Gong marks Zomercompetitie 2016

The Zomercompetitie (Summer Competition) is a football and hockey tournament for companies in the Amsterdam area. The competition is being held for the 10th time this summer. For the first time the Summer Competition will also be held in Utrecht and Rotterdam. Samuel Tagwireyi, coach at the Kadish Foundation, flew over from Zambia to open trading at the Amsterdam exchange by sounding the gong.

Between 31 May and 5 August 25 over 80 companies participated in the tournament. Teams compete during the course of 20 playing days, in the hopes of achieving the 2014 football and hockey title. The league has a unique character; both football and hockey takes place at one location, and is played in a format of six against six. In addition to the sport aspect, the Summer Competition provides a networking platform where both participating companies and sponsors can meet young professionals. Ten percent of the profit will go to charity, the Kadish Foundation.

For more information: www.zomercompetitie.com

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Opening gong for children’s therapy with service dogs

On behalf of Hulphond Nederland, Daan and Rudolph Strickwold, Director Marketing & Commerce, sound the opening gong, which denotes the opening of trading at Euronext in Amsterdam. They ask for special attention for the increasing importance of children’s therapy with the use of service dogs.

This year only, in the Netherlands, more than 200 children who suffer from behavioural or development problems, such as Daan, have been successfully treated by therapists with the help of trained therapy dogs. These children deal with autism, ADHD, mental handicaps or suffer from being bullied. By the end of 2016, over 450 children will have a new perspective in life, due to the help of this special therapy program. They learn to function better, communicate more clearly, feel more confident and develop an improved sense of wellbeing. Hulphond Nederland visits the Amsterdam exchange in the context of the International Assistance Dog Week. During this week, which starts at August 7, Hulphond Nederland recognizes and honors the hardworking service dogs.

Hulphond Nederland is the Dutch expert centre for the training of service dogs, which are used for medical and therapeutic care. The foundation teaches dogs up to 70 individual skills, enabling them to offer assistance to individuals with physical handicaps or therapeutic needs. This includes people with significant physical limitations, suffering from epilepsy and physical or emotional traumas, and children with severe behavioural problems, autism, and/or mental handicaps.

For more information: www.hulphond.nl

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ING Starter of the month August Flyboarding.nl sounds gong

Flyboarding.nl has been elected by the ING jury to be ING startup of the month August 2016. For this occasion they open trading at the Amsterdam exchange. Rick Kort, founder, sounds the gong.

Flyboarding is the extreme sport of today: flying above water with water pressure. Flyboarding.nl introduces groups with this new sport at Cablepark Almere. Besides, they’re the only provider which offers a guarantee that you’ll fly.

Every month ING Netherlands (ticker symbol: INGA) organizes the startup of the month election. Previous winners this year are MedAngel and QualityWash

For more information: flyboarding.nl

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Amsterdam Gay Pride opens trading with PostNL for EuroPride 2016

The Amsterdam Gay Pride (EuroPride 2016) opens trading with Euronext listed PostNL (ticker symbol: PNL). Danny de Vries, Communication & Press Amsterdam Gay Pride, opens trading by sounding the gong.

PostNL thinks diversity is very important and therefore takes part of the Canal Boat Parade for over ten years. At PostNL they want every employee, regardless of origin, gender, age, beliefs, religion and sexual orientation to be themselves. This is emphasized by opening the exchange together with the Amsterdam Gay Pride.

This year, the Amsterdam Gay Pride Foundation is organizing a European version of the festival: EuroPride. EuroPride is held in a different European city every year, this year, is Amsterdam's turn. The festival is 15 days with over 200 activities, meetings, conferences and debates. The festival lasts until Sunday, 7 August, the world famous Boat Parade will be held on 6 August. Theme of EuroPride 2016: "Join our freedom, feel free to join us!". With this message the organization wants European countries where people are not able to be themselves, are free to live or where human rights are under pressure, to join our thinking and freedom.

For more information: www.pride.amsterdam

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Lipton Ice Tea launches Sneekweek with stroke on the gong

Maxime Dujardin, Brand Builder Lipton Ice Tea, launched the Sneekweek by sounding the gong at the Amsterdam exchange. The biggest sailing event on inland waterways of Europe is held for the 81st time from 6 to 11 August.

More than 1,800 participants in 35 different sailing classes compete for a spot on the highest podium. The organization of the event is in the hands of the Royal Watersport Sneek. The sailing competitions take place every day at the Sneekermeer, where more than 150 volunteers from the Royal Watersportvereniging will be working all week. From early morning until late at night, they ensure that the regatta runs smoothly. The KWS is thereby financially supported by a number of large nationally operating companies.

Main sponsor of the event is Lipton Ice Tea, the listed on Euronext Unilever (ticker symbol: UNIA). Sub sponsors of the association are among others Heineken and Rabobank.

For more information: www.sneekweek.nl

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ABN AMRO sounds the gong for fintech accelerator Econic

By striking the gong, ABN AMRO celebrates the opening of fintech accelerator Econic in Eindhoven. Fintechs and the bank’s employees will meet each other here in an independent environment to develop and test their ideas together. Day-to-day management of the hub will be carried out by external innovation experts. Last month, Econic started developing six ideas put forward by ABN AMRO employees and four from fast-growing start-ups.

Joop Wijn, member of the ABN AMRO Managing Board: ‘Econic brings together the worlds of fintechs and the bank. Promising ideas will be tested continuously against the bank’s day-to-day reality. This makes the innovation process swift and robust.’  Anique Soetermeer-Gabriëls, innovation expert at Econic: ‘Collaboration between corporates on the one hand and start-ups and scale-ups on the other is key to making a difference in the international knowledge economy. This initiative is an outstanding way of making this happen.’

Econic will work with a proven innovation process, which the experts leading the hub have used previously for High Tech XL and various Dutch top 100 companies. The process, which will now be applied to fintechs and other fast-growing companies for the first time, involves continuous monitoring of the innovation teams, workshops and master classes to achieve a ready-to-market proposition in six months. Besides fintechs, other companies with new ideas that can have an impact on corporate banking are also welcome at Econic.

For more information: www.abnamro.com

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L'Oreal Netherlands opens trade to celebrate takeover IT Cosmetics

L’Oréal Netherlands, part of the Euronext Paris listed L’Oréal (ticker symbol: OR), recently announced the signing of the acquirement of IT Cosmetics, one of the fastest growing prestige beauty brands in the United States. IT Cosmetics, who had net sales of 182 million US dollars – up by 56% more than the year before, was purchased for a price of 1.2 billion US dollars. The largest purchase of L'Oreal in eight years is celebrated by sounding the gong at the Amsterdam exchange.

IT Cosmetics will become part of the Luxe Division of L’Oréal and adding more than 300 skin-care and makeup products to its portfolio. “IT Cosmetics shares L’Oréal’s passion for product innovation. With their ‘Problem Solving Beauty’ mission, IT Cosmetics is providing products whose primary purpose is to help with skin improvement. The acquisition of this unique brand allows us to respond even better to a particularly dynamic market of cosmetics. It is an excellent addition to our existing brand portfolio," says Florian Marrone, Market Director Luxe L’Oréal Netherlands. 

L’Oréal has devoted itself to beauty for over 105 years. With its unique international portfolio of 32 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 25.26 billion euros in 2015 and employs 82,900 people worldwide.

For more information: www.loreal.com

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TenneT opens trading as first Dutch corporation to issue ‘green bonds’

TenneT is the first Dutch non-financial enterprise to issue so-called ‘green bonds’ in euros. For this occasion they visit the Amsterdam exchange of Euronext. Trading is opened by Otto Jager, CFO.

The first bond issue in 2015 consisted of two tranches of EUR 500 million each, with terms of 6 and 12 years and coupon rates of interest of 0.875% and 1.750%, respectively. In June 2016, TenneT issued another two tranches of EUR 500 million with terms of 10 and 20 years and coupon rates of interest of 1.000% and 1.875%, respectively. These bonds are all traded on the Euronext exchange in Amsterdam. In May 2016, TenneT also issued EUR 500 million in ‘green loans’ in Germany, a scheme comparable to the green bonds program.

In the future, TenneT will be issuing green bonds more frequently. The company is working on numerous sustainable energy projects that are eligible for green financing. In the next ten years, TenneT is expecting to invest EUR 7 to 9 billion in offshore wind energy projects in the Netherlands and Germany. In the period up to 2023, TenneT will connect to the Dutch grid 3,500 MW of sustainable wind energy generated by wind farms still to be developed in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. This corresponds to the annual energy consumption of over 3.5 million households. Green loans are contributing to the financing of the required grid connections.

For more information: www.tennet.eu

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Chamber of Commerce opens trading for SME Innovation Top 100

The Chamber of Commerce encourages businesses to grow and innovation is an important pillar in this. Innovative entrepreneurs from SMEs boost economy with innovations. For this group of entrepreneurs, the Chamber annually organizes the SME Innovation Top 100. Recently the nominees were published, therefore the Chamber of Commerce visits the Amsterdam exchange of Euronext and opens trading.

This year is the 11th edition and over 300 entrepreneurs from small and medium enterprises compete for this award. The SME Innovation Top 100 is a unique opportunity and to increase the company's visibility innovation and provides innovators in SMEs the springboard to knowledge and new networks. On 29 September, prior to the Day of Innovation, the winner will be announced. The Chamber of Commerce is proud to entrepreneurs who demonstrate courage and perseverance and have an eye for innovation.

The Chamber aims to be a modern online service for all operators in the Netherlands. They want business owners find answers to their questions as easy as possible. They help entrepreneurs in the phase before their start and with the official time of registration. They serve them in finding funding, innovation and entrepreneurship at home and abroad. The Chamber of Commerce provides information and advice to ensure optimum operation and capturing growth opportunities.

For more information: www.kvk.nl

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SOS Children’s Villages opens trading and a new children’s village

SOS Children's Villages opens trading on the Amsterdam exchange of Euronext by sounding the gong. By sounding the gong, the international children's development organization calls attention to a joyful event: the official opening of the SOS Children's Village in Guatemala situated in Santa Cruz del Quiché.

This children’s village was achieved thanks to the donations of Dutch donors. Here, children who lost the care of their parents find a new home in a loving SOS family. The construction of the new children's village in Santa Cruz del Quiché region was very much needed, because the population in this region is struggling with major problems. The village of Santa Cruz del Quiché consists of twelve family houses. 84 children will grow up under the loving wings of an SOS mother.

SOS Children's Villages has been working for children without parents or a safe home for more than 65 years. The international children's organization believes that family is the most important foundation for the healthy development of children. Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of children get solid foundation to develop themselves to promising and independent adults with SOS Children's Villages’ help. Preferably within their own family, but if that is no longer possible in an SOS family in a children's village.

For more information: www.soskinderdorpen.nl

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Sounding of the gong kicks off Boskalis Beach Cleanup Tour

The North Sea Foundation kicks off the Boskalis Beach Cleanup Tour. Managing director Floris van Hest sounds the gong accompanied by a delegation of Euronext listed main sponsor Boskalis (ticker symbol: BOKA).

From August 1 until August 14, The North Sea Foundation cleans up the Dutch coastline with as many volunteers as possible. And this is of great necessity with about 1,2 million pieces of plastic trash on the Dutch beaches. This year, the Boskalis Beach Cleanup Tour is organised in a new way. For the past three years, the North Sea Foundation roamed along the coastline from Cadzand to Schiermonnikoog in one month. This year, The North Sea Foundation will clean the Dutch beaches within two weeks, by starting simultaneously on August 1 in both Cadzand and Schiermonnikoog and finishing in Zandvoort. Last year, The North Sea Foundation has collected 11.555 kilograms of trash from the beaches with the help of over 2000 volunteers.

The Boskalis Beach Cleanup Tour is organised by the North Sea Foundation, the environmental organization that focuses on sustainable use of the North Sea. Since the first edition in 2013, 38,223 kilos of waste have been removed from the Dutch beaches thanks to the help of 4,015 volunteers.

For more information: www.beachcleanuptour.nl

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Ahold Delhaize celebrates first trading day on Euronext

Ahold Delhaize (ticker symbol: AD) celebrates its first trading day on Euronext. Following the successful merger of Ahold and Delhaize Group, Ahold Delhaize began trading on the Amsterdam and Brussels markets of Euronext.

Dick Boer, CEO of Ahold Delhaize celebrates the company’s first trading day by sounding the gong in Amsterdam which denotes the opening of trading of Ahold Delhaize on Euronext. The company is part of the flagship indices of Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels; the AEX® and the BEL20®.

Ahold Delhaize is one of the world’s largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and ecommerce. Its family of 22 strong, local brands serves more than 50 million customers each week in 11 countries. Together, these brands employ more than 375,000 associates in 6,500 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels and its American Depositary Receipts on the over-the-counter market in the U.S., quoted on the OTCQX International marketplace.

For more information: www.aholddelhaize.com

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Vriendengevraagd.nl

Rabobank sounds gong for Vriendengevraagd.nl

The new online service Vriendengevraagd.nl helps young people to find and apply for summer jobs in the area. Summer jobs they can do together for one employer. Rabobank wants to help young people earn their (first) holiday pay. Ellis Ramakers, Marketing Manager Young Customers Rabobank sounds the gong.

Vriendengevraagd.nl is an online service specifically for young people aged 14 to 18 who want start working this summer. For those who find it exciting to apply for a job or do not exactly know how to handle a job interview, useful tips can be found on the website.Vriendengevraagd.nl is an initiative of Rabobank. The online service is available to anyone, a Rabobank account is not necessary to apply.

For more information: www.vriendengevraagd.nl

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Belgian National Day

Belgian Ambassador sounds gong to celebrate Belgian National Day and the relations with the Netherlands

H.E. Chris Hoornaert, Ambassador of Belgium in The Netherlands opens trading at Euronext Amsterdam, together with Dries van der Vossen, CEO of Bilderberg Hotels and Honorary Consul of Belgium in Amsterdam, and Katharina Desmet, Economic Representative of Flanders for the Belgian Embassy.

By sounding the gong, the ambassador not only launches a new day at the exchange, he also celebrates the Belgian National Day: 185 years ago, on the 21st of July 1831, Belgium got its very first king, Leopold van Saksen-Coburg-Gotha. For the last three years, Belgians have also been commemorating the crowning of their current king, Filip, who succeeded his father, Albert II, on the 21st of July 2013.

‘Belgium and the Netherlands cooperate so well that there can be no doubt about it’, assured a Dutch Minister recently. Belgium celebrates its independence, however, on a day like this they also look at the successful and intense bilateral relations with The Netherlands, culturally, in the field of national security as well as economically. The good economic cooperation, and even interpenetration, translates also into the strong trade relations: The Netherlands are the first provider and the third customer of Belgium, which is in its turn the third importer of goods into the Netherlands.

For more information: www.netherlands.diplomatie.belgium.be

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Nationale-Nederlanden Pensions

Nationale-Nederlanden Pensions sounds gong for Income for Later

Nationale-Nederlanden Pension start with a different outlook on Income for Later. New initiatives include a collaboration with the women’s brand VIVA to inspire women to think about later and put them into action. To bring attention to this subject they open trading on the Amsterdam exchange.

Nationale-Nederlanden launched a collaboration with VIVA and known active bloggers at the beginning of this month. New is the magazine ‘Jouw Later’. This magazine has a central theme, creative pensions, with inspirational stories, some DIY instructions and helpful tips. More information is also available on Pensioenistedoen.nl. This is an online platform initiated by Nationale-Nederlanden, with interviews, videos with tips and activities organized by Nationale-Nederlanden.

Nationale-Nederlanden is a financial services provider with over 5 million private and business customers in the Netherlands. Nationale-Nederlanden has been active in the Dutch market and offers insurance, pensions and banking products for more than 170 years. It is part of NN Group (ticker symbol: NN), an international insurance and asset management listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

For more information: www.nn.nl

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The Challenge Engineering

Sounding of the gong for The Challenge Engineering

Yacht Engineering, Het Financieele Dagblad and BNR Nieuwsradio open trading at the Amsterdam exchange for The Challenge Engineering. The gong is sounded by Ard Kistemaker, Operational Director Yacht Engineering & Supply Chain Management & Procurement, accompanied by members of The Challenge-team.

Media companies Het Financieele Dagblad and BNR Nieuwsradio and recruitment agency Yacht organize a series of events called The Challenge; a quest for the best professional in a certain domain. During dynamic, interactive business events five selected finalists battle for the win in their field of expertise. By participating in The Challenge, professionals can show off their knowledge and skills and make a difference both to their area of expertise and the community/society.

The grand finale of The Challenge Engineering took place on 23 June 2016. The case at hand was how to make a Super Smart Energy City out of a city such as Amsterdam before 2050. The Challenge Engineering 2016 was won by Jasper Tonen, a policy officer at the city of Groningen. Both the jury and the audience valued his plans and input best. Prior to The Challenge Engineering Yacht and Het Financieele Dagblad organized The Challenge Finance 2016. The next Challenge, in March 2017, will be focusing on the search for the best IT Professionals of 2017. Yacht is part of Euronext listed Randstad (ticker symbol: RAND).

For more information: www.fd.nl/thechallenge

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100th Four Days Marches Nijmegen

Gong marks start 100th Four Days Marches Nijmegen

To celebrate the start of the 100th Four Days Marches Nijmegen, Ton Thomassen, member of the board of the Four Days Marches, sounds the gong.

The Nijmegen Four Days Marches is the world's largest multi-day walking performance event with 47,500 participants in the 100th edition. Participants from 70 countries come to Nijmegen to walk respectively 30, 40, 50 or 55 kilometres per day for four days. Participants are encouraged by hundreds of thousands of supporters along the route that finished on the Via Gladiola. This year, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander will attend the final day of the Marches. The 100th Four Days Marches start at Tuesday, 19 July at 4AM.

For more information: www.knblo.nl

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Gong ceremony Amsterdam

This morning, Euronext reflected on the events that took place in Nice last night. The traditional gong ceremony was subdued out of respect for all the victims. The opening of trading commenced as normal today.