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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Gong marks IPO NN Group
| Amsterdam
7856a6b57678-7783-4cf7-a1dc-54bdc2e7b005Gong marks IPO NN Group
By sounding the gong, NN Group celebrates the IPO on Euronext Amsterdam.
CEO of NN Group, Lard Friese celebrates the company’s listing by sounding the gong which denotes the opening of trading on Euronext. He is joined by the Management Board of NN Group, Ralph Hamers, CEO of ING Group and Cees Vermaas, CEO of Euronext Amsterdam.
NN Group is a leading Dutch insurer with a strong European insurance and investment management footprint and an attractive Japanese business, including its main business lines Nationale-Nederlanden, ING Insurance Europe, ING Investment Management and ING Life Japan.
Friese: “Listing on Euronext Amsterdam marks an important milestone for NN. After 23 years we’re back on the stock exchange of Amsterdam. We are excited to start this new phase and we believe our listing on Euronext Amsterdam will further raise NN’s profile. The focus we will have as a standalone company helps us in our dedication to provide our clients with an excellent experience and to deliver on our company´s business objectives.”
For more information: www.nn-group.com
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New Venture Award 2014 winners sound gong
| Amsterdam
785348d96d22-ca87-482f-a504-bad87d1d8648New Venture Award 2014 winners sound gong
The winners of the New Venture Award 2014 visit Beursplein 5 and sound the gong.
A panel of investors chose three winners for being the most innovative start-up of the Netherlands. The final of New Venture is the conclusion of an annual program of nine months in which the winners were selected from nearly 500 entries. Winners are the companies Fleet Cleaner, Tide Microfluidics and Sigmascreening. Cornelis de Vet of Fleet Cleaner sounds the gong.
For over 15 years, New Venture is a leading program that encourages innovative entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into valuable businesses. New Venture is initiated and supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the absolute top of the Dutch industry. This year's winners are characterized by their highly innovative solutions and their ability to disrupt the industry tomorrow.
For more information: www.newventure.nl
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Gong marks Robeco SummerNights 2014
| Amsterdam
78526ad47d9e-fac8-45e5-93e2-c0ce9d2a2772Gong marks Robeco SummerNights 2014
By sounding the gong Robeco SummerNights’ Muse, Mimy Chantal Jadoenathmisier, opens trading at Euronext Amsterdam. The Muse, who embodies passion and inspiration at the Royal Concertgebouw’s summer festival, will be joined by amongst others Edwin Rietkerk, head of marketing at Robeco and Simon Reinink, general director of the Royal Concertgebouw.
The longlasting co-operation between Robeco and the Royal Concertgebouw in the shape of Robeco SummerNights is unique in the Netherlands. The co-operation started 26 years ago and was innovative from the beginning. With this co-operation the two partners underline their shared values of quality, passion and innovation. The diversity and quality of the programme of Robeco SummerNights embodies all these values. As always, Robeco SummerNights offers a whole summer of exciting music and events at the Concertgebouw. Over 80 concerts, ranging from classical and jazz to pop and comedy, will inspire and entrance visitors. Pop band De Dijk plays the opening concert of on 28 June and on 31 August Janine Jansen closes the festival with The Four Seasons by Vivaldi.
For more information: www.concertgebouw.nl/robecosummernights
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Gong marks IPO IMCD Group
| Amsterdam
7848eb9e65b5-7dec-4008-bc37-4d12b1d2b6ffGong marks IPO IMCD Group
CEO, Piet van der Slikke and CFO, Hans Kooijmans, sound the gong to celebrate the IPO of IMCD Group.
With a passion for excellence, extensive industry knowledge and a commitment to creating value through expertise, IMCD is a market-leader in the sales, marketing and distribution of speciality chemicals and food ingredients.IMCD has built a dedicated team of more than 1400 technical and commercial experts that work in close partnership to tailor best in class solutions for customers and producers in more than 30 countries. Its dedicated local experts provide market-focused solutions across Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific, with business units offering a range of comprehensive product portfolios, including innovative formulations that embrace industry trends.
For more information: www.imcdgroup.com
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Gong marks launch of “The European Institute for Energy Trading & Risk Management”
By sounding the gong ‘The European Institute for Energy Trading & Risk Management (Entrima)’ is launched.
Entrima offers a solution to compliance and accountability, to be in control and handle regulation. The institute includes ‘The Academy’ which covers learning requirements and offers an extensive curriculum of educational programmes and a registration of responsible persons (governance). The institute is steered by all kinds of market participants from the energy sector and commissioners from the field are installed to assure the embedding of market initiatives and support from the sector. Director, Ruud Noorlander, sounds the gong.
For more information: entrima.org
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Gong marks start of ProBeleggen
| Amsterdam
78449d6d75a8-6271-4545-b45a-f8103c1d4cbbGong marks start of ProBeleggen
By sounding the gong online platform ProBeleggen is launched.
ProBeleggen.nl serves private investors and makes professional expertise publicly available, aiming to support private investors with their investment decisions. The online platform makes analyses and personal investment portfolios of proven professionals available for everyone and gives private investors a helping hand. Known and experienced experts like Jacob Schoenmaker and Jaap Koelewijn disclose their portfolios and decisions at the website. Initiator Albert Jellema sounds the gong.
For more information: www.probeleggen.nl
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New CEO Willis Netherlands, Jeroen Everling, visits Beursplein 5
Jeroen Everling visits Euronext Amsterdam and sounds the gong in his capacity as the new CEO of Willis.
Everling: “I am looking forward to working with the various teams at Willis in order to build a successful future. I am also looking forward to meeting with Willis’s customers and prospects to discuss and exchange ideas about themes such as digitalisation, the disappearance of borders, and the fine tuning of legislation. We face new risks, such as cyber crime, climate, environmental issues and 3D printing. Organisations need to anticipate these changes and ask themselves questions such as: What are our risks and what is the impact? How well prepared are we to deal with an emergency scenario? Willis strives to maintain a stable level of growth over the next few years, and will explore opportunities for takeovers and expansion of the team.”
For more information: www.willis.com
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The Royal Bank of Scotland celebrates the 10th anniversary of Turbo
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) sounds the gong to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Turbo®.
Since its introduction ten years ago, the Turbo has become one of the most popular investment products for active, experienced investors. RBS, with a market share of 44% of the turnover in this product on Euronext Amsterdam in 2014, is the market leader in this segment. Erik Mauritz, who is responsible for Turbos at RBS, believes that the enduring success of the Turbo is due to transparent price formation, the range of products available, and the clarity of the information provided about the processing, cost and risk involved in trading Turbos.
For more information: www.rbs.nl
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Euronext is going Public! In Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels on 20 June 2014
| Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris
783897fa2e4c-3c8a-4621-ac42-d81862b2a688Euronext is going Public! In Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels on 20 June 2014
Rijnhard van Tets, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, and Dominique Cerutti, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board, sound the gong and ring the bell at the first pan-European market opening ceremony with key members of Management.
Euronext is a pan-European exchange group, offering a diverse range of products and services and combining transparent, efficient and regulated equity, fixed income securities and derivatives markets in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon and London. The business comprises: listing, cash trading, derivatives trading, market data & indices, post-trade and market solutions.
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Theodoor Gilissen Bankiers
| Amsterdam
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Equity analyst Tom Muller (68) of Theodoor Gilissen Bankiers is the oldest equity analyst currently working in the Netherlands. With 45 years' experience in the profession, he can justifiably be considered the most experienced equity analyst in the country.
Tom Muller sounds the closing gong at the Amsterdam exchange as part of a surprise celebration marking his 45 years in the profession. Tanja Nagel, CEO of Theodoor Gilissen, presents Tom with the cup for the most experienced equity analyst in the Netherlands, which has been designed especially for the occasion. Theodoor Gilissen is a private bank offering services in the areas of investing, financial planning and financing and has branches in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Groningen and Rotterdam.
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BAM marks 55th listing anniversary by sounding the gong
Member of the Executive Board of Royal BAM Group, Rob van Wingerden , marks the 55th anniversary of the BAM listing by sounding the gong.
Royal BAM Group shares have officially been listed on the stock exchange at Beursplein 5 in Amsterdam since 19 June 1959. The shares were provisionally included in the listing from the beginning of March 1959. ‘Very soon the shares of Bataafsche Aanneming Society formerly Fa. J van der Wal & Zoon N.V. will be introduced on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange’, wrote the daily newspaper Telegraaf on 18 February 1959. Meanwhile, BAM has more than 269 million shares outstanding and the total market capitalisation at the end of 2013 was just over €1 billion. Royal BAM Group has approximately 23,000 personnel members active in the construction and mechanical and electrical engineering, property and public-private partnership sectors.
For more information: www.bam.nl
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Orange Babies sound gong for Mont Ventoux Expedition
Baba Sylla, the director the Orange Babies Foundation, sounds the gong to mark the start of the Mont Ventoux Expedition from 20 to 23 June of this year. He is accompanied by the director of DESTIL, Orange Babies’ partner and also the initiator of the Mont Ventoux Expedition.
On 22 June over 70 participants will run or bike up the Mont Ventoux. They face a daunting challenge on the mountain (elevation 1912m), which is known as the Giant of the Provence. The participants have found sponsors for 1, 2, 3 or 4 climbs up the mountain. Orange Babies will use the proceeds of the Expedition to finance a programme in Africa, which treats babies born with HIV. As was the case last year, the foundation has decided to invest in the Ng’ombe Home Based Care project. The goal of the project is to reduce the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in the slums of Ng’ombe, Zambia, from 10% to 2% by 2018.
For more Information: www.orangebabies.nl
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International Corporate Governance Network visits Euronext Amsterdam
By sounding the gong, The International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) marks the ICGN annual meeting, the world’s leading convention for the global corporate governance community, held between 16-18 June in Amsterdam.
ICGN is an investor-led organisation of governance professionals and ICGN's mission is to inspire and promote effective standards of corporate governance to advance efficient markets and economies world-wide. The conference programme features over 30speakers including Jeroen Dijsselbloem,Dutch Finance Minister of Finance and Eurogroup President, Jeroen Hooijer, Head of Corporate Governance, European Commission, Stéphane Hallegatte, Senior Economist, World Bank, Steven Maijoor, Chair, European Securities and Markets Authority and Anne Louise van Lynden, Head of Listing, Euronext Amsterdam. Managing Director Corporate Governance & Responsible Investment at BlackRock, Michelle Edkins and Executive Director at Eumedion, Rients Abma sound the gong.
For more information: www.icgn.org
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Winners of the SME Innovation Top 100 sound gong
| Amsterdam
782542f4d520-eed4-401f-ac27-2b7353bc5fd0Winners of the SME Innovation Top 100 sound gong
The winner of this year’s Top 100 Innovative SMEs, Rik Breur, founder of Micanti, sounds the gong during a visit to Beursplein 5.
On Wednesday 11 June, the Chamber of Commerce, Mercedes Benz and NRC Media presented the ninth annual ranking of the 100 top innovations in the Dutch SME sector. The highest ranking company is Amsterdam-based Micanti BV, producer of a non-toxic, self adhesive foil used to seal the hull of a ship. The foil, Thorn-D, is a patented, environmentally friendly solution designed to prevent organisms such as barnacles and mussels from adhering to the sides of ships.
Second place winner is the family business GPC Kant of Leens in Groningen. The company has developed and patented a machine that can peel 1,000 kilos of the tiny Dutch, or brown shrimp, a day. TheWheel, produced by Apeldoorn-based company e-Traction B.V. finished in third place. TheWheel is a unique electric, direct-drive-in-wheel motor, which means that the stator and rotor are reversed; everything inside the wheel is stationary, while the outside rotates. The wheel itself is the drive mechanism for vehicles using TheWheel system.
For more information: www.mkbinnovatietop100.nl
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DFT and Tostrams Group sound gong to launch WK2014-index
The Dutch daily Financiële Telegraaf (DFT) sounds the gong to mark the launch of the WK2014-index. The index is an initiative of DFT and Tostrams Group.
The WK2014-index is an index of five Dutch stocks traded on the Amsterdam Exchange, which are sponsoring the Dutch football team during the 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil. DFT (part of Telegraaf Media Group, listed on Euronext, ticker symbol: TMG) will publish the results of the WK2014-index during the tournament. Stocks included in the index are ING (official sponsor of the Dutch soccer team), Ahold (sponsor), Unilever (pizza’s, ice-cream and snacks), Philips (TV-producer) and Heineken (beer and samba shirts). The index starts with a fictional capital of € 100,000 which is proportional invested in shares of the sponsors. CEO of the Tostrams Group, Royce Tostrams, sounds the gong.
The initiators emphasize the airy nature of the index. The index doesn’t give any recommendations or investment advice.
For more information: www.dft.nl
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Deloitte Technology Fast50 celebrates 15th anniversary
The Deloitte Technology Fast50 program celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2014. Every year Deloitte searches for the 50 fastest growing tech companies in the Netherlands. To celebrate the anniversary, the winners of 15 years Fast50 are invited to sound the gong.
Deloitte organizes the election in collaboration with partners ABN AMRO, Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, AKD, Euronext and MT MediaGroep & Prime Ventures. The competition started 15 years ago to recognize the exceptional performance of these fast growing tech companies. The Fast50 companies have the best entrepreneurs of the future, who think fast and play a leading role in their field. The Rising Star is a special price that is destined for emerging innovative companies that are less than five years old. CEO of TTY, Maarten Beucker Andreae, sounds the gong as the winner of the Fast 50 Sustainable Grower award in 2011.
For more information: www.fast50.nl
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ING Private Banking visits Beursplein 5
| Amsterdam
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ING Private Banking visits Beursplein 5 and organizes a seminar and visit to the Amsterdam Exchange Experience for its clients. Sounding the closing gong marks the launch of the ING campaign ‘Financieel Fit’.
‘Financieel Fit’ is a program that started earlier this year and is launched aimed at helping clients get into financially sound shape and to make them aware of the possibilities of investing. Rising health care costs, uncertain pension payouts and a limited tax rebate on mortgage interest all make it more relevant for people to accumulate wealth. By combining the certainties of saving with the prospect of greater revenue by long term investing, future financial goals can be reached.
For more information: www.ing.com
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Nyenrodian Stock Trading Organization De Zilveren Rijder celebrates 18th anniversary
New chairman Ruud Schreijer visits Euronext Amsterdam to sound the gong in commemoration of the 18th anniversary of The Nyenrodian Stock Trading Organization, De Zilveren Rijder.
De Zilveren Rijderis the student investment club of Nyenrode Business University. The board has the main objective to create a learning environment for fellow students, and to gather more experience in the dynamic world of investing. Eight fund managers who each analyze their own industry support the board.
For more information: www.dezilverenrijder.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.