The golf season in Dalarna is set to begin in the coming weeks. However, indoor golf has been in full swing all winter – especially at Samuelsdal Indoor Golf Center, which recently hosted a gathering for Beyond Skiing’s partner companies.
Around 40 partner companies from Beyond Skiing attended the event at Främby Hall in Falun, where the theme for the day was golf. The venue, Samuelsdal Indoor Golf Center, opened its doors late last year. One of the morning’s challenges was a competition to hit closest to the hole from 109 meters. Out of 58 participants, Oskar Bodin from First Hotel Grand delivered the winning shot.
One of the attending companies was Nordea, a member of Beyond Skiing since the start in 2009. The company has recently increased its engagement in the business network by becoming a gold member.
— The feeling around Beyond Skiing has always been that the business community works together toward a shared goal and purpose – to create the public celebration that a Ski World Championship represents. I believe that the Ski World Championships and Beyond Skiing, together with the network of companies, contribute to building a strong, positive, and progressive force for the community, says Niklas Sundqvist, Regional Manager for Gävleborg and Dalarna at Nordea.
Has Beyond Skiing created direct business value for Nordea?
— I believe the network enables us to build long-term relationships, which in turn create trust and can lead to business opportunities over time. Beyond Skiing truly provides a shared context where we connect with other entrepreneurs and partners in the network.
How did you engage employees and customers during the 2015 World Championships, and what are your plans for 2027?
— During the 2015 Championships, we turned the Nordea office in central Falun into a “World Championship house” for all of Nordea Sweden, hosting many activities before and after the competitions. The office, located right next to Stora Torget, became a perfect meeting place ahead of the medal ceremonies. It served as a hub for employees and customers, creating a fantastic atmosphere. Our plan is to replicate that success for the 2027 Championships. And as people say, to get good at something, you need to practice, so we tested and refined our concept during the World Cup events in late February and early March, which was very appreciated by our customers, says Sundqvist.
New companies continue to join the Beyond Skiing network. One of the 169 member companies is Stricct Travel. The company specializes in corporate travel, event travel, and group travel, and handles travel arrangements for national cross-country skiing and biathlon teams.
— We believe that sport benefits society as a whole, and we are happy to engage in partnerships that connect sport and business. That made it a natural step for us to join the exciting journey toward the 2027 Ski World Championships as an active part of Beyond Skiing, says Anna-Karin Hedberg, Key Account Manager at Stricct Travel.
What are your expectations and goals as part of the Beyond Skiing network?
— In addition to supporting sport, we are part of the network to participate in events like this, where we can mingle and build new connections – it truly is a win-win. For the 2027 World Championships, we plan to collaborate with several other companies to charter a train from Stockholm, allowing us to experience the festivities at Lugnet together. We are really looking forward to it, says Anna-Karin Hedberg.
Do you and your company want to join the Beyond Skiing network? Pleas find more information here
The network is growing –read the article