Anyone entering WOCODA at Jaarbeurs on 30 January found themselves in a vibrant world of knowledge sharing and approachable encounters. For a day, everything revolved around one of today's biggest social challenges: the housing shortage. We look back with founder John Kerkhoven on a successful second edition of WOCODA: "Behind the decimal point, everyone is equal here."
"WOCODA is a platform that brings together everyone with a link to public housing," says John Kerkhoven, founder of the WOCODA Public Housing Fair. "We bring together governments, cooperatives and market players around one common goal. Here, we explore the question of how to use certain practices to get the relocation task going better. Put more simply: how can we create more housing?"
Room to grow
The first edition of WOCODA took place in 2024: with about 1,000 visitors, in a (too small) congress hotel. For second edition, WOCODA therefore moved to Jaarbeurs. A logical choice, says John: "We have the ambition to be a low-carbon fair. Moreover, 70% of our visitors come from the public sector. Then you actually need a location as close to public transport as possible. In my view, you quickly end up at Jaarbeurs. You're just barely sitting on the platform here. The choice was quickly made to start discussions. Besides, we had a click with the account manager; it felt right. And not unimportantly, the rooms were the right size. We needed space to grow."
And grow they did. In fact, the fair grew no less than 2.5 times bigger! From 1,000 visitors in 2024 to 2,500 in 2025. The first two floors of meeting centre MeetUp in the Beatrix Building were put to optimal use, including a fully equipped Expo Hall.
No glittering stands, but equal opportunities
What stands out at WOCODA is the uniform stand design. No towering stands or podium-like rooms, but presentation tables along the aisles. The same applies to everyone. John: "Behind the comma, everyone is equal here. That is also a sign of the principle of equality. We don't want big parties with billions in turnover to dominate. Our goal is that all parties in the Netherlands can have a presence within public housing. Regardless of the marketing budget."
The organisation took the principle as far as possible: uniform stand construction, pavilions per target group (such as cooperatives and governments) and a set-up that literally lowered the threshold. Visitors could easily queue up, network and gain knowledge. And that happened en masse.
Zero waste
Another striking element: WOCODA was virtually zero waste. John: "We don't use flyers and programme booklets, everything is digital. And because of the uniform stand construction, we only needed two trucks of material for set-up and take-down. Exhibitors were allowed to enter one and a half hours beforehand, insert usb stick and start the fair. An ultimate plug-and-play concept."
From minister to councillor
Public housing is an important topic. That it is so alive was shown, among other things, by the impressive visitor profile. From minister Mona Keijzer to dozens of deputies, mayors and aldermen: everyone was there. Not just to network, because the need for more knowledge was a common denominator. The 60 (!) packed congresses discussed accelerating housing construction, industrialisation, renovation and sustainability.
Successful edition
John looks back on a fine preliminary process and a successful fair: "The cooperation with Jaarbeurs - and with account manager Corry Neggers-Huygen in particular - was very pleasant. The Jaarbeurs team communicates clearly, switches quickly and thinks along with you well."
Matches vision of Jaarbeurs
Corry also shares this view and is proud to host WOCODA: "It fits perfectly with our mission to promote innovation and collaboration. The dynamic and progressive nature of WOCODA fits well with Jaarbeurs's values and vision. The cooperation with WOCODA was a real party. I had very fine communication with the entire team and was included in everything. It was great fun to be part of such an impactful event. It was also great to make new connections between our own exhibitions and projects, such as the Construction Fair and Ageing 2040. This shows that we are not just a venue, but make valuable connections for clients to grow their event and knowledge."
On to 2026
That the cooperation is pleasing on both sides is reflected in the agenda. The next edition is already planned. But bigger: more floors, thematic division between new and existing buildings and an increase in the number of stands. And also with even more space for knowledge and encounters. But, John promises: "The equality principle remains sacrosanct."
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