Through the eyes of our technical manager Jurgen Bal
Walking through the halls of Jaarbeurs, one sees mostly imposing spaces, events in full swing and a stream of visitors. But behind the scenes, an entire 'city' is running at full speed with streets, roofs, squares and an 'infrastructure' that would be the envy of many a municipality. And Jurgen Bal? He is the technical manager of this city. "From streets to roofs and from lamps to cooling systems. The whole complex is my sphere of activity," Jurgen says with a smile. In total, he and his team manage 200,000 m² of indoor buildings. That's the halls, offices, corridors, basements and everything in between. "It really is a living organism. Something happens every day."
From creative lighting to technical mastery
Jurgen has been working at Jaarbeurs for a year and a half. Before that, he was active in the creative lighting world. And not without reason: "For years I did impossible lighting projects in the Netherlands and far beyond. If someone said 'that's not possible', I knew: that's what we're going to do." So he provided the spectacular lighting for Sensation, The Flying Dutch and A State of Trance and worked on iconic projects such as the Holland Casino in Utrecht.
After 17.5 years and a company that grew from six to 30 employees, it was time for something new. A tender process for a large real estate project put him in touch with Jaarbeurs. "Even then I thought: something is happening here. There is ambition and there are plans. Last year around Christmas I decided: I'm going to take the plunge." On 1 March, he started. From Breda to Utrecht with a list of projects waiting for him.
A new puzzle every day
In building 36, strategically located between the halls, Jurgen works with his team and three permanent partners: installation company Building Services, mechanical engineer Kropman and contractor ELK. Together, they keep the complex running.
"Reports range from a lamp that is broken to a toilet that does not flush. Small things that make a big difference to visitors and organisers. But also large-scale projects: new evacuation systems, replacement of electrical main distributors, major painting work, or renewing the lighting in a hall so it can be rented out for multiple purposes."
Jurgen sees his work as a big jigsaw puzzle. "It's looking for the win-win: how do we make something not only work again, but also better, smarter and more sustainable? Sometimes it is tempting to just stick a band-aid, but we want to make structural improvements."
Projects of now and dreams for later
Among other things, the recent renovation and fine-tuning of the evacuation system improved safety considerably. The lighting of one of the halls was also upgraded so that events like Disney on Ice can connect effortlessly. For the near future, big jobs are in the pipeline: smart lighting at P4, new cooling installations in the Juliana area and completion of fire safety projects. In the longer term, Jurgen is fully committed to sustainability. "Everything we make has to be multi-deployable. This will keep our city ready for the future."
Whether it's replacing a lamp or building a new installation: it all happens in the city of Jaarbeurs, often without visitors noticing. And thanks to Jurgen and his team, that city keeps bustling day in, day out. "The best thing? The diversity. No two days are the same. There are always new puzzles to solve and I love puzzles."
