Representing Lapland at EMCup: learning, competing, and connecting

For us, EMCup was more than just a competition. It was a chance to challenge ourselves, represent Lapland, and gain valuable experience while connecting with students and hospitality professionals from all over Europe.

What is EMCUP?

Each year, hospitality and tourism students from across Europe gather to compete in the EMCup, one of the best-known competitions among hospitality management schools. Founded in 2009, the competition challenges students to develop new hospitality concepts and present them to a jury of industry professionals through pitches, case studies, and presentations.

Around 30 hospitality schools from across Europe take part in the event, creating a great environment not only for competition but also for meeting other students and professionals in the industry. This year Finland was represented by three universities, giving us the opportunity to share our ideas and pitch them on an international stage.

For us, EMCup was more than just a competition. It was a chance to challenge ourselves, represent Lapland, and gain valuable experience while connecting with students and hospitality professionals from all over Europe.

Picture 1. Photo by Kyle Miller.

The Road to the Competition

Preparing for EMCup was an inspirational and exciting journey. Our amazing team came together after an open application process in which our coaches chose us to represent Lapland University of Applied Sciences and Lapland itself. Our team consisted of Noora Kauppinen, Noora Linna, Imasha Mohotty, and Kyle Miller. Each of us brought different strengths to the team—from creativity and storytelling to presentation skills, research, and concept development—which helped shape our work throughout the competition.

Our process started in September, and we worked throughout the entire autumn period before receiving the pre-assignments. During this time, our work focused heavily on team building—finding our roles and shaping our identity as a group.

By the time the pre-assignments arrived, our team was already going strong and we knew each other well. Before arriving in Amsterdam and taking part in the official competition days, we needed to film a team presentation video showcasing our strong identity and create an innovative Food and Beverage idea built on fresh new concepts. The task also included research and writing a white paper—along with endless brainstorming sessions.

As an outcome of this work, we created Solace, a multisensory F&B concept that could be adapted to any European city while showcasing the local country and its culture. As our main example we used Lapland—the unique magic of the Arctic region—which was reflected in our outfits, poster, and every small detail presented while performing and pitching to the jury.

Arriving in Amsterdam

Arriving at the airport, we were both nervous and excited, as the moment we had been preparing for had finally arrived. With suitcases packed with clothes and props, we were leaving the silence of Rovaniemi and heading for Amsterdam. Immediately upon arrival, it was clear that we were no longer in Lapland. The airport was massive and alive with people everywhere.

After a few moments of adjusting, we made our way to the hotel provided by the competition. We were staying at a hotel called nhow, which fused numerous different cultures within its rooms, blending luxury with art. From the moment we arrived, we could already tell that we were going to have a good time there.

After grabbing a quick dinner at a bar down the street and celebrating the team finally being together, we spent some time practicing our pitch before getting a good night’s sleep.

The next morning we had an amazing breakfast on the 17th floor and admired Amsterdam from above before heading out to explore the city. For some of us it was the first time exploring Amsterdam, and as we made our way toward the center we were surprised by everything—from the buildings and canals to the sheer number of people everywhere. Compared to Rovaniemi, this place had a kind of manageable chaos happening every second.

Walking through the streets, there was always something new around every corner, and it was easy to get lost in the magic of the city. The hours passed like minutes as we explored and enjoyed a bit of mental rest. Before long, however, the sun began to set and it was time to get back to work and make sure everything in our pitch was perfect.

That night we rehearsed together what felt like a thousand times—so much so that we were still rehearsing in our dreams.

We were ready to go.

Picture 2. Preperation for the Competition. Photo by Kyle Miller

Finally, the first day of the EMCup we had been preparing for months had arrived. We were all full of excitement and ready to share our vision of the scalable F&B business concept we had created with the jury. Following the trumpet fanfares of the high-energy opening ceremony, the morning was filled with vibrant networking activities, building anticipation for our first pitch of the competition.

Let the Competition Begin

As I write this now, it has been one month since that first pitch, yet we all still remember its words by heart. During the preparation process, we had truly fallen in love with our concept—a model designed to showcase the true authenticity of any given travel destination.

Using Lapland as our lead example, we invited the jury to step inside the timeless story of the region, a place where the boundaries between the plate and the land dissolve. When the first pitch and the first day of EMCup came to an end, the rich, tarry smoke of Lappish bonfires lingered in the room and in our story.

Picture 3. Let the Competition Begin with our coaches Petra Paloniemi and Heidi Kaihua. Photo by Kyle Miller

The Grand Finale

Soon enough the final day was upon us, and not a single minute was spared from preparation as the pressure cooker was on. Ahead of us were two separate napkin pitches that would help seal our fate, each consisting of three minutes to sell our concept followed by ten minutes of questions and answers. By this point every word of our pitch had been rehearsed countless times and flowed from us almost automatically.

When it was time to present, everything came naturally, and our multisensory concept stood out as something unique that the judges genuinely appreciated. Once both pitches were completed, there was a short pause before we learned which teams would advance to the finals. While we did not make it through, we were proud to have stood up against such strong competition.

That evening we sat together with teams from across Europe and watched the finalists present their concepts in the Dragon’s Den round. Each team delivered a polished and carefully rehearsed pitch. In the end, the team we had been competing against took the overall victory, which made us realize something important: we had not simply lost—we had learned while competing against the very best.

Ultimately, it was a challenging competition, but we were proud to be part of such an inspiring and valuable networking event. After one final evening celebrating together, it was time to head home, carrying with us not only our own perspectives but also the insights we had gained from investors, judges, and fellow entrepreneurs.

Final Reflections

Looking back, EMCup experience was far more than just a competition. It was an opportunity to challenge ourselves, collaborate as a team, and meet inspiring students and professionals from across Europe. The experience pushed us to think creatively, communicate our ideas clearly, and perform under real pressure.

While the results of the competition mattered, what stayed with us most were the connections we made, the feedback we received, and the confidence gained from presenting our work on an international stage. Representing Lapland University of Applied Sciences and bringing a piece of Lapland with us to Amsterdam is something we will carry with us long after the competition ended.

Picture 4. Proud to be representing the Arctic. Photo by Kyle Miller.

Written by tourism students Kyle Miller, Noora Linna, Imasha Mohotty and Noora Kauppinen