Small travel companies tell their story

At the MyStory project’s two-day workshop, entrepreneurs were given support in building digital stories. A total of 18 travel entrepreneurs along the Northern Lights Route from Norway, Sweden and Finland participated in the workshop.

This was the third workshop overall, and the first in which all entrepreneurs involved in the support programme met in person. The first workshop was held in Norway last winter, after which the entrepreneurs started to write their stories, supported by project employees and other specialists. At the spring workshop, the stories were turned into video scripts.

Antti Haase, film director and project manager, and Erson Halili, project planner, from Lapland University of Applied Sciences, introduced the participants to the production of digital stories at the workshop held in the Minerva building in Tornio. The specialists talked to the participants about how to turn stories into videos, and they also showed examples of experiential digital solutions. The entrepreneurs learned how to make mobile videos, use a video camera, create 360 videos, edit videos, and acquire video productions as purchased services.

Videos and networks

Bente Nyvoll, a participant in the MyStory project from Tromsø, Norway, says she got a lot out of the workshops. Bussing Norway, the company she represents, organises charter tours in northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland.

- Our company’s story is complete – we were able to summarise it with the help of the project specialists, Bente says. Next, we will make different versions for different customer groups.

Bente will not produce the videos herself, but she now knows what it takes to purchase them to ensure the results serve the company as well as possible.

- Building networks together is also important for smaller companies, says Bente.

The workshop ended with a digital exhibition on Tuesday afternoon, allowing the participants to learn more about the most recent digital applications used in Lapland UAS projects.

At the Lapland UAS FrostBit laboratory’s stand, Loru Reinikka demonstrated the laboratory’s applications and business services to Bente Nyvoll.

Stories to be marketed next

The MyStory project will continue with three open digital marketing webinars in December, January and February. The entrepreneurs involved in the support programme will next meet at the March marketing workshop somewhere along the Northern Lights Route.

The project will end in less than a year on 30 September 2022. Project manager Natalia Pulakka says that a closing seminar will be held before the project ends.

- We will also publish a manual to illustrate digital storytelling using practical examples.

Further information:
Natalia Pulakka, project manager, natalia.pulakka(at)lapinamk.fi, tel. +358 (0) 44 032 8118.

Many of the entrepreneurs were previously unfamiliar with gamification, VR, AR, eye tracking, haptic devices and many other new digital features. Their practical applications were demonstrated at eight exhibition stands after two-minute sales pitches.