Royal Jaarbeurs: the friendly, sustainable and innovative host for all 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 asset: our people. Hidde Paauw is Event Operations Manager and helps clients organise successful events.
Hidde gets energy from giving guests the best possible experience. 'I worked in hospitality for many years, then you have a drive to help others. All those happy people together, that is a moment of happiness for me time and again,' he says. As Event Operations Manager, he is mainly concerned with coordinating operational matters. That is as broad as it sounds: arranging security to first aid and from electricity to cleaning. He sees himself as a kind of pivot: 'I have to be aware of all these things, and then put it out to our specialists and suppliers. I help our customers to organise the most successful event possible, which is why I think along with the organisation beforehand. That is why I sit down with our client several months in advance to discuss the event. In these meetings, we go through the plans, explore the possibilities and choose the best solution together. On the day itself, I am also the point of contact for Jaarbeurs during the event'.
Coming together
The run-up to the day itself is different every time, Hidde finds. He says: "With new customers, we always have to find out together how things work. You have to find each other. Everyone has their own way of working, as do we. That should come together. And as the event approaches, that contact also progresses. That is great to experience. At recurring events, you often see the same people. Then you know how to deal with each other and what the important points are. You transform from customer-supplier relationship to cooperation partners.'
Regularly checking that things are going well
During the event, Hidde is there for the organisers. The event is fully discussed in advance, the agreements are fixed. Yet flexibility is also needed. During the set-up and execution of an event, things always happen that were not foreseen and that need to be solved together to both parties' satisfaction. On the day itself, he therefore keeps a close eye on everything. Hidde: 'We have frequent contact before and during the event. Organising a fair or event can be quite stressful, so I always ask how people are doing. And whether there is anything I can do for them. Are there points that stand out now and need attention? If not, we briefly discuss what's to come and how they can approach me if they do need it. Sometimes it's figuratively putting out fires, sometimes it's just policing.'
Feeling good
Hidde likes to make people feel good. He is not alone in this, as with him there are many Jaarbeurs employees who share the same passion. So he says: 'We are all here for other people; the organisers and visitors. I would almost call it pleasing, in a positive way of course. What I love most is to feel the energy of happy people flowing through the space. That is something so special. In the end, that's what you do it for together.'
Wanting to get even better every day
Asked when Hidde goes home satisfied, he replies: 'When the organisation looks back on a successful event. Something can always happen that you didn't take into account beforehand. That's not a bad thing; it's about how you solve it. Besides, it is a nice compliment if they want to work with you again in the future. With recurring events, we always look back at the learning points from the past edition. That way, together we can see how we can positively convert these points for next time. By communicating honestly and openly, we can all get better at our jobs.'
