Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
The HKU day is all about meeting and inspiring each other. The underlying idea is to get support and teaching staff together. After all, HKU consists of different locations, and during the year people don't always get together. This day is the time to explore together: what is going on in this organisation? What is our common factor? What makes HKU, well HKU? A physical event is the starting point for this. Yet this day took place entirely digitally. And not insignificantly, it was a resounding success.
Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
Dennis: "Initially, the idea was to gather hundreds of people in Jaarbeurs. But every few weeks the rules became stricter. Then we got together with the team and changed things around. For a long time, we toyed with the idea that it could be physical. That meant constantly going back to the drawing board. Making new plans. Jaarbeurs was open to this. They couldn't see into the future either. And then suddenly it turned out that it really couldn't be physical anymore.
Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
Corona was a period where a lot was not allowed. Yet it was also a time when we were forced to reinvent things. Dennis: 'We got to know Jaarbeurs as an organisation with a flexible mentality. Our contact person said: let's look at what is possible. For instance, there turned out to be another space that lent itself to an online approach.'
'Then we really started freaking out with each other'
'It was a beautiful process where all parties had to be flexible. In which we started playing with a whole new block set of possibilities. And what turns out? You can inspire each other well even from a distance.'
Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
What followed was something spectacular. Knowledge sessions, workshops, theatre performances, table talks, yoga nidra, lectures, a fashion show AND an award ceremony. And all completely digital. De Paepe: 'It became an interactive TV broadcast with plenary parts and sub-sessions. This was really the 2.0 version of the HKU Day. We made it a super version in everything. Our (online) visitors were also really mega enthusiastic. Everyone types, but you can just see people cheering behind a screen.' Dennis also gets another big smile on his face: 'The live chat went he-all-out. One big chicken coop. There was an incredible amount of interaction.'
He continued: 'Besides, we had time on our hands. It was January 2022, everyone was really fed up. We were ready to meet again. You could also see that from the technical crew at Jaarbeurs. Those guys just about took off. It was fantastic to see each other so full of enthusiasm. They just kept going. That mountain of energy that was released in the studio, came across on screen'.
Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
The men look back on a successful period. A time when they reinvented the wheel and created an event that exceeded all expectations. De Paepe calls it 'an adventure'. And it was. One thing is beyond doubt: at HKU, they know what art is. In whatever form.
Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
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Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
Mutual appreciation and a flexible attitude. That is what Dennis Voortman and Marten de Paepe say about their cooperation with Jaarbeurs. Early this year, coronagraphs practically forced them to completely convert the HKU day with just under a thousand visitors to an online variant: "You can then say: we'll stop. Or you start freaking out with each other and create something completely new."
We are now almost a year on. Time for a brief evaluation with event coordinator Dennis Voortman and communications director Marten de Paepe. How do they look back on this period that demanded an enormous amount of flexibility from both the HKUand the Jaarbeurs team?
