President Alexander Stubb granted the honorary title (Tapahtumaneuvos, Event Counsellor) to Timo Aalto, CEO of LIWLIG Group, on November 28th 2025. This is the first time this honorary title has ever been awarded.
The granting of an honorary title is a public recognition of work done for the benefit of society. The recipient must be especially distinguished and have achieved exceptional success in their career or life’s work.
Aalto is one of the pioneers of the Finnish event industry, with over 30 years of experience in corporate events. In recent years, he has led the Finnish company he founded — Liwlig (formerly TAPAUS) — to become the leading event agency in the Nordics. Today, LIWLIG designs and produces more than 1,000 events annually around the world, serving local and international clients in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and employing around 350 event professionals. The company’s revenue in 2024 was approximately 150 million euros.
“This recognition came as a surprise and means a great deal to me. What especially delights me is that it further highlights the importance of our industry. Events create shared experiences through genuine encounters and strengthen trust — something the world needs now more than ever,” says Timo Aalto, CEO of LIWLIG Group.
The honorary title added to the Decree on Honorary Titles in 2024, was now granted for the first time. This reflects the acknowledgement of the growing global significance of the event industry as part of Finnish business and society, making this an important recognition for the entire industry. In Finland, the event industry generates over three billion euros in annual revenue and employs nearly 25,000 people.
“This is a valuable and well-deserved recognition not only for Timo — for his courage and life’s work in supporting the growth and internationalization of Finnish companies — but also for our entire industry, which is part of the expanding global event market,” concludes Mikael Castrén, CEO of LIWLIG Finland.
Further information: Mikael Castrén CEO, LIWLIG Finland +358 50 358 1818 mikael.castren@liwlig.fi
Sources:
https://valtioneuvosto.fi/-/tasavallan-presidentti-myonsi-66-arvonimea https://tapahtumateollisuus.fi/tapahtuma-ala-jatkoi-viime-vuonna-voimakasta-kasvua-ja-rikkoi-liikevaihdossa-kolmen-miljardin-euron-rajan/
