Kontiolahti Outdoor becomes Kontiolahti Indoor - preparations are being made for e.g. the fading of the outdoor boom. On Finland's first indoor fatbike track

Kontiolahti Outdoor's announcement on April 1, 2022

Kontiolahti Outdoor's board of directors has today, on the first of April, confirmed the company's new strategy, according to which the focus of operations will be shifted from outdoor activities to indoor spaces.

"Over the course of 1.5 years, we have diversified our offer to year-round and grown into one of the largest program service providers in Eastern Finland. However, an activity house aiming for growth must not be left lying in the fire. We want to be at the forefront when the outdoor boom that has been strong for the last couple of years fades away and people start looking for things to do specifically within four walls", explains CEO Kimmo Turunen for the rapid change in business operations.

Hundreds of indoor activities

Turunen sees the interiors as offering citizens a safe and inspiring environment, especially if the activities are combined with IoT, DaaS and WTF technologies, which are becoming more common all over the world.

"Inside, we are able to adjust the conditions to exactly what the user wants with the help of modern technology. For example, we can simulate the wind inside. But in contrast to real outdoor air, inside we can determine exactly whether the user wants a wind blowing at his face at, say, 3 or 8 meters per second."

Controlled indoor spaces also make it possible to increase the number of activities offered to hundreds.

"While we currently offer dozens of different activities or their different forms outdoors, indoors the only limit is your imagination. For example, board, card and electronic games open up a completely new world of possibilities for idle customers, who - it's good to remember - are always looking for new ideas," says Turunen.

Project financing is being applied for the first hall investment

Turunen admits that the change to the new takes time.

"The decision has now been made - next we will take our willingness into practical measures. The first investment on the work list is Finland's first indoor fat bike hall, for the construction of which we are applying for project financing."

According to the preliminary plans, the length of the track created in the hall should be about one hundred meters.

"What we lose in the difference in height and length of the track compared to outdoor routes, we gain many times over, for example, in the social media possibilities of the new track," Turunen praises.

“When the customer takes a social media video of himself, we can play his wish music in the background and use different flashing and different colored effect lights according to the customer's choice. In this way, the customer saves time and effort, as he no longer has to spend so much of his valuable time editing the video to his liking after the visit. The future is already here today."