sustainable growth, digitalization, emergency preparedness, and internationalization.
For 18 years, various participants from the tourism industry, the public sector and the research sector have met to be inspired and gain new knowledge.
The conference included both plenary lectures as well as seminars and workshops of various kinds. Photo: Linn Olsen, Museum Nord
Innovative experiences
The Innovative Experiences cluster is a Norwegian business cluster network within experience-based tourism. It was established in 2007 and consists of around 50 businesses, mainly from Nordland (Lofoten, Vesterålen, Ofoten, Helgeland and Salten) and Svalbard.
The purpose of the cluster has been to strengthen cooperation, innovation and competitiveness among the member companies. Museum Nord has been an eager participant since the cluster started. In the face of others who want “more”, our museums have also been able to go further, look beyond their own walls and be motivated by the opportunities that a larger community is also interested in. Among other things, we have learned a lot about collaborating with the research sector related to “goosebump experiences”, we have embraced the “experience economy” and developed in step with many other, sometimes completely different types of companies. Our common starting point is that we want to develop towards a common goal.
A fantastic end to 18 years of Norwegian experience conference
The conference was held for the 18th and last time in Svolvær on 27 – 29 October 2025. Around 180 participants from Norway and Sweden were gathered, in addition to participants from Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
We were thrilled by an eventful program from start to finish, about the development of the place, about crisis management, sustainability, bright ideas and insight into practical product development. Among others, Erik Taraldsen, Thon Hotel Lofoten and Thon Hotel Svolvær, gave a great presentation of their development of meal experiences.
The conference ended with lunch. On the table were, among other things, fish that were caught and pre-cooked by participants in the “masterclass in seafood”, one of the offers at Thon Hotel Svolvær. Great enthusiasm – and a sustainable way to use the whole fish. Photo: Linn Olsen, Museum Nord
Experiences galore
In a packed program, there was also room for great experiences. Presenter Hildegunn Pettersen not only led the conference in a conventional way, but also via singing and stage performance.
The meals were experiences in themselves – especially the last evening’s “experience banquet”. We also saw the performance “Skrei” in Svolvær church, and almost 60 people also made the trip to Storvågan on a museum excursion.
SKREI on the agenda
For many, the conference started with a museum excursion to Storvågan and SKREI. In Storvågan, the participants were divided into groups. The groups walked between the fisherman’s cabin and the boathouse at the Lofoten Museum, the Lofoten Aquarium and Gallery Espolin. Everyone was also given a tour of the new building Otolitten.
They were duly guided and guided by Museum Nord’s people. We had emphasized an informal storytelling style, with the cod in the forefront. Stockfish, caviar and svolvær pâté were served, in addition to fizzy drinks in gallery Espolin and freshly baked waffles for an indoor presentation of SKREI.
Almost 60 guests joined the trip to SKREI. There was a tour of the fisherman’s cabin, boathouse, aquarium, gallery and Otolitten – everything that will eventually form SKREI. SKREI opens on 30 June 2026. Photo: Barbra Grøgaard, Lofoten Film Collective (drone images). Illustrations: LPO Arkitekter
The Vikings are coming!
No conference without a look both forward and backward. This time it was the Viking Age that received particular attention related to opportunities for cultural heritage and tourism.
Towards the end of the first day of the conference, Ann-Jorid Pedersen briefed on the scope of possibilities around a Viking Age network and we heard a lot about investments in tourism related to the Viking Age. Among other things, we got a quick tour into the Viking Age Museum, which will open in 2027 after a huge expansion.
At the end we got a performance by the Viking chieftain and the housewife of Lofotr. Together with a group of Vikings from Lofotr Viking Museum, we heard the story of the Battle of Roncevaux – told in the Viking way; with song!
The Vikings are coming! They impressed with rhythmic singing and music. We were also told about some of the plans the museum has for 2026 – including about ViQueens. ViQueens is an animated film that will be released at Christmas 2026, edited by one of Norway’s most famous directors, Harald Zwart. The film will be released in 100 countries!! Photo: Linn Olsen. Photo: Viking ship: Kjell Ove Storvik
Museum Nord takes the opportunity to thank you for a well-organized, inspiring Experience Conference 2025, and for the many good words we reap. It is always nice to meet others with an interest in culture and tourism, for culture-based business and for creating great experiences!