Stavanger is one of Norway's larger cities with over 127,000 inhabitants and can offer around 10,000 conference chairs. It is situated within easy reach of the extraordinary cliff Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock). It is also the centre of the Norwegian oil, gas and energy industry.
The landscape stretches from the flat Jæren area by the sea to the mountains in the east. Fjords and islands provide a dramatic backdrop and the local population use the neighbouring areas for leisure and recreation. The surrounding natural sights are within easy reach, providing many opportunities for fun excursions in between business meetings.
One of the most famous natural attractions in the region, or indeed in the world, is the impressive cliff Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock), which towers 604 metres over the Lysefjord. Top off a successful business meeting with a cruise along the fjord, or venture up to the top as a team building exercise.
In 2008, Stavanger was the European Capital of Culture. The cultural vision of the Stavanger municipality is that the region is to be international and attractive culturally, pulsating with offers and activities. An increasingly important part og the Stavanger region identity is food culture.
Stavanger's new concert hall opened in 2012. It boasts one of the most attractive music stages in Europe with an audience capacity of 3,000.
In 1969 the first oil field was discovered at Ekofisk, south in the North Sea, which made the Stavanger Region a key player in the Norwegian economy. Today Stavanger is Europe's oil and energy capital, and the main source of income for local people comes from working in the petroleum sector.
Stavanger is a university city, and home to a number of institutions of higher education and research such as the International Research Institute of Stavanger. The city is also home to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway as well as the headquarters of energy giant Statoil.