National Entrepreneur Award brings entrepreneurs together at Jaarbeurs

SMEs are the engine of the Dutch economy. If you ask De Ondernemer and ADR (Algemeen Dagblad and regional titles of DPG Media), these companies deserve a stage. That is why they came up with a prestigious award to honour the most important SMEs: the National Entrepreneur Award. Robert van den Ham, Director Content & Creation of The Entrepreneur: 'For a first edition, it was right on all sides!'

Many SMEs are just scraping by. This is not only due to staff shortages and the labour market, but also because of inflation, energy prices and rent costs. At the same time, there are also businesses that are dealing with these challenges smartly and making different choices. The National Entrepreneurs’ Award was conceived to give these businesses a platform too. An event where the right attention is focused on the business, the market and the sector. And where entrepreneurs are given the chance to tell their story. A leading award with significant potential for growth. For Van den Ham and his colleague at ADR, editor-in-chief Paul van den Bosch, the objectives for the first awards ceremony were therefore quickly clear: an event with panache, but in an informal setting.

It came as no surprise that DPG Media chose Jaarbeurs as its event venue. The media company frequently organises events there and is pleased with the venue. Van den Ham: ‘We always enjoy working together and have direct lines of communication. What’s more, they’re real experts. And you need them to make an event a success, especially when it’s the first time. We take that expertise very seriously. And bear in mind: we’re DPG Media, so our event simply has to be spot on.’

And it certainly worked. Although the award bestows a significant honour upon the winner, that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for a relaxed atmosphere. The programme was specifically tailored to this: not a gathering full of stiff suits, but an event that encouraged people to share their experiences. This approach was also reflected on stage. For instance, Jonathan van Noord, editor-in-chief at De Ondernemer, spoke with the expert jury (Jacco Vonhof, Michiel Muller and Annemarie van Gaal) about the economy and the (political) choices involved. What followed was a lively discussion amongst the entrepreneurs themselves. Storytelling expert Cor Hospes also gave an inspiring presentation, whilst Christian van Thillo delivered a digital speech on the value of SMEs.

Van den Ham looks back on the National Entrepreneur Award with pride: 'For us, this was the start of something beautiful for the long term. The atmosphere was good. The space also contributed to that; Media Plaza is a bit in the 1970s style. Exactly what we were looking for. We didn't have many objectives beforehand. We wanted to launch a sympathetic initiative from DPG Media, which we know has the potential to become much bigger. And we saw that in the nominees.'

He is referring to an idea with which the award winner, Van den Ham, managed to surprise everyone: ‘After the ceremony, Leadax approached us with the idea of organising company visits to the nominees. He asked us to help with the organisation. A brilliant initiative. They get together for a coffee, learn from one another and build a network. And that wasn’t even our idea to begin with. But now it’s emerging spontaneously from the entrepreneurs themselves.

Van den Ham looks back on the National Entrepreneur Award with pride: 'For us, this was the start of something beautiful for the long term. The atmosphere was good. The space also contributed to that; Media Plaza is a bit in the 1970s style. Exactly what we were looking for. We didn't have many objectives beforehand. We wanted to launch a sympathetic initiative from DPG Media, which we know has the potential to become much bigger. And we saw that in the nominees.'

He is referring to an idea with which the award winner, Van den Ham, managed to surprise everyone: ‘After the ceremony, Leadax approached us with the idea of organising company visits to the nominees. He asked us to help with the organisation. A brilliant initiative. They get together for a coffee, learn from one another and build a network. And that wasn’t even our idea to begin with. But now it’s emerging spontaneously from the entrepreneurs themselves.

"The atmosphere was good. The space also contributed to that - Media Plaza is a bit 1970s-style. Exactly what we were looking for."

Following such a successful first edition, DPG Media is focusing on the next one. Van den Ham: ‘We’re going to make it an annual event. We’re still looking at the timing, as the autumn calendar isn’t ideal. Perhaps we’ll opt for the spring. And will it be at Jaarbeurs again? We’ve had a very successful experience, so we’ll definitely be meeting up for a cappuccino to discuss a few things.’