The gong: an age-old tradition
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in the world and a household name in the Netherlands and abroad. As early as the 17th century, trading was opened and closed by sounding a gong. Today, all securities trading is automated and the opening is a ceremonial act. Directors of listed companies, business people, politicians and charity ambassadors have helped keep this tradition alive in recent years.
Amsterdam Gong Ceremonies
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Kempen Life Sciences conference
| Amsterdam
9159c73c6051-f9dd-48d8-8d82-f3a9bc1fbbb8Kempen Life Sciences conference
Kempen kicks off Life Sciences Conference
Kempen is proud to host the annual Kempen Life Sciences conference on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 April 2018. On this occasion they visit the Amsterdam exchange to open trading. Alex Cogut, Co-Head Life Sciences Research, sounds the gong.
The Kempen Life Sciences conference has become a central meeting place for global institutional investors and European Life Sciences companies, with its signature format focused on one-on-one meetings and small group meetings, as well as a networking lunch and showcase session. Like previous years, the conference will be attended by executives from a wide range of companies from continental Europe including pharma, biotech, diagnostics and medtech.
As one of the few focused merchant banks in Europe, Kempen is uniquely positioned as a specialist in the Life Sciences and Healthcare markets. Over the past years, Kempen has enhanced their position in securities brokerage, mergers and acquisitions, and equity capital market transactions.
For more information: www.kempen.com
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Bol.com strongest retail brand
| Amsterdam
91582ad60345-aef9-42d9-b094-63a95a380069Bol.com strongest retail brand
Bol.com named strongest retail brand
Bol.com, part of the Euronext listed Ahold Delhaize (ticker symbol: AD), has been declared the strongest retail brand in the Netherlands for the fourth time in a row. This was recently announced by Hendrik Beerda Brand Consultancy, who carries out a yearly Retail Brand Survey.
Today, a group of bol.com’s newest employees are on the gong stage, they will be working together with their colleagues to ensure a bright future for the company.
For more information: www.bol.com
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Ease2pay
| Amsterdam
91559e09a606-2b96-4eda-bd12-1727137e4d9cEase2pay
Ease2pay celebrates takeover MyOrder
Gijs van Lookeren Campagne, Jan Borghuis and Thomas Brinkman sound the gong to celebrate Ease2pay's recent acquistion of MyOrder.
Ease2pay N.V. (Ticker symbol: EAS2P) is a (payment) transaction platform that allows you to create a pin terminal on a smartphone. The payment-app can be used for a number of different functionalities including parking, refuelling, scan & pay shops and trip registration services.
For more information: www.ease2pay.nl
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Listing Retail Estates
| Amsterdam
9156d984d3be-233f-4b49-ad14-09b0e1b2d473Listing Retail Estates
Listing Retail Estates
Retail Estates strengthens its presence in the Netherlands through an additional stock exchange listing on Euronext Amsterdam.
Nine months after its entry into the Dutch retail property market, Retail Estates will now also be listed on Euronext Amsterdam.
For more information: www.retailestates.com
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Ordina TalentPower
| Amsterdam
9154c1c5b3ec-3152-49fd-bbd5-fa2b844a8a7eOrdina TalentPower
Ordina launches TalentPower with the opening of trading
Ordina (ticker symbol: ORDI) opens the trading day and celebrates the launch of Ordina TalentPower.
Ordina TalentPower was set-up to recruit and train new talents. Young Professionals who join Ordina will now be trained and guided via the Ordina TalentPower business unit. This includes a two-year training programme to not only increase their know-how and expertise, but also to boost their personal development. The company is currently running a recruitment campaign with the theme High performance teams, and have already hired more than fifty Young Professionals in the first quarter of this year. This is a very promising start for Ordina TalentPower, which has the ambition to recruit a large number of Young Professionals in 2018.
Ordina, founded in 1973 and listed at Euronext Amsterdam since 1987, is the largest independent IT services provider in de Benelux, with more than 2,650 employees. They devise, build and manage IT applications in the public sector, financial services sector, in industry and in healthcare.
For more information: www.ordina.com
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KPN The Digital Dutch
| Amsterdam
9153782773ff-d27e-47c8-8890-919b8afcf7c4KPN The Digital Dutch
Sounding of the gong for KPN The Digital Dutch
Esther Hoeve sounds the gong for KPN Digital Dutch. On 12 April KPN Business Segment is organizing The Digital Dutch for the third consecutive time. The Digital Dutch is an interactive event for corporate customers and business partners of KPN (ticker symbol: KPN).
After two earlier editions of the event KPN decided to bring back customers into the world of digital transformation. With The Digital Dutch, KPN wants to show companies - from SMEs to large corporates - how ICT solutions can be specifically applied to better serve their customers. This year’s Digital Dutch promises to be a spectacular experience where visitors get inspired and learn from some of the top companies in the Dutch business world.
For more information: www.kpn.com
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365th anniversary Royal Delft
| Amsterdam
915026d56395-6b9d-414d-875f-5a0577f0d10b365th anniversary Royal Delft
Royal Delft celebrates 365th anniversary
Royal Delft celebrates its 365th anniversary. CEO Henk Schouten opens the trading day in Amsterdam with a sounding of the gong.
On 28 March 2018 Royal Delft turned 365 years old and this will be celebrated throughout the year. Highlights of the year are the exhibition “Nouveau Blue: vision to realisation” and the painting of a Delft Blue tile painting by 365 people during the year.
In the 19th century the company laid the foundation for the earthenware that is made to this very day by producers throughout the world: new Delft Blue was born. A few people in the history of the company played a huge part in this development. Get to know these extraordinary people and their innovations by visiting this inspiring exhibition.
For more information: www.royaldelft.com
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BioCapital Company of the Year
| Amsterdam
914985cc2668-cb0d-4b91-9bea-f0d31437adb9BioCapital Company of the Year
Ablynx - BioCapital Company of the Year 2018
Ablynx NV CEO Edwin Moses sounds the gong, celebrating the company’s recent ‘BioCapital Company of the Year’ award. This award is presented yearly by Life Sciences Partners (LSP) during the BioCapital Europe Conference in Amsterdam.
LSP was proud to offer Ablynx the “BioCapital Company of the Year” award on February 6th 2018. LSP has been hosting The BioCapital Europe conference in Amsterdam for the past 16 years. The event brings together some of the most innovative healthcare companies across Europe. The “Company of the Year” is selected by approximately 250 delegates on the day of the conference. Ablynx was the clear winner at this year’s event, thanks to its outstanding performance.
Moses embraced the award in recognition of the exceptional progress the company has made since its IPO on Euronext Brussels (ticker symbol: ABLX) in 2007. The company has a unique Nanobody drug discovery and development platform which it uses to develop new medicines in various therapeutic areas. In October 2017, the company presented positive Phase III data validating the potential of its lead compound caplacizumab to become a key component of the new standard-of-care for acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP), a life-threatening blood clotting disorder, with potential approval and first launch anticipated in 2018.
For more information: www.ablynx.com
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Drumming Day
| Amsterdam
914811b9cef8-4088-4d24-b038-27062d21b941Drumming Day
Drumming Day
Accompanied by young drummers, this year’s Drumming Day is opened by Jan Dobber and Mark Spanbroek. After the opening ceremony they will address the participants of this year’s Drumming Day Seminar, which will be themed around the 40-year anniversary of the options exchange.
Drumming Day is a centuries old tradition commemorating the bravery of an orphaned boy who saved Amsterdam's stock exchange from the Spanish during the Eighty Years' War. The city expressed its gratitude by allowing orphans to play their drums in the exchange building one day each year. This age old tradition continues to this day.
On this day, April 4th, the Amsterdam Options Exchange, the oldest options exchange in Europe, celebrated its 40 year anniversary. Following the gong ceremony, this will be the theme during the ‘Drumming Day Seminar’. Jan Dobber, managing partner Beek Capital, and Mark Spanbroek, director of the Futures Industry Association, will tell more about the history, challenges and current issues concerning the options exchange, followed by a debate.
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Philips Lighting
| Amsterdam
9147134b660b-3cae-40c3-8df3-87844bf11ec7Philips Lighting
Philips Lighting inclusion in AEX-Index
Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting sounds the gong and celebrates their recent inclusion in the AEX-Index: “We are proud that Philips Lighting is included in the prestigious AEX-Index, less than two years after our initial public listing on Euronext in Amsterdam. It is an important step in our transformation journey and a reflection of our team’s successful track record as we build the lighting company for the Internet of Things”.
Philips Lighting (ticker symbol: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting products, systems and services, delivers innovations that unlock business value, providing rich user experiences that help improve lives. Serving professional and consumer markets, they lead the industry in leveraging the Internet of Things to transform homes, buildings and urban spaces. With 2017 sales of EUR 7 billion, Philips Lighting has approximately 32,000 employees in over 70 countries.
For more information: www.lighting.philips.com
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Autism week 2018
| Amsterdam
9143e5bbe56a-30ac-49d9-8ded-1922ca98e3abAutism week 2018
Sounding of the gong for NVA Autism week 2018
Brand ambassador and ABN AMRO consultant Brigitte van Blijswijk opens the stock exchange on behalf of the Dutch Autism Association (NVA). The NVA Autism week starts on 31 March, with the theme ‘Listen to autism’.
Today, the NVA wants to bring attention to autism and employment. Brigitte van Blijswijk has worked for ABN AMRO since 1987; at the age of 47 she was diagnosed with autism. Just like Van Blijswijk, a lot of people with autism possess valuable skills needed in the labour market such as technical insight, analytical thinking, eye for detail and the capacity to specialise.
People with autism can be found in many different sectors, such as: IT, healthcare, education and the government. However, too many people with autism in the Netherlands do not have a paid job.
For more information: www.autismeweek.nl
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MKB Nedsense
| Amsterdam
914202ab46f1-5106-4b16-9741-23c092c37d3aMKB Nedsense
MKB Nedsense sounds gong
Peter Paul de Vries, CEO of MKB Nedsense, will have the honour of sounding the gong. MKB Nedsense celebrates the transformation to an investment company for SME companies.
Since 12 February 2018, shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam under the name MKB Nedsense N.V. MKB Nedsense focuses on investments in small and medium-sized enterprises and supporting the growth ambitions of these companies.
The organisation has made a flying start with the acquisitions of AquaServa/Biobeheer, GNS Brinkman and Axess/Get Up .In 2016 these companies generated in 2016 a turnover of 15 million euro with a workforce of 132 employees on FTE-basis.
For more information: www.nedsense.nl
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10th anniversary Welcome Team
| Amsterdam
9141c22609ac-d90f-496e-bbf9-6ba47d97451610th anniversary Welcome Team
10th anniversary Welcome Team
Guido Frankfurther, former Alderman of the Amsterdam City Center and founder and project manager of the Welcome Team, opens the Amsterdam Stock Exchange by sounding the gong. He is accompanied by representatives of Heineken and Rabobank Amsterdam, who are among the sponsors of the Welcome Team and by some of the Welcome Team volunteers.
This year the Welcome Team celebrates its 10th anniversary. It was originally called "Host and Hostess Welcome you”. The project was part of the Alliance Welcome Amsterdam Foundation and was widely supported by the Amsterdam business community. This year the Welcome Team makes a new start as part of the Welcome Amsterdam Foundation, which is also responsible for monitoring the touring car stops in Amsterdam.
The new Welcome Team consists of about 30 volunteers. They welcome the visitors to Amsterdam in some of the busiest areas in a hospitable way and advise them, when requested, about the best route to hotels, restaurants, museums, attractions, shops and shopping streets, markets, parks, public transport etc. They also give advice about how to avoid pickpockets. They have a broad knowledge of Amsterdam and surroundings and speak several foreign languages. Special attention will be paid to the attractions and places of interest outside the city center in order to reduce the crowds in the center.
The Welcome Team will start on 30 March.
For more information: www.welkomamsterdam.org
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a.s.r. included in AEX-Index
| Amsterdam
91404f023171-cfe4-4c85-bc31-cac908c3ef95a.s.r. included in AEX-Index
a.s.r. celebrates inclusion in the AEX-Index
a.s.r. sounds the gong in Amsterdam, celebrating their recent inclusion in the AEX-Index. Euronext Amsterdam recently announced the results of its annual review of the AEX, AMX, and AScX indices.
Jos Baeten, CEO of a.s.r. Nederland N.V.: “We are pleased to be included in the AEX index, the most widely used index of the Dutch stock market. Following the successful IPO in 2016 and the completion of the privatisation in 2017, the inclusion in the AEX index enhances our profile in the international investment community and marks another milestone as a listed company.”
The AEX is a free-float market capitalisation weighted index that reflects the performance of the 25 largest shares listed on Euronext Amsterdam, and is the most widely used indicator of the Dutch stock market.
For more information: www.asrnl.com
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IPO NIBC Holding N.V.
| Amsterdam
914496e09d98-aadb-4b55-86f1-386ca87510b2IPO NIBC Holding N.V.
NIBC Holding N.V. celebrates IPO
NIBC Holding N.V. (ticker symbol: NIBC), an entrepreneurial Dutch bank focused on its clients’ most decisive financial moments, today sounds the gong to celebrate its listing on Euronext Amsterdam.
NIBC is the bank of choice for decisive moments. Their corporate client business offers a combination of corporate finance and capital markets, financing and investing in the sectors Food, Agriculture, Retail & Health, Industries & Manufacturing, Infrastructure & Renewables, Commercial Real Estate, Offshore Energy, Shipping & Intermodal and Telecom, Media, Technology & Services. NIBC's retail client offering provides residential mortgages in the Netherlands and online retail saving deposits in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany via NIBC Direct. Headquartered in The Hague, NIBC also has offices in Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London and Brussels.
For more information: www.nibc.com
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IPO B&S Group
| Amsterdam
91393a417fdd-d295-4653-90dd-6d74d2ee64c9IPO B&S Group
B&S Group lists on Euronext Amsterdam
Euronext welcomes B&S Group (symbol: BSGR), a fast-growing, global distribution partner for consumer goods, which has started trading on Euronext Amsterdam today. CEO Bert Meulman and the mangement team of B&S Group celebrate the company’s listing by sounding the gong.
B&S Group is active in 100+ countries and offers over 40,000 consumer goods to its customers in Health & Beauty, Liquor, Food & Beverage and Electronics. The company is specialised in resolving supply chain complexities in the consumer goods sector, for both suppliers as customers in various specialty markets. B&S Group is market leader in a large number of channels and so-called remote markets – distant, isolated or with a unfavourable geographical location.
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IPO Alfen
| Amsterdam
91377444530f-70f5-4666-b5c3-d13df76b24fcIPO Alfen
Dutch-based Alfen is operating internationally in the heart of the energy transition, as a specialist in energy solutions for the future. With its 80-years’ history, Alfen has a unique combination of activities. Alfen designs, develops and produces smart grids, energy storage systems, and electric vehicle charging equipment and combines these in integrated solutions to address the electricity challenges of its clients.
Alfen has demonstrated significant profitable growth over the past few years. Alfen has market leading positions in the Netherlands and experiences fast international growth benefiting from its first mover advantage. Alfen has proven concepts and mature products in each of its business lines, and is well positioned to participate in the expected high market growth. Alfen expects that the energy transition will accelerate, while the company is pursuing an internationalisation strategy and is benefiting from cross-selling opportunities between its three business lines.
For more information: www.alfen.com
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First listing anniversary Avantium
| Amsterdam
9136c2e01166-2755-4c4c-b532-b5ff4e59adddFirst listing anniversary Avantium
Gong for first listing anniversary Avantium
Avantium CEO Tom van Aken sounds the Euronext gong together with the company’s Zambezi team. Today, chemical technology company Avantium celebrates its first anniversary as a listed company. The Zambezi process is a ground-breaking technology that produces high-quality sugars from non-food biomass for use in chemical products, materials and fuels.
Avantium plans to open a pilot biorefinery for the Zambezi technology this year – another milestone for this forerunner in renewable chemistry. To develop this biorefinery, Avantium formed a consortium with AkzoNobel, Chemport Europe, RWE and Staatsbosbeheer last year.
Avantium’s revolutionary renewable chemistry solutions span from invention to commercially viable production processes. Together with partners around the world, Avantium develops efficient processes and sustainable products made from biobased materials. The company is based in Amsterdam and its shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels (ticker symbol: AVTX).
For more information: www.avantium.com
Amsterdam
Would you like to sound the gong with your company at Beursplein 5?
Open the trading day at Euronext Amsterdam
Companies or institutions that have a natural connection to the Amsterdam capital market can be invited to take part in a gong ceremony. For example, this might be to mark a special milestone or to raise awareness of a charity.
The ceremony starts with a reception hosted by a senior Euronext Amsterdam representative in the former Board Room at Beursplein 5. Just before 9 am, the participants and their guests take their place on the gong stage to open the trading day, The gong is sounded at 9 am precisely. The group then returns to the Boardroom for a cup of coffee.
Media coverage
The gong strike is broadcast live every morning on RTL Z. A picture of the gong strike illustrates the daily stock market report on the Financiële Telegraaf's website. In addition, Euronext shares the images on its social media channels.
Photos and video footage taken of the gong ceremony are shared with guests, who are free to use them for their own communications and on social media.
Practical information
Programme
Timings for gong ceremonies at Beursplein 5 are as follows:
Reception: 8.30 am
Sounding of the gong: 9.00 am
End: 9.15 - 9.30 am
Group size: minimum 8 people, maximum 15 people.
There is no charge for the gong ceremony.
Additional options
You can combine your gong ceremony with the Amsterdam Exchange Experience: a special tour of the stock exchange building.
Or if you would like to use the gong ceremony to kick off a conference or event, consider organising your event at Beursplein 5. Euronext has several historic rooms where events for 10 to 150 people can be held.
The Euronext Events Team will be happy to give you all the information you need about the options available.