Royal Jaarbeurs: the inspired, sustainable and innovative host for the whole of the Netherlands. A place where you meet, inspire, learn and grow. We'd love to tell you what's going on at Royal Jaarbeurs and the way we do things. How? By getting to know our strongest point: our people. Twan Bakker (21) works as an assistant supervisor at Jaarbeurs alongside his studies in economics and business economics at Utrecht University. A history buff with a passion for Jaarbeurs, he surprised his colleagues with a veritable 'Jaarbeurs exhibition'.
My passion
Two years ago, his mother drew his attention to the vacancy of catering assistant at Jaarbeurs. A vacancy that immediately appealed to him, especially also because a number of family members preceded him at Jaarbeurs. "During the introduction, we were given a tour of the complex. I was impressed by the size and diversity of activities. At the end of the tour, we were given our staff pass with 'My pass(sie)' on it. I had to laugh immensely, so typically Utregs. At that moment, however, I did not yet know that I had actually found my passion."
Personal contact
After six months of working in different places, Twan found that working at meeting centre Jaarbeurs Meet-Up appealed to him the most. Pretty soon, he was promoted from first employee to assistant supervisor. In this role, he and several colleagues coordinate the reception of guests in 30 different meeting rooms on four floors. "I really enjoy the direct contact with customers. Every day I do my utmost to make it as enjoyable and carefree as possible for our guests. You get to know a lot of different people. I actually get paid to talk to people, how fun is that! For me, Meet-Up is a reflection of society, everyone comes here." It is not only the work with customers that appeals to Twan, but his colleagues are also important to him. "Everyone shakes hands with each other in the morning. It's nice to start the day like that. Before the guests arrive, music is regularly heard during the preparations. One of my colleagues likes to sing along, lovely! We are a close-knit group."
"My full-time course of study is 'Annual Studies' and I am taking a minor in economics and business economics"
Flexibility
Because of the flexibility offered by Jaarbeurs, Twan's work is easy to combine with his studies. "My full-time study is Jaarbeurskunde and I'm doing the minor in economics and business economics at Utrecht University. I am here more often than at university, which is really because I like it here so much," he says, smiling broadly. Jaarbeurs is also flexible in the type of work it offers. This summer he is working in the office for the second time. Last year in the finance department and this year in the purchasing department. "I am treated as a full member of the team and given a lot of responsibility and freedom to work out my ideas. Everyone is very approachable and there is hardly any hierarchy. In the office, positions feel like just a title. Everyone is very approachable and I see functions mainly as a description of a set of tasks."
More than a workplace
Jaarbeurs is more than a workplace for Twan. "It is a place where I can develop myself, make friends and gain valuable experiences. For example, you stand with colleagues at Pride, take a rainbow walk during Diversity Week or learn to manage your energy and stress levels during Summer School."
A family history
What makes Jaarbeurs extra special for Twan is his family history. "My great-uncle worked here from about 1950 to 1985 and then his daughters again for quite some time. The funny thing is that my great-uncle trained my supervisor and she now trains me as assistant supervisor," he says proudly. Not only does his family history pique his interest, but also the history of Jaarbeurs does not leave him untouched. For a month, he delved into Jaarbeurs's archives. For the monthly Jaarbeurs drinks party, he used self-made informative posters to create an exhibition in which he introduced colleagues to Jaarbeurs's history. "Everything I learnt in history about the last hundred years can be found in Jaarbeurs's history. When it comes to emancipation of women, Jaarbeurs organised the Emancipade. As many as 75,000 demonstrators went here to demonstrate against the Vietnam War. After World War II, Jaarbeurs played an important role in reconstruction. At the 1983 Construction Fair, prefab houses were already being experimented with, something that is still a trending topic today. There is so much to tell. Jaarbeurs is the Netherlands in miniature."
"Jaarbeurs is the Netherlands in miniature"
Future at Jaarbeurs
In ten years' time, Twan still sees himself at Jaarbeurs. "I would like to continue working at Jaarbeurs. And if I can link that to a position, I would like to become a concept developer of exhibitions, for example in the healthcare sector. Just the other day I was thinking, how nice it would be if a congress for lung covid patients was organised at Jaarbeurs. I am full of ideas."
People work
Asked what advice he would give new employees, he replies, "Try to get to know as many people as possible. The more people you know, the easier and more fun your work will be. The personal contact with customers and colleagues, that's what makes working at Jaarbeurs great."
