Online Seminar has recently partnered with the Johan Cruijff ArenA: customers can now hold virtual and hybrid events there as well. In the stadium where Ajax and the Dutch national team are performing, there are 15 spaces for business events. Jeroen van Iersel, marketing manager Johan Cruijff ArenA: ‘Clients choose us because of the association with a winner mentality and top-level performance, as well as the practical benefits such as accessibility and the latest facilities we have to offer.’
Normally we already organize a lot of business events,’ says Jeroen. ‘After all, competitions don’t happen every day. It often happened that customers would broadcast live or make an after movie themselves. Since Corona, we have been working with video partners to market this service ourselves. In this way we facilitate our clients to make broadcasts from the ArenA. We are not going to set up our own webinar platform; we are therefore pleased with the collaboration with Online Seminar.’
ArenA facilities
The stadium offers 15 rooms for meetings and events. Five of these are our flagships when it comes to filming. Special is De Koninklijke Loge, where you can see the center spot in the background when shooting. That space is very suitable for talk shows. In addition, we also have larger auditoriums where, if the corona rules allow it, 30 people or more can attend.’ The ArenA also offers four restaurants and catering can be reserved for each room.
Winner mentality
Jeroen sees that customers choose the ArenA for two reasons: it is practical and because of the ambiance. ‘We have many parking facilities, we are located in the middle of the country, and in Amsterdam. We also have space for large groups. In addition, there is an association with the winner mentality. In the ArenA we perform at the highest level, we innovate continuously and our customers and ourselves accelerate each other.’ When the rules for the coronavirus allow it, there is the option to get a tour of the building. You can touch the grass, you can enter the dug-out and you will take a look at the changing rooms. This gives a special dimension to a visit.’
Scaling up at a special location
‘What I like about the ArenA,” adds Marc Zwiers, Online Seminar business unit manager, ‘is that the location can keep up with the rules. You can scale up when possible and organize a hybrid event, but you can also go for a smaller area. We see that customers are increasingly looking for special locations to give their online event something extra. The ArenA offers you that.’