The brand-new advisory board of the Vakantiebeurs has now had its first meeting. The input of the members, a reflection of partners in the travel industry, is taken into account to realize a successful trade fair. Exhibition manager Marleen Rompen explains. When asked why the advisory board was set up, Rompen answers: ‘The advisory board for the Vakantiebeurs was set up to discuss the concept, the campaign, future plans and collaborations together with various market parties. Team Vakantiebeurs strongly believes in working together as an industry to achieve a successful event. The advisory board is well informed about everything that is going on in the market, can give advice from different angles and helps to mobilise the market, so that together we can make the Holiday Fair a great success.’ How is the input of the members taken into account? ‘The members of our advisory board play an essential role in the process from idea to the final realisation of the Holiday Fair. From the very first moment, they receive all the relevant information and have the freedom to give their honest opinion, which we take very seriously. Basically, the organization of the Vakantiebeurs is in the hands of our partners, which is why it is crucial that the concept meets the needs of the market. This means that sometimes we have to balance, as not all companies have the same vision. Nevertheless, we always strive for a solution that is acceptable to all parties.’
She continues: ‘Thanks to the valuable advice and the involvement of our advisory board, we are already seeing new partnerships emerge and interesting concepts are developing. Their input has a tangible influence on the direction we are taking and contributes to the success of the Vakantiebeurs.’ What do you want to achieve with it? ‘We aim to increase the involvement of the market in the concept of the Holiday Fair. We want to gain insight into what is going on, where the needs of our partners lie, which aspects deserve special attention and how our partners can support us in organizing the event optimally and matching the wishes of visitors. The success of the Holiday Fair depends on the contributions of all parties involved, and it is our job to bring all these elements together into a seamless whole. Given the complexity of this goal, we cannot achieve this alone, which is why the advisory board is invaluable as a sounding board and as a bridge to the market.’ According to Rompen, a good representation of the sector was taken into account for the composition of the advisory board. These are the members: Joeri Backowski (Event Manager BENE – TUI), Hanita van der Meer (Spokesperson ANVR), Tessa Meerman (Manager Campaign & Partnerships – Corendon), Sharon Vassell (Trade Coordinator at Curaçao Tourist Board Europe), Susanne Al (Director of Marketing Netherlands, Belgium & France at Sunny Cars), Hugo van Drie (Director Nordic Netherlands & Germany), Lieke Lamb (Owner Trendwatcher.com) and T.J. van Apeldoorn (Co-owner & CEO TRAVel Media Benelux).
