Sounding of the gong by Pluk de Nacht Foundation marks start of open air film festival

Pluk de Nacht Foundation sounds the gong at Beursplein 5 and kicks off the 12th edition of the open-air film festival. Visitors of Pluk de Nacht can enjoy plenty of (inter)national feature films, short films, documentaries and animations that have hardly been shown in Dutch cinemas. Precisely these films deserve an accessible way to reach a large audience, according to the group of film lovers who founded the Pluk de Nacht Foundation.

From 5 to 15 August, Pluk de Nacht shows 15 films in Amsterdam. From 20 to 22 August the film festival is located in Arnhem. The tour ends in Utrecht, from 26 to 29 August.

For more information: www.plukdenacht.nl

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Sports enthusiasts sound gong for KNGF guide dogs

A sporty group accompanied by two guide dogs open trading to mark the start of International Assistance Dog Week. Sounding the gong also symbolically launches the fundraising activities during the “Dam tot Damloop”. Nineteen runners, including five runners with a visual impairment, will work up a sweat during the 31st edition of the “Dam tot Damloop” for the benefit of the guide dogs of the Royal Dutch Guide Dog Foundation. The runners raise money for each completed kilometre, and the proceeds will be used for the expensive training of the guide dogs.

“The Assistance Dog Week is used worldwide to give the guide dogs the attention they deserve. It is a good moment to symbolically kick off this sportive fundraising activity for dogs with a mission by sounding the gong” says Ellen Greve, director of the Royal Dutch Guide Dog Foundation.

For more information:  www.geleidehond.nl

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Sounding of the gong kicks off 80th edition of Sneekweek

Jaitie Dijkstra, Vice-President of the Royal Water Sports Association of Sneek (KWS), sounds the gong and kicks off the 80^th edition of the Sneekweek, the biggest sailing event on inland waterways in Europe.

From 1-6 August, over 1800 participants compete in 35 different sailing classes for a spot on the highest podium. The organization of the event is in the hands of the Royal Water Sports Association of Sneek. The sailing competitions take place daily at the Sneekermeer, where more than 100 volunteers from KWS will ensure that the sailing events run smoothly. The KWS is financially supported by a number of large nationally operating organizations. Main sponsor is Lipton Ice Tea, a brand of the Euronext listed company Unilever (ticker symbol: UNIA), with sub sponsors Brunel, Heineken, Rabobank, Gaastra Pro Gear, Snakeware, Sony and Veenema Oliehandel.

For more information: www.sneekweek.nl

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Amsterdam Gay Pride and KPN sound gong for freedom and equality

Director of the Amsterdam Gay Pride Lucien Spee sounds the gong to open trading and to call attention to human rights in general, and the acceptance and equality of LHBTI’s in particular.

The Amsterdam Gay Pride is being held for the 20th time. A big celebration with an impressive plea for the emancipation of the gay, lesbian-, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities. For nine days, more than 160 events are held in the field of debate, art, theater, film, (dance) parties and sports. The theme for 2015 is 'Share'.

This year the so-called KPN Pride Stream Boat participates in the famous boat parade; a special boat equipped with a 360 degrees streaming camera. Through this camera, for both video and audio, the entire Parade Float can be experienced. The Pride Stream can be followed via pridestream.org and is an initiative of Euronext listed company KPN (ticker symbol: KPN). With its brand mission "feel free", KPN wants people to experience that technology does not make life more detached but kinder. KPN is proud partner of the Amsterdam Gay Pride, which lasts until 2 August 2015.

For more information: www.pride.amsterdam

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Dutch Burns Foundation sounds the gong for safe barbecuing

The Dutch Burns Foundation sounds the gong to call attention to the dangers of flammable liquids when barbecuing. The summer months of June, July and August are dedicated to safe barbecuing.

Beautiful weather unfortunately means busy times in the three Dutch Burn Centers in Groningen, Rotterdam and Beverwijk. Flammable liquids such as alcohol, bio-ethanol and white-spirit are used to light up barbecues and fire pits. What many people do not know is that the gas cloud is the most dangerous. When you open a bottle of flammable liquid, a gas cloud arises. This gas cloud lingers in the air. If one spark of fire comes in the gas cloud, it creates a dangerous fire. The consequences are severe: someone gets caught by the flash fire, catches fire and is marked for life.

Yearly, more than 750 people are hospitalized in a Dutch burn center for a lenghty period of time. 15.4% of the sustained injuries are related to flammable liquids. The Dutch Burns Foundation warns that the only way to light up your barbecue safely is with firelighters. The Dutch burn centers and the Dutch Burns Foundation together strive for zero barbecue victims. 

For mor information: www.brandwondenstichting.nl/bbqveilig

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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. Interim managing director Arriën Kuyt sounds the gong accompanied by a delegation of Euronext listed main sponsor Boskalis (ticker symbol: BOKA).

The North Sea Foundation’s Boskalis Beach Cleanup Tour starts on 1 August. Nearly 1000 volunteers have already registered to help remove all trash from the Dutch North Sea coast from 1-27 August.

The beaches are covered in litter; an average of 400 items are found on every 100 meters of beach. Apart from beach visitors, the shipping industry also impacts the state of the beaches. When the trash ends up in the sea, it poses a threat to marine life. On an annual basis, more than 1 million marine animals die due to the ‘plastic soup’.

The Boskalis Beach Cleanup Tour is organised by the North Sea Foundation, the environmental organisation that focuses on sustainable use of the North Sea. Since the first edition in 2013, 26,668 kilos of waste have been removed from the Dutch beaches thanks to the help of 2,000 volunteers.

For more information: www.beachcleanuptour.nl

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Dutch Climate Coalition sounds the gong for a climate-neutral future

The Dutch Climate Coalition sounds the gong for a climate-neutral future. Central to this event is the call to companies, government institutions and NGOs to join the Climate Coalition.

The Dutch Climate Coalition was initiated by MVO Nederland, Natuur & Milieu, Klimaatverbond Nederland and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment. Together with other organisations, the Climate Coalition aims to accelerate the realisation of a climate-neutral society. As many as 250 organisations, (government) institutions and NGOs have joined the Climate Coalition since its foundation. All parties have agreed to implement a climate-neutral company policy by the year 2050.

For more information:  www.klimaatcoalitie.nl

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Winners ING Trading Game open trading on Beursplein 5

The winners of ING Trading Game open trading on Beursplein 5 by sounding the gong.

ING customers could participate in the online ING Trading Game for four weeks. In the ING Trading Game, players could practice investing safely and without any risk. This happened with fictional amounts, but with true, real-time rates. In the game, players had a Fund Portfolio and Trading Portfolio at their disposal where they could deal in stocks, options, ETFs and Sprinters. The aim was to achieve the highest possible score range within the Portfolio Funds.

For more information:www.ingbeursspel.nl

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Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and RBC Capital Markets visits Amsterdam exchange

A delegation of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) and RBC Capital Markets visits the Amsterdam Exchange and opens trading. They visit Euronext as the primary exchange in the eurozone to get acquainted with the European market. Brad Darling, Portfolio Manager at OTPP, sounds the gong. 

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is Canada’s largest single-profession pension plan with $154.5 billion in net assets and invests on behalf of 311,000 working and retired teachers, based in Toronto and with investment offices in New York, London and Hong Kong.

RBC Capital Markets is the corporate and investment banking arm of the Royal Bank of Canada, the 4th largest bank in North America by market capitalization. With over 7,000 professionals in 15 countries, RBC Capital Markets delivers their products and services to clients in over 100 countries through operations across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information: www.rbccm.com 

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Sounding of the gong marks finals week of the 2015 Summer Competition

Organized for the 8^th consecutive year, the Summer Competition is a sporting event for companies in the Amsterdam area. Head of Athletics & Operations, Pieter-Bas Bentinck, sounds the gong and marks the finals week of the 2015 Summer Competition.

The event is a business competition in soccer and field hockey, in which more than 100 companies from the Amsterdam region participate. During more than 20 competition days between 2 June and 31 July, teams play for the 2015 football and hockey title. In addition to the sporting aspect of the Summer Competition, it provides an informal networking platform where participating companies, sponsors and young professionals meet. A social contribution is made by donating 10% of sales to the Kadish Foundation.

For more information: www.zomercompetitie.com

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IMCD celebrates introduction of Spotlight options by sounding the gong

IMCD celebrates the launch of Spotlight options on its shares (ticker symbol: IMD) by opening trading at Beursplein 5. Investor Relations Manager Carina Hamaker sounds the gong.

With a supplier base of more than 1,600 suppliers, 28,000 customers and a product portfolio of approximately 24,000 products, IMCD is a leading international company in sales, marketing and distribution of specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food ingredients. With over 1500 high-calibre professionals in Europe, United States, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Brazil, IMCD offers a combination of local understanding backed by an impressive international infrastructure.

For more information: www.imcdgroup.com

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Kempen Life Sciences celebrates 10th anniversary with gong ceremony

Kempen Life Sciences celebrates its 10th anniversary by opening trading with the traditional sounding of the gong. Kempen & Co has established a strong presence in the European Life Sciences sector through the dedication to quality and the pan-European focus of the Life Sciences team.

Head of Life Sciences Sachin Soni: “We are extremely happy to see that our commitment towards the European LifeSciences sector has paid-off. We have invested in the sector even during the crisis years which has widely been recognized by European Life Sciences companies and specialist investors from the U.S. and Europe. The team has worked hard to reach this milestone and we take pride in sharing our success through the Euronext platform on our home turf in Amsterdam.”

For more information:www.kempen.nl

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Heppie foundation sounds the gong to draw attention to Heppie vacation

Nina Scmitz, director Heppie Foundation, sounds the gong to draw attention to their Heppie vacation.

The Heppie Foundation committed for this (ever growing) group of vulnerable children in the Netherlands. With the help of over 600 volunteers Heppie annually gives more than 1800 children the chance to be a child and enjoy the benefits of a social environment, playing together and perceiving positive attention. This summer, hundreds of children are enjoying a Heppie vacation. With a boost of self-confidence and positive memories, children can then look out to the future with new energy.

For more information: www.heppie.nl

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Nederlandsche Betaal & Wisselmaatschappij

Nederlandsche Betaal & Wisselmaatschappij sounds gong

Kees Gielen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Payment & Exchange Company (NBWM), sounds the gong to open trading. NBWM celebrates that they are now able to offer currency options. They can be used to cover against unwanted currency movements.

"We focus on SMEs. The market allows for a challenger", said PJ Datema, founder of NBWM. Last month NBWM also received a license from the Financial Markets Authority. This license allows for offering currency options as well. "Customers could already use forward contracts to cover against adverse price movements. With currency options we offer our customers even more options."

For more information: www.nbwm.nl

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Utrecht University School of Economics Summerschool

Utrecht University School of Economics Summerschool opens trading

As part of their Summer school, Utrecht University School of Economics opens trading. The gong is sounded by Dr. Dirk Gerritsen, Assistant Professor of Finance. A group of thirty students from eighteen different countries take part in this month’s summer course ‘’Investment Theory’’

The Utrecht Summer School Summer School is the largest in Europe with more than 3,000 participants. This course is led by Mr. Gerritsen and Professor Dr. Arie Buijs (Professor of Finance). Professor. dr. Suzette Viviers from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa is also part of the Summer school.

Utrecht University School of Economics (USE) is part of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance of Utrecht University.

For more information:  www.uu.nl/use

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Debut Renault Espace and Kadjar

Renault sounds gong to celebrate showroom debut of Renault Espace and Kadjar

Jean-Paul Renaux, CEO of Renault Netherlands, opened trading on Euronext Amsterdam today with the traditional sounding of the gong. The ceremony also symbolizes the showroom debut of the new Renault Espace and Kadjar, a moment with extra significance given the date: 14 July is Bastille Day, the French National Celebration.

Both new crossover models were designed by Dutchman Laurens van den Acker, Director of Industrial Design at Renault, listed at Euronext (ticker symbol: RNO).

For more information: www.renault.nl

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Extel “Best Analyst” award

Rabobank celebrates winning Extel “Best Analyst” award

David Tailleur, head of Equity Research at Rabobank Markets, opens trading at Euronext Amsterdam in presence of his direct colleagues. As such, he celebrates the achievement of the Extel “Best Analyst” Award 2015 and the runner-up position of his colleague Cor Kluis in this category. The annual Extel Broker Scorecard is the biggest and most comprehensive survey across rankings for brokers, individual analysts and salespersons with more than 18,000 participating investors.  

Tailleur: ”We are very proud that we achieved these high rankings in this prestigious survey. This again confirms the leading position that Rabobank holds in Equity Research, after having obtained the #1 position in the Institutional Investor survey 2015 earlier this year. It goes without saying that we are pleased that our clients recognize the focus and consistent quality of our Equity Research product”.

For more information: www.rabobank.com

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IPO Flow Traders

IPO Flow Traders on Euronext Amsterdam

Flow Traders co-CEO Dennis Dijkstra sounded the Gong to open trading at Euronext Amsterdam. Together with co-CEO Sjoerd Rietberg, he officially opened trading in Flow Traders shares in Amsterdam.

Flow Traders is an independent technology-enabled liquidity provider in Exchange Traded Products (ETPs). Flow Traders was founded in 2004 in Amsterdam and has grown into a globally operating fin tech company with over 200 employees. With offices in Amsterdam, Singapore and Cluj, Flow Traders is active on 94 trading venues in 32 countries. In total, Flow Traders provides liquidity in over 4,000 ETP listing and trades in over 11,000 financial instruments.

Sjoerd Rietberg: “We are thrilled to complete our IPO with today’s listing on Euronext Amsterdam. The strong demand we have seen from investors, their high level of recognition of our innovative business model and track record and the support for our growth strategy confirm our confidence in a bright future as a listed company. We would like to welcome our new shareholders and are thankful for the trust they have placed in our company.”

For more information: www.flowtraders.com

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