News

Symposium

21 January 2009

The project has been closed with an symposium and Expo ‘Let’s beat the Vikings with the best sustainable communication Idea’.
Mr. Bouwe de Boer, specialist sustainability of the municipality Leeuwarden, has given an interactive presentation on how we deal here in the Northen part of the Netherlands with energy consumption and how do we work together with Sweden on this subject. And our province, Fryslan, is leading in reducing energy consumption by introducing Electric cabs, energy friendly living areas and many more. As all technological facets of reducing energy consumption are possible, now people have to start embedding them in their lives. A challenge for communication experts to work on communication concepts to make people Think and Do energy reducing programs in their daily lives.
The words of Bouwe de Boer were taken along in a Quiz to test the sustainable knowledge. The nominees of the presentations continued to explain their ideas to the audience and this resulted in some award winning teams. Tarkett representatives did bring their prize for the best company usable idea, Absolut Vodka offered a prize for those getting the best free publicity. Tarkett, Absolut and also the Dutch Chamber of Sweden, Ikea and Husqvarna are looking forward to receive the complete communication advises in report form and will get back with their findings in due days. A final winners were the groups (see their company presentations!) Husqvarna H, going green award; Ikea K, redesign your Ikea furniture; Absolut F, catch a bottle; Tarkett Y, Roller skate event; Dutch Chamber R and S both Interactivity with members.
Mr. Lukas Joel, honorary consul from Sweden for the Northern part of the Netherlands, awarded the overall winner, group Y from Tarkett with the NHL sustainable communication award.

Overall we are proud to conclude this project 2010 and have exchanged great experiences with many people. Thanks to all that participated! Keep in touch! Ute Vrijburg, leader project International Communication.

Pictures of the symposium are posted here.

 

Viking Manifesto on youtube

Viking Manifesto was an inspiration for the students, they took it along this excursion, hopefully Steve Strid and Claes Andreasson will soon come to the NHL for a guestlecture. More on this subject on youtube.
Created by: Jornt Elzinga en Martin van der Meer

Final

Within 6 days, 11 companies/instutions were visited, with 68 students; Thanks goes to all those making this possible. We hope to meet you all on January 21st when the project will be concluded with an exposition of all communication tools & plans made and a symposium where the best 6 projects will be presented. These project are all related international communication, sustainability and reaching communication targets & budgets. We work on projects for Absolut, Dutch Chamber of Commerce, Husqvarna, Ikea and Tarkett. We will need you all to help us with selecting the best project, so please do keep in touch!
 

Dutch Media
Also the Dutch Media is following the excursion, check next links:

• Nijsnet.nl (dutch)
• Nijsnet.nl (frisian)

December 17th, 2009

Today Thursday we are heading for Almhult and Ahus. These cities are famous nowadays as they do have Ikea and Absolut as home company.

Yesterday we were guest at Linneaus University. With Swedish studens we worked the whole day. Listening to communication issues and working out some ideas for communication in workshops. Money and communciation are very much connected. It starts with the money spending during your studies. Swedish students spent per month between 650 and 1400 Euro, Dutch students between 520 and 1000 Euro. Major differences are Free public transport in the Netherlands and no fee for entering and studying at univerisities in Sweden. In the other workshop was the trailer for Europe discussed and three ideas were presented. The other workshop was more in new movements in the media. So a crowd mob was issued organised by 6 students and the act took place in the library with over 110 students. "humming in line" a few minutes and after that continue reading and discussing. Challenging for the organising student group to get 110 students in a few minutes acting like you wish. It was a new experience for all. After the day of working a moment for leisure started. A drink, and than all students met again at night on the campus.

December 15th, 2009
Tuesdaymorning:
Today a visit to Husqvarna is on the schedule. For many Dutch Husqvarna is 'the' sewing brand. Here in Husqvarna we will meet with the marketing communication people responsible for garden and forest equiments, a more unknown product line of Husqvarna in the Netherlands. But by far this is the range Husqvarna is known for. A complete update on the visit will follow. Look for Mondays' visit stories at EXCURSION.
 

December 11th, 2009
After one week of working the First exchange of ideas where presented in order to prepare for the business meetings in Sweden next week. Twenty seven groups of 4 students came together on Friday morning. All students where challenged to explain their ideas in English. The feed back from Marjan Poutsma, Albert Steenstra and Ute Vrijburg, all communication teachers, where promising and helpful for those still not sure about their performance, for others it was a great experience to see that they could make their ideas understandable. A couple of days to go and the real challenge, presenting to Dutch Chamber of Commerce, Husqvarna, Ikea, Tarkett and Absolut will take place.
 

December 10th, 2009
The department communication at the NHL University of applied sciences was colored Blue and Yellow on Monday. 107 students communication gathered for the first steps into the project international communication, which will lead them next week to Sweden. Mr. Lukas Joel, honorary consul from Sweden guided the students through the etics of business and live in Sweden. Dutch students took his words 'on time', 'staight forward, no frills', 'take your time when doing business', as cultural background along to prepare themselves to become good communincation partners for the companies they will visit.
Today Marloes Robijn introduced the students with the first words of Swedish, starting with the many different ways of saying Thank You, singing (drinking & Lucia) songs were loudly practiced, and ofcourse, Hello my name is..... The long bustrip to Stockholm on Saturday will not be dull, we have enough to learn on the road. In the other hours since Monday the students have been working on the company assignments which you can follow at 'students at work'.
 

December 7th, 2009
The kick off of the program will be in Leeuwarden. Opening speeches by Mr. Lukas Joel, Honoray Consul of Sweden for the Northen Netherlands and Mr. Evert Jan Schouwstra, export counsellor at the Chamber of Commerce in the Northen Netherlands.