Doubled in surface area. That's what happened when ExpoProof decided to move the Vakbeurs Openbare Ruimte to the halls of Royal Jaarbeurs. What followed was a close collaboration where 'understanding each other's situation' prevailed. Marcel Beelen, COO ExpoProof, tells us more about it.
It’s never a one-way street, because it’s up to us all to make this a success. Jaarbeurs understands that. To put it simply, we aren’t the customer. Our exhibitors and visitors are. Of course, we organise the fair and rent the space, but if the conditions aren’t right, people won’t come back.Marcel Beelen, COO of ExpoProof
‘It took a while before we were really ready to make the move to Jaarbeurs’says Marcel. ‘We’d been having exploratory talks with each other for some time, but we weren’t quite ready ourselves. What’s more, visitors and exhibitors at the Public Space Trade Fair were attached to the old venue. People had some reservations about changing venues. And everyone knows: you have to be able to convince the entire trade fair and everything surrounding it to change venues. The most important thing is that everyone benefits. The turning point came when we outgrew our current space, and our ambition was to grow. That was really only possible at Jaarbeurs. It was time to sit down together again and have a serious discussion.’
Marcel looks back on an intensive process with a smile. He says: 'Fortunately, Jaarbeurs was actively involved in the objections. Together we came to a compromise that exhibitors and visitors also felt comfortable with. We signed a multi-year contract and said: we are going to do everything to make it a huge success within Jaarbeurs, with the word 'cooperation' being an important factor. It was great to come out of it together like that!'
Meanwhile, Vakbeurs Openbare Ruimte and Jaarbeurs have been linked for seven years. According to Marcel, in those few years, Jaarbeurs has become one of the most important cooperation partners. Not surprisingly, as the fair has grown tremendously. He says of the communication between the two parties: 'It is never one-way traffic, because it is up to us together to make this successful. Jaarbeurs understands that. If you knock it flat, we are not the customer. Our exhibitors and visitors are. Of course we organise the fair and rent the space, but if the conditions are not right, people won't come back.'
When asked what Marcel finds most valuable about the cooperation with Jaarbeurs, he says: "That we understand each other's situation. We give each other space to undertake. For example: an exhibitor wants to show something complex. But to do so, he needs more days to build up and dismantle than agreed. Jaarbeurs thinks along flexibly and also looks for a solution. The same applies the other way round: last year, car parks had to disappear. I raise the alarm at an early stage, but I know it's a circumstance that Jaarbeurs can do nothing about. We don't say to each other: how will you solve this? But rather: how will we deal with this? We never think in terms of problems.'
Facts & Figures
- Number of visitors/participants: 6,706 visitors, 2,169 participants, 440 exhibitors
- Visitors/participants come from: > 98% the Netherlands, predominantly civil servants from 263 local authorities in the Netherlands
- Venue and session rooms used: Halls 2, 3 and 4 + Julianazalen for part of the programme
- Aim of the event: to bring together buyers and suppliers within a sector that is becoming increasingly important due to biodiversity, climate, health, circularity, etc.: the design and management of public spaces
- Visitor satisfaction rating for the venue: 52% give it an 8, 25% give it a 7, 12% give it a 9, 5% give it a 6, 4% give it a 10 …
- A special feature: for years, by far the finest trade fair in the Netherlands on a subject that concerns everyone
As an example, Marcel cites another memorable moment from recent years: the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘We weren’t allowed to hold the fair for a year. That was incredibly frustrating. But in 2021, we took the plunge together to at least get it started. In September, we had a window of opportunity to organise the fair, provided all the conditions were right. So: one-way traffic, 1.5-metre social distancing and access controls. All the bells and whistles surrounding it were incredibly intense. On top of that, we were subject to government regulations that changed almost daily. And yet, together we said: let’s see if we can make it work. We were all so keen to run a trade fair. Jaarbeurs did everything in its power to adapt. That collaboration was sublime! We had meetings almost every day and the process was actually almost impossible. And yet we managed to pull it off. Fantastic!’
The agenda also shows that the collaboration is a success for both parties. On 25 and 26 September 2024, the Public Space Trade Fair will take place once again. Over those two days, Halls 2, 3 and 4 will once again be transformed into the premier event for the design, layout, maintenance and management of public spaces.
Account and event manager Jannemarije
Do you have a cool idea for an event or trade fair? In our exhibition and conference centre, we have the space and passion for your event. Get in touch with me. I will be happy to tell you more about all the possibilities at our event location in Utrecht.
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