Utrecht, 28 May 2025- The winners of the annual 'Royal Jaarbeurs poster competition 2025' have been announced. From over 40 entries, Ymke Slob, a student at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU), was judged the winner by the jury. Second prize was won by Emma Eickhout and in third place was Sam Euverman. Encouragement prizes were for Yunen Kok and Kealey Oosterom. Every year, Royal Jaarbeurs organises a poster competition for HKU students. This year's theme was ''Inspiring meetings at Jaarbeurs'. Since 1917, Jaarbeurs has had a tradition of posters made by Dutch designers. To uphold this tradition, it annually asks up-and-coming Dutch designers from HKU to create a new annual poster.
A tradition dating back more than a century
Esther Driessen, Head of Corporate Communications at Jaarbeurs Royal Jaarbeurs: “With this poster competition, we are not only celebrating the creativity of a new generation of designers, but also a tradition that is over a century old. The very first Jaarbeurs poster dates back to 1917. And we want to keep that tradition alive. Together with the HKU, we’re challenging students to visualise their vision of Jaarbeurs . And that’s no easy task. After all, how do you capture the essence of Jaarbeurs in a single image? A place where trade fairs, concerts, conferences, meetings, sporting events and 2.3 million people a year come together.”
Jitkse Hirs, HKU relationship manager, emphasises the good cooperation: "Thanks to Jaarbeurs, our students get a wonderful stage to showcase their talent. The cooperation between HKU and Jaarbeurs creates a creative spark every year and you can see that in the results."
Winning poster to be displayed in the boardroom
The winning poster is by Ymke Slob, a fourth-year student at the HKU. The jury praised her typographic approach, which is not only visually striking but also resonates on a deeper level. ‘The soft colour gradient in the background gives the design a sense of movement and growth, which is exactly what suits the events taking place there,’ according to the jury report. Jeroen van Hooff, CEO of Koninklijke Jaarbeurs: “As soon as I saw the winning poster, I knew: that’s going in my office. The design is not only visually striking, but really suits Jaarbeurs. A wonderful example of how young talent manages to combine tradition and innovation.”
Ymke Slob: "I hesitated a few times already to participate, but I am so happy that I finally did it in my graduation year. And then also winning? Really super proud!"
The poster of Ymke Slob (winner 2025)
A poster brimming with Utrecht: 030 in the spotlight
The jury also awarded encouragement prizes. One of these prizes went to Kealey Oosterom. The poster interprets the theme of ‘inspiring encounters’ in a highly original way by making use of the number 030. Natalie Dubois, curator of applied art & design at the Centraal Museum: “I had to look quite closely before I spotted it. This poster immediately caught my eye and also evoked a sense of nostalgia. It’s rather like 1950s wallpaper with a lovely repetitive pattern. But suddenly I saw it: 030, 030, 030. And once you’ve spotted it, you simply can’t unsee it. The reference to Utrecht’s area code gives it a strong local character and emphasises the connection with the city. The Dom Tower makes that even clearer. Despite my initial association, the pixelated nature of the typography and the clean composition give the poster a modern, digital feel. Very powerful and exciting!”
The winning posters will be on display from Monday 2 June in the public central entrance of the Beatrix Building and meeting centre Meet-Up of Jaarbeurs
The jury of the Koninklijke Jaarbeurs poster competition 2025 consisted of Natalie Dubois, curator applied art & design Centraal Museum, René Maas, team leader marketing & communications library Utrecht, Simon Davies, designer and lecturer at HKU, Esther Driessen, head of corporate communications Koninklijke Jaarbeurs, Mark Westra, content marketer Koninklijke Jaarbeurs.
Photo: Michiel Ton
