En
7 May 2026, Noorus Spa hotell

From a local initiative to an international success story!
The Narva-Jõesuu
Business Conference 2026
The Narva-Jõesuu Business Conference has become an important annual meeting place for entrepreneurs, municipal representatives, and regional partners. For several consecutive years, the conference has brought together decision-makers and practitioners from various sectors to discuss the development trends of Ida-Viru County and the Estonian economy more broadly.

The conference focuses on real-life experiences and practical solutions: business development, regional cooperation, investment opportunities, and the role of tourism and infrastructure in strengthening the local economy. Discussions and presentations are based on concrete examples, offering participants the opportunity to look to the future strategically and collaboratively.

The conference is intended for:
  • entrepreneurs and executives,
  • public sector and municipal representatives,
  • development and tourism professionals,
  • partners and investors interested in the region’s potential.
In addition to its substantive programme, the conference serves as a key networking platform where new contacts, ideas, and cooperation projects emerge. The calm resort atmosphere of Narva-Jõesuu combined with modern conference infrastructure creates ideal conditions for this.
Venue:
Noorus Spa hotell,
L.Koidula 19, Narva-Jõesuu linn

Narva-Jõesuu Business Conference 2026 brings together entrepreneurs and decision-makers at a location where waterways connect territories and ideas connect people.

Narva-Jõesuu has historically developed at the crossroads of routes — the Narva River, access to the Gulf of Finland, maritime and river infrastructure. Today, waterways once again hold strategic importance for tourism, entrepreneurship, logistics, and international cooperation.

Water connects shores. Entrepreneurship connects people. Cooperation shapes the future of the region.
The conference gathers representatives from Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Poland and the Baltic States to create a platform for dialogue on how the region can capitalise on its potential. Key topics include hospitality market development, maritime tourism, investment opportunities, destination-building events, security as a foundation of the business environment, and leadership in the age of artificial intelligence.

The Narva-Jõesuu Business Conference is not only a forum for exchanging ideas but also a practical cooperation platform where partnerships are formed and projects emerge, linking local development with international growth.
PROGRAMME
Thursday, 7 May 2026
  • 9:30
    Registration and morning coffee
  • 10:00
    Opening remarks
    Maksim Iljin, Mayor of Narva-Jõesuu
  • 10:15
    How to Navigate the Sea! A top executive’s experience story on how to stay on course, develop and grow a business in uncertain times, drawing parallels with his own sea voyages.
    Tiit Pruuli, world traveller
  • 10:55
    The Estonian Academy of Security Sciences and Ida-Viru County: presence, development and international cooperation.
    Kristian Jaani, Director of the Police and Border Guard College, Estonian Academy of Security Sciences
  • 11:25
    What Does Leadership Mean in the Age of AI – and Where Is the Real Risk?How artificial intelligence changes the role of a leader, making it not more technical but more responsible. The focus is on managerial decisions, AI as a support tool, and the risks that arise when leadership is reduced to technology. Practical lessons from startup and scale-up experience.
    Krete Paal, GDPR and Data Protection Expert, CEO of GDPR Register
  • 11:45
    How to Take a Good Idea to the World So That It Truly Resonates! We know that Narva-Jõesuu is a wonderful place to relax. But do others know it — and how can we convince them? The customer journey: what it is and why it matters.
    Jana Kukk, PhD, Co-founder of Rethink & Service Designer
  • 12:10
    On the edge, yet at the centre: the story of Viscosa Culture Factory. The transformation of Viscosa Culture Factory from a former closed industrial complex on Hiiumaa into an open cultural and creative-economy ecosystem, highlighting the specific characteristics of a peripheral location and island context.
    Ülle Puustusmaa, Consultant at BDA Consulting OÜ, strategy and service design expert, mentor in tourism and regional development
  • 12:30
    LUNCH
  • 13:30
    Hotel market analysis and outlook (Europe, the Nordics, the Baltics, Ida-Viru County). What are the prospects for investment in the region. Where demand will come from as supply grows. What to learn from other countries, and how to leverage positive trends and be prepared for the next growth cycle.
    Henri Hakala (Finland), real estate and hospitality consultant, Founder of Gokstad Advisory
  • 14:00
    Poland is leading the way in Europe as a driver of economic growth. What can we learn from it. How to capitalise on growth opportunities, and what entrepreneurs in Poland are doing today to benefit from growth in the hospitality sector. Is a seaside location a unique asset, an opportunity, or both.
    Bartlomiej Barski (Poland), CEO at Visit Sopot
  • 14:25
    PANEL: Maritime tourism — best practices from our neighbours. What opportunities does proximity to the sea create, and how have our colleagues in Finland and Sweden used it.
    Mats Selin (Finland) – Project Manager, Kotka-Hamina; Katja Vehviläinen (Finland) – Head of Go-Saimaa; Therese Hagström Andersson (Sweden) – Destination Developer, Karlskrona
  • 15:15
    Coffee Break
  • 15:35
    PANEL: Organising Unique, Image-Shaping Events as a Tool for Attracting Tourists and Supporting Local Businesses.
    Kaia Lattikas – Executive Director of Eesti Sinfonietta; Urbo Vaarmann – Head Organiser of Ööbazar; Indrek Leht – cultural producer and entrepreneur; Triinu Akkermann – initiator of Peipsimaa Köök and advocate of local food culture.
  • 16:25
    PANEL: Challenges for local governments in a changing world. How to create local meaning and value for a region and reflect it outward — how to move from a local initiative to an international success story. Investment in entrepreneurship, political decisions, and the availability of people and skills.
    Local government leaders from Poland, Lithuania and Estonia.
  • 16:55
    Summary and Closing Remarks

The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the programme.

Speakers
  • Tiit Pruuli
    World traveller
  • Kristian Jaani
    Director of the Police and Border Guard College, Estonian Academy of Security Sciences
  • Krete Paal
    GDPR and Data Protection Expert, CEO of GDPR Register
  • Jana Kukk
    PhD, Co-founder of Rethink & Service Designer
  • Ülle Puustusmaa
    Consultant at BDA Consulting OÜ, strategy and service design expert, mentor in tourism and regional development
  • Maksim Iljin
    Mayor of Narva-Jõesuu
  • Henri Hakala
    Real estate and hospitality consultant, Founder of Gokstad Advisory (Finland)
  • Mats Selin
    Visit Kotka-Hamina Project Manager (Finland)
  • Katja Vehviläinen
    Head of goSaimaa Ltd (Finland)
  • Therese Hagström Andersson
    Karlskrona Destination Developer (Sweden)
  • Bartłomiej Barski
    CEO of Visit Sopot (Poland)
  • Kaia Lattikas
    Executive Director of Eesti Sinfonietta
  • Urbo Vaarmann
    Head Organiser of Night Bazaar
  • Indrek Leht
    Cultural producer and entrepreneur
  • Triinu Akkermann
    Initiator of Peipsimaa Köök and advocate of local food culture.
The conference will be moderated by Maarika Honkonen

Working languages: Estonian and English.

Simultaneous interpretation: into Estonian, English and Russian.

The Narva-Jõesuu Business Conference 2026 takes place within the framework of the project “Development of the Waterways Network and Tourism Entrepreneurship in the Ida-Viru Region.”
The project is funded by the European Union Cohesion Policy Fund under the measure “Attractive Regional Business and Living Environment,” the support measure for the implementation of county development strategies, and the budgets of the project partners.
The Narva-Jõesuu Business Conference takes place at Noorus SPA Hotel, combining work and leisure in the best possible way — after a full conference day, participants have the opportunity to unwind at the spa centre and enjoy the calm resort atmosphere.