Effort and teamwork the key to a successful CHIO

CHIO Rotterdam is the only Dutch five-star equestrian event that can measure up to the very best international events in the world. With a history of 74 years of 5* show jumping and dressage at the highest level, CHIO Rotterdam is also the oldest top-flight sporting event in Rotterdam. Boels Rental is proud to be the rental partner for many years. Time to have a chat with three Boels employees whose individual roles each play a part in the event’s enormous success.

Every year, a fully fledged equestrian stadium, which includes a double-storey pavilion for VIP guests, is erected on the edge of the Kralingse Bos in Rotterdam especially for the CHIO. The five-day event is attended by more than 40,000 people each year.  In the weeks leading up to the event, the teams work day and night to get the building and venues ready.

Event lead; combining the best of both worlds

For Boels Rental, Daniel Mevissen, Menno Renting and Gina Janssen each play a key role in the lead-up to the first show day. We’re meeting up with Daniel while he is unloading one of the forty Boels units being placed on the CHIO grounds. Daniel’s career at Boels spans over twenty-six years, most of them as a driver. But a year ago he took on a new task, that of event lead at various events and venues.

“After 25 years on the truck, I no longer had a real challenge. So I spoke with my manager and from there I rolled into what I’m doing now. Actually, I sort of created my new job myself. In my new role, I get to combine the best of both worlds. My knowledge of logistics and units, with a coordinating role at the event venue.” All freight forwarders report to Daniel. He tells them where the units need to go and helps with placing them safely in position.

”I take away all links between the driver and customer, it’s plug and play and in this way I can fully unburden the customer.”

This broader role suits Daniel to a T. His experience as a driver, his knowledge of units and his easy-going communication with customers help him feel good about himself and take care of his customers from A to Z. “It did take some getting used to. I don’t come here by truck anymore, but in a normal car. It’s fantastic that I have been offered this opportunity. It shows the appreciation that Boels has towards me and that feels good. In my new job, I get to pass my knowledge on to my colleagues, motivate them and make sure our customers get the best service possible. The great thing about Boels is that they recognise the strengths of the staff and position them so that, as a company, we can maximise our performance. This way, everyone is happy.”

Prestigious project

Just a few doors further on, Menno Renting is running about in the VIP pavilion. It’s the seventh consecutive time for the Boels Party & Events Manager at CHIO Rotterdam. “Every year the client has specific logistical requirements that pose new challenges. It’s definitely one of the most prestigious projects we manage. The attention to detail here is second to none and that makes it fun.” This year, Menno received help with the project from Kira Kronenburg, who is Sales Assistant at Party & Events. Kira takes care of reservations for all thirty-five venues on the grounds and is constantly in contact with the organisation to arrange special requests and changes. By venues we mean the pavilion, the stage, the grandstand, as well as the crew accommodation. Everything is neatly classified as ‘venue’. It’s not easy for a manager who has been in the event business for more than 30 years to be thrown off balance, although he did have an extra challenge this year. “True. As coincidence has it, the CHIO falls on the same weekend as the Pinkpop music festival. That means we have to organise our logistics differently. Fortunately, we have a great team of people working in our warehouse and good drivers on the road, who get energy out of challenges like this. So I’m sure it will work out.”

Boels Teamwork

Menno walks past the main grandstand with a big smile. “Look, this is where we are building the stage that will also seat Princess Beatrix afterwards. I think it’s actually one of the nicest areas. This is what makes my job so enjoyable, this diversity. From the stage for the Princess to the bar stool with cushion for the judges. And all the rest in between. Together with the client and all departments at Boels, we have one goal. And that is making sure everyone is satisfied at the end of the event and that we all did a great job as one team!

First point of contact 

Moving on from Daniel and Menno, our attention shifts to yet another important link in the chain for the CHIO project. More precisely, this link is located 178 kilometres away in Sittard, within the sales support department of Boels Party & Events. This is where Gina Janssen sits at her desk and is the first point of contact between the Boels organisation and all event organisers. Gina has been with Boels for 18 months now and previously worked on the other side of the business. “That’s right, I was employed at different festivals in the accreditation departments. I also worked in social services in between when I suddenly come across this job vacancy. I knew straight away it was a match.”

No nine-to-five job

Gina’s phone rings almost continuously. Together with Dré Hermans, she is the main contact person for several clients, one of which is CHIO Rotterdam. “I monitor the entire rental process from A to Z. From the quotation to the final reservation, from logistics to possible changes and specific questions from the event. We’re constantly adapting, organising and coming up with ad hoc solutions. “No, it’s definitely not a nine-to-five job!”

”The best part of my job, is to keep everything organised and running on time. The more complex the event, the bigger the challenge. So if we get a compliment afterwards as Team Boels, I’m actually proud of what we accomplished together.”

We are a service department whereby our service works in two directions. On the one hand towards unburdening our customers and, on the other, to ensure everything runs smoothly in our own organisation. So we can offer our customers the service we promise at the front end.”

Over the one-and-a-half years, I have got to know the organisation well. We have a no-nonsense mentality here, you know where you stand. When you do a good job, it gets noticed. The career opportunities are good and you are given space to develop and realise your ambitions. To me, these are important aspects of a good employer and something I really value.

Vera loves the variety in her job the most, the ‘every day is different’ feeling. “I have a lot of affinity with events and festivals. In my work, I can combine my passion with a structured job and stability. That makes my job so great. And then I forget the pleasant work atmosphere with my colleagues, which of course is just as important. We have one mission: we work hard for one another and get it done together for our customer!”