Rabobank Rotterdam: different from a regular CHIO Rotterdam
The medals of the Longines FEI European Championships Jumping, Dressage and Para Dressage are divided. The riders, horses and other team members have arrived home safely and can look back on an exciting event. We speak to a number of key players in these European Championships. In addition to the athletes, there were a lot of other parties involved in the event. One of those parties was Rabobank Rotterdam, this year they were the discipline sponsor of Dressage. Heidi Leeuwangh (Advisor Market Operations, Communication & Cooperative advisor of Rabobank Rotterdam) tells about it.
A different set up
“This year the European Championships took place at a different time than the ‘normal’ CHIO Rotterdam. Where the CHIO normally is in June, now half of the summer passed while the top equestrian sport started in Rotterdam at the end of August. That is a difficult period because it is in the middle of the Dutch summer holidays, however we as Rabobank look back on a very successful week in the Kralingse Bos.”
Leeuwangh continues: “During these European Championships, we have given extra substance to our sponsorship agreement with Brasserie 2050. Brasserie 2050 is a self-service concept with a nod to the future that not only stimulates the taste buds but also serves dishes to think about. How do we feed nearly 10 billion people in 2050? Brasserie 2050 made it possible for us to tell ‘the story of the Rabobank’. The menu featured a selection of dishes that were put together based on a sustainable vision. Taste is still key, but by using less meat or opting for products from the region, for example, Brasserie 2050 reduced CO2 emissions. Each dish is provided with further explanation about the sustainable nature of the dish or the ingredients. We received positive responses to this concept and there was a lot of media attention for Brasserie 2050. Legacy partner Maison van den Boer has looked after the development and preparation of the dishes.”
Visible part
“Just like during the CHIO, we organized many meetings for various target groups during the European Championships. In our box in the Grandstand, our guests enjoyed the beautiful view on the sports in the arena every day and it has been the most beautiful top sports we could imagine. Together with EY we organized a meeting about Artificial Intelligence in the Rabobank Skybox and received a lunch for our investor relationships. It is great that this year we have been able to organize congresses on circularity and mobility with a other CHIO partners and major players from the market.”
“The closing day for the Dressage was on Saturday. The day started for us with the traditional reception for our members. Quite exciting because this year our guests came on Saturday instead of the traditional Sunday and they were watching Dressage instead of Jumping. Considerably different from previous years. The lunch was served at the Boulevard instead of in the hospitality tent located next to the arena. But everything went exactly as we hoped for. The stands were packed and the audience caught their breath during the thrilling dressage final in the afternoon.”
“More than 800 guests enjoyed it. We have received many positive reactions about the organization, the lunch at the Kralingse Plas and of course the sport. Of course, the sunny weather also helped enormously.”
“As Rabobank, we are proud that we were allowed to be a visible and relevant part of the event!”
