That the corona measures could also enrich their jobs, Leonie van Helten and Christa van den Hurk, event coordinator and portfolio manager, never imagined. With about 160 live events, master classes and conferences a year, switching to digital events was hugely exciting for their employer Bohn Stafleu van Loghum .
'In the beginning it seemed impossible to run everything digitally, now we don't turn our hand to it.'
An event, masterclass, or conference? That just happened physically at Bohn Stafleu van Loghum. Corona changed that. Leonie van Helten, senior event coordinator: 'Initially, we moved all events. When it turned out that this would last longer than expected, we dove fully into online events with the team in January.' Christa van den Hurk, senior portfolio manager, adds: 'I dare not mention a concrete number, but I believe we have already run around 60 digital events this year. By now, we know our way around.'
Catering at your desk
The online events of the largest media company for the Dutch healthcare sector receive rave reviews. According to the ladies, expectation management contributes to this. Van Helten: 'We show the participants (because they are more than just viewers) the advantages. For instance, there is no travel time and they get their accreditation points even at online events. To give the event more power, we send lunch, a notepad, cake or other conference-related items in advance.'
Expanding stage
Van den Hurk recently organised an online event at Jaarbeurs: Top speakers in elderly care. Four speakers on a stage, 250 participants from home. It was a true success, with a high rating of 8.3. According to Van den Hurk, Jaarbeurs certainly contributed to this: 'The team really thinks along with us. For example, we had professor Erik Scherder as a speaker on brain and music, supported by pianist Cor Bakker. Then of course you need to have a grand piano, which was all no problem. Jaarbeurs indicated: grand piano is ready, the stage has been enlarged.'
Online networking
Van Helten is also delighted with the event venue. 'The nice thing about Jaarbeurs is the different rooms, each with a different setting. The lights can be set in different ways to give depth and atmosphere to your production. At Jaarbeurs, the situation is just right.' Van Helten's event - From chain care to network care - was also a great success. The conference, which included networking, could simply take place online. Jaarbeurs ensured a stable connection so that participants could network with each other online via a network carousel. They ended up in a virtual living room where they entered into conversation with each other.
Professional and fast
Technology behind the scenes is something new for the event coordinator and portfolio manager. As Van den Hurk says: 'We don't operate the buttons, so we really have to let someone else handle the technology. Jaarbeurs has advised experts who design and work out everything. Other venues do that too, but it is often not on such a professional basis as at Jaarbeurs.' Van Helten adds: 'As for technology: you can't escape the fact that something goes wrong. For example, I once had a faltering speaker. That could be down to the connection, or to the system. Within no time something is done about it. Jaarbeurs handles it well and we are very satisfied with our cooperation'.
Bas Sterrenburg - Account manager online and hybrid events
Want to know more about Jaarbeurs Studio? I would love to tell you more about all the possibilities!
jaarbeurs +31(0)30 295 58 81
