Thursday, 20 August 2020, 7:11 PM
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Forty percent of Ahoy’s staff will lose their jobs. Rotterdam’s largest event location is severely affected by the corona crisis. Director Jolanda Jansen hopes to be able to scale up the number of events with the remaining core team in the spring.
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“I had to announce that we are on the eve of a major reorganization,” says a taken aback Jansen on Thursday. Forty percent of the 270 employees, 108 people, have to leave the team. “The industry in which we operate has been at a standstill since March. We are at zero.”
Jansen is dismayed. “This is terrible. We are a company with an incredible number of people who do their work with heart and soul. People who have often worked with us for an incredible long time also feel a bit like family. Then it is very hard and sour when you should convey such a message. “
Scenario’s
The Ahoy board has done its utmost to prevent this, but it has not succeeded. “We looked at all the scenarios, but recently came to the conclusion that, recently with the easing, we cannot cover the costs. That will stop. No matter how healthy we went through this crisis.”
And it doesn’t look like it will get any better for now. Jansen does not think that large-scale events can be organized this year. “We therefore call on the government to help us and the rest of our sector through this winter by extending the NOW scheme.” Jansen hopes to hear more about this with Prinsjesdag.
Jubilee
Last year and the upcoming period should have been a glittering period for Ahoy. For example, they would be the host of the Eurovision Song Contest in May and the event location will soon be 50 years old. “Nobody could have come up with this and that remains unreal. To have to do such an operation and to have to say goodbye to so many sweet, nice, good colleagues is not nice.”
Jansen wants to continue building with the core team that remains. “We want to get through this period with them and move on. From there we will work with the government to see what can be done.”
Jansen does not see much happening on large-scale events in 2020. “Hopefully we can do a little more in the spring. That’s what I’m working towards. Then we have to see if we start hiring people again.”
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