A ACM E 16.-18.6. A ISAM C 2008 Congress News E Helsinki MUTUALITY TODAY: A natural solution for a changing society

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Helsinki Helpers at Your Service at gress guests all come from Europe, he Suomenlinna, One of Finland’s Most Popular Tourist Sites immediately starts to think about the on- Popular Tourist Attractions The Tourist & Convention Bureau’s popu- going Football Euro Cup 2008. Accord- Helsinki Helper Jaakko Nelimarkka’s tip lar Helsinki Helpers serve tourists and ing to him there is no reason to watch for the Congress guests is the sea for- Congress guests between 9am and 8pm. the matches at the hotel. You will find tress Suomenlinna. An attraction like The Helpers speak 11 languages, so the best atmosphere among other foot- Suomenlinna is not to be found any- there is a good chance of getting service ball fans. Personally Santala recom- where else in the world. Suomenlinna is in your native language. mends Sports Acadamy at Kaivokatu 8 just a 15-minute ferry trip from Helsin- where you can easily get acquainted with ki’s Market Square. Suomenlinna was Have a Taste of 18th Century Style Pastries Finnish football fans. originally a sea fortress, but these days Helsinki Helper Silja Massa recommends it is also a highly valued suburb of Hel- the Congress guests to visit the oldest Cultural Experiences sinki, with 850 people living in the reno- stone building in Helsinki. Sederholm Janet Kinnunen urges the Congress vated ramparts and barracks. The island House at Aleksanterinkatu 16-18 serves guests to pay a visit to the Museum of has a wide selection of museums, but you traditional coffee and pastries during one Contemporary Art Kiasma. During the will also find nice cafes and restaurants. week. The pastries are baked in accord- Congress there is a 10-year anniversa- ance with recipes from the 18th century. ry exhibition at Kiasma. Kinnunen also Additional information available at These delicacies from the past are truly lists two churches as her favourite spots www.helsinki.fi worth tasting. in Helsinki. You will find the Helsinki The European Congress of Mutual and Cooperative Insurance Cathedral by the Senate Square and the Teksti: Tiina Niemi Join Other Fans to Watch Euro Cup 2008 Uspenski Cathedral almost right by the Kuvat: Tiina Niemi Helsinki 16 – 18 June 2008 When Timo Santala hears that the Con- Presidential Palace. General Meeting Held on 1st Congress Day The Amice General Meeting was held in the Marina Congress Centre on the first day of the Congress.

During the General Meeting, the Board “The choice of font was elected and new Committee Mem- The new graphic image of AMICE bers were nominated. In addition, the and of the fresh “From my discussions with AMICE’s budget 2008 and 2009 was approved. membership and staff, one thing be- Also the membership fees 2009 were orange colour is came clear to me from the very begin- decided in the Meeting. meant to transport ning”, says Avi Ghosh, partner of Ghosh & Naylor, a reputed Brussels-based com- The next General Meeting will be held in a young and munications agency with an internation- Belgium. The next Amice Congress will al focus. “As the result of the merger of take place in Italy 2010. dynamic image” two associations, AMICE is looking back on a divided past, but forward towards Approval of Budget 2008 and 2009 a strong and united future. Historic dif- The General Meeting approved the budg- ferences have faded away and the new et 2008 of an amount of EUR 780,000 joint association needed a strong mes- and the budget for 2009 of an amount sage of unity and focus, a modern im- of EUR 1,060,000. age, and a motto reflecting the common values of its members. This is why we Approval of Membership Fee 2009 proposed a graphic solution with arrow- The membership fees 2009 were decid- like triangles symbolising the coming ed in the General Meeting. The General together of members and ideas, focus- Meeting approved increasing the mem- ing on a common aim and leaving a bership fees for 2009 by 25%: clear footprint of AMICE’s activities. The • EUR 12,5 per million of GPW for full choice of font and of the fresh orange members; colour is meant to transport a young and • EUR 10 per million of GPW for dynamic image as the basis for AMICE’s associate members; important work on behalf of the sec- • with a minimum of EUR 625 and tor.” Avi adds that he was impressed by a maximum of EUR 31,250. the involvement of the AMICE President during the whole process and by the Nomination Committee commitment shown by the members in- The General Meeting elected Niels Vase, volved in the preparations. Thisted Forsikring, Denmark to replace Tommy Persson, Länsförsäkringar, Swe- And thorough and reiterative the selec- den on the Nomination Committee. tion process really was. “This first task in the area of creating AMICE’s com- Election of the Board munication strategy was both challeng- The General Meeting elected Ann Som- ing and rewarding”, recalls William mer, Länsförsäkringar, Sweden to re- Schouten of NFU Mutual (UK), the place Tommy Persson, from the same Chair of AMICE’s Communication Work- company, and Cor Ensing, Univé Dren- ing Group. “Ghosh & Naylor did a great the Overijssel, the Netherlands, to re- job, involving a multinational panel place Toon Bullens, FOV, the Nether- of members right from the beginning, lands, on the Board for the remainder of keeping in permanent contact with the the outgoing Board Member Mandate. President and the Secretariat, and fi- (General Meeting 2010). nally coming up with proposals that we could whole-heartedly support.” William Next General Meeting 2009 knows how much work is still before The next General Meeting will be held him and the Communications WG, but: on 3 June 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. “With the help of our members, we are confident that we will soon have a whole Congress 2010 communications strategy available that The 2nd AMICE Congress will be held will enable AMICE to transport its key 2010 in Genova, in Italy. messages to its members and to the out- side world: We work for you and with Teksti: Tiina Niemi you, professionally and thoroughly. We Kuvat: Susa Junnola speak for the mutual cooperative insur- ance sector, strong and united. We are AMICE – for mutual benefit.”