scan magazine | issue 17 | april 2010

PROM

OTI

NG

BRAN

DSC

AN

DIN

AVIA

ISSU

E17

AP

RIL

2010

LISA EKDAHL ENCHANTS LONDONEXPLORE NORWAYSPRUCE UP FOR SUMMERSAMPO BANK –OPEN FOR BUSINESS

SCANM A G A Z I N E

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 3

8

17

26

37

Scan Magazine | Contents

ContentsCOVER FEATURE

8 The Intangible Charm of Lisa EkdahlThe enchanting Swedish singer Lisa Ekdahlrecently visited London to perform songs fromher new album “Give Me That Slow KnowingSmile”; Scan Magazine went to see the concertand talk to the artist.

DESIGN14 Kozikidz – looking and feeling good

From Sweden to the UK: Linda Torstensson andTomas Torstensson have brought us KoziKidz,an outdoor clothing range for kids to feel andlook good in.

TRAVEL15 Hotel of the Month: Ronnums Herrgård

Located on the southern tip of Lake Vänern andjust an hour’s drive fromGothenburg, the historicRonnums Herrgård offers a spectacular experi-ence for both business and leisure travellers.

17 Explore the host country of EurovisionNorway is hosting this year’s Eurovision and wetake the occasion to have a close look at the nu-merous opportunities the country offers to ex-plore the great outdoors, host business conven-tions or just spoil yourself.

26 Magical summer in DenmarkDuring summertime a visit to Denmark can betrue magic; we give you some tips on how to go,where to stay and what to do.

31 Mountain ExperiencesIn the north of Sweden lies the beautiful naturereserve Vålådalen, which offers uniquemountainexperiences with its extraordinary primevalforests, mountain lakes, and brooks

FOOD32 Sweet dreams are made of cheese

Even though the tradition of making them goesall the way back to the Vikings, Scandinaviancheeses have been unfairly overlooked: Bronterectifies this by presenting the greatestScandinavian cheeses.

THEME36 Health and Beauty

Scan Magazine takes a look at the numerousopportunities to improve your inner and outerwellbeing with help from Swedish specialists.

REGULARS & COLUMNS12 We Love This | 13 Fashion Diary34 Wine | 35 Humour | 52 Scan News55 Music and Culture | 60 Culture Calendar

Scan BusinessFEATURES

42 Open for businessDanske Bank and its Finnish subsidiary SampoBank sends out a clearmessage to all present andfuture clients: the banks are open for business

44 How to Start a Business in the UKInternational law firm McguireWoods givesadvice on some of the issues you will need toconsider from a legal point of view if you intendto engage in commercial activity in the UK.

47 Miller Rosenfalck: The future looks brightDespite challengingmarket conditions, profitabili-ty and turnover were up 20 per cent last year forEuropean business lawyers Miller Rosenfalck.

48 SEEC – Save the summer’s heatThe Scandinavian Energy Efficiency Company(SEEC) is revolutionising the energy marketwith their technology to store energy.

REGULARS & COLUMNS41 Nordic light after long winter

Håkan Frisén explains why, despite the crisis, hebelieves there is reason to be optimistic aboutthe economic prospects of the Nordic countriesin the near future. Key Note by Håkan Frisén,Head of Economic Research at SEB

46 Knowing people makes business easierThe Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UKhas raised its profile to make sure it offers whatits members require

49 Chamber NewsNews from the Swedish, Norwegian, Finnishand Danish Chambers of Commerce for the UK.

Scan Magazine | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader,

SCANM A G A Z I N E

Scan MagazineIssue 17 | April 2010

Published 09.04.2010ISSN 1757-9589

Published byScan Magazine Limited

Design & PrintLiquid Graphic Limited

Executive EditorThomas Winther

Creative DirectorMads E. Petersen

EditorSigne Hansen

Copy-editorMark Rogers

ContributorsSigne HansenEmelie KruglyBronte BlomhojNia KajastieMette LisbyAnna Maria EspsäterRay O’ConnorJulie GuldbrandsenKarl BatterbeeEmma SmedstadChristina SandersonSara SchedinJonna DaglidenElla Peräkorpi

Sales & Key Account ManagersCecilia VarricchioJohanna ReinikkaEmma Fabritius NørregaardAlan Thomsen

Graphic DesignerSvetlana Slizova

[email protected]

To receive our newslettersend an email [email protected]

To [email protected]

Next issue 10 May 2010

Scan Magazine Limited53A Clapham High StreetLondon SW4 7TGPhone 0870 933 [email protected]

www.scanmagazine.co.uk

© All rights reserved. Materialcontained in this publication may notbe reproduced, in whole or in part,without prior permission of ScanMagazine Ltd.Scan Magazine® is a registeredtrademark of Scan Magazine Ltd.

4 | Issue 17 | April 2010

As my boyfriend and I ventured out tosee one of our favourite singers, LisaEkdahl, perform in South London, wequickly realised that we were far fromthe only Londoners who thought hershow worth an outing. ThoughEngland is not where the Swedish

singer’s main fan base is, a sold-out room waited for herin Queen Elizabeth’s Hall. Admittedly, of course, we werenot the only Scandinavians; actually, it almost felt likegoing back home when we stepped into the quietly buzzingentrance hall with its mix of Scandinavian voices andrelaxed atmosphere. It was, however, still a very mixedaudience of all ages, friends, couples and families and Idoubt anyone left disappointed after the intense andintimate performance by the petite singer. Least of all, ofcourse, me as my chat with the charming singer mademyexperience extra special.

What most people said, when I told them I wasinterviewing Ekdahl, was something along the lines of “ohshe seems so sweet,” and I can confirm that, yes, that isexactly what she is. Lisa Ekdahl’s sweet appearance maysometimes seem almost too good to be real, but while shemay be a bit difficult to comprehend, she is real enoughand it is her and her positive, though reflective, worldview

which shine through on her new record and make it thespecial piece that it is. I can only recommend putting it on,on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and giving the lyrics andmusic time to sink in.

I hope you will also find time to enjoy our cover story onher and of course all the other great stuff we have thismonth – such as our special Norway theme, where youcan find out what this year’s host of the Eurovision has tooffer.

Signe HansenEditor,

McGuireWoods London LLP Anders Grundberg, London Office Managing Partner 15-19 Kingsway, London WC2B 6UNTel: +44 (0)20 7632 1600 | [email protected]

www.mcguirewoods.com

The cross-border law firm that bridges the gap between legal jurisdictions.

SAME TEAM, NEW NAME, GREATER RESOURCES Grundberg Mocatta Rakison LLP merged with McGuireWoods LLP in 2009, creating an international law firm with 18 offices across the globe providing cross-border advice on:

Languages Spoken:We speak 25 languages including Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian.

Jurisdictions:Belgium, China, Denmark, England & Wales, Finland, France, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan

Private ClientTax Family Matters

Corporate & CommercialEmploymentInsolvency

LitigationPropertyBanking & Finance

Scan Magazine | Contributors

Signe Hansen (Editor)has an MA in Journalismand has been working asa freelance reporter inLondon. She is now theeditor of Scan Magazine.

Having previously worked with television,radio, web and local news, the good storyis always her priority.

Emelie Krugly hasworked on a number ofSwedish newspapers.After travelling exten-sively, she is now basedin London and is respon-

sible for Scan's news section. She can becontacted any time regarding an event orstory: [email protected].

Bronte Blomhoj runsScandi Kitchen inLondon, a Scandinaviandeli/cafe. Bronte, whohas studied in Edinburghand has a background in

investment banking, has lived in Londonfor 7 years. She writes Scan Magazine’smonthly food column.

Nia Kajastie was bornand raised in Helsinki,Finland, and moved toLondon in 2005 to studywriting. With a BA inJournalism & Creative

Writing, she now describes herself as apart-time writer and grammar stickler.

Maria Smedstad movedto the UK from Swedenin 1994. She received adegree in Illustration in2001, before settling inthe capital as a freelance

cartoonist, creating the autobiographicalcartoon Em. She writes a column on thetrials and tribulations of life as a Swede inthe UK.

Mette Lisby is Den-mark’s leading femalecomedian. She invitesyou to laugh along withher monthly humourcolumns. Since her

stand-up debut in 1992, Mette has hostedthe Danish versions of “Have I Got NewsFor You” and “Room 101”.

Ray O’Connor is one ofIreland’s successful wineexporters and has livedin London since 2006. Heis a regular contributorto many specialist wine

publications and won the Young WineWriter of the Year Award 2007.

Julie Guldbrandsen isScan Magazine’s fashionand design expert; shehas worked in the fash-ion industry for morethan 10 years, and ad-

vised various Scandinavian design andfashion companies. Besides, Julie has aBA in business and philosophy and haslived in Copenhagen, Singapore andBeijing before settling down in London.

Karl Batterbee is de-voted to Scandinavianmusic and knows exactlywhat is coming up in theUK. Apart from writing amonthly music update

for Scan Magazine Karl has also startedthe Scandipop Club Night and its corre-sponding website: www.scandipop.co.uk.

Christina Sanderson isan Anglo-Swede basedin London. A Cambridgeart history graduate, sheworked for several yearsin the auction business.

She now works as an art consultant, runscultural tours in Sweden and writes onart for Scan Magazine.

Anna Maria Espsäter,who does the maga-zine's travel features, isa native of Sweden, al-though based in Londonfor many years. Anna is a

freelance travel and food writer special-ising in Scandinavia.

Swedish Sara Schedinhas lived in London forfour years. She is cur-rently studying Jour-nalism at her secondyear at City University

and is covering Scandinavian culture inthe UK.

Jonna Dagliden is a full-time journalist at LS:NGlobal, a lifestyle newsnetwork, part of the Fu-ture Laboratory. Shegraduated from Gold-

smiths, University of London with a BA inMedia and Communications last year, andcontinues to do freelance work for ScanMagazine.

Ella Peräkorpi is aFinnish journalist whomoved to Bristol, UK, af-ter spending five years inthe music business inStockholm. She cur-

rently works in online music PR andwrites for magazines such as SCAN topromote all things good and Nordic.

Thomas Winther(Executive Editor).Originally fromDenmark,Thomas has a back-ground in Economic con-sultancy. He is now on a

personal mission to take Brand Scandi-navia to new heights. Thomas lives inBlackheath with his much better half and1 year old son.

Regular Contributors

6 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Corren Troen is an English law firm, based inLondon, with a special knowledge of the Anglo-

Nordic market, and an extensive internationalnetwork of like-minded professionals. We combine

the experience and qualities of a top city law firm withthe time, and attention to detail of a family office. We

provide advice to many English and Nordic families,attending to all their private and business needs across

generations

C O R R E N T R O E N

For further information and advice please contact

CORREN TROEN35 Catherine PlaceLondon SW1E 6DYwww.correntroen.com

Our law firm is built on 4 main areas of expertise:

• CT Wealth Management• CT Corporate and Commercial

• CT Commercial Property• CT Credit Crunch

Paul Corrent: +44 (0)207 592 [email protected]

Per Troent: +44 (0)207 592 [email protected]

Elizabeth Kristensent: +44 (0)207 592 [email protected]

2

8 | Issue 16 | March 2010

Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Lisa Ekdahl

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 9


Describing Lisa Ekdahl is complex; wordslike childlike, angelic and even peculiar allseem appropriate, but it is the unique mixof them that creates Lisa Ekdahl’s char-acteristic but intangible charm.

When the 38-year-old singer appears onthe stage of the Queen Elisbeth Hall inSouth London, diva attitudes are ab-solutely absent. Preceded by her threemusicians, she quietly enters to the soundof the piano, sits down and in her distinc-tive fragile voice almost whispers thelyrics of the enchanting “The World KeepsTurning”. The song is from her new al-bum, her fourth in English, which featuresnine soft, nostalgic jazz and pop songswritten and composed by Ekdahl herself.Mostly recorded in Ekdahl’s own homestudio during the course of two years thealbum is, enthuses the singer, convinc-ingly joyful, the product of abounding cre-ative playfulness. “I had other musiciansand friends, who just happened to comeby, take part – maybe they tried playingsomething; there is a lot of choir on the al-bum, that is actually my friends,” shelaughs. “That was a lovely time; we put to-gether some food and just hung out. Be-cause I was recording over such a long pe-riod, little things like that just accidentallyhappened.”

The album was recorded using a lot of oldequipment, including a 50 year old mi-

crophone and vintage synthesisers, givingit what Ekdahl describes as a warmslightly retro sound.

Mixing influences

After the first melodious song Ekdahl con-tinues with the title song of the album themelancholic “Give Me That Slow KnowingSmile.” Wearing a knee-long black dress,a large black pearl necklace and red beretthe singer does, with her slim figure andblonde hair, look like an enchanting mix-ture of a Parisian bohemian and a Scan-dinavian fairy. With her gentle gesturesand soft passionate voice she never losesthe attention of the audience through thenext quiet but intensely beautiful songs.

Then as the piano hits the tunes of thejazzy Billie Holliday song “Now or Never”,she stands up and with the audience clap-ping along, she performs a lively, joyfulversion of the song. Since the then 23-year-old Ekdahl debuted with “Vem Vet” in1994, she has moved elegantly betweendifferent genres and sounds.

“I had my break-through with the songs Iwrote myself, but I started as a jazz singerwhen I was 18 so I had that with me too.So maybe I have just been mixing my dif-ferent influences a little bit throughoutthe years,” she says.

“Vem Vet” brought her overnight fame inScandinavia, something which came as acomplete shock to both her and herrecord company. Musically, however, Ek-dahl was, despite her young age, not un-prepared; as a child she explored differentmusical genres by listening her waythrough her neighbours’ and friends’record collections. As a teenager shestarted writing her own songs and afterplaying one of them to a singer for whomshe sang back-up vocals, she landed herrecord deal. Since then, she has recordedten albums in an ever-changing combi-nation of blues, jazz, folk, Bossa Nova andpop, but all of them uniquely Ekdahlian. “Ithink for me, something that remains thesame is that I work with a lot of space inmy music. I like to have a lot of space in

The intangible charm of Lisa EkdahlThe unique and treasured Swedish singer Lisa Ekdahl recently visited London to perform songs from her new album“Give me that Slow Knowing Smile”, just released in the UK. Along with numerous other Scandinavian fans, we wentto see the concert and talk to the artist.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Anders Thessing

10 | Issue 17 | April 2010


the music and I also work with the at-mosphere; I am looking for an intimate at-mosphere in the music. So something ischanging and some elements are there allthe time,” she explains.

A childlike charm and goodness

Having rounded off Frank Sinatra’s “I Geta Kick out of You” Ekdahl breaths “Canyou feel the love”; more than a few amongthe audience give a little laugh or smile,the smile you would normally reserve forcharmingly naive children. The smilesgrow bigger as Ekdahl, after a couple ofsongs (including Björk’s “It’s oh so Quiet”)tries to cover her eyes from the light andlook at the audience in the dark hall, “I amso curious to see who you are,” she saysin her tiny voice and asks people fromScandinavia to raise their hands; one thirddo so. “You are all so very interesting,lovely and intelligent people,” she ensuresus before continuing with the extremelybeautiful, mellow “Beautiful Boy,” the lastsong on her new album.

Earlier she confided to me, “It happens tome sometimes that when I come out onthe stage I just think that everybody looksso interesting. I just want to look at every-

one, I am so curious about why they de-cided to come; what their relation to themusic and to each other is and that kindof thing.” Laughing she adds, “It is funnywhen that happens because you can’t re-ally start asking people.”

The singer found much of the inspirationfor her new album in New York where shelived on and off for while, being previouslymarried to the American guitarist andcomposer Salvadore Poe. “In Sweden Iam very recognised in the streets whereasin New York I felt very much like I wasjust part of the city. I looked at people’sfaces much more than I do here becausehere when I look at people’s faces theyrecognise me. I love to look at people andlisten to them talk and all of that and thatis difficult when people recognise you,”she says.

Ekdahl, however, always kept her house inSweden where she now lives with herteenage son.

Heartbreakingly beautiful

After the swinging performance of “LazyGirl” it’s time for a just as grooving “MyHeart Belongs to Daddy.” “This is the lastsong, but I just want to let you know that Iam so happy you decided to come, withoutyou it is just not the same,” Ekdahl en-thuses. But of course the singer is calledback for an encore and after calls from theaudience she performs the night’s onlySwedish song, “Öppna upp ditt fönster,”from her first album. But she has, I believe,saved the very best for last, performingher new album’s “One World.” A song thatwith its heartbreakingly naive, beautifuland yet insightful lyrics andmelodymaybegives the best definition of Ekdahl possible.

“All of us came in through the same door,that much if nothing else I know istrue...Now I don’t care if someone says Iam foolish, cause while I’m here I’msinging frommy heart,” she sings, leavingme and I believe much of the audience ina peaceful reflective mood as we head outthrough the London night.

“Now I don’t care ifsomeone says I amfoolish, cause while I’mhere I’m singing frommy heart”

Parempi.Or better as you say in English. As in, now Blue1, our Finnish airline, fly twice asoften from London to Helsinki, offering the lowest price from Heathrow to theFinnish capital. In other words – simply better.

*From 26April 2010. Fare is for direct flights, one-way incl. taxes and charges, subject to availability.

Helsinki Copenhagen Helsinki Stockholm Helsinki Oslo Helsinki

flysas.co.uk

Always with SAS and Blue12 daily direct flights12 daily connections via ScandinaviaFree 20kg baggageEuroBonus points25% child discount

Heathrow – Helsinki

twice a day!*

London Heathrow From

Helsinki £69one-way

12 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Magazine | Design | We Love This

We love this...There is so much classic design that we would like to show you. In fact we love this! All products are available fromSkandium: www.skandium.com

Wishbone ChairDesigned by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Sonin 1949 and produced without interruption since1950, The CH24 Wishbone chair (or Y-Chair) isregarded by many Architects & Designers as themost beautiful chair in the world. It is available inthe Danish hardwoods (oak, beech, ash, maple) aswell as the North American hardwoods (walnut,cherry) in a variety of finishes (soap, oil, lacquer,paint). From £526 to £798.00

VASSBy Claesson Koivisto Rune 2007/2008. Acomplete storage system with differentfloor standing options in massive oak. Thelinear pattern hides doors and makes asoft impression.

Mug designed byLotta Kuhlhorn.The graphics aresimple and fresh andwill lift you out of adull April day! Mug:£12.00 (there are othercolourways, trays,chopping boards withthe same design).

VitriiniAnu Penttinen has designed a true mix and match collection of glass, woodand aluminium pieces. Given the Finnish name “Vitriini” for glass displaycabinets, exhibit your mood, personality or whatever else your heart desires.They are the perfect playthings to create a system that is your own. From£39.00.

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 13

Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary

Fashion Diary… Sustainable Fashion By Julie Guldbrandsen

When it comes to sustainable and ethical fashion the Scandinavians understand how to deliver cutting edge labels.Here is my style pick of some of the most interesting eco names.

Camilla Norrback‘Ecoluxury’ is the ethos of this Swedish designer label. All fabrics areenvironmentally certified but there are no compromises on style. Shop thebrand on www.fashion-conscience.com

FINOrganic Fairtradecottons and alpaca,together with handspun wild silks, arethe core materialsin this chicNorwegian label.Shop the brand onwww.Adili.com

MAXJENNYWith a quirky and practical aesthetic Danish ecobrand MAXJENNY creates wonderful jackets,knits and much more, all sustainable. Shop thelabel on maxjenny.com/shop

Gudrun & GudrunFaroese and Jordanianwomen craft the major partof the collection. The knitline is made from 100%natural wool from sheepthat live in the Faroesemountains. Shop the brandin Digitaria, 60 BerwickStreet, London, orshop.gudrungudrun.com

14 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Having lived in Sweden for the last decade, LindaTorstensson is now back in the UK with herSwedish husband Tomas Torstensson and theirdaughter. With them they have brought KoziKidz,an outdoor clothing range for kids to feel and lookgood in.

The idea for the brand arose on the Torstenssons’regular visits to Linda’s home county Yorkshire.“We were often stopped in the streets by peopleasking where we got our daughter’s clothing from,”says Linda.

The couple, who both have a background in man-agement, sales andmarketing, therefore decided tograsp the business opportunity and launchKoziKidz, the high quality outdoor clothing rangedesigned in Sweden.

“It’s all about combining function and fashion,” saysLinda who believes that clothing like this is under-represented on the UK market due to a difference in

attitudes. “In the UK, people are of the mindset that if itrains they stay indoors. In Sweden, the children areout nomatter what, and it is up to the parents to makesure they have the right clothing. It is however be-ginning to change with the government’s newChange4Life campaign.”

After a year on the market, distribution is grow-ing rapidly, but it is not a one-way business.“After being asked by our Swedish friends tobring back goods from our trips to Yorkshire, wealso saw the opportunity to export the otherway,” says Linda. Maybe not surprisingly thefirst Yorkshire product to be a success in Swe-den is Cropton’s beer, which is now available atthe Swedish Systembolaget.

KoziKidz - looking and feeling goodBy Signe Hansen | Photos: KoziKidz

Scan Magazine | Design | KoziKidz

For further information visit:www.kozikidz.co.uk orwww.yorkshire-connect.co.uk

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 15

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Ronnums Herrgård

The historic manor dates back to the 14thcentury with the very typically Swedishwooden main building being built in thelate 18th century.

A business hub

The manor is located in an area of greatnatural beauty, but that is not all it isknown for. “The region has a lot of indus-try, for instance Saab and Volvo have bigplants here, so a lot of business travellersstay here during the week and a lot ofpeople from the local area visit,” says Ho-tel Director Per Bengtsson.

The convenient location just five km fromVänersborg Airport also adds to Ronnum’sattraction for business visitors as doesthe hotel’s expertise in conferences and

their superb facilities for up to 90 partici-pants. “At Ronnums Herrgård we com-bine effective meeting environments withthat little extra such as a different activity,”says Bengtsson.

In total the manor has 62 rooms, of which10 are suites, decorated in the originalstyle of a country manor, while the supe-rior rooms are located in the park villas.All rooms have flat screen TV and wirelessinternet.

Worthy of a king

Located right at the foot of the spectacu-lar Halleberg and Hunneberg mountains,where the Swedish King goes huntingevery year, the manor often houses theKing’s guests. The King himself, however,

stays at his sister’s castle nearby. The areanot only provides hunting; the castle’s 11hectare big park, surrounding nature andrivers also provides everything from hikingand golfing to fishing and riding. Togetherwith the cosy interiors of the hotel, thismakes for both intimate and grand expe-riences, explains Bengtsson. “The threebest reasons to come here are really thecosy atmosphere, the amazing surround-ings and the good food.”

The castle has a very good restaurantserving what Bengtsson calls “Swedishfood with a French twist.”

Hotel of the Month:

Ronnums Herrgård – a real taste of SwedenLocated on the southern tip of Lake Vänern and just an hour’s drive from Gothenburg, Ronnums Herrgård (Manor)offers a spectacular experience for both business and leisure travellers. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Ronnums Herrgård

For further information visit:www.profilrestauranger.se/ronnum

Hurtigruten is renowned for its comprehensive and adventurous voyages to some of the most remotely beautiful and dramatic coastlines on the planet. Our fleet of 13 intimate ships take you beyond the realms of conventional cruises by offering voyages that encounter environments, wildlife and people at the very ends of the earth. Whether you journey along the spectacular Norwegian coast, our beautiful home for over 100 years, or venture to visit the polar bears of Spitsbergen, the friendly Inuit people of Greenland or the penguins of Antarctica, Hurtigruten will have the voyage that’s perfect for you.

CALL US TODAY TO BOOK YOUR VOYAGE OF A LIFETIME

www.hurtigruten.co.uk

Our 2011 Preview brochure is out now. Order your copy today!

Call 0844 448 7625 quoting SCAN

excursions

departures

complete flexibility

ON AN UNFORGETTABLE HURTIGRUTEN VOYAGE

Explore the stunning coastal waterways of Norway with HURTIGRUTEN

V7545

The mighty polar bears of Spitsbergen

Meet with welcoming locals in Greenland

I itf i dlthS it bNorwegispectacularthealong

encountethatvoyagesferingofffplantheoncoastlinesdramatic

itsforenownedrisHurtigruten

ithl dGfloveforhomebeautifulourcoast,an

apeopleandwildlifeonments,envirertakeshipsintimate 13offleetOuret.

voyousadventurandehensivecompr

hillH ti ttiA tfpothevisittoeventuroryears,100 er

Whether earth.theofendsverytheatconventional ofealmsrthebeyondyou

bemotelyrmost theofsome toyages

thofbearsolar

ney jouryoubycruisesnal

andbeautiful

excursions

Y TO BOCALL US TODAAY TO BOOK YOUR VOY

s perfect for you.that’’sInuitfriendlythegen,Spitsber

0844 4Call

eview brOur 2011 Pr

5457V

AGE OF A LOOK YOUR VOYYAGE OF A LIFETIME

penguintheoreenlandGrofpeople

quoting SCAN448 7625d. Ore is out nowochurew br

.hurtigruwww

LIFETIME

havewillHurtigruten ctica,Antarof s

N

der your copy today!

uten.co.uk

voyagethee

complete flexibility

esdepartur

ity

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 17

Scan Magazine | Travel | Norway

Norwegian destinations have attracted alot of international attention lately. In theNovember 2009 edition of National Geo-graphic Traveller the western Norwegianfjords came out on top as the best rateddestination, in fierce competition with133 of the world's best known tourismdestinations. Their article pointed outNorway as “Europe's new home for allthings action”. I can confirm that Nor-way is a country of exhilarating opportu-nities to try something completely dif-ferent.

An abundance of comfortable accommo-dation alternatives with well-developedmeeting and conference infrastructuremake Norway an ideal destination forbusiness events. I believe that a success-ful conference not only relies on a goodtechnical program and interesting speak-ers, but also on the opportunities to enjoyexciting activities and a good meal withcolleagues and business partners.

In addition to offering a whole range ofspectacular experiences, such as spot-ting the Northern Lights, dog-sledding,

outdoor cooking courses, fishing tripswith local fishermen, or more challengingactivities such as rafting or glacier hiking,the many Norwegian course and confer-ence centres can offer gastronomic de-lights made of fresh, local ingredients. Iam very proud of the fact that next only toFrance, Norway is the home of the high-est number of Bocuse d'or-winning chefsin the world!

Norwegian destinations and cities haveproved themselves as proficient organizersof major events and conferences. Sta-vanger was the European Capital of Culturein 2008 and also hosted the World Cham-pionship in beach volleyball with great suc-cess in 2009. In the years to come, Norwaywill be hosting several major events. InMay this year wewelcome Europe to the fi-nals of the Eurovision Song Contest and inFebruary 2011 wewill be hosting theWorldSki Championships in the iconic skiingvenue Holmenkollen in Oslo.

Norway is powered by nature. Rightacross Norway, facilities exist for confer-ences and meetings aimed specifically atbringing participants closer to nature.Companies or organizations wishing toarrange something truly different shouldlook to Norway and relax in the knowledgethat, once meetings are over for the dayand the time has come for a little explor-ing, they have come to a truly spectacularplace.

Welcome to Norway!

Norway – Powered By NatureBy Trond Giske, Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Photo: CH/Innovation Norway

Trond Giske Photo: NHD-INFO

18 | Issue 17 | April 2010


There’s no need to jet off to shores asfar-flung as New Zealand or Canada.Norway, some two hours flight away, hasall the great outdoors anyone could wishfor and more to boot.

In recent years, the interest in Norway asboth holiday and conference destination,has been steadily on the up, as more andmore Brits are discovering a wildernessthat’s almost right on their doorstep. Nolong, jetlag-inducing flight necessary, justa quick hop across the North Sea and youcould be enjoying the midnight sun or thenorthern lights, depending on the time ofyear.

Northern lights and Eurovision

Althoughmany visitors prefer the warmer

summer months, Norway is now becom-ing more of a year-round destination,thanks to increased exposure in the UK tothe fascinating phenomena that is the au-rora borealis, or northern lights, and withmostly excellent snow conditions forlonger periods than, e.g., the Alps, Norwayis attracting larger numbers of peoplebraving the winter. This is also a greattime to try out other winter sports such asdog-sledding, long distance ice-skating,ice-fishing or cross-country skiing, as wellas visiting the cosy Christmas markets inOslo.

Capital Oslo, although lovely at any time ofyear, really comes alive in spring. There isno better time to experience Oslo than on17 May, the National Day, when the city

goes to town in exuberant celebration, thenational colours – incidentally the sameas the Union Jack – decorating everystreet corner and many of the buildings.This year the celebratory mood is bound tocarry on at least for a further few weeks,as Oslo will be hosting the 2010 EurovisionSong Contest on 29 May, after AlexanderRybak’s victory last year in Moscow.

Buzzing cities surrounded by beautifulnature

Even in the capital you’re never far fromthe great outdoors – Oslo sits pretty, righton the Oslo fjord, perfect for boating insummer, whereas in winter there is bothdownhill and cross-country skiing withinthe city limits. Other cities, such asBergen and Stavanger, the second and

Norway – do your business in the great outdoorsBy Anna Maria Espsäter | Photos: Courtesy of Innovation Norway

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 19

Scan Magazine | Xxx | Xxxx

third in size in the country, hold a similarappeal, with a seaside setting and prox-imity to fjords and mountains. Stavangerhosts an annual food festival the lastweekend of July, Gladmat, this year withthe participation of British chef GordonRamsay. The festival features the best offresh Norwegian as well as internationalcuisines with plenty of opportunities tosample and nibble your way around theharbour area. To walk off all that deli-cious grub, nearby Pulpit Rock at 604 moffers one of the best views in Norway af-ter a strenuous, but worthwhile hike.

Mixing business and pleasure

There are fjords, mountains, lakes andglaciers all beckoning right across Nor-way. Fjord- and island-hopping are posi-tively pleasurable pursuits in summer andthere are many adventure sports for theadrenaline junkie at any time of year, frommountain biking and white-water rafting

to paragliding and snowboarding. In fact,even if visiting Norway on business, mix-ing in a bit of pleasure isn’t out of thequestion.

Norway has excellent conference venues,from the large-scale to the cosy, as wellas good transport links, state-of-the-artfacilities and the added bonus of unusualincentive programmes – how about en-acting Viking battles or going on a killerwhale safari? Oslo receives 9-12 dailyflights from London alone, and there arealso UK regional flights and connectionsto the rest of Norway. Another option is totravel the country the greener way, bytrain, for often stunning views of the coun-tryside, lakes and mountains.

There are more than ten Norwegian citieswith conference facilities, incorporatingthe country’s main centres. Venues in-clude the Oslo Convention Centre with a

capacity of 12,000, or for something moreintimate, try one of Norway’s best historichotels, all of which offer the finest in Nor-wegian cuisine.

For business or pleasure, or indeed both,Norway is establishing itself as a year-round destination for those looking forspectacular scenery and the great out-doors as key ingredients for their tripwithout the need to travel too far.

Norwegian Tourist Board – InnovationNorway: www.visitnorway.com

Oslo tourist board: www.visitoslo.com

For flights to Norway:www.flysas.com, www.norwegian.no

Norway Convention Bureau:www.norwayconventionbureau.com

Historic Hotels:www.dehistoriske.com

Opposite page: Northern Lights over Sørvågen in Lofoten, Northern Norway (Photo: Stockshots.no). Above left: Water rafting in Southern Norway(Photo:Johan Wildhagen). Top right: Wooden houses in Bergen, West Norway (Photo: Jens Henrik Nybo). Bottom right: Parade at the Royal Palacein Oslo on 17. May (Photo: Nancy Bundt).

20 | Issue 17 | April 2010


The colourful history of the Viking Ageand the iconic image of the ferociousNorseman have captivated people’simagination for centuries. These intrepidwarriors and plunderers with theirblonde, scraggly beards (as seen in pop-ular culture) are probably the most fa-mous Scandies after Abba and A-ha.People’s romantic fascination withVikings is undeniable, and to experiencethe real thing one simply must visit theViking Ship Museum, located on theBygdøy peninsula in Oslo.

A creation of the renowned Norwegian ar-chitect Arnstein Arneberg, The Viking ShipMuseum was built between 1926 and1957, and is a part of the Museum of Cul-tural History at the University of Oslo. Itwas built in the shape of a cross and de-signed especially to house its collection of

preserved Viking ship remains and gravefinds. The three ships, the Tune, the Gok-stad and the Oseberg, were all found inburial mounds around Norway, and areamong the only Viking ships that havebeen excavated in such an excellent stateof preservation. “The ships were buried inturf and clay to prevent them from rotting.They were like tinned Viking ships,” ex-plains the museum’s Education OfficerEllen Marie Næss. The Oseberg ship, forexample, was the resting place of twoprominent women, who were buried witha lot of belongings, including a wagon,three sleds, animals and apples that werestill red when the ship was unearthed.

Fascinating finds

The Viking Ship Museum is a favouritewith tourists from all corners of the worldand even appeals to younger visitors.

According to Næss, the Viking shipcollection draws its appeal from itsunique authenticity: “People arenowadays so used to virtual reality, theyvery rarely get spoiled with the real thing.”The exhibition presents a rare windowonto the past, offering a glimpse into afascinating and dynamic period full ofadventure and, of course, violence. Whenvisiting the museum, you have first towrap your mind around the concept thatthese ships on display were once used totravel all around Europe on piraticvoyages and discovery explorations. Thisnotion alone makes the whole experiencequite awe-inspiring and well worth it.

Get intimate with Norse history atThe Viking Ship Museum By Nia Kajastie | Photos: The Viking Ship Museum

Gokstad, seen to the left above, is one of three extremely well preserved Viking ships at the Viking Ship Museum the ships like the grave finds, aboveto the right, were all found in burial mounds across Norway.

For further information visit:www.khm.uio.no/vikingskipshuset

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 21


From a small basement aquarium in Åle-sund, West Norway, to one of the largestandmost extraordinary aquariums in Eu-rope, Atlanterhavsparken (the AtlanticOcean Park) cannot bemissed when vis-iting the beautiful Norwegian fjords.

The aquarium, which is today built intothe coastline, was originally situated inthe centre of the picturesque town Åle-sund, but in 1998 the owners decided tomove and expand.

Under the surface of the fjords

Unlike most other aquariums which usu-ally show the same tropical fish nomatterwhere in the world they are located, At-lanterhavsparken takes visitors throughan underwater tour of the Norwegiancoastline. “When tourists go to Norway,they go to the beautiful Norwegian fjords

and coastlines. We show what the differ-ent habitats and fish under the surfacelook like,” says Tor Erik Standal who ispart of the team behind the aquarium.“We are not the official Norwegian aquar-ium, but we are the Norwegian aquar-ium.”

The aquarium has 11 large tanks whichshow the different habitats of the fjordsand numerous smaller tanks which allowguests to get up and close with some ofthe smaller varieties. For the youngermembers of the family it is even possibleto pick up some of themore tough specieslike lobsters or crayfish, and to feed thefish. “We have a lot of popular activities,but the most popular is probably the onewhere a scuba diver goes into one of thetanks and hand feeds fish that are muchbigger than himself,” says Standal.

Innovative architectureToday the aquarium is located five min-utes outside its original location in Åle-sund, which with its 45,000 inhabitantsacts as the gateway to some of the mostbeautiful and popular areas in Norway.“The area and weather here can be veryrough and our location makes us look likesomething that just drifted ashore,”ex-plains Standal about the innovative archi-tecture of the aquarium.

The location, architecture and differentconcept have made the aquarium a hitwith both locals and tourists, resulting inapproximately 120,000 visitors a year!

Atlanterhavsparken– explore the depths of Norway’s fjords By Signe Hansen | Photos: Atlanterhavsparken

Right: Every day a scuba diver dives into one of the biggest tanks to hand feed the fish. Left top: The aquarium’s seaside location seen from the air,left bottom. Younger visitors can pick up species like lobsters and crayfish

For further information visit:www.atlanterhavsparken.no

22 | Issue 17 | April 2010

A visit to Zen Resort & Spa is not only a way of escaping the hus-tle and bustle of everyday life, it is also ameans to handling thestress of it better when you return.

Beautifully located on the edge of the large lake Vortungen andjust one and half hour’s drive from Oslo, the holistic resort hasbecome popular with both business and leisure travellers. “At theweekend, most of our visitors are people wanting to find out howto live a more sustainable life and look inwards and not just out-wards,” explains the co-founder and creator of the concept be-hind Zen Resort & Spa, Lisbeth Pettersen.

About Zen and Dojo

Pettersen has worked with Zen and meditation for many years;her vision was to create a place where people could relax, recoverand collect energy. “We wanted to make a place which resembleda Japanese spa, with a place for meditation, yoga, and our ownDojo.”

A Dojo is a training hall for Japanese archery, Zen sport andmar-tial arts, and with minimalistic design and wide glass walls fac-ing the lake, the resort’s Dojo is intended to be a place to attainbetter focus and inner energy. Some may find the Zen and Dojoconcepts a bit unfamiliar, but there is, Pettersen assures us,nothing to worry about. “Ninety-nine per cent of our guests havenever explored Zen before; we teach them techniques on how totake care of themselves and show that meditation is not some-thing weird.”

Setting an example

The resort, which was opened just one and a half years ago, has40 rooms and 4 suites, most of which are already filled withpeople from both Norway and Europe, attracted by its greensurroundings and image. “It is the greenest spa resort, definitely,in Norway but maybe also in all of Europe,” says Pettersen. Andthe green concept is not just about earning money, she ensuresus. “Of course we also have to do that, but what we want is to cre-ate a good trend for others to take responsibility for their own ac-tions.”


Find your innerPeace at Zen Resort& SpaBy Signe Hansen | Photos: Zen Resort & Spa

For further information visit: www.zenresort.no

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 23

Majestically located on the edge of FeforLake and surrounded by the peaks of Jo-tunheimen, the historic Fefor MountainHotel provides enchanting settings foran outdoorsy summer holiday.

“The main attraction of this hotel is that itis so completely different from city life,we have something like two cars passingevery day, a fantastic silence and freshair,” enthuses General Manager JosteinWang. Even though secluded, the hotel isjust 13 minutes away from Vinstra’s trainstation, or a four hour drive from Oslo.

A touch of history

Founded in 1884, 930 metres above sealevel, Fefor was one of the first hotels tobe established at that altitude and oozesnational and international history. “Nextyear we are celebrating the 100th an-niversary of the English explorer RobertScott’s stay at Fefor. He came here after

advice from Fritjof Nansen, who visitedFefor at various times together with theNorwegian royal family,” explains Wang.Scott used the hotel as a base for severalof his training camps before his lastAntarctic expedition in 1911. In summer-time, however, arctic conditions are not aworry. “The seasons here are so different,”stresses Wang. “This winter it was minus35 degrees, which is cold! But in summerwe often have the opposite: 35 degreesplus.”

The hotel has 114 rooms (one of whichwas occupied by the Dutch Queen Wil-helmine in 1927 and 1928) and 20 timbercabins with separate kitchens and beau-tiful views of the lake and surroundingmountains.

Laidback comfort

When back from the many outdoor activ-ities, such as hiking, cycling, fishing or

hunting, guests can kick back in therestaurant, bar, library, or cosy gatheringrooms with crackling fireplaces. Of coursestaying in does not have to mean lyingaround; the hotel also provides squashand tennis courts, in- and outdoor swim-ming pools, minigolf and not least a BBQarea for those warm summer nights. Butif you really want to experience theessence of a Norwegian summer, Mid-summer celebration is the thing. “We cel-ebrate Midsummer Eve down by the lakewhere we light a huge bonfire which burnsall through the night and there is dancing,drinking and music,” explains Wang andadds. “And since we have sun almost 24hours, we don’t have to go to bed!”

Midsummer Eve is celebrated June 23.

Fefor Høifjellshotel – Norwegian summer magicBy Signe Hansen | Photos: Fefor Høifjellshotel


For further information visit:www.fefor.no

24 | Issue 17 | April 2010


In last year’s final of the Eurovision SongContest in Russia, Alexander Rybak fid-dled his way into millions of people’shomes and hearts. Subsequently he wonthe whole thing, giving Norway the bigtask of hosting this year’s Eurovision SongContest in Oslo’s Telenor Arena on 29May.

The Norwegian Broadcasting CorporationNRK owns the event, but they rely on theservices of several providers. One of themis VIA Travel, the leading travel manage-ment company in the Nordics. With 70 of-fices and 575 employees in Norway alone,they’re managing the hotel administra-tion of the event, as a result of winning thebidding mid-December last year.

“We presented an offer in accordance withNRK's request. In addition a project ofthis size and complexity requires trust andconfidence between the partners, whichwe definitely have," says Mari-Anne Rob-berstad, Director of the Group & Meeting

segment of VIA Travel. They specialize intailor made events.

“There’s not many events this size takingplace in Norway, and we are very proud ofbeing part of it all. Oslo is really going tobe a Eurovision town the last two weeks ofMay,” says Robberstad.

A hotel for everyone’s purse

Even if downtown Oslo is going to be anon-stop party for the duration of the fes-tivities, you might want to rest and regain

your spirits once in a while; that is whereVIA Travel comes into the picture.

“Plaza is the head quarter hotel wheremost of the delegations and contestantsstay. We also have a mix of hotels in dif-ferent price ranges around Oslo,” explainsRobberstad.

With the contestants, delegations, pressand crew, there are about 3,000 people toaccommodate – not to mention the fansthat are coming to the event! If you intendto participate in the joys of Eurovision, youbetter hurry up and book your accommo-dation. All the official hotels are listed onthe website of the Eurovision Song Con-test. You can contact VIA Travel [email protected].

VIA Travel takes on Eurovision challengeBy Ella Peräkorpi | Photo: Indrek Galetin (EBU)

In 2009 Norwegian violinist Alexander Rybak, seen above, won the Eurovision Song Contest; this year Norway is hosting

For further information visit:www.viatravelgroup.comwww.eurovision.tv

Mari-Anne Robberstad


Sand dunes, majestic mountains and abrand new, beach-inspired spa; it maysound like a daydream, but it is verymuch the reality at the historic and pic-turesque Sola Strand Hotel, located closeto Stavanger.

Originally established in 1914, Sola StrandHotel has a long and colourful history.“This is a hotel with a lot of personalityand history to it, which makes it very pop-ular with our guests,” says Managing Di-rector Gisle Steffensen

But Sola Strand is not stuck in the past;the hotel is expanding to meet new de-mands and one of the newest additions isNordsjøbadet Spa which will open April 11this year. The expansion also includesmore rooms and new conference facilities.To create an unforgettable conference ex-perience, Sola Strand Hotel provides a tai-lor-made package full of excellent food

made from local produce and a greatrange of exciting activities, including winetasting, cooking, hiking, windsurfing, seafishing andmanymore. The hotel groundsalso include a tennis court and a smallgolf pitching green. However, let us notforget about the main attraction: the2,300m long sandy beach right outsidethe hotel’s front step.

In 1994, The Sunday Times picked SolaStrand Hotel as one of the best beach hol-

iday destinations in the world. In their listthey wrote the following: “Believe it or not,southern Norway has some of the mostbeautiful beaches imaginable.” With thisbadge of honor on its lapel, the Solas-tranden beach by the hotel can definitelybe described as one of the best beaches,if not the best beach, in Norway.

Sola StrandHotel – one of the best beach holiday destinations in theworld!

For further information visit:www.sola-strandhotel.no

LATESTTECHNIQUES INRESTYLANE

Plastic surgery withdesign for youLong experience inreconstructive and aestheticsurgery

Head a|p|s GothenburgAssoc. Prof. Fredrik Gewalli

Artistic Plastic Surgery

+46 31 [email protected]

2

Text by Nia Kajastie | Photo: Sola Strand Hotel

26 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Magazine | Travel | Denmark

Denmark is the world’s most energy-effi-cient nation with 20% of our electricitysupplied by on- and offshore wind turbinefarms. And wind turbines are only part ofour green-tech revolution. Despite expe-riencing unparalleled economic growthover the last two decades, energy con-sumption in Denmark has remained thesame. Across the country, energy sourcesare being harnessed for a more climate-friendly way of life and there are no tradi-tional landfills to blight this destination’sscenic landscape as all waste is eitherrecycled or incinerated to heat homes,generate electricity, etc. So if sustainabil-ity is your “thing” and you wish to learnmore about tomorrow’s greener world –then you’ve already got one good reason tovisit Denmark right away!

Is Denmark all about sustainable livingand creating a greener future, then? Of

course not. Nomatter what kind of holidayyou seek or what time of year you visit, thisdestination has a lot to offer on a lot ofother dimensions.

The Danish quality of life is legendary.Denmark is one of the world’s richest na-tions, providing its citizens with universalwelfare and healthcare. On top of that,the Danes use their entrepreneurial skillsto design a nation made for living – is thiswhy we keep getting voted the happiestpeople in the world? Denmark is aboutspirit and liveability. It is about feeling freein every sense of the word.

Think of Denmark as an intimate and wel-coming place with a human dimension. Aplace where distances are short and trav-elling is easy and convenient – even if youinclude getting there from the UK.Whichever part of Denmark you visit there

is a world of choice and fun. Among otherthings, Denmark is a country with wide-open-spaces of glorious sandy beachesand holiday cottages nestling snuglyamong the dunes. Denmark is about briskwalks in the salty fresh air or a refreshingdip in the waves. Work up a healthy ap-petite and savour fresh seafood served atrestaurants and smokehouses in fishinghamlets and towns dotted along the 7,300km of Danish coastline.

Denmark is also rolling hills, lush forestsand woodlands all to yourself. The land-scape is perfect for golfing. Naturally theDanish golfing industry was the world’sfirst to commit to “sustainable golf coursemanagement”, making the destinationone of the greenest for golfing holidays.Denmark is a land of contrasts. It is an an-cient nation with a rich heritage and at thesame time a youthful nation with vibrant

Denmark – Feel FreeDenmark has been widely covered in the international media recently, not least due to the IOC Congress and the UNClimate Change Conference taking place in Copenhagen in 2009. Here are a few good reasons for you to go too.

By Henrik Kahn, Director – VisitDenmark UK & Ireland

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 27

and liveable cities. And for those seekingquality gastronomy, design and fashion,Denmark represents both time-honouredtradition and creative choice.

Danish cities are bustling metropoliseswith charming, tight-knit historic neigh-bourhoods and modern design. Old andnew blend seamlessly. Outstanding newcivic buildings, designer docklands (andharbour baths!), creative art spaces, andinnovative infrastructure add new layers tothe Danish cityscape andmake the biggercities, including the capital Copenhagen,

both easy to navigate and truly inspiringplaces to visit.

As this is a country where learning is in-novative, inspiring and fun, Denmark hasalso become a leading international con-gress and conference destination. Copen-hagen has by far the region’s best con-nected airport with almost all internationalairlines, including most low-cost carri-ers, operating out of the Danish capital.And all across the country, state-of-the-art conference facilities and innovativemeeting concepts such as “Meetovation”

offer engaging environments for knowl-edge sharing and networking. The qualityof business events infrastructure is alsomatched by the relaxed reliability of themeeting professionals working day andnight to ensure that every business eventdelivers real return on investment. Sowhether visiting Denmark for business orleisure, this destination is guaranteed toinspire you with its warm-hearted spiritand unique sense of quality. We look for-ward to seeing you there soon!

For meetings and conferences inDenmark contact:

Jonathan Cohen, Marketing Manager– Business Events

VisitDenmark55 Sloane StreetLondon SW1X 9SY / United KingdomDirect +44 (0)20 7201 3977E-mail [email protected]

Henrik Kahn, Director – VisitDenmark UK &Ireland

The view from Henne Mølle Å Badehotel, NorthJutland. Photo: Birgitte Wolfgang

Opposite page: Beach at Rubjerg Knude, North Jutland (Photo: John Sommer). Above: Golf in beautiful surroundings, North Jutland (Photo: MichaelDamsgaard). Top right: Harbour bath at Islands Brygge, Copenhagen (Photo: Nicolai Perjesi). Below: "Meetovation” offer engaging environments forknowledge sharing and networking (Photo: Niclas Jessen).

Hotel Apartments | Conference Hall | Health Club | Café

Charlottehaven Hotel Apartments - uncomplicated luxury

Why settle for a small hotel room when you can have a spacious fl at with the added benefi ts of free Internet, central location & superior service?

Charlottehaven is a comfortable and homely alternative to a regular hotel with a wide range of facilities at reasonable prices. Try our fully serviced apartments next time you are in Copenhagen and enjoy Charlottehaven’s tranquil atmosphere.

Please contact our Sales- and reservationsmanager Cristina Stage for reservation at tel. (+45) 3527 1517 or mail [email protected].

For more information check www. charlottehaven.com.

Hotel Apartments in Copenhagen

Hjørringgade 12C | DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø | Tel: +45 3527 1500 | [email protected] | www.charlottehaven.com

Voldbjergvej 16 • DK-8240 Risskov • Tel. +45 86 17 61 22 • [email protected] • www.dansommer.com

– Vacation with a green touch

Relax and experience the wonderfulRelax and experience the wonderful Danish nature with a clear conscienceDanish nature with a clear conscience

Choose among 4000 lovely holiday homesChoose among 4000 lovely holiday homes

Book here: www.dansommer.com or call us for more information: +45 86 17 61 22

Scan Magazine | Travel | DFDS Seaways

Three or four times a week the ferries setout from Harwich harbour toward Den-mark’s stunning West coast and fromthere it is an easy drive to all of Denmarkor even Germany and Sweden.

A relaxed and enjoyable experience

Unlike other ways of transport, taking theferry means that your holiday starts fromthemoment you step on board. “Travellingto your destination should be an enjoyableand relaxing experience and it is withDFDS Seaways,” says Catherine Jowettfrom DFDS Seaways. “You can enjoy thefantastic food, the shops, the bars and liveentertainment and there’s plenty to do forchildren too.”

For your eveningmeal you can satisfy yourappetite from a variety of choices: you canfeast on the delicious Scandinavian-style

buffet or treat yourself to a tender steak,or simply select a sandwich, snack or pas-try.

Well-rested and ready for new adven-tures

All departures are overnight meaning thatyou have your own cabin where you canretreat and watch the film on demand onyour TV. But there is muchmore to do on-board; of course nothing beats being outon deck and gazing out to sea, but youmay also decide to enjoy a drink and livemusic after dinner. “You can enjoy yourevening in the knowledge that you can en-joy a good night’s sleep in your own com-fortable cabin and awake next morningrefreshed,” says Jowett.

Of course one of the biggest advantagesfor families and others going to Scandi-

navia for a longer period of time is that theferry allows you to bring your own vehicleand that there are no weight limitations onluggage. You can even take your pets for asmall extra charge!

DFDS Seaways – make the journey the best part of your vacation

Sometimes, as with Odysseus, it is the journey and not the destination which gives the greatest experiences andmemories. This may very well be the case when you travel with DFDS Seaways, which provides the only ferry routefrom the UK to Scandinavia By Signe Hansen | Photos: DFDS Seaways

For more information:www.dfds.co.uk0871 882 0885

Prices from:£232 for a car + 2 people one way£242 for car + 4 people one way£292 for car + caravan + 2 peopleNote: caravans go free on selecteddepartures if you book at least 1 monthin advance, so you just pay for your car!£162 for 2 motorbikes + 2 people

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 29

30 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Magazine | Travel | Denmark

During the last few years Hotel Svanen,which is located just five minutes fromLegoland, has expanded and refurbishedwith woodwork from Austria and photo-graphs of Kennedy’s Air Force One.

Input from the U.S. and beyond

The refurbishment was headed by thewell-known Danish architect MikaelMammen, who has decorated some of themost popular and well-known cafes andhotels in Copenhagen. “Our goal was togive the hotel a more international styleand a cosy and comfortable atmosphere,”explains Managing Director of the hotelLars Sørensen. When Mammen came upwith the idea of decorating the new hotelrooms with close up pictures of old air-planes he and Sørensen travelled to Ari-zona with photographer Claes Bech-

Poulsen. “We all went because I wanted toknow the history of the pictures,” explainsSørensen but also admits, “of course itwas also a bit for the trip itself.” Anotherplace visited by Sørensen and Mammenwas the factory in Austria where theyfound the planks used for the new furni-ture, which was specially designed byMammen.

A haven for kids as well as businesstravellers

With the popular indoor water world La-landia almost in its backyard and BillundAirport just three km away, both businessand leisure travellers in increasing num-bers find their way to the hotel.

“When I took over the hotel in 2001, wehad 24 rooms; first we expanded to 50

and two years ago the new section with 51new rooms and a new lounge and recep-tion area opened up,” says Sørensen. Thelatest expansion of 3000m2 also includeda new conference hall with room for 200guests. At the end of meetings, drinks canbe enjoyed around the huge transparentfireplace in the indoor lounge or in thecharming outdoors lounge, whilewidescreen TVs and wireless internetshould also make business travellers feelwell at home in their rooms. The hoteltakes just as good care of its youngerguests, who can enjoy both an indoorplayroom with games and Nintendo WIIand a great outdoor playground.

Hotel Svanen – the gateway for adventures in Jutland and far beyond

That Kennedy’s Air Force One, Legoland and Austrian woodwork should have a common denominator in a hotel inBillund, Denmark, may be surprising, but it is, nonetheless, true. By Signe Hansen

For further information visit:www. hotelsvanen.dk

Scan Magazine | Travel | Well-being in the Swedish Mountains

Tucked away in the high mountains ofthe county Jämtland in the north ofSweden you will find the beautiful naturereserve Vålådalen.

With its extraordinary primeval forests,mountain lakes, streams and brooks, it iseasy to understand why Annica and TorkelIdeström have chosen this as the base fortheir company ATI Mountain Experience.Here they give their guests the chance toexperience breathtaking nature combinedwith the opportunity to reconnect withthemselves and each other.

“Our focus is outdoor life combined withwell-being. We teach our guests outdoorskills but also how, and why, nature canhelp them live a more fulfilled life,” saysAnnica.

A way of life

Annica and Torkel Ideström have manyyears of outdoor experience. Twelve yearsago they went on an expedition aroundSweden and using bikes, kayaks and skis,

covered 5,000 km in 200 days. They werealso part of the Swedish Greenland Expe-dition in which, together with adventurerOla Skinnarmo, they sailed across theNorth Atlantic and skied over Greenland’sinland ice. “Outdoor living is our passionand our way of life. This is what we wantto share with our guests,” says Annica.

ATI Mountain Experience’s course “Fjäl-lkraft” (Mountainpower) is a 1-3 days ex-perience for both companies and individ-uals. They have different courses to suitevery group’s taste. “Some guests justwant to relax and experience the wondersof nature. Others want more of a chal-

lenge. For families, friends and compa-nies it can be the social experience that isthe most important,” says Annica.

Working as a team

Together with life coaches Johnny Pers-son and Olof Holmgren, ATI MountainExperience has created the leadershipdevelopment concept JOTA which offersexecutives the opportunity to improve theirleadership skills through nature experi-ences. “Being outdoors and depending oneach other makes it easier to open up toother people and learn how to work to-gether as a group,” says Annica.

Even though they offer a vast range ofactivities such as skiing, kayaking and hik-ing, Annica emphasises that a big part ofbeing outdoors is about sitting around thecampfire talking, experiencing the cleanand silent air and watching the sun set.

For more information visit:www.mountainexperience.se

Email: [email protected],[email protected], [email protected]

Phone +46 (0)647-352 53Mobile +46 70-215 21 46

Well-being in the Swedishmountains By Sara Schedin | Photos: ATI Mountain Experience

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 31

32 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Less people have such glorious thoughtswhen thinking about Scandinavian cheese– in fact, most people associate Scandi-navian cheese with Eurovision. Exceptthose of us who know just how manyamazing cheeses actually come from ournorthern corner of the world.

Even back in the days when old HaroldBluetooth was a nipper and busy takingover the world, the Scandinavians madecheese. In fact, the old Vikings had a diet

rich in milk, butter and cheese and areeven said to have found cheese to be asexual stimulant.

HERE’S A GUIDE TO SOME OF THE TOPSCANDINAVIAN CHEESES

1. Gammelost (Old cheese)

A recipe dating back to the Viking times,“Old cheese” needed very little help tomature. Most people say both taste andsmell resembles something that has

spent a few months inside a sweaty oldsock. As you know, nothing pleases a truetyrophile more than a slice of stinky oldsock. Admittedly, perhaps due to the taste,younger Norwegians are falling out of lovewith it, even if it is does have the nicknameof Norwegian Viagra.

2. Danablu (Danish Blue)

We had to include this as it is the mostpopular export and it is a darn fine cheese.Invented originally to emulate Roquefort,

Sweet dreams are made of cheeseMany of us have memories of sitting in a field on a summer’s day eating crusty French bread and sharing a kilo ofcreamy brie. In fact, some of us would like to spend most of our days doing just that, if it was not for the eventualneed to then be moved around by a pick-up truck. By Bronte Blomhoj

Photo:imagebank.sweden.se©LouiseBillgert

Photo:imagebank.sweden.se©LouiseBillgert

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 33

Scan Magazine | Food | Sweet Dreams Are Made of Cheese

and quickly making its own mark on thecheese scene, Danablu has a sharp, saltynote and is excellent served on just aboutany kind of bread.Mash it with a bit of syrupto change its character and use it to spreadon crisp bread, toppedwith some sunflowerseeds – it really works. Swedes tend tolove blue cheese on ginger biscuits (we saydon’t argue with anyone who invented Billybookcases, Volvos and the zipper).

3. Brunost (Brown cheese)

Comes in many different varieties: the twobest known are the Gudbrandsdalen (cowand goat) and Ekte Gjeitost (pure goat);the latter is the connoisseur’s choice

Okay, so it’s an acquired taste, but, on av-erage, Norwegians eat about 4 kilos eachof this stuff a year so theremust be some-thing to it. It’s as Norwegian as trolls andfjords. It looks a bit like a block of plas-ticine, tastes a bit like caramel and is en-joyed on its own, on open sandwiches orwith freshly baked waffles: all you needthen is a patterned jumper and peoplewill soon start calling you Haakon.

4. Rygeost (smoked cheese)

A very Danish invention that is never ex-ported due to its very short shelf life. Un-matured, smoked cheese made from but-termilk and milk and turned in less than24 hours, after which it is smoked veryquickly over a mixture of straw and nettleand topped with caraway seeds. Thischeese is simply amazing, light and divineeaten on a piece of rye bread. Resemblesa firm ricotta in texture.

5. Vasterbotten

If ABBA is the queen of cheese, Vaster-botten is the king. A firm, crumbly, agedSwedish cheese not unlike parmesan insmell but with immense flavour and char-acter. This cheese is a welcome additionto any cheeseboard and is also a partnerto any crayfish party. Can also be used tomake the excellent Vasterbotten pie.

6. Hushallsost

A cheese that has a name that translatesas “household cheese” sounds like it be-longs on a value shelf in a corner shop in

Hackney, but it is actually an excellentcheese. Mild, creamy, full of holes, thischeese is usually a big hit with theyounger generation. Hushallsost is one ofsix Swedish food products with a so-calledTSG protection (one other cheese, Sve-cia, also holds this distinction). Taste-wise it is a bit like the Danish Havarticheese in texture (the Danes’ favouriteand widely available in the UK), althoughless creamy. Produced by Arla, Havarti iscalled Aseda Graddost in Sweden. In Fin-land, the Turunmaa cheese is what isclosest to Havarti in taste.

7. Gamle Ole (Old Ole)

A sliceable mature Danish cheese, thisbaby stinks. Don’t touch it too much oryour fingers will honk all day. The taste,however, is really lush. Also known inDenmark as Danbo 45, there are manyvarieties in the same vein: ‘Sorte Sara’ isa good version too. A superb finish to anysmorgasbord, eat a slice or two on sour-dough bread topped with some lingonjam. Other excellent strong Danes in-clude Esrom 45 as well as ViggoMortensen (he’s not a cheese, but he surelooks very strong).

8. Präst ost (Priest cheese)

Sweden’s most popular cheese. It wasgiven its name because the farmers at

the time it was invented could pay theirchurch taxes in dairy products. Präst ostcomes in many varieties, from the mild tothe mature and flavoured with anythingfrom vodka to whisky.

9. Leipäjuusto (also known as “squeakycheese”)

This is a fresh young cheese from Fin-land. The milk is curdled and set into aflat round shape, then baked. In the oldendays it was dried for months and peopleput it on the fire to re-activate it. Thename comes from the sound it makeswhen you bite into it. The taste is not un-like feta.

10. Rejeost (Prawn cheese)

For some reason, spreadable prawncheese is immensely popular across all ofScandinavia. Not really a great cheesefrom a connoisseur’s point of view, butsurely any product that manages to com-bine cheese and prawns andmake it tastegood needs a mention. If cheese andprawn can be coupled in peaceful har-mony, then there’s hope for world peace.

Bronte Blomhoj (self-proclaimed ty-rophile) is the proud granddaughter of afamous Danish cheesemaker. She alsoowns Scandinavian Kitchen, a deli-cafethat stocks 27 different kinds of Scandi-navian cheeses. You can say she’s gotcheese running in her veins (no pun in-tended).

Photo:imagebank.sw

eden.se

©PålAllan/S

wedishInstitute

Photo: Christian Alsing

Scan Magazine | Food | Wine

ScanMagazine’s Ray O’Connor, winner ofthe Young Wine writer of the Year Awardin 2007, shares his tips to help you pickjust the right wine for April.

Believe it or not, the famous wine region ofBurgundy, on the eastern side of France,only produces 0.5% of the world’s wine. Thisis an area of quality, not quantity, that pro-duces the kind of wines that many wine-makers around the world aspire to. The twomain grapes grown here are Chardonnay(whites) and Pinot Noir (reds) with the redskinned Gamay flying the flag down in thesouthern vineyards of Beaujolais.

The greatest quality wines come from theCôte-d'Or, literally meaning Golden Slope, inwhich lie both the predominantly red winearea of the Côte de Nuits and white wine re-gion of the Côte de Beaune. Frustratingly,you won’t find the grape varieties listed onthe label for the simple reason thatChardonnay can taste completely different in

different regions such as Chablis in the northto Pouilly-Fuissé in the south. Instead, it isthe varying expression of Jurassic soils be-tween different plots that best defines the in-dividual characteristics of the grape. Theaforementioned are called village appella-tions, but you will also find Premier Cruwines that may list their individual sites or“climats” on the label. These smaller

parcels of land have been recognised fortheir unique qualities and have subsequentlybeen picked, bottled and sold separately,usually at greater prices. The Grand Crusites top the table in terms of quality andcost, coming from the smallest plots anddisplaying magnificent expression of fruitand concentration.

Location Location: Site selection is everything By Ray O’Connor

Tesco Finest Meursault 2008The appellation of Meursaultin the Côte de Beaune repre-sents quality white wineswhich are lean and mineralin youth, developing a richercharacter with age. This ex-ample from Tesco’s Finestrange is very aromatic withgreat citrus freshness andpoised minerality on thepalate. Best drink this one inits youth. Tesco Stores,£19.40

Domaine Chofflet-Valdenaire,Givry 1er Cru “Clos deChoué”There is value to be found inthe appellation of Givry, lo-cated in the Cote Chalon-naise, and this wine from aPremier Cru site proves it.Brilliant intensity of aromaticsincluding red cherries with anearthy edge. It’s light andsmooth in the mouth butloaded with character. WholeFoods Market London W8£19.99

Scan Magazine | Columns | Humour

Hot women endlessly and deliberatelyexcite and arouse men, but the men donot get to be with them? Isn’t that likepaying to watch someone play with foodwhen you’re really hungry? “You see thisburger? Doesn’t it look GREAT! Imaginehow fantastic it must taste. Oh, here’s thefun part… you can’t have it.”

Apparently strip clubs are not subjectto the logic that exists in the real world. Inreal life, men get totally pissed off ifwomen entice them and then back out. Inthe real world, if a woman is scantily cladit’s perceived as an invitation to ALL men,obviously contradicting the self-declaredexclusivity of strip clubs. In real life, scant-ily clad women are not oozing exclusivityat all – they’re regardedmore like a “help-yourself-buffet”.

A friend ofmine recently went through a

period of a pretty high frequency of stripclub visits, only to reach the point where hedeclared it made him slightly delusionalbecause it “lured him into believing thatevery woman wanted him.” He gave it up,repulsed by himself, when he sincerely sus-pected a sweater-clad, rucksack-carryinglibrarian to be “shooting him hot looks anddefinitely being up to something.”

That’s the illusion a strip club creates.That the guy is center of the universe andis simply THAT irresistible to ALL women,and that women surely have no purposeon this Earth except to please him. Imag-ine if the same clubs existed for women. Iam not talking about clubs boosting Chip-pendale shows; after all, square-builtmen covered in baby-oil, dancing strictlyin formation, take up a significantly smallspace in the female hierarchy of needs.

No, I mean little oases where womencould go and meet good-looking, selflessmen who stroked our hair, told us we weregorgeous and beautiful and assured usthat they would take care of the laundryand empty the dishwasher. We would lineup immediately.

Mette Lisby is Denmark’s leading femalecomedian. She invites you to laugh alongwith her monthly humour columns. Sinceher stand-up debut in 1992, Mette hashosted the Danish versions of “Have I GotNews For You” and “Room 101”. Mettecurrently lives in London.

IS IT JUST ME... By Mette Lisby

Who is slightly bewildered by the concept of strip clubs?

At an early stage in my current relation-ship my then newly-acquired boyfriend in-vited himself around my house one after-noon for tea. I knew the pressure was on.My early experience with tea hadn’t beengreat. At university, my housemates ranon Tetley’s (when we could afford it,otherwise it was Asda’s Economy) andcigarettes. We acquired a vast number oftea-mugs so that no washing up was everrequired. Our house was door-to-doorchina, containing various amounts of theliquid, decaying under a bobbing layer ofmould and fag-butts. It took me until my

mid-twenties before I could stomach itagain.

Then, however I suddenly saw the light– tea isn’t just a hot, brown drink, it’s anational institution. And I’m not talkingabout the loose, fancy stuff, served incups. I’m talking about the cheap, trustedbags, plopped inside favourite mugs,about sticking a wet teaspoon inside thesugar bowl, causing testicle-sized, solidlumps to form therein, or even stirringthe tea with the unused end of a dirty forkif you have to, then scooping out the bagsand leaving them in a small puddle next tothe sink. This is tea.

In fact tea is more than a national in-stitution – it is a human right. This I cameto realise two years ago, when a holiday toItaly could be summed up by the argu-ments my (by now no longer newly-ac-quired) boyfriend had in broken Italianwith waiters in restaurants. Them: ‘Youwant tea after dinner?’ Him: ‘Yes.’ Them,growing incredulous: ‘With cold milk?’Him, proudly: ‘Yes. I do.’ I naively prodded

his arm, cringed and suggested havingan espresso. I should have known better.Just as I should have all those years ago,when I had spent an afternoon panickingover how to make that perfect cup of teain order to secure my position as girl-friend-material to an Englishman, only torealise – when he came round and in-spectedmy spread of two cups and a plateof milk-chocolate digestives – that by ‘tea’he had, in fact, meant dinner.

Maria Smedstad moved to the UK fromSweden in 1994. She received a degree inIllustration in 2001, before settling in thecapital as a freelance cartoonist, creatingthe autobiographical cartoon Em. Shewrites a column on the trials andtribulations of life as a Swede in the UK.

TEA By Maria Smedstad

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 35

For more information and reservations: www.cityairline.comBookings and customer service, phone: + 46 200 250 500 or + 46 31 600 385.

We want to create more rapid, easier and betterconnections both within Sweden and with the rest of Europe.

We are convinced that the only way to create a stable and trustworthy airline is to plan for the long term, and this is something we have done at City Airline since the start in 2001.

We are based at Göteborg Landvetter Airport, where we also have our head offi ce. City Airline is a wholly Swedish company, currently with approximately 110 employees.

SAS Partner: City Airline has been a partner with SAS since 2006. This means that you can earn SAS Eurobonus points when fl ying with us on most of our routes. City Airline has also been approved according to SAS quality criteria, both operationally and commercially.

Connecting: Is your fi nal destination somewhere else than Gothenburg? Starting autumn 2010 you can make a fast and effi cient transfer in Gothenburg and connect with a number of cities within Sweden, all fl own with comfortable and fast jet aircrafts.

To and from

Gothenburg and further within Sweden and Europe with City Airline.

PalmaMalaga Alicante

RomeBarcelona

Sundsvall

Tallinn

Visby

Bergen

Stavanger

Riga

Västerås

(seasonal)

(seasonal)

Umeå

GothenburgGothenburgManchester

Birmingham

Zurich

Prague

Lyon

Nice

LuleåÅre

Helsinki

Norrköping

Växjö

Malmö

Örebro

Borlänge

KarlstadOslo

GothenburgGothenburg

Start 2010Start autumnautumn 2010

Scan Magazine | Theme | Health & Beauty

Spring has arrived; and with spring theprospect of warm summer days on thebeach or in the parks is getting closerand closer. Most people find this a joyfultime of year, but for some the joy is mixedwith the dread of having to wear merci-

lessly revealing strap tops and summerdresses that bring all our imperfections tolight. Of course, we all have those imper-fections, but some may find them morerestraining than others. Luckily for them,there are many ways to improve both the

way you feel and look. Whether your worryis loose skin on the arms, sagging eyelids,scars or excess weight, help is withinreach; nor do you have to feel like part ofsome extreme make-over reality show.“In general plastic surgery in Sweden isnothing like the Hollywood shows, it’s justordinary people doing ordinary things,”says Swedish Specialist in Plastic Sur-gery Johan Thorfinn.

Scan Magazine has found you a range ofclinics led by Swedish specialists in theirarea. And as you will see over the next fewpages, feeling and looking better can beachieved by many means - peeling, suck-ing, cutting and lifting - it can all be doneand with the least discomfort to you. Youwill not only look ready but also feel readyfor summer!

Spruce up for summerScanMagazine takes a look at the numerous opportunities to improve your inner and outer wellbeing with help fromSwedish specialists. By Signe Hansen

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 37

Trends in lips have changed over theyears, from elegantly red in the 50s, palepink in the 60s, forgotten about in the70s, glossy and colourful in the 80s andnatural and pouty in the 90s; but nomat-ter how we decorate them what we allwant is beautiful, full and kissable lips -and today we can all have them!

“A filler can give you that extra plump-ness to make your mouth more sensual,”says Swedish Dr Fredrik Gewalli, Associ-ate Professor in plastic surgery andfounder of Artistic Plastic Surgery, whichhas clinics in Gothenburg and Halmstad.

The lips you always wanted

Nowadays, much more than the shade oflipstick can be changed. While the ladiesof the 60s could only dream about havingBrigitte Bardot's pout, the women of todaycan just pop into a clinic and in an instanthave the lips they have always wanted.

With constant new developments in plas-tic surgery, it has also become safer to

change the way we look; gone are thedays when the risk of leaving with a stiffgoldfish look instead of the desired softpout scared most people away from theclinics.

“It's always better to start off slowly andthen addmore later,” stresses Dr Gewalli.“The fillers that we use disappear withtime which means that you can changeyour mind or just adapt to whatever youfeel like at the moment. I would never ad-vise anyone to use a permanent solution.”

Care and safety

The professor and his highly competentteam of personnel use the latest tech-niques in plastic surgery to make surethey provide the best service for their pa-tients. But maybe even more importantly,great care is taken to ensure that the aes-thetic result will be perfect. Dr Gewallisays: “It makes me cringe when I seecelebrities who have had really bad lip-en-hancements. You need to have artistic tal-ent to be able to do this job well.”

THE MOST KISSABLE LIPS By Sara Schedin

Location: Gothenburg and Halmstad.

Specialist areas: Plastic surgery,injection treatments and teethwhitening

Website:www.artisticplasticsurgery.se

Right: Private Hospital Carlanderska Gothenburg where one of the Artistic Plastic Surgery clinics are located. Left: Dr Fredrik Gewalli, AssociateProfessor in plastic surgery. Photos: Artistic Plastic Surgery

Afraid to venture out into the sun’s mer-cilessly exposing light in your old winterskins? Well, maybe a visit to Dermak-liniken in Sweden to lift, tighten orsmoothen you right into the perfect sum-mer shape is the solution.

Now you may think that plastic surgery isnot for you, but actually most of theclinic’s treatments are absolutely pain andknife free. Instead, other measures suchas light, injections and peels are takeninto use and with uplifting results.

Trained specialists

“The main edge of Dermakliniken is thatwe are a complete clinic; we can treatpeople who come to us for beauty treat-ments like massages, facials and bodyscrubs, but we also have a professionalteam of neurologists, dermatologists,generalists and plastic surgeons,“ saysChief of Clinic and Medical Advisor Dr. Ro-drigo Caceres. Trained in Sweden andabroad, he is a specialist in Neurology andAesthetics and is one of four highly expe-rienced doctors working at the clinic. “Wehave a broad field of medical specialists

who can supply all kinds of treatmentsfor people,” he says.

For everybody

Because of the wide range of services,Demakliniken is visited by people of allages and shapes. “A lot of people comejust to buy some of our products like facialproducts, and then we have our big clientswho have plastic surgery or injections, wehave great availability for injections,” saysCaceres. But though the purpose of theirvisits may be very different, all patientsseem to leave with a very good impres-sion. “We have an extremely high servicelevel. We carried out a patient satisfactionsurvey and it showed that everyonethought that our service level was wellabove expectations.”

DERMAKLINIKEN- Everything under one roofBy Signe Hansen | Photos: Dermakliniken

Location: Gothenburg and Malmö

Specialist areas: plastic surgery,light/laser treatments, injectiontreatments and beauty treatments

Website: www.dermakliniken.se


38 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 39

Going to a hospital does not have to be animpersonal and clinical experience. Aspart of Addoc Hospital, which has roomsand operating theatres on a floor of theQuality Hotel Ekoxen in Linköping, Swe-den, Addoc Plastikkirurgi (Plastic Sur-gery) offers a different and personal ex-perience.

Overnight patients have their own cosyand comfortable hotel room in the middleof the city and can enjoy all the same ben-efits as other hotel guests like room serv-ice from the hotel’s restaurant.

The private hospital was founded twoyears ago by Roger Gerjy, Mats Persborn,Mikael Sjödahl, Peter Fleury and Special-ist in Plastic Surgery Johan Thorfinn. “Wefelt that there was a need within the pub-lic healthcare system for operating the-atres with staff and nurses, and that is

how we got started. We cater for a mix ofpublic and private healthcare patients,”says Thorfinn. “We rent out operatingrooms with our trained staff and we alsohave our own plastic surgery business in-house.” Because of the mix between pri-vate and public patients, the clinic has ex-pertise in the typical areas of privatesurgery like breast surgery and tummytucks, but also procedures more commonin the public system like reconstructivesurgery. “In general, plastic surgery inSweden is nothing like the Hollywoodshows, it is just ordinary people doing or-dinary things,” stresses Thorfinn.

Apart from plastic surgery like breast en-largements, facelifts and scar removal,Addoc Hospital welcomes patients fortreatment in general surgery and – in co-operation with Linköping Health Care AB– also orthopaedics.

In the medical heart of London, you’llfind Anelca Clinic – a clinic specializingin aesthetic and reconstructive plasticsurgery, covering a broad range fromcancer treatments to pure aestheticsurgery.

No less than four doctors with Scandina-vian roots work at the clinic owned bySwedish Lena Andersson. After gettingher medical degree at Karolinska Insti-tutet in Stockholm, Andersson spent thefollowing years specialising in her field inSweden, Switzerland and the US, beforecoming to the UK to work for the NHS asa clinical director. In 1998, she set up herown private clinic in London.

“I think Scandinavians have a good set ofvalues when it comes to health,” saysAndersson. “We know how to live ahealthy, enlightened life and feel goodabout ourselves.” That’s why she finds it

puzzling that such a big percentage of theplastic surgery in Sweden consists of

purely aesthetic operations such as fatreductions and breast enlargements.

“Here in the UK, and at our clinic, there’sa much bigger focus on medical and re-constructive plastic surgery. The last cou-ple of years we’ve seen a growth in thenumber of skin cancer patients, whocome to us for their treatment,” Anders-son tells us. Even though they also dopurely cosmetic surgery, she stresses thatat Anelca, they have a policy of wellbeingand sensibility rather than one of quickfixes. Simply, “if you feel good, you’ll lookgood.”

Plastic Surgery at Addoc Hospital – a different experienceBy Signe Hansen | Photos: Addoc Plastikkirurgi

Location: Linköping, Sweden

Specialist areas: plastic surgery,general surgery and orthopaedics

Website: www.addocplastik.se andwww.addoc-hospital.se

Plastic surgery with Nordic values By Ella Peräkorpi | Photos: Anelca Clinic


Location: 84 Harley Street, London

Specialist areas: Aesthetic andReconstructive Plastic Surgery

Website: www.anelca.com

Goodwille helps head of�ces minimise uncer-tainty and reduce the strain on management and resources when entering foreign markets. We specialise in offering operational advice and service support to high growth new market entries and businesses expanding internationally. We have a pragmatic and holistic approach to looking after your company’s Corporate Legal, Company Secretarial, HR and Financial Account-ing needs – allowing you to keep focused on your core functions and primary objectives.

Does this make you tick?

Forming companies in compliance with UK regulations

Administering payroll, tax & employee bene�ts

Bookkeeping & �nancial accounting

Health & safety risk appraisals and compliance

Employee setup, bene�ts, terms, legal requirements and contracts

Ensuring board responsibilities are understood and complied with

Staying on top of company law and regulations

Health, accident, liability and corporate insurance

Declarations and applications

Retirement planning and pensions

Employee bene�ts

We thought not.

Your business parner, every step of the way.

St James House13 Kensington Square

London W8 5HDT: +44 (0)20 7795 8100

www.goodwille.co.uk

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 41

Scan Business | Key Note | Nordic Light after a Long Winter

Despite good domestic economic funda-mentals, the Nordic countries experiencedrather large declines in gross domesticproduct (GDP) in 2009. The manufacturingsector in Sweden and Finland was espe-cially hard hit when the financial crisisparalysed international trade early lastyear. The downturn in Denmark was pri-marily due to a collapse in the previouslysomewhat overheated housing market.Because the Danish krone followed theeuro upward to high levels against the cur-rencies of such important trading partnersas the United Kingdom, Norway and Swe-den, competitiveness also weakened. Lastyear’s GDP declines in Sweden and Den-mark appear likely to end up at around 5per cent, while the downturn in Finlandwill be a full 8 per cent. In Norway, the cri-sis had a significantly weaker impact. Ex-ceptionally strong government finances al-lowed a highly expansionary fiscal policy.TheNorwegian kroneweakened during thecrisis despite the underlying strength ofthe economy, and this also helped easethe impact of the crisis.

Despite large downturns in GDP, theNordic economies showed resilience inother respects. The upturn in unemploy-ment was smaller than in most other

countries, and government debt remains athistorically low levels. It was thus possibleto limit the long-term economic damage.The Nordic economies are consequentlywell positioned for recovery.

The next phase in the crisis-dynamic willbe dominated by public sector consolida-tion programmes, which must now be im-plemented to stop an explosive increase ingovernment debt in many countries. Thecrisis in southern Europe is only one ele-ment of this. Large economies like the US,the UK and Japan also face acute prob-lems. This will slow international growthover the next few years, but the secondaryeffects will probably be different from thesituation when the financial crisis paral-ysed world trade. Austerity programmeswill primarily hurt domestic demand in theaffected countries. As long as the normal-isation of financial conditions continues,the recovery in global trade is likely to con-tinue. In such a scenario, the domesticstrength of the Nordic countries will be ex-pressed by rather good growth during2010.

In the longer perspective, too, there is rea-son to be optimistic about Nordic growthpotential. Many countries will be forced to

implement tax hikes to balance their gov-ernment budgets. Because of good gov-ernment finances in the Nordic countries,such a need will hardly exist, which willnarrow the gap in tax burdens betweenthem and important competitor countries.Looking at the industrial and export struc-ture, the Nordic countries are in a goodposition to be winners in a world whoseeconomic centre of gravity is increasinglyshifting eastward towards fast-growingAsian economies. The demand for oil, met-als and forest products will remain high.Meanwhile the need for investment goodsand transport equipment will also be high.It is also difficult to see that the Nordic fo-cus on pharmaceuticals and telecom prod-ucts will be any disadvantage in themedium term.

Overall, there is therefore reason to be op-timistic about the economic prospects ofthe Nordic countries in the near future.The Nordic model has stood up to thestrains of the crisis, and in slightly updatedform, appears to be well-equipped for thechallenges of tomorrow.

Scan BusinessOpen for business 42 | Miller Rosenfalck 47 | SEEC 48 | Chambers of Commerce News 49

Nordic light after a long winterHåkan Frisén, Head of Economic Research at SEB, explains why, despite thecrisis, he believes there is reason to be optimistic about the economicprospects of the Nordic countries in the near future.

Håkan Frisén. Photo: SEB

42 46 47

42 | Issue 17 | April 2010

The event, which was organised togetherwith the Finnish Chamber of Commerce,was opened by Danish Anders WulffLarsen, head of Danske Bank’s Interna-tional Corporate Banking (ICB) in London.Danske Bank has been present in Londonsince 1983 when it set up office to be ableto meet the requirements of its Scandina-vian group customers expanding into theUK market. “I am pleased to say that thisis a long term commitment and you willcontinue to see Danske Bank and our

Brand names in the UK in the future,”said Larsen, to the full room at the Lon-don Capital Club. But he also stressed.“We are here to underline the fact thatour Nordic business is very important tous and that one of our main markets is, infact, the Finnish market.”

Sampo Bank’s new colours

With Danske Bank’s acquisition of SampoBank in 2007, there began a 14 monthlong process to integrate the bank’s oper-

ations and organisation into the group'sorganisational structure. Larsen himselfwas not a part of this restructuring, but asearlier in his carrier he had spent twoyears in Helsinki working for DanskeBank, the Finnish market was by nomeans unfamiliar to him. In Helsinki,Larsen worked closely together withPekka Vataja, the current Head of DanskeBank’s Corporate & Institutional Bankingin Finland. Vataja also attended the eventand in front of Danske Bank’s character-

OPEN FOR BUSINESSAs Danske Bank and its Finnish subsidiary, Sampo Bank, opened the doors to a prestigious event with the CEO ofThomson Reuters, Tom Glocer, as guest speaker, the message was clear: after a couple of hard years, the banks’clients are getting back on their feet and the banks are there for them, open for business. By Signe Hansen

Scan Business | Update | Open For Business

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 43

istic white and blue logo with SampoBank’s name on it he explained: “As youcan see, we have two names; Sampo Bankis Danske Bank’s name in Finland. WhenSampo Bank was acquired by DanskeBank in 2007, it was already an estab-lished bank in Finland, so instead of re-placing it or setting up something new,Danske Bank gave it a boost by connect-ing it to its international network and pro-viding the necessary capital.”

Well prepared for the future

When acquired by Danske Bank Group,Sampo Bank had a network of 128branches with 3,200 employees. Much ofthis structure was kept, but sweeping

changes also took place. One of the keymilestones was the merger with DanskeBank’s information system and the web-based cash management system.

“It gives our customers the opportunityto operate cash management onlinethrough the same system in all countrieswhere we are represented, which is aunique service. It gives a huge advantagefor group companies in that they can op-timize their cash flow,” Larsen explained.After the merger, Danske Bank Group be-came one of the largest banking groups inNorthern Europe while Sampo Bank, withmore than 1.1 million personal customersand 100,000 corporate and institutional

customers, is the third largest bank inFinland. Both are therefore more thanready to take on new requirements fromold clients as well as new; Vataja con-cluded: “Themood in Finland is improvingand it is the same feeling in the bank; themood has shifted. Last year people werepreoccupied by the financial environment,but now we see customers planning forexpansions and the future. It is a muchmore positive outlook, and I am glad to beable to say that we in Sampo Bank areopen for business.”

From left clockwise: General manager of Finnish- British Chamber of Commerce Rosa Thurman, Anders Wulff Larsen, Chairman of FBCC MarkkuVartiainen & Tom Glocer with gifts, Pekka Vataja Head of Danske Bank’s Corporate & Institutional Bankingin Finland; Anders Wulff Larsen head ofDanske Bank’s International Corporate Banking (ICB) in London; Tom Glocer and Anders Wulff Larsen. Photos: Yiannis Katsaris

Scan Business | Update | Open For Business

44 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Business | International Services | Legal Tips

In such tough economic times, the task ofstarting up your own business or consid-ering expanding your business to the UKappears more challenging than ever.However, The Economist* recentlyranked the UK as having the 11th bestbusiness environment worldwide, plac-ing it ahead of many other Europeancountries, so for those companies withstrong balance sheets and those individ-uals with sufficient start-up capital, set-ting up in the UKmay still make businesssense.

If you intend to engage in commercial ac-tivity in the UK, there are a few mattersyou will need to consider from a legalpoint of view.

Legal Structure – getting the right fit

Choosing the right legal structure is one

of the first and most important mattersyou will need to consider. Your choice willdepend on a number of factors, such asthe size and nature of your business, gen-eral tax considerations, the extent towhich you are willing to be exposed topersonal liability and the level of publicdisclosure of your business records.

Going solo

Individuals who wish to start a businessgenerally operate as sole traders orthrough limited companies.

Being a sole trader is probably the sim-plest way to start a business. You can starttrading immediately but you will need tonotify the tax authorities in the UK (HMRC)of your self-employed status within 3months of trading. If you intend to work inthe UK whilst having tax liabilities or filing

obligations in another country you willneed to take specialist tax advice.

Whatever structure you adopt you shouldbear in mind that you may need to obtainauthority from certain regulatory bodiesand/or take out industry-specific insur-ance depending on the type of businessyou intend to operate and you should re-member that UK regulatory requirementsmay differ from those of other jurisdic-tions.

Alternatively you can set up a private lim-ited company. If you supply goods andservices, this is likely to be the most ac-ceptable structure to your customers andsuppliers. A private limited company canbe set up, owned and operated by just oneindividual (acting as both shareholder anddirector). Setting up a company in the UK

Legal Tips for starting a business in the UKBy Tom Dugdale and Claire Martin, McGuireWoods London LLP

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 45

is quick and straightforward and can bedone with as little capital as £1.

A shareholder of a company bears no per-sonal liability for the company’s debts. Hisliability to the company is limited to theamount payable on shares he holds whichhave not been fully paid for.

A company director, on the other hand, isexposed to potentially higher levels of per-sonal liability. Directors have specific du-ties imposed on them, which have recentlybeen enshrined in the Companies Act2006. Anyone thinking of becoming a di-rector should be fully aware of these du-ties as breaches can lead to both civil andcriminal liability. One duty of particularrelevance in this economic climate is thatowed to a company’s creditors. If a direc-tor allows a company to continue tradingwhen he should have known there wasno reasonable prospect of it avoiding in-solvency, he could become liable to con-tribute to the assets of the company onliquidation. There is obviously a fine lineto be drawn as to when a director shouldstop trading and it is therefore importantfor him to seek accounting and legal ad-vice as soon as his company gets into fi-nancial difficulty.

Teaming up with others

By setting up with others you can sharepotential liability and pool resources.However, there are also risks involvedwhich you will need to consider carefully.

A private limited company is one optionand the points discussed above will alsoapply to companies with multiple share-holders and directors.

A partnership is another option. In fact,anyone who carries on a profit-makingbusiness with at least one other personmay, in law, already be trading as a part-nership without realising it. A partnershipis not a separate legal entity and eachpartner is personally liable for all itsdebts. Neither a partnership nor its part-ners are required publicly to disclose theiraccounts (unlike companies) and so it is

possible to keep the financial affairs of apartnership fairly confidential.

Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) werecreated in 2001 in a bid to limit partners’personal exposure. An LLP is a separatelegal entity and provides that you are onlyliable up to the amount of capital you haveput into the business. The annual ac-counts of an LLP are filed at CompaniesHouse and are a matter of public record.Just as important as deciding whichstructure to adopt is to think through yourworking relationship with your businesspartners (whether partners in a partner-ship or fellow shareholders) and estab-lishing how the business will be run. Makesure your relationship is recorded in writ-ing to avoid any future problems espe-cially if your respective levels of involve-ment (in terms of time and financial

contribution) are unequal. Entering into apartnership agreement or a sharehold-ers’ agreement (as the case may be) isstrongly advisable. It is common at thebeginning of any blossoming business re-lationship that people fail to consider theimplications of falling out with each otherand therefore do not have their relation-ship properly documented. However, thereality is that business relationships oftendo turn sour and so it is imperative thereis legal documentation in place at the out-set to protect all parties involved.

Looking to expand into the UK market?

Aside from the option of incorporating awholly owned subsidiary in theUK, an over-seas companymay register itself in the UKto operate as a branch. A branch operatesunder the authority of the company’s head-quarters and is not itself a separate legalentity. In the event of financial difficultiesthe overseas company has unlimited liabil-ity for the debts of its branch office.

Alternatively you could seek a joint partnerand set up a joint venture (JV) with them.This could be an option if a foreign com-pany wants to enter the UK market buthas limited knowledge of it and so teamsup with a UK business with local expert-ise. JVs can either be contractual in na-ture or take the form of shareholdings ina JV company. Otherwise, acquiring anexisting UK business (with its currentmanagement) may also be a viable solu-tion which would surmount the problem ofhaving limited local knowledge of the UKmarket.

Getting started

Seeking financial and legal advice early,particularly in relation to the tax treat-ment of the business structure to be cho-sen, is key and will then enable you to fo-cus your resources on researching yourpotential market and preparing the finan-cials. You can change your legal structureshould your business circumstanceschange but this may be expensive toachieve.

In this global recession the UK businessenvironment is evolving rapidly. One re-cent major change came in the Chancel-lor’s 2009 budget in March. Although cor-poration tax rates remain unaltered, thetop rate of individual income tax is in-creasing from 40% to 50% (from April2010) for anyone earning over £150,000per annum. This will obviously have a di-rect effect on all high earning sole tradersand partners. Company directors who areshareholders may be able to mitigate theimpact of this, subject to anti-avoidancerules, by taking out more money by way ofdividend instead of salary. This will not bethe last major change, so be prepared toadapt your business plan as best you can.

Good luck!

*This ranking is taken from the 2009 edition ofThe Economist‘s “Pocket World in Figures”.

Scan Business | International Services | Legal Tips

“Business relationships oftenturn sour... it is imperativethere is legal documentationto protect all parties involved”

46 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Business | Update | Swedish Chamber of Commerce

In hard times, friends become evenmoreimportant. The same applies to business.Personal relationships and contacts be-come more valuable when walls arefalling down around you. Knowing this,the Swedish Chamber of Commerce forthe UK raised its profile in 2009 to makesure it offered what its members neededin the tough climate.

“For us it is all about facilitating businessopportunities and contacts and raisingawareness and improving the image ofSwedish business in the United Kingdom,”says Annika Wahlberg, Managing Directorof the Swedish Chamber of Commercefor the UK. “We saw an increased interestin attending our events last year, which ispositive, and this in a year when we hosteda record number of events, well over sixtyin total.” Today the Swedish Chamber ofCommerce for the UK is one of the, if notthe most active foreign Chambers in thecountry. “I believe business facilitating be-comes vastly more important for foreignbusinesses reaching outside their comfortzones,” Annika Wahlberg says. “Nordicbusinesses in the UK naturally requiremore help with door openings, sharing

experiences and information than theywould do at home.”

Annika Wahlberg points out that protec-tionism never has been and never will bea Scandinavian trait; the Scandinaviancountries are all small and export depen-dant economies and have for decades, ifnot centuries, realised the benefits of freetrade. “London is full of networks. AChamber of Commerce is just one ofmany networks – there is an endless mar-ket out there, as niche as you want themto be. The Swedish Chamber of Com-merce is an inclusive network, includingSwedish, as well as Nordic, British and in-ternational companies from all industriesand sectors, interested in the trade be-tween our two countries.”

Promoting Sweden is often an easy task –but sometimes it is difficult to make yourvoice heard in the jungle that is the Lon-don business world. “Everyday we see thebenefits of being Swedish and Scandina-vian. The brand is perhaps vague some-times, but most connotations are posi-tive. As a businessperson you usually donot have to deal with prejudice.” But join-

ing forces with other Swedish organisa-tions and companies enables single voicesto sing in greater unity. “Together we canopenmore doors and produce an image ofSweden which is stronger and which willbenefit all stakeholders.”

She thinks the best way of promotingSweden is by being modern, and theChamber tries its best. “It is about findingnew ways of working, staying active andreactive, covering new industries andmaking sure we are not lagging behindbut are one step ahead. The SwedishChamber might be 104 years old, but it isfull of energy,” she claims.

Key facts:

- Founded in 1906- Bo Lerenius, CBE is Chairman- Based at the Swedish Embassy- Around 400 member companies- Hosting around 60 events per year- Three regional Chapters inBirmingham, Manchester andImmingham

Knowing people makes business easierText and photo by SCC

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 47

While other businesses are still sufferingfrom the recession, Steen Rosenfalck,Managing Partner, Solicitor and Advokat atthe firm, saw the opportunity to expand.

“We have doubled the number of partnersin the firm, added a Dutch desk to ourEuropean capability and opened offices inNew York and Norwich,” says Rosenfalck.

Most recently the firm added three newlawyers: Nicholas Boucher, LitigationConsultant, Sarah Staines, IP Consultant,and Claus Andersen, Associate Solicitorand Advokat, specialising in CommercialLaw. Furthermore, the firm’s strategy is toincrease to 40 fee earners in the nextthree years (currently it has 7 partnersand 14 associates).

Bridging the gap between the UK andEurope

Miller Rosenfalck was established eightyears ago, aiming at providing the bestadvice for international clients in the An-glo-Danish market. “Senior Partner Stu-

art Miller and I knew each other from ourprevious firm Osborne Clarke. Stuart hadbeen working in the Frankfurt office andwe believed there was an opportunity tocreate a firm that could bridge the gap be-tween the UK and Europe under the sameroof. Whilst we are boutique in the senseof size we have always been cross-borderin our approach and reach,” Rosenfalcknotes.

Now, more than 70 per cent of the firm’sclients come from overseas – roughly onethird from Scandinavia, one third fromGermany, the Low Countries and the US,one third from France and Italy. This hasbecome a significant part of the business.“Most of our lawyers are dually qualifiedand the firm is multilingual. The man-

agement and service delivery model isstructured through specialist ‘countrydesks’ delivering legal advice cross-bor-der in our clients’ mother tongues,” saysRosenfalck. “This saves time and cost forthe client and ensures clarity and inte-grated advice.”“We know where they are coming from,and can tap into their mindset,” Claus An-dersen, the newly joined lawyer adds.

A bright future

According to Rosenfalck the future looksbright for the firm. “I am not sure that wehave seen the last of the recession yet.Having said this, we were not badly hit byit due to good fortune and careful plan-ning,” he says.

“We have been fortunate to be able touse the current climate to strategicallyrecruit high quality lawyers to support ourgrowth and to be ready for the generalglobal market upturn, even if it is grad-ual,” he adds.

Miller Rosenfalck – The future looks brightDespite challengingmarket conditions, profitability and turnover were up 20 per cent last year for European businesslawyers Miller Rosenfalck. By Jonna Dagliden | Photo: Yiannis Katsaris

Scan Business | Update | Miller Rosenfalck

“Most of our lawyers aredually qualified and thefirm is multilingual”

The firm’s three new lawyers from left: Claus Andersen, Nicholas Boucher and Sarah Staines.

Scan Business | Profile | SEEC

“Paris today, Beijing tomorrow. It’s reassuring

to know that my assets are in good hands

no matter where my career takes me next.”

Lisa, 37, CEO, International Private Banking client

International Private Banking is a service for clients with high income or wealth, who have chosen to live outside the Nordic countries. You and your family are assigned an Executive Wealth Manager – a financial specialist – who can guide you on your overall private finances.

Your Executive Wealth Manager is available for meetings outside normal opening hours and can draw upon experts within the Group or our network of external specialists on areas such as domiciliation, insurances and audit.

We can tailor solutions to bridge your worlds, wherever you are. We call this solutions beyond the ordinary.

To become an International Private Banking client, visit our web site www.danskebank.lu or call us in Luxembourg at telephone +352 46 12 751.

Needs beyond the ordinary?

If you care about the environment andthe legacy you leave behind for cominggenerations, the Scandinavian Energy Ef-ficiency Company’s (SEEC) intelligentlydesigned technology to store and re-useenergy should be of interest.

With Energy Store, large consumers ofenergy such as offices, sport centres andshopping malls, can save the summerheat and use it during the winter.

The Sweden-based company founded in2006, is currently using this innovativemethod to re-use energy in the town ofKatrineholm. Here, waste heat from ahandy rink is used to keep a football fieldwarmed and playable during the winter.And in a housing development in the northof Stockholm, Sigtuna, a new way of heat-ing is being introduced. During summer,

heat from the sun will be collected andtransferred to Energy Store. In the winter,this energy will be used to heat the 32apartments. We talked to SEEC’s Manag-ing Director, Jan Thorburn, about the ex-citing new technology.

What is your competitive edge?

SEEC energy systems solve the heatingand cooling needs of properties at signif-icantly lower cost than other providersand without environmental impact. The

energy system allows accumulating andstoring energy, for example waste andsurplus energy, solar power or cooling inorder to utilise this energy during the win-ter and/or summer season.

Who are your target customers?

Property owners, hotels, shopping cen-tres, hospitals, sports facilities, schools,airports, industries and construction com-panies in general. Both warmer andcolder climates will benefit from the En-ergy Store. In Northern Europe, for ex-ample, heat can be saved from the sum-mer, whereas in Southern Europe, it canbe used to save the cold of the winter touse for cooling in the summer.

SEEC – Save the summer’s heat for wintertimeBy Jonna Dagliden

For further information visit:www.seec.se

Snow-free football field in Katrineholm

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 49

Scan Business | News | Chambers of Commerce

The DUCC are Congratulating two mem-bers, e-conomic and Novo Nordisk, forwinning the prestigious UKTI-NordicBusiness Awards 2010. Novo won theaward for the company best demonstrat-ing a companywide commitment to CSR.e-conomic won the award for a “companyof any size that has established them-selves in the UK market and demon-strated outstanding results in their mar-ket sector.”

The Chamber is in 2010again co-organising DBAL– a business angel forumfor Danish Business Angelsand Business Angels ingeneral in the UK with aninterest in Danish Ventures.Jointly with The DanishEmbassy in London andKeystones from Denmark,5-6 companies at a time

pitch for private funding, e.g. growth cap-ital, development funding, project fund-ing etc. alternating between IT and Clean-tech ventures. In February, 6 Cleantechfirms pitched in front of 20 BAs. Next timeon 27 May IT firms will be pitching. The af-ternoon seminar is strictly for BAs andearly stage VCs, and those interestedshould get in touch with DUCC.

DUCC corporate members in general,

however, can apply to become a “dragon”for the morning’s dry-run – testing thepitching firms. From a cross section ofdisciplines like legal advice, finance,PR/communications, etc. a limited num-ber will be invited to join. If interestedplease get in touch for more information.

UPCOMING EVENTS

14 April Economic Update by ErikNielsen, Chief Economist,Goldman Sachs, Venue: RoyalDanish Embassy, London

16 April Young Professionals Party,Venue: Aura, London

22 April “How to Lead with a Brain”by Anette Prehn, Venue: Quag-lino's Restaurant, London

29 April Nordic Thursday Drinks, Venue:Scandinavian Kitchen, London

6 May Joint DUCC/DABGO UKNetwork Lounge, Leeds

Aberdeen Wednesday Drinks continues tobe a popular event for the Norwegian-British community in and around Ab-erdeen. The area has strong ties to Nor-way through the oil, gas and renewables

sectors in particular. Togetherwith NBCC there are strongnetworks being created at theseinformal gatherings wherebusiness cards, experiencesand ideas are exchanged. TheAberdeen Town and County Hallis opening its doors on 14 Aprilfor NBCC and our co-hostINTSOK.

Nordic Walking is a fast growingfitness activity. It is used by in-dividuals, personal trainers,health clubs, physiotherapists,doctors and health promoters

because it is effective and affordable as itcan be done by anybody, anywhere anddoes not require expensive equipment orclothing. All you need is poles which givean effective workout for the entire body

and is unique in that it provides benefitsfor everybody. NBCCmember Elin Sandalruns Norsk Nordic Walking and on 28April she will give us an introduction tothis great sport.

The informal meeting place for the Nordiccommunity in London is the monthlyThursday Drinks. Network and stock upon essential groceries and goodies at theScandinavian Kitchen on 29 April.

UPCOMING EVENTS

14 April Aberdeen Wednesday Drinks16 April Nordic YP Party at Aura28 April Nordic walking with Norsk

Nordic Walking29 April Nordic Thursday Drinks at

Scandinavian Kitchen

Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce

Danish-UK Chamber of Commerce

Danish-UK Chamber of Commerce | Phone: +44 (0) 20 7259 6795 | Email: [email protected] | www.ducc.co.uk

Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce | Phone: +44 (0) 20 7930 0181 | Email: [email protected] | www.nbccuk.com

e-conomic and Novo Nordisk. Photo: UK Trade & Investment

Photo: Magnus Arrevad

50 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Business | News | Chambers of Commerce

Spring time means busy season. TheSwedish Chamber of Commerce is offer-ing its Members the opportunity to ven-ture outdoors this season, introducing anew series of events - “Get to know yourcountry”. The series aims to introduceMembers to Anglo-Swedish culture andbusiness. In March, the Chamber intro-duced Swedish business culture withcommunications guru Colin Moon, a Britand Swedish resident since a few years

back. In April, we con-tinue with two events inthe new series, horseracing in Newbury andrugby in Richmond.

On 14 April, the Cham-ber will be hosting thefirst ever Swedish Pre-Election debate in Lon-don with representatives

from all the political parties currently rep-resented in the Swedish Parliament. Theevent, which is open to the public, will beheld at the Swedish Embassy and is agreat opportunity for Swedes in the UK tomeet politicians, to address their issuesand concerns and to get an insight into theupcoming elections in September.

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce forthe UK is one of the largest and most ac-

tive foreign Chambers in the UK, includingaround 400 Member companies and host-ing up to 60 events per year. For informa-tion on membership or the benefits ofjoining the network, please contact us on020 7224 8001 or visit our website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

14 April Swedish Pre-Election Debate16 April Horce Racing with Erik Penser

Bankaktiebolag16 April JCC Joint Nordic After Work at

Aura24 April Rugby Event with McGuire-

Woods12 May Industrial Forumwith Ola Rollén,

CEO and President, Hexagon26 May Networking Reception4 June Annual General Meeting

at The Landmark

Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK | Phone: +44 (0) 20 7224 8001 | Email: [email protected] | www.scc.org.uk

This spring has been very fascinating andeventful for the Finnish-British Chamberof Commerce. The Visit to the Houses ofParliament proved to be a huge success,with the tour taking us through Westmin-ster Hall, and a visit to both the House ofCommons and the House of Lords. Wealso had a chance to hear interestingspeeches from Sir Patrick Cormack, LordDavid Williamson and Gary Klaukka.

Although summer is already near, westill have plenty of great events to offer

We are proud to give our members theunique opportunity to attend the privateviewing of the Page1 exhibition on 14 April.It is the first in a series of exhibition proj-ects with the aim to promote cultural co-operation between British and Finnishcontemporary artists in London. The ex-hibition will show past and recent works

by British artists Paul Robinson and Gra-ham Carrick, as well as Finnish artistAnssi Sojakka. Come and view their spec-tacular works while enjoying refresh-ments.

As we all know, effective communicationis vital for all individuals and organiza-tions. Having already worked with clientssuch as Nokia, Finnair, HSBC and Bayer,Rough House Media and Think Feel Knowhave come together to give us the uniqueopportunity to gain an insight into how tocommunicate effectively with your clients,team and also the media. Don’t miss outon this seminar on 22 April!

We will be celebrating the traditionalFinnish May Day by hosting a Vappu Lunchat the Ambassador’s Residence on Friday30 April. The lunch program will include

entertainment as well as a delicious buf-fet sporting many traditional Finnishtreats.

UPCOMING EVENTS

14 April Private Viewing of Page1Exhibition

16 April Joint Nordic Party at AuraMayfair

22 April The Power of Communication27 April Economic Update29 April Nordic Thursday Networking

Drinks30 April Vappu Lunch at the

Ambassador’s Residence

Finnish-British Chamber of Commerce | Phone: +44 (0) 20 8741 6352 | Email: [email protected] | www.fbcc.co.uk

Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK

Finnish-British Chamber of Commerce

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 51

Scan Magazine | Directory

friendly, affordable, reliable service...Long established accountancy practice, servicing a wide range of UK, Spanish and Danish businesses and companies in a very personal and efficient manner.

Contact us and let us see how we can best help your company comply with your accountancy and taxation requirements. We speak your language!

Phone: 0844 800 4074 / 01621 855820Email: [email protected]: www.agcpa.co.uk

Address28 Arterberry Road

WimbledonLondon SW20 8AH

UK

Phone+44 (0)20 8947 6617/6627

Fax+44 (0)20 8944 7345

[email protected]

www.norwegianschool.org.uk

OPEN DAYSaturday 24th April 201010 a.m. - 2 p.m.

We welcome parents, pupils andother guests to our Open Day.

An independent English schoolwith a Norwegian Approach:

• Nursery school age 3-5• Primary and secondary schoolage 6-15

• Norwegian Curriculum

Committed staff offering adaptededucation in a safe environment.

The Norwegian Schoolin London

Founded in 1981

2

EyespecialistsEyelid surgeryCataract surgeryRetinal surgeryGlaucoma screening

Private appointments: 08-508 949 11 (8:30-12:00) Other times: 08-508 949 00

[email protected]

∙∙∙∙∙

The largest private eyeclinic in Sweden

Largs VikingFestival

www.largsvikingfestival.com

World ClassFamilyEntertainment

� Viking Village� Craft Fair� Farmers’ and Continental Markets� Pipe Bands and Highland Dancing� Largs Has Got Talent� Musical Events� Aerobatic display� Royal Navy Mine Hunter� Air Sea Rescue display� Viking Battle and Fireworks display

Treat the family and visitLargs for the 30th Largs Viking Festival

Saturday 28th August to Sunday 5th September

2

52 | Issue 17 | April 2010

London Oxford Airport has signed apartnership arrangement with Sky-ways of Sweden agreeing that the ex-panding UK airport will be connectedto the latter’s comprehensive IT net-work for passenger handling infra-structure and support services. The

airport will belinked with Sky-ways’ high-techairline handlingservices and oper-ations, known asDCS (DepartureControl Systems).

London Oxford Air-port duly becomes

a “virtual destination” on the Skywaysnetwork, with Stockholm-based Sky-ways operating Oxford’s DCS in thesame way that any of its Swedish air-ports handling scheduled and charterflights would.

The introduction of this DCS makes

for an optimal and efficient level of cus-tomer service for airlines using LondonOxford Airport. Passengers and theirbags can be checked in professionallyand speedily and customers can re-quest the seat of their choice.

Skyway is a full-service domesticand international airline based in Swe-den, serving 19 destinations with itsfleet of Fokker 50 turboprop aircraft.The airline is based at Stockholm’s Ar-landa International Airport and spe-cialises in high-frequency business-ori-ented services to regional areas ofSweden, as well as Denmark andLithuania.

Source: www.traveldailynews.com

Scan Magazine | News

The Norwegian Chamber of Commerceorganised the Nordea Economic Fore-cast 2010 with guest speaker ThinaSaltvedt, Seniormacro/oil analyst withEconomic Research and the GlobalCommodities Strategist at NordeaMarkets, Nordea. The event took placeat Nordea, London on 11 March.

“Oil prices are expected to rise and ac-celerate at the end of 2011 as the worldeconomy gradually strengthens and theoil fundamental balance tightens. De-mand for oil is sensitive to global eco-nomic cycles. Economies are graduallyrecovering and industrial production ispicking up pace. Robust growth in oil-in-tensive emerging economies is expectedto be a key driver of oil demand especiallyin countries with large populations suchas China and India,” said Thina Saltvedt.As oil demand now gradually recovers,

the market will soon shift its focus backto a world that is running out of accessi-ble oil and rapidly falling production at6.4% per year from oldmature oil fields.

Huge investments are necessary just tooffset losses from steep production fallssuch as the North Sea, Alaska, theMex-ican Cantarell field and West Siberia inRussia. Increasing investments are alsoneeded to expand capacity to meet theworld’s growing need for energy. Highcosts, the financial crisis and global re-cession have put adequate investmentsin new capacity at risk.

Tax revenues from the productioncompanies have been of major impor-tance to secure the development of thewelfare states in Norway and the UK. Oilproduction peaked in both countriesaround the turn of the new millennium;huge investments are need in both coun-tries to slow down the steep decline in oilproduction over the recent years. In theUK, politicians have suggested meas-ures to be taken to boost investment inthe oil and gas sector in the UK.

SCAN NEWS Edited by Emelie Krugly

If you have a news story for Scan Magazine you can contact our news desk at [email protected]

Thina Saltvedt: “All eyes soon back on capacity constraints”

ThinaSa

ltvedt

London Oxford Airport partners with Skyways of Sweden

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 53

It’s a special year for the UlrikaEleonora Swedish church in Londonwhich, based in a beautiful building onHarcourt Street, welcomes 130,000 vis-itors every year; it is 300 years sincethe Assembly's formation in 1710 .

The anniversary will be celebrated withvarious events at a number of occasionsduring the year, with a highlight weekendfrom May 7-9. On Friday 7 there will beEvensong at St Paul's Cathedral at 5 pm;this is a common prayer which opens thefestivities andBishop Antje Jackelén fromLund has been invited to preach. “We cel-ebrate that we are linked through thelarge network of the worldwide church,”explains Rector Michael Persson.

Historic importance

On Saturday, May 8, there will be a Gar-den Party for the whole family in Ful-

ham Palace featuring musical enter-tainment by Sven Bertil Taube, The RealGroup, Johan Hugosson and theSwedish band Molotov Jive.

There will also be an historical exhi-bition organized by Chaplain GöranCapron Lundqvist, summarizing thechurch’s history.

“During the Napoleonic wars, whichcaused a major financial crisis, thechurch played an important role in thecommunity and the church’s capacity wasat maximum,” remarks Chaplain Göran.

The exhibition will then move toHarcourt Street and will be open to thepublic until 31 October.

Like a fine tapestry

On Sunday 9 May at 11 a.m. there will bea Jubilee Mass at the Ulrika EleonoraChurch. The Bishop of Visby and theInternational Church, Dr. Lennart Kosk-inen, will preach followed by a church-mingle. Rector Michael Persson em-phasises the importance of the church’snetwork and likens it to a tapestry.

“A network requires threads to runboth ways much like a fine tapestry. In300 years, the Swedish Church had tobe a fabric, the warp and weft wherepeople could meet in life within all theplots, especially when something mo-mentous happens”.

Ambassador Jaakko Laajava’sfarewell to BritainAfter five years of service as the Ambas-sador of Finland to the UK, Jaakko Laajavareturns to Helsinki at the end of March.His successor will be Pekka Huhtaniemi.

Laajava, who entered theMinistry for Foreign Affairs in 1971,returns to Helsinki as Under-Secretary of State for Foreignand Security Policy - a position he held from 2001 to 2005 be-fore coming to London. When leaving his office, Laajavawished his successor best of luck and said:

“Britain is a most fascinating, pleasant and accomodat-ing country and one that has plenty to teach you. Globalthinking and internationalism are part of the DNA of this na-tion which has knowledge and know-how on everythingyou can possibly imagine.” Laajava also stressed that de-spite obvious differences, bilateral relations between Fin-land and the UK are excellent. “I prefer to look beyond fig-ures and underscore the excellent interaction on variouslevels and between diverse actors. Finland’s perception ofthe significance of the European Union doubtless differsgreatly from that of Britain, nonetheless, we do have muchin common. We are open economies and believe that ever-increasing international interaction will generate wellbeing”Source: www.finemb.org.uk

Scan Magazine | News

The Swedish Church turns 300

Swedish pre-election debate

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in theUKwill arrange the first ever Swedish pre-election debate with all parliamentaryparties represented in London.

“London and the UK contain Sweden's biggest Swedishcommunity outside the Nordic regions and I would not besurprised if London was one of Sweden's major cities today,making an election debate on-site both interesting andneeded,” says Annika Wahlberg, MD, Swedish Chamber ofCommerce in Great Britain.

All seven parliamentary parties have been invited and allhave provisionally confirmed participation in the debate.Confirmed names so far are Urban Ahlin, a spokesman onforeign affairs (S), Agneta Börjesson (MP), Anders Flanking,party secretary (C), Maria Larsson, Vice President and Sen-ior Citizens and Public Health (KD), Johan Pehrson, groupleader in parliament (Liberal Party ), Per Schlingmann,party secretary (M) and Alice Aberg, vice president andgroup leader in parliament (V).

The Election Debate will be held in the Alströmer Hall atthe Swedish Embassy on 14. April 2010.

Source: Swedish Chamber of Commerce ww.scc.org.uk.

Jaakko Laajava

Photo: Emma Wieslander

GothenburgEngelbrektsgatan 32+46 031 711 61 20

MalmöGustav Adolfs Torg 43+46 040 611 39 00

www.dermakliniken.se

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 55

Scan Magazine | Sport | 2010 Winter Olympics

After a fantastic Olympic games in Van-couver, we give you a brief summary ofthe success of the Scandinavian coun-tries.

Norway achieved the 4th largest numberof gold medals. They sent 99 competitors,winning 9 gold medals in total:• Marit Bjørgen – Cross-country skiingWomen's sprint

• Tora Berger – Biathlon Women's indi-vidual

• Emil Hegle Svendsen – Biathlon Men'sindividual

• Aksel Lund Svindal – Alpine skiingMen's Super-G

• Marit Bjørgen Cross – Country skiingWomen's 15 km pursuit

• Øystein Pettersen, Petter Northug –Cross-country skiing Men's team sprint

• Vibeke Skofterud, Therese Johaug,Kristin Størmer Steira, Marit Bjørgen –

Cross-country skiing Women's 4 x 5kilometre relay.

• Halvard Hanevold, Tarjei Bø, Emil HegleSvendsen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen –Biathlon Men's relay.

• Petter Northug – Cross-country skiingMen's 50 kilometre.

In total Norway won 23 gold, silver andbronze medals.

With five golds, Sweden was also amongstthe top ten gold medal winners and won atotal of 11 medals. The following Swedishathletes won gold medals at the games:• Charlotte Kalla – Cross-country skiing,Women's 10 kilometre freestyle,

• Björn Ferry – Biathlon, Men's pursuit,• Marcus Hellner – Cross-country skiing,Men's 30 kilometre pursuit,

• Marcus Hellner, Johan Olsson, DanielRickardsson, Anders Södergren –

Cross-country skiing, Men's 4 x 10 kilo-metre relay,

• Kajsa Bergström, Anna Le Moine,Cathrine Lindahl, Eva Lund, Anette Nor-berg became the first curlers to win twogold medals at the Olympic Games.

Finland’s one and only Silver medal wentto Peetu Piiroinen for the SnowboardingMen's halfpipe. The Finns also achievedfour bronze medals.

Denmark left the competition without anymedals; the highest result came in thewomen's curling, where the Danish teamfinished 5th.

All in all, 958 medals were handed out toathletes from 87 countries, the mostmedals and medal recipients in Olympichistory. Russia will be the next host nationfor the Winter Games at Sochi in 2014.

2010 Winter Olympics:Nordic gold shines in the top ten By Emelie Krugly

56 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Magazine | Culture | The International Outsider Art Biennale

The Studio is called Inuti and was estab-lished in 1996 following an exhibition fordisabled artists, held at Liljevalchs kon-sthall, the distinguished contemporary artmuseum in Stockholm. The name Inuti(drawn from the Swedish words for‘within’ and ‘outside’) was inspired byDavid Ström, one of the artists exhibitingat Liljevalchs. He explained that a picturewas formed within him but that he neededan outward means of expressing it. TheInuti studio gives artists this means: aprofessional milieu in which to producetheir art and develop their creative poten-tial. The Swedish state supports the proj-ect and the artists are given a smallsalary.

Deserved recognition

Between September and November 2009,the Rackstad museum in Arvika held the

‘International Outsider Art Biennale’. Thisexhibition allowed artists with learningdisabilities to exhibit their work in a pub-lic gallery, giving them an opportunity tomeet art lovers and collectors and stimu-lating new possibilities in the field.

Momoko Takamatsu, one of the artistsfrom Inuti whose work was exhibited atthe Rackstad museum, currently has herown exhibition of royal portraits on displayat the Royal Armoury in Stockholm.These acutely observed, sensitive and oc-casionally amusing portraits have re-ceived considerable publicity in Swedenand given Takamatsu the national recog-nition that she deserves.

Coming to the UK

Roughly a third of the artists shown in theArvika exhibition will have their work ex-

hibited at an exhibition in Project Ability’sgallery in Glasgow opening on 10 April.This exhibition will include the work ofartists from seventeen different Europeancountries including Sweden, Denmarkand Finland and will be the first time thattheir work is shown in the UK. ProjectAbility is a visual arts organisation whichsupports people with disabilities andmental health issues enabling them toexpress themselves artistically. The In-ternational Outsider Art Biennale is a fan-tastic opportunity for talented artists fromall over Europe to showcase their work.

The International Outsider Art Biennalewill be shown at Project Ability, Glasgowfrom 10 April to 22 May 2010.

The International Outsider Art BiennaleOn the island of Lilla Essingen in Stockholm, on the edge of the waterfront, lies an artists’ studio with tall, generouswindows where on a sunny day, the light comes flooding into the spacious, white-painted rooms. In this studio, about40 artists come to work everyday; they all have some form of learning disability and for the first time their work isto be shown in the UK. By Christina Sanderson

Right: Queen Desideria by Momoko Takamatsu. Middle: Inuti Studio in Lilla Essingen and Frederik Jansson at work. Left: Kor by Frederik Jansson

Issue 17 | April 2010 | 57

Scan Magazine | Culture | Highlights

Art project Page 1 will show the worksof Finnish artist Anssi Sojakka and hisBristish colleagues Paul Robinson andGrahamCarrick at the Egerton GardenMews in Knightsbridge in London untilApril 25.

The project is the first in a series of ex-hibitions which aim to promote cultural

cooperation among British and Nordicartists living in London.

“Page 1 is a project that will show col-laborations between British and Nordicartists and it will also be a way of show-ing how Nordic artists interact withBritish culture,” says organiser DanielaBianco.

The artists’ approachto painting is radicallydifferent in techniqueand colour, but they allhave an unusual sensi-bility in how to capturethe emotions of every-day life.

“The artists haveworked closely to-gether in their northLondon studio, so theirinspriation comes fromthe same environment,

but their art is still very different,” saysBianco.

Sojakka, Robinson and Carrick have allhad their work exhibited at variousplaces all over the world. Their art dealwith critical issues relating to the every-day, the environment and evolution.

“It is not just the Nordic and British con-nection that is a significant part of theproject, but also how sharing the samespace and working so closely togetheraffects the artists’ work,” says Bianco.

The exhibition will be accompanied by apublication with foreword by therenowned British artist Martin Maloney.

Egerton Gardens MewsKnightsbridgeLondonSW3 2EH

Visit www.thepage.co.uk

Next month songbirds from all overEurope will gather in Oslo for the 2010Eurovision Song Contest. The competi-tion starts on the 25 May and will, astradition bids it, be packed with musi-cal talents and catchy songs.

The winners from the Nordic countrieshave all been announced and at ScanMagazine we are of course hoping thatnext year’s competition will also takeplace within Scandinavian boarders.

The Danish duo Chanée & N’evergreenactually provides hope for two nations,as their beautifully performed song “In amoment like this” is written by aSwedish songwriting team. Sweden’sown contestant will be the guitar playingAnna Bergendahl who will be singingher melancholic song “This is my life”.

In Norway, heartthrobDidrik Solli-Tangenwon the majority of thevotes and he will per-form his mellow lovesong song “My heart isyours”. The first placeof the Finnish final wassnatched by the femalefolk duo Kuunkuiskaa-jat (Moonwhisperers).Its members Susan Aho and JohannaVirtanen will sing “Työlki ellää”, a songinfluenced by Roma music.

As always, there will doubtless also beplenty of artists more entertaining thantalented. But perhaps this year's con-test will bring us a new ABBA or JulioIglesias who were both previous con-testants in the competition.

The first semi-final takes place on the25 May, the second on the 27 May andthe grand finale on the 29 May.

If you want to keep yourself updated onwhat is happening in the EurovisionSong Contest world visit www.eurovi-sion.tv

Finnish and British art side by side in Page 1 By Sara Schedin

Scandinavia – “dix points” By Sara Schedin

Abigail’s Bike by Anssi Sojakka

Chanee & N’evergreen. Photo: Bjarne Hermansen/DR

58 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Magazine | Culture | Music

Sweden has onlyjust calmed downafter six weeks of acollossalmedia cir-cus. Constant tele-vision, radio, andpress coverage has

resumed normality, and everyone isgetting on with their lives again. So whatwas this huge event? The WinterOlympics? No. The impending weddingof Crown Princess Victoria? No. It wasthe annual Melodifestivalen madness!

Dominating the playlists

Despite it being a contest to find a songthat will go on to represent Sweden atthe Eurovision Song Contest, theSwedes care far more about Melodifes-tivalen than they do about Eurovision.The final is always the highest rated tel-evision show of the year, with the fivequalifying heats all featuring in the topten, and above the Eurovision Song Con-test broadcast itself. From the momentthe list of song titles and song com-posers is revealed in October, themedia

work themselves into a frenzy trying toguess who the artists are. Then, whenthe artists are revealed, they are writtenabout and interviewed until the showfinishes in mid-March. Constantly! Andthen of course you have the songs them-selves. This year, in the week that theMelodifestivalen songs were releasedfor sale, fourteen places in the Swedishtop twenty singles chart were occupiedby songs from the contest. And themorepopular ones will dominate radioplaylists for the next few months.

Cheesy schlager music?

Of course, any phenomenon that com-mercial will have its detractors too.Many Swedes I spoke to simply abhorthe show, and are tired of the strong-hold it has on the country for twomonths. They say that they hate thecheesy and formulaic schlager musicthat the contest champions. EvenStockholm's largest gay club, Paradise,has a “no schlager” rule on Saturdays.It would seem that SVT are all too awareof the negativity towards Melodifesti-

valen, and this year's line-up of thirty-two songs has been noticeably more di-verse, with a dramatic reduction in thenumber of 'pure' schlager songs (this inturn, has provoked outcry from thelongterm fans of the contest, but youcannot please everyone!). As a result,the winner this year is Anna Bergen-dahl, with the song “This Is My Life”. Agirl with a guitar, singing a slow, mean-ingful song, with no gimmicks. It's thefirst time the winner of Melodifestivalenhas been a ballad in over ten years,since 1998. It's already gone to numberone in the Swedish charts, and is widelyexpected to give the country a great re-sult at the Eurovision Song Contest inOslo in May. Once again, a nation adoresMelodifestivalen!

Scandinavian Music – Eurovision Special By Karl Batterbee

[email protected]

In this month’s special music column, scandipop fanatic KarlBatterbee takes a close look at the Melodifestival madness,which takes over Sweden every year.

Danish band Efterklang will be playingat the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in Lon-don on April 21.

The indie rock/pop group released theirthird album “Magic Chairs” in February2010 and will be touring throughout Eu-rope this spring.

Efterklang, which has just finished theirUSA tour, was formed in December2000. The band consists of Mads

Brauer, Casper Clausen,Rasmus Stolberg andThomas Husmer but havea predilection for invitingguest musicians to bothconcerts and albums; on their secondalbum “Parades” they had as many as30 different artists working with them.

The band is also playing in severalScandinavian cities during April as wellas Oxford, Brighton, Edinburgh, Belfast

and Bristol. Tickets at Shepherds Bushare £15.

Efterklang. Photo: Rasmus Weng Karlsen

For more information visitwww.efterklang.net

Anna Bergendahl. Photo: Mats Oscarsson

Efterklang at theShepherd’s Bush Empire By Sara Schedin

Let Stena Line help you take the strain out of driving to Scandinavia. With a choice of short routes with frequent crossings and longer routes withovernight journeys we can help to make your journey more relaxing and convenient

Onboard our ships you will find a range of facilities all designed to make yourcrossing as comfortable as possible. Remember to book early for our best fares.

Welcome onboard!

www.stenaline.co.uk or call 08705 70 70 70

60 | Issue 17 | April 2010

Scan Magazine | Culture | Calendar

April

Cake Shop by Nastja Rönkkö(until 18 April)The exhibition Cake Shop by the Finnishartist Nastja Rönkkö is now on at theTransition Gallery in London. Rönkkö’s

paintings, texts and performances areborn from an aspiration to investigate theimagery of personal desire and its rela-tionship to the materiality of paint. Shegraduated from Central Saint Martin’sCollege in 2008 and is currently doing herAHRC-funded MFA at the Slade School ofFine Art. Transition Gallery, Unit 25a (sec-ond floor) Regent Studios, 8 Andrew’sRoad, London E8 4QN. Visit www.transi-tiongallery.co.uk

Norwegian design at the DesignMuseum(until 6 June)A ski helmet, a voting booth and a deep-water sensor, all Norwegian designs, havebeen nominated for the Brit InsuranceDesign Awards and are currently beingexhibited at the Design Museum in Lon-

don. Design Museum, Shad Thames,London SE1 2YD. Opening hours: 10am-5.45pm daily. Visit www.designmu-seum.org

Celebrating Queen Margrethe II's birth-day at the Danish club (16 April)The Danish club is celebrating QueenMargrethe II's birthday in style with ablack tie, champagne reception dinnerand dance. To book contact Helle [email protected]. The DanishClub,40 Dover Street,London, W1S 4NP.

Pianist Antti Siirala in Birmingham andWolverhampton (21 April & 22 April)The acclaimed Finnish pianist Antti Siiralaand conductor Karl-Heinz Steffens will beperforming music by Schumann and

Northern light in East LondonBy Sara Schedin

A group of Norwegian art and design students will be exhibitingtheir work at the annual Norwegian Student Organization forStudents Abroad (ANSA) exhibition at the Maverik Showroom inEast London between April 28 and May 1.

The theme of the exhibition is “Northern Light”, which is stronglyassociated with Norway and normally occurs in the north of thecountry during the darkest months of winter.

At the exhibition, all light will be blocked out of the galleryroom and the walls will be lit up with moving images of differenttypes of northern light. Small islands will be created on the floorwith a lamp next to each artist's work.

Last year the exhibition was a success with around 1,000visitors the first day and 200 on each of the following days.

Visit www.maverikshowroom.com

Close up with the Vikings at LargsViking Festival By Signe Hansen

The history of Scandinavians’long bearded and horn cladancestors is one of impressivenaval achievements, mythicalceremonies and of courseviolent battles.The world famous Largs VikingFestival commemorates all this,but in particular the Battle ofLargs in which the NorwegianVikings led by King Haakon IVfought the Scottish King in 1263.

During the eight day festival, various events, such as battle re-enactments, take place. But the main attraction is, says festivalSecretary Grahame M. Ross, the Viking village. ”The village isopen all eight days and will be inhabited by Viking re-enactorsfrom Scandinavia, Scotland, Wales and many other places. Theylive and act just as they did in the 13th century; it is like a secondlife to them,” he explains.

The festival will be opened by the Scottish BBC TV presenterSally Magnusson, daughter of Icelandic Magnus Magnusson whotook part in the festivals from their start back in 1980. Otherprominent guests include the Scottish Minister of Culture, andthe Norwegian Ambassador.

The 2010 Festival will run from 28 August to 5 September; formore information visit www.largsvikingfestival.com

Scandinavian Culture Calendar– Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here! By Sara Schedin

Cake (Oil Paint on Cardboard) by Nastja Rönkkö

By Anna Stockland By Kim Andre Larsen

Photo: Grahame M. Ross


Mozart. Siirala, who began his career atthe age of seven, has worked with majororchestras throughout Europe and theUnited States. The concert inBirminghamwill be held at the SymphonyHall on 21 April and in WolverhamptonCivic Hall on April 22. For moreinformation visit www.cbso.co.uk orwww.wolvescivic.co.uk

DJ Moni Aksdal at the Mass Nightclub(24 April)Norwegian DJ Moni Aksdal will be hostingthe club event ”Solidkiss” at Mass Night-club in London on 24 April. They will bepresenting some fresh summer releasesfrom the Axis Trax record label as part ofan Ibiza warm up party and Aksdal andher production team Bluebeat will beshowcasing their new track ”Divine”.Mass Nightclub, St Matthew's Church,Brixton Hill, London SW2 1JFFor more info visit www.solidkiss.com

Hamlet Goes Business at the LiverpoolNordic Cinema (26 April)Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki'ssatire of the corporate world will be shownat the Liverpool Nordic Cinema at 7.45 onApril 26. Tel 0151 709 7763. LiNC, Scandi-navian Seaman’s Church, 138 Park Lane,Liverpool L1 8HG.www.nordicliverpool.co.uk

Alphabeat at Koko (28 April)Danish band Alphabeat play at Koko inCamden Town at the end of the month to

promote their new album ”The beat is...”.They will be touring the UK in April. Visitwww.myspace.com/thisisalphabeat

AlphabeatMoni Aksdal

62 | Issue 17 | April 2010


Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes at the Barbican(29 April)The internationally acclaimed Norwegianpianist Leif Ove Andsnes will be the soloistin Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4with the London Symphony Orchestra andconductor Antonio Pappano. Andsnes is aprofessor at the Norwegian Academy ofMusic in Oslo and a Visiting Professor atthe Royal Music Conservatory of Copen-hagen. Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre,Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. Visitwww.barbican.org.uk

John Storgårds conducts the ScottishChamber Orchestra (6 & 7 May)Finnish conductor John Storgårds and the

Scottish Chamber Orcheswill be per-forming music by Brahms and Schumannin Edinburgh and Glasgow in May. Schu-mann's Mass is one of his very last com-positions and would have been lost foreverif Brahms had not convinced Schumann's

wife Clara it should be published. Theconcerts will be held at the Queen's Hallin Edinburgh on 6 May and at the GlasgowCity Halls on 7 May.Visit www.thequeenshall.net orwww.glasgowconcerthalls.com

John Storgårds conducts the BBC Na-tional Orchestra of Wales (12 May)A concert with John Storgårds and theBBC National Orchestra of Wales at theBBC Hoddinot Hall in Cardiff. They willperform music by Nielsen, Vieuxtempsand Hoddinot. Tel 0800 052 1812. BBCHoddinot Hall, Wales Millennium Centre,Bute Place, Cardiff.Visit www.bbc.co.uk/wales

Lars DavidssonConsultant Psychiatrist

MRCPsych, FRSM, MEWI

Consultations inEnglish, Swedish and German

ANGLO EUROPEAN CLINIC

Suite 47 Harley StreetLondonW1G 9QY

Tel: 0044(0)1702 440532 (NHS)Tel: 0044(0)7969 181936

Email: [email protected]

Igeldammsgatan 16 | S-112 49 STOCKHOLMPhone 46-(0)703559355 | E: [email protected]

willma.seThe perfect shop for all swedish expats

CrownprincessWedding

June 2010

3

AURÉN & COChartered Accountant & Chartered

Tax Adviser

Please contact Johan Aurén for a freeconsultation if you need assistance with:• Personal tax affairs and filing of tax returns

• Annual company accounts• Corporate tax returns

Johan is a Swedish speaking expert on theUK ‘’non-dom’’ tax rules and there will

therefore be no need to have your Swedishinkomstdeklaration or any other keydocuments translated into English.

Please contact Johan for a freeno obligation consultation.

T: +44 (0)20 8458 4468 | M: +44 (0)796 2235 834E: [email protected] | www.auren.co.uk

839a Finchley Road

JohnStorgårds. Photo: Marco Borggreve

Scan Magazine | Subscribe

Subscribe to Scan Magazine

Sign up to a year’s subscription and you willreceive Scan Magazine through your letterboxevery month.

The price for 11 issues is £30 + 17.5% VAT. Total £35.25(Outside UK £60 + 17.5%VAT. Total £70.50)

Name:

Address:

Postcode Country

Phone Email

Occupation Nationality Age (optional)

Tick here if you do not wish to receive the monthly Scan Magazine email newsletter.

Return with payment by cheque to: Scan Magazine, 53A Clapham High Street, London SW4 7TGor pay online at www.scanmagazine.co.uk/subscribe

Only

£3525for 11 Issues

no limitsin celebrations

Bournemouth 01202 587744 · Glasgow 0141 341 4920 · Tottenham Court Road London 020 7388 2447 · Selfridges London 020 7318 3101

Harrods London 020 7225 6586 · Notting Hill London 020 7792 4111 · Fenwick Newcastle 0191 221 0690 · Redbrick Mill Leeds 01924 460483 · Liverpool 0151 236 9280

no style is out of reach. no style is the same.no limits in BoConceptBoConcept celebrates 10 years in the UK.

To kick off the celebrations BoConcept are holding an on line auction of 10 stylish Living chairs

starting April 10th - 28th May 2010. Visit us on boconcept.co.uk to find out more.

Free interior design service. Book your appointment now.

London eye · United Kingdom

YEARS

scan magazine | issue 17 | april 2010

Documents

swedish specialists

host business conventions

summersampo bank open

energy marketwith

beautyscan magazine

scan news55 music

businessdanske bank

nordic countriesin