Last January was once again all about New Year's Eve drinks. So the Polar, in Jaarbeurs's Media Plaza, was once again the host. The normally ultra-stylish space was transformed into a brown café, with pub quiz. Thuiswinkel.org went all-in with its New Year's reception this year.
New Year meeting
For some time now, Thuiswinkel.org has also held a New Year's Meeting every year during the Webwinkel Vakdagen. For the organisation, it is the time to wish each other a good year and maintain relationships.
Marleen van Soest, Marketeer Sustainability & Events, says: 'We combine our New Year's Meeting with the Webwinkel Vakdagen. We are also there with a stand, so our relations are already at the event.
'The relations coming to the fair only need to take the escalator up and can join our reception.'
Something surprising every year
This is not the first time Thuiswinkel.org has linked their meeting to the fair. For a few years in a row, the Polar area of Media Plaza has been used to meet members, stakeholders and other relations. But there is no question of boring repetition here: every year, the organisation comes up with a different theme, with a different look and feel. This year, the theme was 20 years of e-commerce in the Netherlands. It became a brown cafe, complete with pub quiz.
Creative freedom
Van Soest is always happy with the Polar as a space: 'You have a lot of possibilities and creative freedom here. We discuss our wishes with Jaarbeurs and they then come up with a design. We didn't actually have to do anything ourselves on the layout.
'Jaarbeurs made sure the whole venue was transformed into an old brown café, right down to the lacy rugs on the table.'
'It looked like you were in the Jordaan. We also had a stage at the side of the room and there were standing tables and chairs everywhere. Of course, the Chesterfield sofas were not missing.'
Ask away
After the chief executive's New Year's speech, it was time for the pub quiz. 'Online shopping in the Netherlands exists 20 years this year,' says Van Soest. 'There was therefore a time travel central to which we linked questions. We started in 1990 and ended in 2010. For example, we showed film clips about online shopping and asked which one did not belong in the list. Our members found it a fun variation on the regular New Year's Eve drinks.'
Thinking along for success
Van Soest has already optioned the next New Year's meeting. That was partly determined by the fine cooperation with Jaarbeurs.'
'The team at Jaarbeurs always thinks well of our needs.'
'A good example is the translation of our theme to the catering: drinks boards with cubes of cheese and pieces of sausage - so very Dutch. We were also assigned a manager on the day itself. You are in close contact with them. For example, if I want extra tables at the registration desk, all I have to do is call the number that is available all day. Then that person makes sure everything is arranged. Jaarbeurs takes a lot of work off your hands.'
Contact us and we'll think with you. Whether you want to transform the state-of-the-art Polar into a brown café or have something completely different in mind, we'll set it up for you!
