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During the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, Boels played an essential role in the preparation and execution of one of the most logistically complex events of the past decades. Spread across approximately 95 locations, Boels Rental was widely deployed, focusing on flexibility, precision, and reliability. A striking example of what Boels can achieve as one team with all its disciplines, knowledge, and services.
High expectations
One of the most notable contributions was made by the climate specialists from Boels Power & HVAC. Commissioned by Neptunus Structures, they provided the complete climate control for the temporary buildings. It was not just about delivering capacity but carefully aligning air ducts, temperature control, and noise levels for each individual room. Since the location was only available on paper, the project required extensive preparation and engineering in advance. Due to the warm summer weather and the intensive use of the spaces by various parties, the bar was set high—but with a high-end installation and a strong partnership approach, all requirements were met.
Access solutions and coordination
IQ-PASS, part of Boels, also made an important contribution by providing access solutions and mobility management. In coordination with various authorities, a tight and reliable structure was set up to manage visitor flows and access processes across the many locations. Thanks to this approach, coordination ran smoothly, combining maximum control with minimal disruption.
Collaboration at scale
The NATO Summit was truly a large-scale collaboration. The Events department was responsible for delivering specific machinery, while equipment and personnel were deployed from various depots to ensure timely deliveries at all locations. The biggest challenge was the logistics in combination with the specific requirements surrounding the event, explains Dré Hermans. “Especially the delivery of some last-minute equipment was a real race against the clock, involving different locations and modes of transport. This truly called on the quick decision-making and flexibility of our colleagues at the depots and in logistics.”
Performing successfully under high pressure
Speaking of quick decision-making, two weeks before the event Joost Morree from Boels Fencing received the request to place fencing. Morree acted immediately. “The biggest challenge was the availability of enough fences, as this was in the same week as Pinkpop and the celebration of 750 years of Amsterdam. Luckily, a large order for Boels Germany was already in production. This, combined with finding enough people to deploy the fences, meant we could respond positively to this request within a day. The fact that we were able to handle this so quickly with the cooperation of all Boels colleagues makes me very proud.”
Guido Deckers from Boels Critical Support is also very satisfied with the way of working. “It was great to see that in the run-up to and during the event, we all had one mission in mind, and that was to support the customer with this major challenge. The entire Boels ‘NATO Summit’ team has shown that we can convert highly complex challenges into complete, turnkey solutions under high pressure, fully unburdening the customer. Let the next summit come…”
