When you join forces, you can organise really cool things, as we at Royal Jaarbeurs know better than anyone else. During IBTM 2023, Jaarbeurs, in collaboration with Utrecht Marketing, the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions (NBTC), Centraal Museum, KLM and Crowne Plaza Utrecht Central Station, raffled off a Royal Trip to Utrecht among visitors.
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 raffled off during IBTM 2023, Jaarbeurs set up a special campaign: Royal Jaarbeurs Express. By leaving details for the Happy Hour, a networking session during IBTM 2023, visitors were entered into the raffle for the trip. Jannemarije Spruitenburg: "We are super proud to have been able to offer the Royal Jaarbeurs Express together with Utrecht partners and KLM. Together we have one clear goal, to put Utrecht on the map as the city and region for organising top international congresses. At IBTM, we are in the right place to inspire event organisers with what Utrecht has to offer."
Royal flight
The Royal Trip for two was won by Gerard Lebeda of the International Society for Urban Health in New York. For the second time in his life, the winner flew with KLM. It was a special experience for him: "Both times 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 providing our guests with the best possible flying experience. Excellent customer service is of paramount importance to us, which is why we are extremely pleased with this positive feedback from our passengers," said KLM's Jack Urlus.
Royal winners in Utrecht
Winner has visited Utrecht once in the distant past, then as part of the cast of the world tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. "In terms of architecture, a lot has changed in Utrecht over the years, but we were immediately fascinated 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."
King-size stay
Included in the Royal Jaarbeurs Trip was a luxury stay at Crowne Plaza Utrecht Central Station. "Before exploring, we checked into our room at the Crowne Plaza Utrecht Central Station, which is conveniently located at the lower concourse of the shopping centre. We were given a nice and clean king-size room on the 8th floor."
Promoters of the city
"During the trip, we noticed how much Utrechters love their city. A visit to a clothing shop resulted in a conversation with the employee about how great he thinks it is to live in Utrecht. He ended up giving us a fantastic restaurant recommendation for the evening. Later, we got talking to a Spaniard in a brewery; he has lived in Utrecht for more than 30 years and has seen the city grow into a world-class city."
Sniffing up culture
To really get to know Utrecht, a trip to the Centraal Museum is indispensable. "The exhibition was incredibly beautiful and the beautiful building was also a work of art in itself. We spent a lot of time exploring the many floors of the museum and were particularly impressed by the fashion exhibition that was there 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.
