Venue

The First 1000 days in the Nordic Countries: Supporting a Healthy Start in Life
First 1000 days in the nordic countries

Harpa Conference Centre

Harpa Conference & Concert Centre is one of Reykjavik‘s greatest and distinguished landmarks. It is a cultural and social centre in the heart of the city and features stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the North Atlantic Ocean. Harpa is an enchanting destination for intrigued travelers and its grand-scale award-winning architecture has attracted 10 million guests since its opening, May 4, 2011.

Harpa offers the best facilities for concerts and conferences in Northern Europe. Harpa has received numerous awards and prizes.

Harpa was chosen one of the best concert halls of the new millennium by the prestigious music magazine Gramophone magazine and was chosen the best performance venue in 2011 by Travel & Leisure magazine.

In autumn 2012, Harpa received the prestigious award as the Best MICE Centre in Northern Europe.

Learn more about Harpa at harpa.is.

Harpa - The name

The name Harpa was the winning name out of 4, 156 proposals entered by 1,200 citizens. The demand was that the name should be in Icelandic but easily articulated in most languages.

The name Harpa has more than one meaning. It is an old Icelandic word that refers to a time of year and it is in fact a month in the old Nordic calendar. The first day of that month is celebrated as the first day of summer and marks the beginning of a brighter time where nature comes to live and the colors of the environment sharpen. 

Harpa also refers to the activities and operations within. In the opinion of some, Harpa looks like a drawn harp from a certain angle. 

 
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Dr. Alain Gregoire

Dr. Alain Gregoire is a Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist who has led multiple award winning specialist perinatal mental health services in the United Kingdom for over 30 years. He has contributed extensively to the development of policy, strategy, guidance and clinical services in parental and infant mental health in the UK and across the world. 

Dr. Gregoire is the founder and current president of the UK Maternal Mental Health Alliance, a coalition of over 110 organisations in the United Kingdom committed to improving maternal mental health care and outcomes for mothers and infants. The coalition has successfully campaigned for government funding for perinatal mental health services across the UK and launched the 2013 cross-party manifesto, The 1001 Critical Days, which sets out a vision for the provision of services in the UK for the period between conception and age 2.

In 2016, Dr. Gregoire launched the Global Alliance for Maternal Mental Health with similar aims worldwide which now includes over 25 international member organisations.