Conference Matters 141

POSTILLION PANEL

Ana Alanis Project Leader Smart Mobility (Digitale Infrastructuur voor Toekomstbestendige Mobiliteit - DITM) at Brainport Eindhoven

The Netherlands must continue to invest in digital infrastructure in order to stay relevant as an international conference destination

Postillion Panel is the name of Conference Matters’ expert panel. The editorial staff produce these questions in collaboration with Postillion Hotels.

leading position in the value chain. DITM should enable the Netherlands to achieve its social goals nationally, strengthen its interna tional export position and influence internati onal standards. The project also helps reduce the billions in annual social costs associated with road safety, traffic jams and the pressure on the energy network. In line with this, the development of DITM also affects other industries, including the confe rence industry. First and foremost, conferences are essential to enable in-depth networking between public and private organisations and to shape indus trial ecosystems.”

To achieve this, the RAI works with key tech nology players. We’ve consciously chosen Cisco, with which we continuously determine what can be done and whether we can scale up. I think everyone can agree with this, although I understand that a smaller venue can’t always make such an investment. However, you can’t hold a conference about Wi-Fi if you have a really bad connection. In fact, the audience should be blown away. That doesn’t always mean that everything will work perfectly well because technology also has certain com plexities, but it needs to be your goal.” possible in part by the Ministry of Infrastruc ture and Water Management. The consortium provides an integrated approach in which developments from the international and domestic automotive indus try, ICT industry, traffic management, and mobility innovation are united and combined. The project allows us to use the opportunities of digitisation and automation to contribute to the major social challenges of a safe, relia ble, efficient, and sustainable mobility and energy system. Through DITM, the partners can accelerate their knowledge and product development, while Dutch companies strengthen their

“The role that digital infrastructure plays depends on the industry. At DITM, it’s about the mobility and energy industries and the link between them. The goal is to implement a scalable cooperative, connected and automa ted mobility system (CCAM) and a connection to a reliable energy supply. The DITM is made

The Netherlands is one of the world’s digital leaders. However, digital developments are moving very fast, and it seems that important investments are being delayed. Conference Matters asked an expert panel about how important the digital business climate is for the conference industry.

Bret Baas Manager IT & Digital at RAI Amsterdam

Jur Munnik Meetings & Events Manager at Postillion Hotels

for such processes are correct and complied with. It’s essential to do the right things at the right times with the right people commerci ally. Postillion Hotels is learning more about artificial intelligence (AI), as we even have an AI booking tool. You send an e-mail with your request, and we can confirm it within two seconds. Additionally, our CRM and data sys tems are becoming increasingly extensive. When it comes to the latest digital infrastruc ture, such as organising conferences online, I don’t know whether clients necessarily expect that from us. It all has to work well, and it doesn’t have to be state-of-the-art.”

“The RAI is continuously investing in digital infrastructure. We decide ourselves on the technology we all use, which often differs from other venues that outsource everything. It’s a USP for us. Sometimes, we also write off our investment because we believe that we should have the most modern technology in house, as the RAI wants to be an innovation centre for all clients. We host international exhibitions and confe rences, and we have to comply with the latest things, such as the latest 5G settings. We don’t call the 5G that you have on your mobile device 5G. That needs to be taken to a higher level. We’ve set this in motion when it comes to things such as Wi-Fi. The RAI was the first venue in Europe to offer open roaming.

“In general, it’s very important that we conti nue to invest in digital infrastructure and that the Netherlands remains a leader in Europe. This is how we continue to attract techno logy-related conferences. If we look at the entire convention industry, investing in digital infrastructure is also relevant, but I don’t think it’s at the top of the list because several other topics come up. From my position as Meeting & Events Mana ger, I’m involved in supporting and managing the commercial teams at the locations. I oversee the offers, contact clients and pre pare for client conferences. I’m mainly focu sed on increasing conversion and ensuring that the systems work and that all conditions

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