Strategy development for an events organisation

Koninklijke Jaarbeurs has been a leading player in organising and accommodating national and international events, congresses and trade shows for more than a century. It is one company with several interconnected activities.

Jaarbeurs has shown a lot of agility in recent years. From Covid-19 to stopping the "masterplan" for its Property arm, to the recent sale of one of its overseas units. With a renewed team it was now time to look at the future with fresh eyes and set a vision for the future. Time for a strategic direction as a shared starting point.

Jester Strategy guided the leadership and their management team on the route towards a new strategy. Over a period of around four months, our joint aim was threefold: (1) arrive at a logical, coherent and distinctive strategy for Jaarbeurs, (2) create buy-in from the entire management through inspiring sessions, and (3) provide a concrete roadmap for the follow-up.

Together (including the Supervisory Board) we defined the strategic challenges that had to find a place in the strategy. We then went deep in various teams, drew inspiration from outside, immersed ourselves in the facts, brought the management and leadership together regularly and came up with possible answers to the biggest challenges. Building on these insights, we arrived through a two-day strategy summit at a strategy and plan that fits Jaarbeurs and its people.