Meeting each other live, that is what Royal Jaarbeurs has stood for for over 100 years. From fairs and events that sparkle to conferences and meetings that inspire. Every year, more than two million visitors find their way to Jaarbeurs. Like no other, this event location knows how to receive, register and channel large groups of people in a responsible and safe manner. Everything to give visitors a safe, but above all hospitable experience.
By Marlous van de Wiel of Effectgroep
A new reality
Then suddenly there was COVID-19, a large-scale, pandemic outbreak that also crossed the borders of the Netherlands. With far-reaching consequences. And while the expectation was that the coronavirus would blow over after a few weeks, unfortunately, practice proved very different. Never before have we had to deal with a global pandemic of this magnitude. Everything that was known and familiar changed.
Responding to a changing world
For Jaarbeurs, the virus meant tightening up its security procedures and protocols. There was always an extensive safety policy - it could not be otherwise with so many visitors per year - in terms of fire safety, escape routes, crowd management, food, and so on.
The coronavirus was incorporated directly into this policy as an additional safety feature. Rob Kraan, previously working as Facilities Manager has been released as full-time COVID-19 coordinator at Jaarbeurs since the corona outbreak. And from that role structurally engaged in drafting and helping to implement corona protocols for both Jaarbeurs itself and the industry. "Corona requires a lot more communication. We have to deal with new rules, measures, standards. This is also new for visitors. Informing and good preparation have therefore become even more important within our crowd management," says Kraan.
A safe place to come together - thanks to you
Of course, Jaarbeurs adheres to the RIVM guidelines. In doing so, it does not try to find loopholes, but to interpret rules unambiguously and translate them into concrete measures. And with all the exceptions, this is sometimes quite a challenge. In fact, there are two important measures: keeping your distance and hygiene. Ensuring flawless implementation of these measures starts at the front end, with making capacity calculations based on trade fair and visitor profiles, setting up time slots, placing visual aids to direct visitor flows, sufficient disinfection facilities, extra cleaning rounds of contact surfaces, an adapted catering range with single-portion servings, and so on. Of course, the deployment of stewards is also still an indispensable link in crowd management. They inform, alert and monitor visitors so that Jaarbeurs is a safe place to be and people know what to do to make their own visit and that of others as safe as possible.
After all, safety starts with behaviour. Visitors themselves also contribute to making everything run optimally. They can already do their health check in advance by scanning a QR code on their ticket or by filling it in on the Jaarbeurs website. That filling in is easy and consists of answering a few questions. Upon arrival, people then simply show a green tick on their phone and can go straight through. That saves an awful lot of time, and therefore queuing, at the event itself.
All these measures have little or no effect on the overall experience of visitors. Rob Kraan: "We still organise the same exhibitions and conferences. The difference? It is more spacious, with fewer visitors, so it feels quieter. But in terms of content, it is identical. We still have exhibitors, lectures and terraces. But in a corona setting, so with more distance between people, disinfection facilities everywhere and you no longer see that big bowl of bitterballs going around. Those have been replaced by one-person snacks. But overall, so it just looks like what we were always used to."
With more than 100,000 square metres of floor space, a lot is possible within Jaarbeurs. Crane says: "With us, the walls are not fixed, we have an awful lot of space and can therefore create flexible set-ups. An aisle 6 metres wide is really no problem."
SCALA
It is that space, combined with creativity, that led to the development of SCALA. A unique concept where up to more than 1,000 visitors can enjoy a performance or conference at the same time while complying with RIVM guidelines. SCALA consists of three floors with 129 lodges, separate staircases and walkways. The Jaarbeurs pop-up theatre thus creates an intimate setting where guests are seated above, below and next to each other and thus always have a good view of the stage.
Crane says: "Thinking in what can be done, that's where the key lies. SCALA shows that very well. And with success! The opening concerts of André Hazes Jr. were sold out and the conference we facilitated there also went great. What we have noticed is that people are really ready to do things together again.
Many visitors had come to SCALA well prepared and on site, the rules were generally followed nicely. Although SCALA's opening was short-lived, after a few days it closed its doors due to new lockdown measures that at the time prohibited groups larger than 30 people, it gave us a lot of insight. We use that to continuously optimise our services and venues."
Technological support
Recently, the Jaarbeurs Welcome app has also been available for download in the App and Play stores. An app specifically designed to show visitors where it is busy and where it is not, and which allows Jaarbeurs to do proactive crowd management like no other. The app gives Jaarbeurs insight into the distribution of visitors on site through geotagging, without sharing personal data. By downloading and turning on the app, visitors can easily see where it is busy or quiet and thus adjust their route on location.
Crane says enthusiastically: "The app works both ways. It gives us insight into the distribution of visitors so that we can adequately anticipate this, for instance by deploying stewards or closing off rooms. On the other hand, it allows visitors themselves to proactively shape their visit. If you see on the app that hall 3 is busy, you just visit hall 1 first. And because we only collect data based on location, the app is fully AVG-proof".
Recognition from the market
The fact that Jaarbeurs is fully committed to creating a safe environment has not gone unnoticed. As the first event location in the Netherlands, Jaarbeurs may carry the KIWA quality mark for COVID-19 prevention measures. Jaarbeurs hereby demonstrates that all general and sector-specific measures have been taken to minimise the chance of infection with the corona virus. The quality mark gives confidence: you can safely organise and attend an event at Jaarbeurs.
Test events
At the end of January 2021, Fieldlab Events - an industry-wide initiative from business to public events and from culture to sports - will host two test events at Jaarbeurs. During a theatre performance and a conference visit, the actual risks of large groups in these kinds of settings will be scientifically determined and what measures work well.
"Jaarbeurs is happy to participate in this. Not only do we have a location where these experiments can be carried out safely, we also like to lead the way. Wanting to learn, that only makes us better," Kraan said. During the test events, really everything is examined. From contact moments to walking routes and from air currents to the effect of mouth caps and screens. With the aim of safely hosting larger groups of visitors again."
Safety we create together
At Jaarbeurs, in short, everything really has been done to be the safest venue in the Netherlands. "We can do a lot, have already done a lot. But ultimately it's also about the use of space. We do that together. Everyone has to take responsibility in this. That means that organisers inform visitors well in advance and that visitors prepare themselves well. That everyone observes the applicable guidelines and uses common sense. If you have symptoms of a cold or fever, stay at home. Really keep a sufficient distance from each other. Wear a mouth mask. Make it easy for each other to stick to safety.
We steer to keep everyone moving or safely in one place. That way, we avoid queues and congestion as much as possible."
Confidence in the future
The general expectation is that we will also have to deal with corona measures in 2021. And of course, everyone is also eagerly looking forward to the vaccination programme. The reality is that it will be some time before the whole of the Netherlands is vaccinated. That means full halls are unlikely to be an issue in the coming months.
The good news: activities will continue as usual at Jaarbeurs, they will be ready when the doors are allowed to open again. With fewer people but with the same welcoming, pleasant experience as always!
