{"id":42790,"date":"2018-12-04T15:25:50","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T14:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.munich-startup.net\/?p=42790"},"modified":"2018-12-06T13:36:50","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T12:36:50","slug":"slush-2018-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.munich-startup.net\/en\/42790\/slush-2018-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Slush 2018: Welcome to the Darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Helsinki in winter is cold, dark, and wet. Why does the startup conference Slush still attract 20,000 participants to the north?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The date for the Slush startup conference seems oddly chosen: Who would want to come to Helsinki in December? The sun currently doesn't rise until after 9 a.m. in the Finnish capital, and the day is already over shortly after 3 p.m., interspersed with several hours of transition from dawn to dusk. Add to that the Finnish cold, drizzle, and wind. At least the eponymous slush\u2014the translation of "slush"\u2014made its appearance on Monday evening, but then melted away. Helsinki's streets are relatively empty, and life takes place indoors.<\/p>\n

For the hosts, the external circumstances are nothing special. The darkness, the cold outside, and the coziness inside serve as the founders' festival's motto. Two years ago, when Slush was still held at the end of November, a banner emblazoned above the entrance read: "Nobody in their right mind would come to Helsinki in November. Except you, you badass. Welcome." \u2014 only the toughest ones get into the garden.<\/p>\n

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The feeling when this #Slush<\/a> x #MyHelsinki<\/a> welcome sign is trending #1 on @reddit<\/a> \ud83d\ude0d Happy Independence Day #Finland<\/a>!https:\/\/t.co\/MVZu6UKdOH<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iAOgyUidbI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Visit Helsinki (@VisitHelsinki) December 6, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n