Saimaa UNESCO Global Geopark hosted the 18th European Geoparks Conference in Lappeenranta on 16–18 September 2026. The event brought together more than 400 participants from over 30 countries. UNESCO Global Geopark is UNESCO’s third and newest type of area designation, alongside World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves. There are 213 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 48 countries worldwide, more than 110 of them in Europe. A geopark is a single, unified geographical area containing geological sites of international significance. Geoparks tell the story of the Earth through the geology, biodiversity, landscapes and cultural heritage of their regions.
Students and teachers from Sampo, the Saimaa Vocational College, played an active role in helpinf to organize the event:
Teachers and students from the social and health care programme provided first-aid support at the conference.
Eija Kuningas from Pastry Saimaa created a chocolate sculpture of the Kummakivi boulder, which was displayed at the GeoFair in the IsoKristiina shopping centre. It was an impressive interpretation of one of the remarkable geological sites in the Saimaa Geopark area.
A large-scale event also involves moving a great deal of equipment. Sampo’s logistics students provided valuable support by transporting exhibition panels for the GeoFair from Imatra to Lappeenranta.
Sampo’s information and communications technology students were responsible for the conference technology in the various lecture halls at Lappeenranta City Hall.
Sampo’s tourism students took on a wide range of duties throughout the conference, including assisting guests on buses and providing guidance to conference participants.
At Tuurikokki, students worked with instructor Anja to prepare packed lunches for the conference guests’ Friday excursions. On Friday morning, the nature and environmental studies students had quite a number of lunch bags to carry to the excursion buses!
Nature and environmental studies students were also involved on every day of the conference. They helped with event arrangements, guided visiting school groups at the GeoFair, assisted at the reception desk at City Hall and, most importantly, served as assistant guides on nine different geological excursions on Friday.
Sampo’s Erasmus+ funded sustainable tourism project, Befinetour, was also showcased at the event. The project promotes sustainable tourism through nudging in cooperation with educational institutions in Belgium, Italy and Spain. Some students used nudging when they guided customers!
- – Nature and environmental studies teachers Salme and Maiju, and tourism teacher Mikko
Photo 1: The European Geoparks Conference at Lappeenranta City Hall on 17 September 2026. Photo: Lauri Heino, HEINON VALOKUVA.
Photo 2: Geologists examine an inclusion in the bedrock on Karhusaari Island. They were lucky with the water level, as the inclusion is submerged when the water is higher.
Photo 3: Social and health care students and teachers at Lappeenranta City Hall.
Photo 4: The Kummakivi chocolate sculpture created by Eija Kuningas.
Photo 5: Nature and environmental studies student Minna welcoming and guiding arriving guests at Lappeenranta City Hall.
Photo 6: Nature and environmental studies students Minna and Taina guiding school students taking part in the GeoFair activities.
Photo 7: Befinetour, an international Erasmus+ sustainable tourism project coordinated by Sampo, was showcased at the event.
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