Jaarbeurs and partners provide Royal Trip to Utrecht

IBTM, Incentives Business Travel & Meetings, is an annual event for event organisers. This event takes place annually in Barcelona. Meeting and inspiring each other is central during IBTM. Jannemarije Spruitenburg (key account manager) and Kelly van der Velden-Otten (account manager and Health Champion) of Jaarbeurs set up their stand in Barcelona with the aim of bringing Utrecht to the attention of event professionals as a congress city.

Royal Jaarbeurs Express
For the Royal Trip, which was raffled off during IBTM 2023, Jaarbeurs launched a special campaign: Royal Jaarbeurs Express. By registering for the Happy Hour, a networking session during IBTM 2023, visitors were entered into the prize draw for the trip. Jannemarije Spruitenburg: “We are incredibly proud that we were able to offer the Royal Jaarbeurs Express in collaboration with partners in Utrecht and KLM. Together, we have one clear goal: to put Utrecht on the map as the city and region for organising top-tier international conferences. At IBTM, we’re in the right place to inspire event organisers with what Utrecht has to offer.”

Royal flight
The Royal Trip for two people was won by Gerard Lebeda of the International Society for Urban Health in New York. This was the second time in his life that the winner had flown with KLM. It was a special experience for him: “On both occasions, I was impressed by the courtesy and efficiency of the entire KLM crew.” These words fill KLM with pride: “We are committed every day to offering our guests the best possible flying experience. Excellent customer service is of the utmost importance to us, and that is why we are delighted with this positive feedback from our passengers,” said Jack Urlus of KLM.

Royal winners in Utrecht
A long time ago, the winner had already visited Utrecht once, back then as part of the cast of the Jesus Christ Superstar world tour. “Architecturally speaking, a lot has changed in Utrecht over the years, but we were immediately captivated once again by the winding streets and picturesque bridges.”

Immediately on arrival in Utrecht, the architectural changes were striking. "As you leave the station, the first thing you notice is the high, covered canopy. This protects pedestrians from bad weather one moment and from the sun at another, while still keeping the area illuminated."

Luxury accommodation
The Royal Jaarbeurs Trip included a luxury stay at the Crowne Plaza Utrecht Central Station. “Before we set off to explore, we checked into our room at the Crowne Plaza Utrecht Central Station, which is conveniently located in the lower concourse of the shopping centre. We were given a lovely, clean king-size room on the 8th floor.”

Promoters of the city
“During the trip, we noticed just how much the people of Utrecht love their city. A visit to a clothes shop led to a conversation with the staff member about how much he loves living in Utrecht. In the end, he gave us a fantastic restaurant recommendation for the evening. Later, we got talking to a Spaniard in a brewery; he has lived in Utrecht for over 30 years and has seen the city grow into a world-class city.”

Soak up the culture
To really get to know Utrecht, a visit to the Centraal Museum is a must. “The exhibition was absolutely stunning, and the magnificent building was a work of art in itself. We spent a lot of time exploring the museum’s many floors and were particularly impressed by the fashion exhibition that was on at the time.”

"A final dinner in the city and drinks on the canal made a perfect end to our Royal Trip to Utrecht. In short Utrecht surprised us again, this offers a lot of possibilities for my work in the future.

Royal Jaarbeurs will be at IBTM 2024 in Barcelona again this year from 19 to 21 November.