Tampere and Microsoft first introduced the VIP Tampere innovation in late 2025.
Now the development work is moving into a real-world trial, with Nokia Arena also involved.
– Going forward, we want to serve both event visitors coming to Tampere and local businesses even better, helping visitors discover what the city has to offer. Events bring many new visitors to Tampere and increase the city’s attractiveness. I would gladly use the VIP Tampere service myself when visiting a new city or travelling abroad, says Irene Vekkeli, Director of Economic Development and Innovation for the City of Tampere.
VIP Tampere (City Venue Assistant) uses digital twins and Copilot AI, with the goal of improving visitor experiences across Tampere’s main event areas. In the test version, the service can be used through voice or text: users receive answers via phone and headphones about nearby landmarks, lunch options or the best time to arrive at the venue, for example. Recommendations are based on real-time location data, which AI uses to generate context-aware suggestions.
– We have reached an important milestone together by developing the first test version. For the testing phase, we first gathered input from a group of volunteers on what kind of information they would value most as event visitors from a service like this. Based on this, we selected content on local restaurants, city highlights and Finland’s national selection for Eurovision side events for the testing phase, explains Outi Valkama, Development Manager at the City of Tampere.
Microsoft and Tampere are jointly responsible for developing the innovation. The collaboration is based on co-creation, with neither partner charging the other.
– Tampere’s bold experimentation culture and willingness to adopt new technologies make the city an excellent development partner. The VIP Tampere pilot demonstrates how artificial intelligence can be used in a meaningful way as part of the event experience, says Petteri Lehtinen, Account Director at Microsoft Oy.
A small group of volunteers will participate in the testing phase during the final week of February. After the event, feedback and user experiences will be compiled and used to further develop the innovation.
– Our top priority is to develop the innovation to serve users as well as possible. The test version and the experiences and insights gained from it provide valuable information for future development. The solution utilises new technologies that have been refined through pre-testing. Feedback from testers is the most important element, Valkama concludes.
