Net4kids launches Social Business Community

Net4kids opens trading at Euronext Amsterdam and launches the ‘Social Business Community’.

The Net4kids Social Community is founded for entrepreneurs and companies to share knowledge, ideas and network regarding Corporate Giving. Managing Director Net4kids, Odette van Zijdveld, sounds the gong. Van Zijdveld: "How to do good and how this can benefit your company, is the central approach of this initiative. In our business network we have noticed a great need to meet, connect and share knowledge, ideas and network with one another." Net4kids is a B-t-B platform for child aid. Projects in Asia & Africa are connected to project investors.

For more information: www.net4kids.org

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STOPbraintumors.nl sounds gong for World Brain Tumor Day

Founder and chairman of the STOPbraintumors.nl foundation, Klaske Hofstee, opens trading together with oncological researchers, surgeons and volunteers to raise awareness for brain cancer and World Brain Tumor Day.

June 8th is celebrated as world Brain Tumor Day and has been initiated with the aim to spread awareness and to honor the victims of this lethal disease. STOPbraintumors.nl foundation was founded in 2007 and starts five to six promising brain tumor studies, each year, to improve healing and treatment opportunities for this disease.

For more information: www.stophersentumoren.nl

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Dance4life celebrates 10th anniversary at Euronext Amsterdam

Dance4life celebrates her 10^th anniversary at Euronext Amsterdam and sounds the gong for their special event in The Royal Concert Building in Amsterdam: DANCE4LIFE  10 YEARS, that takes place on 6 June.

The evening starts with a dinner and auction for dance4life ambassadors, sponsors and other VIP guests. They will enjoy a special show with a surprising mix of content and entertainment, with the cooperation of the Metropole Orkest, the National Ballet and dance4life’s new ambassador: Hardwell, the number one DJ of the world. Xander de Buisonje hosts the evening. At 11 PM doors open for guests coming to enjoy the dance event with Dutch top DJ’s Hardwell, Fedde Le Grand and Dannic. All proceeds go to the education programmes of dance4life, which are still badly needed since still every 14 seconds someone gets infected with HIV. Executive director Eveline Aendekerk sounds the gong at Euronext Amsterdam.

For more information: www.dance4life.nl

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Invesco PowerShares celebrates ETF milestone

Invesco PowerShares, a global provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), part of Invesco Ltd, celebrates that its PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 UCITS ETF, which is listed on Euronext, reached Assets under Management in excess of US$200m. Powered by investors’ appetite for alternative ways to invest in US equities and its proven track record, the ETF has nearly tripled in size over the past twelve months. 

Bryon Lake, Head of Invesco PowerShares EMEA, sounds the gong and says: “Celebrating together with Euronext Amsterdam this important step in our journey for one of our flagship ETFs is of significant importance to us. The Netherlands have long been at the heart of Invesco PowerShares’ capabilities offering and servicing Dutch investors with quality ETFs is our key priority.”

For more information: www.invescopowershares.net

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Gong marks Roparun 2014

The gong marks the 23^rd Roparun which starts Saturday 7 June in both Hamburg and Paris and finishes Whit Monday on the Coolsingel in Rotterdam.Nelli Cooman, ambassador of the Roparun Foundation and former Indoor Athletic World Champion 60 metres, sounds the gong.

The Roparun is a relay race of more than 500 kilometres from Paris and Hamburg to Rotterdam, in which people work as a team to give a combined sports performance in order to raise money for people who suffer from cancer. A Roparun team consists of a maximum of eight runners, who each run an average of about 65 kilometres, which is well over the distance of a marathon.

For more information: www.roparun.nl

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Lyxor lists ETF’s on Euronext NAV Trading Facility Service

Lyxor ETFs and Indexing sounds the gong to celebrate the listing of three Lyxor ETF’s; Euro Stoxx 50, CAC 40 and DAX, on Euronext ETF NAV Trading Facility service.

Euronext is the first exchange to trade ETFs on the NAV Trading Facility. This initiative opens up the ETF market to a broader investor base by offering a regulated on-exchange forward pricing solution for order execution at Net Asset Value (NAV). The NAV Trading Facility is regulated, transparent and efficient and provides investors with greater accessibility and a simpler process for NAV trading, thanks to the electronic management of order entry, accumulation, execution, clearing and settlement. The NAV Trading Facility is available, in addition to trading via the Central Order Book, for all Euronext-listed open-end funds, including ETFs.

Standing among the most experienced ETF providers, Lyxor ranks 3rd in Europe with more than USD 46.7 billion of ETF Assets under Management. Lyxor offers investors a highly flexible opportunity to diversify their allocation across all asset classes (equities, bonds, money markets, commodities) with access to 181 ETFs listed on 13 regulated exchanges across the world. Ranking #2 in terms of liquidity of its ETFs in Europe, Lyxor also commits to performance, risk control, liquidity and transparency as illustrated by the first ETF quality charter launched by Lyxor in 2011.

For more information: www.lyxor.com

USG Restart sounds gong to mark National Prokkelweek

By sounding the gong Cristel Poortenaar, CEO of USG Restart (ticker symbol: USG), marks the launch of the National Prokkelweek that takes place from 2 to 7 June, together with Perez Dalloe and Mireille Bruer, who have a mentally handicap.

A Prokkel is a tantalizing encounter between people with and without a mentally handicap. In the first week of June all kind of companies organize activities where people with and without a mentally handicap can meet. Experience shows that these meetings contribute to strengthening the position of people with intellectual disabilities in society. Perez and Mireille stay at Beursplein 5 after the gong ceremony for an one-day internship at Euronext.

For more information: www.prokkel.nl

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Chairwoman Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 visits Beursplein 5

Chairwoman of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014, Heleen Welschen, opens trading to start the tournament which takes place from May 31 to June 15.

The Kyocera Stadium in The Hague, home of football club ADO Den Haag, will be used for the hockey tournament. In total, 76 matches will take place, involving the best 24 men’s and women’s teams in the world. The Dutch hockey association KNHB organizes the tournament on behalf of the International Hockey Federation and in cooperation with The Hague city council and other partners. The event takes place under the motto ‘Let’s celebrate hockey!’

For more information: www.rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.nl

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Football coach Erwin Koeman and his daughter Wendy sound gong for Dutch Epilepsy Foundation

Football coach, former player and ambassador of the Dutch Epilepsy Foundation, Erwin Koeman, opens trading together with his daughter Wendy, who has epilepsy. By sounding the gong they mark the national collection week of the Epilepsy Foundation between June 2^nd and 7^th.

When she was young, Wendy Koeman (22) had a lot of epileptic seizures. Luckily, Wendy is seizure free now, but due to irreversible brain damage she has some learning difficulties. Nevertheless, Wendy doesn’t think of her epilepsy as a disability. She has a catering job, an active social life and plays football. In the Netherlands approximately 120.000 people have epilepsy and in spite of medication 30 percent of them keep getting seizures. Epilepsy cannot be cured yet. Consequently, scientific research into the causes of epilepsy is of vital importance.

For more information: www.epilepsie.nl

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Dutch Olympic speed skaters Michel and Ronald Mulder sound gong on World MS Day

Dutch Olympic speed skaters Michel and Ronald Mulder open trading on World MS Day to inform the Dutch population that more research needs to be done on Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The cause of MS is still unknown and therefore a cure has not been found.

From this moment on, the Mulder brothers can officially call themselves ambassadors of the MS Research Foundation, which funds scientific research on MS. They are not the only ones calling upon the audience to help solve the “MS puzzle”. The first Dutch edition of the International MS Atlas will officially be presented to Her Majesty Queen Máxima on the same day. The MS Atlas contains news facts & figures on MS in the Netherlands and throughout the world. In addition, Wolter Kroes, a famous Dutch singer who is also an ambassador of the foundation, visits all 12 Dutch provinces by train within 24 hours for performances and handing out free children’s books about MS. Scientists, patients, high officials, and other ambassadors will call upon the Dutch audience to donate money. 

For more information: www.msresearch.nl

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ING and UNICEF celebrate successful collaboration by sounding gong

Trading at Beursplein 5 is opened by Global head of sustainability ING, Leon Wijnands, and the National director of UNICEF Netherlands, Jan Bouke Wijbrandi, in honor of the great results of the global ING-UNICEF partnership.

ING and UNICEF have already been working together since 2005 to create a better future for children. They do this by investing in education, the key to development. In 2013 ING has raised more than EUR 3.1 million for UNICEF, which brings the total donations for UNICEF on a total amount of EUR 26.7 million since 2005. Because of this, more than 885,000 children have been given the opportunity to realize their dreams and achieve their ambitions. The goal for 2015 is to have positively impacted the lives of at least one million disadvantaged children, providing them with access to school, better quality education and safer and healthier living conditions.

For more information: www.ing.nl/unicef or www.unicef.nl/ing

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CFA Society of the Netherlands celebrates 15th anniversary

President of the Society of Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) in the Netherlands, Hilko de Brouwer, sounds the gong to celebrate the 15th CFA anniversary.

Exactly fifteen years ago, the Dutch association was founded by fifteen volunteers. Nowadays CFA Society is a large global association with more than 120,000 members in 145 countries. This year over 2,000 candidates will take the CFA exam in Amsterdam.

De Brouwer says: “the Dutch Society is proud that it is known as one of the most active societies in the world when it comes to activities in the field of educational conferences and seminars. It also takes a leading role in developing local best practices and in the transfer of knowledge about ethics and professional conduct. We're on to the next 15 years with the motto: 'The future of finance, starts with you!”

For more information: www.cfainstitute.org

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The Deloitte Ladies Open tournament starts with gong ceremony

Tournament director Liz Weima sounds the gong and opens the three-day golf tournament Deloitte Ladies Open.

From all over Europe, 162 golfers came to Amsterdam to play in the tournament that takes place at the golf course The International in Amsterdam this weekend. The tournament will be played for the 20th time in 2014. For the fourth year in a row, Deloitte is the title sponsor. KLM and ABN AMRO are tournament partners. The Deloitte Ladies Open is part of the Ladies European Tour, the highest professional tournament circuit in Europe. Through public actions during the tournament, funds are raised for the Diabetes Research Foundation Netherlands (DON), which finances research to cure this debilitating disease.

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Gong ceremony marks the publication of MKB in Beeld report

MKB in Beeld, a project dedicated to raising the profile of small and medium-sized businesses in the Netherlands, sounds the gong to mark the publication of a report that will also be made available to the public. The purpose of the report issued by the knowledge project MKB in Beeld is to provide institutional investors with current, up-to-date information about small and medium-sized enterprises in the Netherlands.

The report provides factual information that highlights the benefits of investing in Dutch SMEs; it addresses issues such as investment potential, risk, yield and sustainability. MKB in Beeld is a joint initiative of the government, interest groups, asset managers, banks, insurers, pension funds and Euronext. It is subsidized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Chief Investment Officer of Stichting Pensioenfonds Medisch Specialisten, Marcel Roberts, and Senior Investment Manager at Appolaris Pensioenbeheer, Marcel de Berg, sound the gong.

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BNP Paribas OBAM celebrates 60th listing anniversary

BNP Paribas OBAM celebrates its 60^th listing anniversary and 75^th birthday at Beursplein 5, Amsterdam.

OBAM N.V. was founded in 1936 to assist French nuns in keeping their savings out of the hands of the government. In 1954 OBAM was introduced at the Amsterdam stock exchange. After several mergers and acquisitions the fund’s official name has been BNP Paribas OBAM since 2009. Fund manager Sander Zondag, responsible for the strategy of the investment fund since January 2013, sounds the gong. Thanks to several strategic changes he managed to decrease the vulnerability of the fund to future consternation on stock markets worldwide.

For more information: www.obam.nu

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ETF Securities celebrates launch China ETF

ETF Securities celebrates the launch of the first physical UCITS ETF to track the MSCI China A Index. The ETF gives investors cost efficient exposure to local Chinese stocks listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.

ETF Securities, a provider of exchange-traded investment products and a pioneer in exchange-traded commodities, is dedicated to develop liquid, transparent investment solutions that can be traded on world stock exchanges. ETF Securities listed the world’s first gold exchange-traded commodity in 2003, and many other market-leading investment solutions have since followed. Head of Benelux at ETF Securities, Philippe Roset, sounds the gong.

For more information: www.etfsecurities.com

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Gong marks start Bio€quity Europe 2014 conference

By sounding the gong the start of the Bio€quity Europe 2014 conference is marked. The conference takes place on 21 and 22 May at the Hilton hotel in Amsterdam.

With bringing the Bio€quity Europe to Amsterdam, the Regional Host Sponsor, consisting of Amsterdam BioMed Cluster (powered by the Amsterdam Economic Board), Van Campen Liem, Deloitte and Axon Lawyers, aims to create the much required momentum for the regional biotech industry by putting the spotlight on Dutch biotech and bridging the gap to investors. Cluster manager Life Sciences & Health at Amsterdam BioMed Cluster / Amsterdam Economic Board, Quido Valent, sounds the gong.

For more information: www.biocentury.com/conferences/bioequityeurope

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Aids Fonds sounds gong for AmsterdamDiner Foundation

CEO of Aids Fonds, Ton Coenen, sounds the gong together with board members of the AmsterdamDiner Foundation.

On May 17th, the charity dinner will take place for the 22nd time. The benefit is organised annually to help invest in the national and international responses to HIV and AIDS. It mobilizes the business world to join partners and politicians in supporting innovative projects to address HIV and AIDS.

This year, the Amsterdam Dinner is entitled: ‘What a difference a day makes’. It refers to the importance of early treatment of acute HIV infection. The funding raised through the Amsterdam Dinner will mostly go to Prof. Dr. Joep Lange’s research. He is examining the effect of immediate treatment shortly after HIV infection. Weakening the virus directly after infection creates the possibility of eliminating the health risk of the patient as well as the risk of transmission to others. These effects would even hold after treatment has stopped.

For more information: www.amsterdamdinerfoundation.nl