WHO congress shines in Jaarbeurss Beatrix Theatre

Utrecht: Heart of Health. The region where we work together towards a healthier, sustainable future. This has not gone unnoticed worldwide either, as last November Utrecht hosted the international European Healthy Cities Network Conference. The conference took place over several days at various venues, including Jaarbeurs Koninklijke Jaarbeurs. Each day, the programme began in the red velvet seats of the Beatrix Theatre. We look back on the event with Miriam Weber, healthy city coordinator at Utrecht City Council.

'The congress is an annual event of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network' says Miriam. 'Any municipality can submit a bid book to organise it. It matches the ambitions of the municipality of Utrecht, so we were keen to bring this congress to our city. We therefore knocked on Jaarbeurs s door to gauge whether we could work together. Kelly, our contact at Jaarbeurs, immediately made a reservation and provided valuable information for the bid book, including promotional material and photos. The Utrecht Convention Bureau turned these into a fancy slider. And with success: WHO was also very impressed.'

Intensive cooperation will follow, from September 2022 until the congress in November 2023, the various parties will be in regular contact. After all, it is not an everyday congress. Because with more than 350 participants, political representatives and experts from more than 70 cities and national networks, it requires the necessary preparation. Miriam looks back on it with a smile: 'This was hugely important for everyone. And fortunately it ran so smoothly right from the start. Contact has been smooth throughout the year.'

And then the date gets closer; you would expect the tension to be cut to the bone. Yet it was not that bad, according to Miriam: 'A week before the congress, the WHO team came to Utrecht. For instance, they wanted to have a look at Jaarbeurs. The WHO's technical colleague wanted to know all the details surrounding the technology; he had seen too many times in the past at other locations that something was not properly organised after all. Kelly made sure the stageman could provide additional explanation about the technology. Every time we went over something, WHO was positively surprised. At Jaarbeurs, it is all integrated and almost everything is possible.'

The congress took place at various locations in Utrecht, but each day the programme started at the Beatrix Theatre. 'That was a conscious choice,' says Miriam. 'It really is something else than a chilly, business hall. You're in a theatre, the atmosphere is immediately there. We also used other floors in the Beatrix Building for the parallel sessions and lunch.'

Looking back, Miriam considers the conference a great success. She says: ‘Nothing went wrong, not even the slightest thing. I heard it from others too: there was so much enthusiasm and joy during those days. This was simply the best conference we’ve ever had. The experience… it was wonderful. When I look back at the photos, they simply radiate joy. The debrief with Jaarbeurs was nothing but praise either. Oh yes, there was one tiny thing. A cracker that would have tasted better with a bit of a topping on it. We simply couldn’t think of anything else. That’s how well and smoothly it all went!’

After the congress, the organising team didn’t have a ‘blue Monday’, but rather a ‘blue December feeling’, she says. ‘We’d worked so hard for a whole year; everything revolved around the congress. It’s just a bit of a let-down that we don’t see each other as much anymore. At the same time, the whole process has brought out something powerful in us. It shows that here in Utrecht, we have the strength to develop something wonderful when we share a common ambition. We’re going to put health higher and higher on the agenda. Utrecht is the Heart of Health. One of the ways we want to achieve this is by bringing more opportunities like this to the city. So we’ll definitely be working together again in the future.’

Photos: Ruben Philipse

Account manager Kelly

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