Amid the annual LEGO event at Royal Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Corine Dijkhuizen and Bernard Sluis translate the event's deeper symbolism into their own world of project construction. Like building with LEGO, complex projects require thorough preparation, clear guidelines and seamless cooperation. "The actual building process is often only a third of the total effort," explains Bernard of the project management agency Plan B. Corine, responsible for facilities and operations within Jaarbeurs, adds: "The upfront thinking and continuity of cooperation are the building blocks for a successful project." Together, they discuss the successful partnership so far and look to the future.
In conversation with Corine Dijkhuizen, Head of Facility & Event Services Royal Jaarbeurs Utrecht & Bernard Sluis, co-founder project management agency Plan B.
For many years, Plan B and Royal Jaarbeurs have worked closely together on internal architectural and installation issues. The event complex's dynamic environment is characterised by constant change. Corine says: "What makes our business so fascinating is that we welcome new visitors and customers every day. We are always dealing with people who pay for their experience. This means that our facilities team has to continuously deliver top performance, whether it's the crowds around events like this week's LEGO World or maintenance during quieter periods. It is crucial that our customers are not inconvenienced by this".
At Jaarbeurs, they therefore place immense value on strong partners who understand 'their business' and seamlessly match their needs. Corine explains: "In Plan B, we have found such a partner. With every proposal they make, 'the impact on business' is the most important criterion in the decision-making process." Bernard continues: "Jaarbeurs is known for their tightly organised exhibitions and events, behind which there is a whole process of procedures that often goes unnoticed. People only see the end result, which is exactly what is intended. This is also how it works with the construction and installation tasks within Jaarbeurs: even then, everything revolves around the customer. That's why we put everything on the line for undisturbed operation". Plan B designs the project organisation to represent the client's interests. Bernard: "'Sensitivity to the operation' is what we call it. So at Jaarbeurs, the focus is on the visitor experience and minimising inconvenience. With other clients, on the other hand, speed or cost can be decisive."
Where engineering and psychology come together
Successful completion of construction projects depends heavily on effective management of human behaviour. Bernard and Corine also share this conviction. Bernard stresses, "Of course technical expertise is essential, but our main focus is on the human aspect. How do you align all those involved in complex construction projects, with numerous stakeholders and emotional involvement? How do you deal with tense situations, with mutual friction? And how do you tackle the challenges of a dynamic environment, such as that of Jaarbeurs? It is these issues we focus on".
Project management in action: land transfer between Jaarbeurs and Utrecht municipality
Evidence of the effectiveness of this approach was recently illustrated by a challenging task in which the Jaarbeurs transferred land to the municipality of Utrecht. This transaction included the eastern part of the area and required the complete decoupling of a building from the halls that would remain in the Jaarbeurs 's possession.
The project organisation was entrusted to Plan B. Corine explains: "This task was extremely complex. Extensive in terms of work: everything had to be disconnected structurally and technically, while the functionalities in the other halls had to continue running undisturbed. And extensive in terms of the parties involved: there were multiple interests to look after, such as striving for timely delivery, complying with contractual obligations, minimising inconvenience and budget control."
Bernard explains: "With such tasks, setting up a solid project organisation is our first concern. In this case, we very deliberately chose representation from sales and communications in the project team. This allowed us to assess the impact on business operations with every decision and to fine-tune the work so that it could continue uninterrupted." In addition, Plan B ensures integrated plans. "Right from the design phase, we ensure coordination between various departments; from civil engineering to electrical to W installation. We let everyone put the mechanical engineering drawings 'on the table'. And shuffle them around. We test, communicate, ask critical questions, challenge each other and engage in discussions. This leads to clarity of expectations and promotes a culture where cooperation is key. The result: higher-quality plans".
It creates a team that thinks collectively and looks beyond its own responsibilities
Corine adds: "This preparation is essential for the progress of the project. It prevents problems in the implementation phase, which often involve extra costs, delays and even mutual friction or frustration. Moreover, it creates an environment where people feel free to raise problems or deviations. It creates a team that thinks together and looks beyond its own responsibilities." According to Bernard, it is all about managing emotions, even during the implementation phase. "We are not into 'confronting', by then it is often too late," Bernard says. "That's why we deliberately choose 'mobilising', where we consult and steer improvements together with the contractor. Sometimes also conditioning: 'How can we help?' It is a constant search for optimisation of the whole."
Zero outstanding issues, everyone satisfied
At the end of September, the project was completed, with zero outstanding issues and everyone involved satisfied. An exceptional achievement in the world of project management, stresses Corine: "Such a completion is really incredibly handsome. How often does it not happen that countless things still need to be put right after completion. That certain parties still have enough on their plates? But thanks to Plan B's effectiveness, the entire task was completed without a hitch. That is invaluable to us. And so is our internal facilities staff, every link in the team. They are often modest, but we can be genuinely proud of what we achieve here together".
"We like technology, but we like people even more"
That the partnership between Plan B and Jaarbeurs extends beyond just executing projects is evidenced by Bernard's involvement in recruiting technical staff for the Jaarbeurs. Corine explains: "Currently, Plan B fills both project-related and temporary positions on an interim basis. This originated during the corona era and has helped us to ensure continuity. But given our future plans, we also want to build our own core team. We have already merged our 'management and maintenance' and 'operations' departments to this end, because I believe you cannot have one without the other. Now we are happy to add internal staff to this team, who are enthusiastic about contributing to the design of the new 'venue'."
According to Bernard, not only knowledge sharing, but also openness and honesty are central to the cooperation with Jaarbeurs. He says: "We like to think along with them about how Jaarbeurs can provide its permanent technical department with good permanent employees, because that is a logical step within their future plans. In doing so, it is very important that they attract the right candidates; not someone who approaches the task only from the technical angle, but rather people who understand how their contribution affects Jaarbeurs 's operations. People who like technology, but actually like people even more. Because the dynamics of this event location? That is completely different from that of a standard office complex or a production location. And from experience I can say: working here is a real pleasure. Every day is different here".
Working at Jaarbeurs Utrecht
Corine adds: "That's absolutely right. Our business has this constant dynamic. In fact, our work is driven by the planning. And if we do our work well, the business runs smoothly too. This requires not only technical and communication skills, but also flexibility: 'the show must go on', always. So on the one hand, our team works on long-term planning, while on the other hand we tackle sudden problems such as a faltering installation on an ad hoc basis. And all this in an ever-changing environment with changing types of events and target groups. From the MOTORbeurs to an entrepreneurial fair or today's LEGO World, we are as strong as our last job - and for that we need highly dedicated technicians. As well as our cooperation with Plan B, because let's be clear: that will of course also continue".
Want to know more about vacancies at Jaarbeurs? Go to werkenbij.jaarbeurs.nl/vacatures
