PROFILE
Riemer Rijpkema has more than 25 years experience in the live communication sector. Every year, as an independent entrepreneur, he and his partner in the company Expo Care organised more than 20 B2B and B2C fairs in the Netherlands and abroad. Exhibition titles developed under his responsibility are; Speed&Design, the Energiebeurs (energy), De Renovatiebeurs (renovations), Geveltotaal (façades), Bedrijven Kontakt Dagen (Contact days for businesses) and ParkeerVak (parking solutions).
After selling Expo Care to Jaarbeurs, about 20 years ago, Riemer has been active in various management functions at, among others, Jaarbeurs Utrecht, RTB Rotterdam and in the management holding of Libéma in Rosmalen. At Libéma, Riemer was also responsible for Business in Tennis, which included the commercial exploitation of the Davis Cup games in collaboration with the KNLTB (Royal Dutch Lawn Tennis Association).
As chairman of sector association FBTN (fairs and events), he was the founder and modeller of the current sector association CLC-VECTA (Centre for live communication), by realising the merger with VNC, ESAH and, at a later stage, VECTA. In his current role as director of CLC-VECTA, he is responsible for, among other things, the mutual research with NHTV (Breda University of Applied Sciences) and CELTH (Centre of expertise, leisure, tourism and hospitality) into the future of the Live Communication sector. In addition, he is committed to projects that relate to Lifelong Learning and is active in various boards, committees and consultative bodies such as Gastvrij Nederland (Hospitable Netherlands), SBB (vocational education & labour market) and MKB Nederland (for SMEs).
He still combines this role with his independent entrepreneurship and provides guidance to businesses for the (further) development of their marketing strategy. Also, he and his company participate in enterprises and support new initiatives, such as the international exhibitions about Banksy and Da Vinci in the Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre in Amsterdam.
Live Communication is his passion, the meaningful uniting and joining of people and of people and/with markets. Sharing contacts and knowledge gives him energy as he believes that it will help you get on both as a person and entrepreneur. ‘It is fascinating to invest in people and to really understand them, which is a condition for valuable relationships’, according to Riemer.