Stavanger Forum

What Stavanger Forum does

Stavanger Forum AS operates one of Norway's largest conference and exhibition centres from a single campus in Stavanger, delivering physical event infrastructure and full-service event coordination to professional organizers, corporations, public bodies, and entertainment promoters. The asset base comprises eight exhibition halls totaling approximately 30,000 m2 of exhibition space (including the flagship 4,682 m2 Forum Expo hall opened in June 2014), 25 meeting rooms with capacities ranging from 10 to 1,707 persons, and dedicated banquet, networking and foyer areas. Core halls include Hall B (4,670 m2), Hall C (2,500 m2), and the Mastrafjorden and Lysefjorden congress halls. The venue hosts the ONS oil and energy exhibition biennially, which is the world's second-largest event of its kind and draws approximately 60,000 international visitors, making it the company's anchor revenue and brand event.

The business model is a B2B venue rental and event services operation, monetized through quote-based one-time bookings of halls, meeting rooms, and banqueting capacity, supplemented by add-on professional congress organizer (PCO) services covering project management, budgeting, delegate administration, technical planning, PR and marketing, catering coordination (delivered through core catering partner Oilsers), and transport. Distribution is direct: event organizers contact the in-house sales team by phone (+47 51 59 81 00) or email, with site visits and bespoke quotation. Customer segments are horizontal, spanning corporate and professional event organizers, exhibition and trade show organizers, concert and entertainment promoters, and banquet/private event hosts. The venue is co-located with the 182-room Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel under the same roof, connected by the 690 m2 Forum Torg networking area, providing integrated accommodation for delegates.

Stavanger Forum AS is a Norwegian private limited company (AS) owned 2/3 by Stavanger Kommune (Stavanger Municipality) and 1/3 by Rogaland Fylkeskommune (Rogaland County Municipality), following the 2016 dissolution of its parent foundation Stiftelsen Stavanger Forum. The company's roots trace to Rogaland Messen AS (1960) and Stiftelsen Stavanger (1981); the current AS was incorporated on 10 December 1999. Operating geographies include Scandinavia and broader Europe via the ONS exhibition and ICCA Scandinavian Chapter membership. The venue is Miljøfyrtårn (Environmental Lighthouse) certified and has committed to a 20% CO2 reduction target through its ICCA membership. Leadership is led by Managing Director Alexander Landsnes.

Name

Stavanger Forum

Legal name

Stavanger Forum AS

Website

https://stavanger-forum.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stavanger Forum AS operates one of Norway's largest conference and exhibition centres in Stavanger, offering 8 exhibition halls (~30,000 m2), 25 meeting rooms, PCO services, and integrated hotel accommodation to corporate, public, exhibition, and entertainment event organizers across Scandinavia and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference and Exhibition Venue Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE)

Keywords

• Conference venue rental
• Exhibition center services
• Corporate meeting spaces
• Event management services
• Banquet and function facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Stavanger

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental and Event Services: Revenue is generated through renting out conference facilities, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, and banquet spaces to event organizers. The venue offers comprehensive event services including catering coordination, technical support, project management, and delegation administration. The facility serves conferences, exhibitions, concerts, and banquets with capacities ranging from intimate meetings of 10 people to large-scale events of up to 8,000 attendees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stavanger Forum rents conference halls, exhibition halls, and meeting rooms to event organizers, and provides full event services including project management, technical planning, delegate administration, catering coordination, and event marketing. The venue offers capacities ranging from intimate meetings of 10 people to large-scale events of up to 8,000 attendees (concerts) and exhibitions of up to 30,000 m2, anchored by the flagship Forum Expo hall and the biennial ONS oil and energy exhibition.

Product overview

Stavanger Forum operates as a unified conference center and exhibition venue offering physical event infrastructure rather than a software product. The portfolio centers on eight exhibition halls with approximately 30,000 m2 of total exhibition space, including the flagship Forum Expo hall (opened 2014), complemented by 25 meeting rooms with capacities from 10 to 1707 persons. Core venues include Hall B (4670 m2), Hall C (2500 m2), and main congress halls Mastrafjorden (1020 m2, 1707 persons) and Lysefjorden (640 m2, 744 persons). Additional services include event planning and coordination (PCO services), catering through Oilsers catering, and the Forum Torg networking area. The venue hosts ONS, the world's second largest oil and energy exhibition, drawing approximately 60,000 visitors biennially.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conference and Meeting Facilities Conference center offering 25 meeting rooms with capacities ranging from 10 to 1,707 persons, suitable for conferences, congresses, meetings, exhibitions, concerts, and banquets. Available to event organizers, corporations, and public organizations.
• Forum Expo Flagship exhibition hall opened in June 2014, featuring 4,682 m2 of divisible exhibition space, conference hall capacity for 4,000 persons, concert arena capacity for 8,000 persons, and banquet capacity for 3,000 persons. Includes three conference rooms totaling 234 m2, a café with 380 m2 kitchen, and a 247 m2 mingling area.
• Hall B Exhibition hall with 4,670 m2 floor space (approximately 91 x 51 meters), 7 meter ceiling height, handball floor covering, fixed tribune with 2,100 seats, temporary tribunes available, recommended exhibition capacity of 2,950 m2 net, 5,000 plenary conference seats, and 3,000 dining seats.
• Hall C Exhibition hall with approximately 2,500 m2 floor space (36.60 x 67 meters), ceiling height ranging from 4.10 to 9.0 meters, tennis floor covering. Recommended exhibition capacity of 1,500 m2 net, 2,000 plenary conference seats, and 1,500 dining seats.
• Mastrafjorden Main congress hall with 1,020 m2 floor space plus gallery. Capacity of 1,707 persons in cinema setup, 700 in classroom setup, 560 in round table setup, and 864 in long table setup.
• Lysefjorden Conference hall with 640 m2 floor space. Capacity of 744 persons in cinema setup, 420 in classroom setup, 340 in round table setup, and 470 in long table setup.
• Forum Torg Networking area of 690 m2 connecting Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel with the main hall. Seating capacity of approximately 400 persons.
• Event Planning and Coordination Services (PCO) Full-service event management including project management, budgeting, PR and marketing, technical planning and execution, delegate administration, catering coordination, transport, social programs, and accounting, offered to event organizers as a bundled PCO service.
• Catering Services Catering services provided through partner Oilsers catering, focusing on local ingredients and Nordic flavors, accommodating dietary requirements including vegetarian, diabetic, and allergy-friendly options. Services range from coffee breaks to three-course dinners for event attendees.

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oilers cateringcoreOthersPrimary catering partner for Stavanger Forum. Oilsers catering provides food and beverage services for events, emphasizing local ingredients and Nordic flavors. The catering team handles everything from coffee breaks to three-course dinners, with alternatives available for dietary requirements.
• Stavanger InstallasjonminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical installation partner for event infrastructure and technical services at Stavanger Forum.
• WestcominorOthersPartner listed in Stavanger Forum's collaboration network.
• MalerbuaminorOthersPainting and decoration partner for venue preparation and event setup.
• Osv SivertsenminorOthersPlumbing and sanitary services partner.
• PSS (Securitas)minorOthersSecurity services partner for event security and crowd management.
• MessetjenesteminorOthersExhibition services partner for trade show and exhibition setup.
• Rogaland TeaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner in Stavanger's arts and culture scene, potentially for joint events or cultural programming.
• ICCA Scandinavian ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStavanger Forum is a member of ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Scandinavian Chapter. Through this membership, they have committed to sustainable meetings practices including reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020, promoting sustainable supplier selection, and engaging stakeholders in sustainability dialogue.
• Thon Partner Stavanger Forum HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 182-room Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel is located under the same roof as the conference center. Forum Torg (690 m2) connects the hotel with the main hall, providing seamless accommodation and venue integration for event delegates.
• Stavanger ParkeringminorOthersParking operator managing P-Forum (289 spaces, 6 EV charging) and P-Siddis (360 spaces, 10 EV charging, 18 disabled parking) facilities on the Forum premises.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oslo Spektrum: Major multi-purpose arena in Oslo for concerts, conferences, and large events. Comparable venue profile as a Norwegian event facility competing for major conferences and entertainment bookings, though smaller in dedicated exhibition space.
• Norges Varemesse: Norway's largest exhibition and congress venue chain, operating multiple facilities including Oslo Spektrum and Norges Varmesse in Lillestrom. Direct competitor for Norwegian conferences and trade exhibitions with comparable scale, services, and customer base.
• Tampere-talo (Tampere Hall): Finland's largest conference and concert venue owned by the City of Tampere. Comparable Nordic public-ownership venue model, broad event portfolio including congresses, concerts, and banquets, and similar scale of meeting rooms and halls.
• Scottish Event Campus (SEC): Large-scale Glasgow conference, exhibition, and entertainment campus including the OVO Hydro arena. Comparable as a multi-venue event campus hosting large international congresses, exhibitions, and concerts with integrated accommodation.
• Stockholmsmassan: Sweden's largest exhibition and conference venue. Directly comparable as a Scandinavian public convention center hosting international trade fairs and congresses, with similar PCO service offering and public ownership structure.
• Bella Center Copenhagen: One of Scandinavia's largest exhibition and conference centers operated by a foundation. Comparable scale, Nordic geographic market, integrated hotel, and similar mix of trade shows, congresses, and concerts.

Broad incumbents

• Congress Rental Network / Messe Frankfurt (industry peers): Global trade fair and congress organizer (not a venue operator, but a major counterparty that produces many of the international events Stavanger Forum hosts). Comparable as a benchmark for revenue per attendee, contract terms, and what corporate clients expect at premium venues.

Regional players

• Grieghallen: Bergen-based concert hall and conference center in Western Norway. Operates in the same regional market as Stavanger Forum for smaller conferences, concerts, and cultural events, providing an alternate regional choice for West Coast event organizers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stavangerforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1283191

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stavanger Forum