Royal Jaarbeurs strengthens international position with strategic focus

The past years, Royal Jaarbeurs has increased its activities on the international market, and this renewed focus is showing great success. With a growing number of international conferences, this Dutch venue is positioning itself as a major player. Account manager Corry Neggers talks about the steps the company is taking to achieve their goal of becoming Europe's most distinctive venue for international conferences & trade shows, the challenges involved and future plans.

As an account manager at Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Corry Neggers is responsible for a wide range of national and international conferences. “What I find fascinating about my work at Jaarbeurs is the dynamism and constant variety,” she says. “Every day brings new opportunities and challenges. It inspires me and gives me energy.”

“By working together with international clients and partners, it’s a great experience to see how you can actually influence the way events are organised and experienced. The feeling that you’re contributing to the success of such big events is very motivating.”

Ambitions and strategic partnerships

One of Neggers priorities is to strengthen the profile of Jaarbeurs as an international conference venue. “The Netherlands is an attractive country to organise international events, and we focus on themes that offer real added value for our clients.”

“We’ve chosen to focus our efforts on servicing three industries, that align with Utrecht’s ambi­tions: Life Sciences & Health, New Digital Society and Smart Sustainability. By focusing on these markets, we can find the right partners, hosts and ambassadors for international applications that match our clients’ specific needs,” she explains. 

“It strengthens the bond and ensures that we offer more than just a venue; we offer a total solution that really contributes to our clients’ objectives.”

Utrecht Congress Alliance

The Utrecht Congress Alliance was founded in order to fulfil the city’s global aspirations. This alliance is a strategic network of various partners who jointly want to invite international conferences to the city. Establishing this alliance was essential to position Utrecht as a leading destination for international events.

In this alliance, Jaarbeurs closely collaborates with organisations such as the province of Utrecht, Utrecht. Marketing, the Utrecht Medical Center (UMC) and Utrecht University. 
As a result, the alliance has the necessary knowledge, ­experience and infrastructure to organise ­world-class events.

“The combined in-house expertise is what makes the Utrecht Congress Alliance so strong,” says Neggers. “For example, we collaborate with the Princess Máxima Center and the UMC on our Life Sciences & Health theme. As a result, we’re able to host events with excellent content that also directly benefit from the leading research and medical facilities in the region. The Science Park in Utrecht also plays an important role, as it offers an innovative environment that attracts scientists, companies and professionals worldwide.”

 

 

With over a century of experience 
in organising events, there's always
someone in our team with
the necessary expertise

Corry Neggers

 

Distinctive in the international market 

The competition in the international market is fierce, and standing out is essential. “Jaarbeurs has a unique strategic location in the middle of the Netherlands. From Schiphol airport you can reach Jaarbeurs and the Utrecht city centre in just 30 minutes, and we’re right next to Utrecht Central Station,” says Neggers.

“What also makes Utrecht inviting is that it’s a city where you don’t fade into the crowd, as is often the case in larger cities. The accessibility and possibility of easily conversing with each other make the city quite compelling for our clients.”

“But what really sets us apart is our personal approach. We take the time to truly understand what our clients are looking for, what their needs are and how we can strengthen our collaboration. Our approach allows us to make the right connections, and our relationship with clients remains long-term and valuable.”

“Jaarbeurs’ many years of experience are an important asset. With over a century of experience in organising events, there’s always someone in our team with the necessary expertise. If that’s not the case, we make sure that we hire the right partners.”

“Our clients value our working method, as they always have a single point of contact from beginning to end. I’m very aware why a client has chosen Jaarbeurs and what their challenges and desired results are. Every event is fully tailor-made, with additional valuable elements.”

Sustainable and thoughtful

Another important aspect of Jaarbeurs’ strategy is their ambition to become the most sustainable venue in the Netherlands. Amongst others, the company has a clear objective towards 2030: to become carbon neutral.

“We view sustainable entrepreneurship as an integral part of our company policy, rather than just going through the motions. We consider matters such as waste separation, food waste and circular materials, but also make efforts to promote equality, diversity, a healthy lifestyle and sustainable change in the industries we work in,” Neggers explains.

“By communicating about these efforts and successes, likeminded partners, companies and organisations worldwide are encouraged to work with us. Together we can reduce our shared ­carbon footprint and explore more possibilities to create impact.”

Success stories in Utrecht: Innovation for Health conference 

Utrecht has countless success stories, and an excellent example is how Neggers managed to bring the renowned Innovation for Health conference to the city.

“A year ago, I contacted the organisation of the “Innovation for Health” conference because I felt that the conference would be an excellent fit for Jaarbeurs and Utrecht. The organisation showed interest but also wanted more clarity about the added value of Utrecht as a host location. It is essential for “Innovation for Health” to have strong partnerships and the right support for the programme.” 

From this perspective, Neggers made connec­tions with various relevant local parties, including Utrecht Science Park, Oncode Accelerator and ROM Utrecht, which then joined the initiative as partners. Corry is happy to report that in March 2026, the Innovation for Health conference will be held at Jaarbeurs, as well as the pre-confe­rence for the Global Investor Forum at the Science Park. “This collaboration shows that Jaarbeurs, together with the city of Utrecht, offers more than just a venue. It’s the combination of strategic partnerships and joint commitment that makes the conference successful.”

The future of international conferences 

The world of international conferences is changing, as well as the way we organise events. Neggers sees a shift towards more compact, but more intense, live events that really focus on the participants’ experience.

“I think that live events are increasingly becoming more compact, with fewer conference days but with more impact. The participants’ experience will improve. The work-life balance is also becoming increasingly important, and people’s concentration is decreasing. Why would you organise a conference that lasts four days when you can make it very compact and dynamic? For instance, by adding all kinds of AI tools.”

Neggers also notices that the focus of events is shifting from a simple transfer of information to a more holistic approach. “It’s no longer just about broadcasting information. Events need to be more balanced, and participants want more interactive and enriching experiences. For example, by integrating activities in the morning, such as walking, running or yoga, before the conference starts.”

Inspiration and depth

For the success of her clients, for Neggers, it is important to draw her own inspiration by attending other major events worldwide, such as ICCA meetings and the IMEX trade fair in Frankfurt.

ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) holds an annual seminar that provides a unique platform for association executives and ICCA members. Participants can exchange knowledge, network extensively and collaborate to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of association meetings. 

“The ICCA seminar is an event where you always go into depth with many practical workshops that are directly applicable in your work. It’s a great place to learn and be inspired!”

IMEX Frankfurt is one of the largest European trade fairs for the global meetings, events and incentive travel industry. “At IMEX, my colleagues and I get to introduce Royal Jaarbeurs as the ­premium venue in the Netherlands and share about our ambitions and expertise. It’s the ideal event to discover new opportunities and build relation­ships,” says Neggers.