All Bell ceremonies

Bol.com wins Webshop Awards

Bol.com sounds gong for winning four Webshop Awards

During the annual ABN AMRO Webshop Awards (Retailer of the Year), bol.com, part of the Euronext listed Ahold Delhaize (ticker symbol: AD), won four public prizes. Bol.com was chosen as the best webshop in the Netherlands in the categories Toys, Warehouse, Reading Materials and Music, Films and Games, winning four out of its five nominations. On this occasion they visit the Amsterdam exchange and open trading by sounding the gong.

More than 277,000 Dutch consumers voted in the Awards. Dutch consumers view the range and price/quality ratio of online stores as being particularly important. Aspects such as service and delivery are also becoming more important, according to the review. As a category winner, bol.com is nominated for the overall prize in the ABN AMRO Webshop Awards. The award ceremony will take place on 27 October 2016.

Bol.com has been one of the most popular stores in the Netherlands and Belgium since it started up in 1999. Around 6.5 million consumers from the Netherlands and Belgium shop at bol.com. They can choose from a range of more than 14 million items, including not only books, music, films, games and toys, but also electronics, jewellery, baby items, garden and DIY items and everything for home and living, animals, sport, leisure and personal care. Bol.com works with other retailers in the Netherlands and Belgium in order to be able to offer consumers as broad a range as possible. They can sell their product range through bol.com. Bol.com has been a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize since 2012.

For more information: www.bol.com

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The King's Commissioner Province of Limburg

The King’s Commissioner for the Province of Limburg sounds gong for Brightlands

Theo Bovens, the King’s Commissioner for the Province of Limburg, opens Euronext trading in Amsterdam with the traditional sounding of the gong. In doing so, Bovens pays attention to Brightlands, the name of four Limburg campuses that have been built by the Limburg chemical group DSM, pension administrator APG in Heerlen, the Province of Limburg and Maastricht University.

These campuses represent the materials of the future, top biomedical research and development, safe and healthy nutrition and new services resulting from the smart use of data.

The latest campus, the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen, was opened earlier this month by His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn and Henk Kamp, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs. The campus has experienced a flying start, attracting KPN, Conclusion, Accenture, the Bank of New York Mellon, as well as Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Big data is used as the raw material for developing new smart services.

For more information: www.limburg.nl

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Gimv opens trading Prinsjesdag

Gimv opens trading on Prinsjesdag

Euronext listed Gimv (ticker symbol: GIMB) opens trading on “Prinsjesdag”. By annual tradition, the The Hague-based team surprises their contacts within the Dutch financial community with a tasty treat. This year, they are invited to join Gimv at the traditional gong ceremony.

Last year, many new investments were welcomed to the Dutch portfolio, such as IthoDaalderop, Brakel, Equipe Zorgbedrijven, Arplas Systems and Joolz.

Gimv is a European investment company with over three decades experience in private equity and venture capital. The company is listed on Euronext Brussels and currently manages around 1.8 billion EUR (including co-investment partnerships) of investments in about 50 portfolio companies within four investment platforms: Connected Consumer, Health & Care, Smart Industries and Sustainable Cities. Each of these platforms works with a skilled and dedicated team across Gimv’s home markets of the Benelux, France and Germany and can count on an extended international network of experts. Gimv has an office The Hague with 15 Dutch companies in their portfolio, and where 17 people are employed.

For more information: www.gimv.com

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The National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum sounds gong for upcoming exhibition ‘Drive’

Managing Director of The National Maritime Museum, Michael Huijser, opens trading at the Amsterdam exchange to announce the upcoming exhibition ‘Drive’.

‘Drive’ explains why we collect by using the collection history of The National Maritime Museum and 350 exceptional objects. It is a showcase of people who want to show off their wealth, have an urge to hoard, give immortality to their collection, or create a microcosm. One of the highlights of this new exhibition is the painting ‘Gezicht op het IJ met ’s Lands Zeemagazijn’ (View of the river IJ with 's Lands Zeemagazijn) in Amsterdam, dating from 1664, by Reinier Nooms. This exhibition allows visitors to see this masterpiece for the very first time.

The exhibition ‘Drive | 100 years of collecting’ is on show at The National Maritime Museum from 1 October 2016 to 2 July 2017 inclusive. An audio tour, guided tour, and special lectures are being organized to accompany the exhibition. The exhibition has been made possible with the support of, amongst others, KLM.

For more information: www.hetscheepvaartmuseum

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UBS Asset Management visits Beursplein 5 and sounds gong

UBS Asset Management has reached a major milestone with more than US $ 1 billion in assets under management in its SRI ETF range. Marcel Danen, Head of UBS ETF’s Netherlands, sounds the gong and opens trading on this occasion.

Marcel Danen, Head of UBS ETF’s Netherlands: “Reaching this milestone shows that investors are keen to use the opportunities offered by UBS SRI ETFs”. Recently, a study conducted by UBS to SRI investing has shown that there is no negative effect on yield and risk compared portfolios that were not screened for sustainability criteria.

UBS Asset Management has over 15 years of experience, specifically in the field of ETFs and more than 35 years experience in index investing. A large number of UBS ETFs are traded on Euronext Amsterdam since the beginning of this year. These ETFs cover, next to topics as sustainable and factor investing, also several regional building blocks. In addition, the ETF offer includes a wide range of currency hedged share classes. All ETFs listed in Amsterdam follow their respective benchmark by physical replication.

For more information: www.ubs.com

King's Commissioner in the Province of Zeeland Han Polman opens trading for Zeeland 'Prinsjesfestiva

The King's Commissioner in the province of Zeeland Han Polman opens the trading day by sounding the traditional gong. He does so in the presence of Zeeland entrepreneurs and former Prime Minister Prof. Dr. J.P. Balkenende.

The gong ceremony also marks the start of the Zeeland 'Prinsjesfestival' that starts the same day in The Hague. The Province of Zeeland is strategic partner in the Prinsjesfestival from Thursday September 15th until Prince's Day Tuesday September 20th. Zeeland organizes many (lobby) activities in the Zeeland Embassy in Nieuwspoort The Hague.

For more information: www.zeeland.nl

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9th Fondsevent

Gong ceremony marks ninth edition of Fondsevent

The traditional sounding of the gong announces the ninth edition of Fondsevent, to be held on 26 September in ‘t Spant in Bussum.

Fondsevent is the largest knowledge- and networking event in the Netherlands for investment advisers, private bankers and asset managers. This year, the Fondsevent will focus on the theme ‘the fourth Industrial Revolution’. 

Fondsevent is organized by Fondsnieuws – part of the FD Mediagroep – and CONSPIRACYSINC in collaboration with 9 reputable funding organizations:  Robeco , NN Investment Partners, UBS Asset Management Allianz Global Investors, BNP Paribas Investment Partners, Delta Lloyd Asset Management, Fidelity International, Henderson Global Investors and Kempen Capital Management.

For more information: www.fondsevent.nl

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60th listing anniversary Batenburg Techniek

Batenburg Techniek celebrates 60-years listed

Batenburg Techniek (ticker symbol: BATEN) celebrates its sixtieth year of trading on the Amsterdam exchange. This milestones for the more than a century-old company is marked by sounding the opening gong at the exchange by CEO Ralph van den Broek.

After a successful IPO in 1956, trading in the Batenburg Techniek share started on the market of the now-called Euronext exchange in Amsterdam. The listing had formed the basis for the expansion that the company went through in the 60s and 70s and has since developed into a high-quality technical service provider.

Batenburg Techniek is as a technical service provider in the heart of the smart industry and is active in the industry and infrastructure. With over 800 specialists, Batenburg focuses on smarter, safer and more sustainable production, cultivation and exploitation of real estate clients in industry and infrastructure. From three divisions – Trade and Assembly, Industrial Automation and Building-related installations – smart components are supplied and installed, quality software are designed to control processes.

For more information: www.batenburg.nl

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30-years Quote

Sounding of the gong for 30-years Quote

Quote celebrates thirty years of business, money, career and lifestyle in The Netherlands. Their prestigious rich list, Quote 500, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. Editor in Chief of Quote, Mirjam van den Broeke, sounds the gong.

Quote calls itself the only real business magazine in the Netherlands, however, nowadays Quote isn’t only just a magazine anymore. The slogan "Think big, read Quote” covers Quote anno 2016: a multimedia brand that embraces entrepreneurship lavishly in an appealing mix of economic journalism and lifestyle, for readers who have more money than time.

In the extra thick anniversary issue, which will be in stores on 15 September, highlights from their photo archive will be featured and Quote looks ahead to the next thirty years of entrepreneurship and money.

For more information: www.quotenet.nl

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Olympic rowing medalists

Olympic rowing medalists and Aegon sound the gong

The Dutch rowing team took home a gold medal in the women’s double scull, silver in the women’s quadruple scull, and a bronze medal in the men’s eight at the Olympic Games in Rio. Olivier Siegelaar, member of the men’s eight and former employee on the trading floor of the Amsterdam exchange, and Marco Keim, CEO of Aegon Netherlands, open trading together with the other medalists.

Over the last few weeks we have seen rowing of the very highest level, both at the Olympic games and during the World Championships”, said Marco Keim. ”I really admire everyone involved – from the medalists and those who may not have won but competed just as hard, to their parents, friends and everyone from the rowing association. I am proud that through its sponsorship, Aegon has been able to play a small part in contributing to this success.

Three gold and three bronze medals for the Dutch team at the 2016 World Junior Championships and the World Rowing under 23 Championships, held in Rotterdam in August, brought an end to an amazing month of rowing for the Dutch team. This month the Netherlands will also be represented by two teams at the Paralympics in Rio, from September 7 to 18.

For more information: www.aegon.com

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Navitas Capital

Navitas Capital sounds gong at Beursplein 5

Navitas Capital was founded ten years ago and because of this anniversary the team of Navitas visits Beursplein 5 to open trading. Director Rense Jonk sounds the gong on this occasion at the Amsterdam exchange.

In a short time Navitas Capital has been developed to a mature Dutch investment company because of it’s authentic approach of creating long term value. Navitas Capital is a privately owned investment company focused on investing in strong, medium-sized companies with growth prospects. The approach can be described as proactive and entrepreneurial, with an emphasis on creating long-term value. Navitas Capital has long term participating interests in Dutch listed and private companies with clear growth potential. 

For more information: www.navitascapital.nl

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Amsterdam City Swim

Sounding of the gong announces Amsterdam City Swim

The sounding of the gong announces the fifth edition of the Amsterdam City Swim.  Olympic gold winner at the open water 10k and ambassador of Amsterdam City Swim, Ferry Weertman, sounds the gong.

By annually organizing a unique, impactful and social swimming event in the Amsterdam canals, the Foundation Amsterdam City Swim strives to raise as many funds for research into underexposed diseases. As long as there is no cure for ALS, the Amsterdam City Swim aims to raise money for the ALS Foundation in the Netherlands and draw attention to the disease ALS. The Amsterdam City Swim takes place on Sunday 11 September, with over 2500 adults and 300 kids participating.

Unilever (ticker symbol: UNIA) is the main sponsor of the Amsterdam City Swim since 2015, channeling the sponsorship with their brand Dove Men+Care. Unilever has chosen to support the Amsterdam City Swim with Dove Men+Care because Unilever and Dove are both brands with a social mission.

For more information: www.amsterdamcityswim.nl

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PostNL receives BREEAM-NL In-Use sustainability label

PostNL first to receive sustainability label for existing logistics buildings

PostNL (ticker symbol: PNL) is the Netherlands’ first logistics company to successfully have the sustainable achievements of two of its buildings certified with the BREEAM-NL In-Use sustainability label. On this occasion they visit the Amsterdam exchange and open trading by sounding the gong.

The BREEAM-NL In-Use sustainability label has been used for existing office buildings for some time. The label considers sustainability in a broad sense, such as energy and water consumption, but also at building maintenance and how sustainably the employees make use of the building. Existing logistics buildings were not yet eligible to be evaluated by BREEAM-NL In-Use. The label had to be made suitable for these types of buildings. Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC), the administrator and developer of the label, had PostNL go through a pilot, together with a few other logistics organizations. Annemarie van Doorn, DGBC Director: ‘The fact that the label for these types of buildings is being made available is partly due to PostNL’s request.’

PostNL was looking for an independent party to measure the level of sustainability of its logistics buildings. Albert Rodenboog, Production Director and in charge of sustainability at PostNL: “These buildings are an important part of our company. We want them to meet strict sustainability requirements in use and maintenance. The DGBC label now shows us how sustainable they are as well as the best ways for us to improve in that area. I’m proud of our contribution to the development of the label.” To make its buildings even more sustainable, PostNL is installing solar panels on the roofs of its parcels sorting centres and is opting for the most sustainable alternatives when replacing installations.

For more information: www.postnl.nl

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Wereldhave 70th listing anniversary

Wereldhave visits Euronext to celebrate 70 years listing

Dirk Anbeek, CEO of Wereldhave (ticker symbol: WHA), sounds the opening gong at Euronext Amsterdam to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Wereldhave’s stock market listing.

Wereldhave is a Dutch real estate investment company, founded in 1930. Wereldhave invests in convenience shopping centres that are dominant in their micro environment in larger provincial cities in northwest continental Europe, with a catchment area of at least 100,000 inhabitants within 10 minutes travel time. Convenient shopping is key in Wereldhave’s shopping centres, with easy accessibility, a broad offer of shops, excellent amenities, an atttractive food & beverage offer and a mix of successful (inter-)national and local retail formulas and local heroes that cover 90% or more of the daily shopping needs.

For more information: www.wereldhave.com

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Nyenrode 70th anniversary

Nyenrode celebrates its 70th anniversary by sounding the gong

Students of Nyenrode Business University sound the gong to ring in the 70th year of the University. They are accompanied by Remmelt Vetkamp, financial director and member of the university board.

The students include members of the Nijenrode Trade Association De Zilveren Rijder. This association manages one of the biggest portfolios of student investment clubs in the Netherlands. The board of the Association of Accountancy Students, which celebrates its 45th anniversary this year, is also present.

Nyenrode has been offering talented, entrepreneurial and ambitious people courses which focus both on the result and on the world, hence the theme of the 70th anniversary: ‘Shaping leaders since 1946’. Nyenrode Business Universiteit, the only private university in the Netherlands, was founded by and for the business community. Nyenrode prepares their students for a career in a management, entrepreneurial or accountancy position within an international environment and attaches great value to social awareness and sustainable leadership with as motto: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Stewardship.

For more information: www.nyenrode.nl

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Global Exchange Trading Services

GETS celebrates five year residence at Beursplein 5 by sounding gong

Global Exchange Trading Services B.V. (GETS) was founded in 2009 and is a 100% subsidiary of Nyenburgh Holding B.V. This year they have been located at Beursplein 5 for five years and on this occasion they open trading by sounding the gong.

Through a partnership, GETS offers professional traders the opportunity to rent a trading desk on the floor of Euronext and provides market access to several exchanges in Europe and abroad to trade cash equities as well as derivatives using a reliable and stable trading system (GenXs). GETS has grown rapidly in recent years, partly because of its competitive trading costs, service and transparency. GETS is located on the former trading floor at Beursplein 5 and therefore it has acquired an unique position within the professional trading community in the Netherlands

For more information: www.getsbv.nl

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September Month of Sports

ABN AMRO Foundation sounds gong for September Month of Sports 2016

ABN AMRO Foundation, part of the Euronext listed ABN AMRO (ticker symbol: ABN) has officially dubbed September the Month of Sports for ‘Winning Together’. ABN AMRO Foundation director Ernst Boekhorst opens the theme month by sounding the gong in the presence of several social organizations that will be collaborating with ABN AMRO’s employees.

The theme for the month, ‘Winning Together’, ties in with the bank’s decision to have Sponsoring and Foundation focus its activities on talent, as part of ‘Partner of the Future’. The entire month of September, over 700 employees will put in their best efforts as volunteers, taking part in sporting activities for special groups at various locations across the country.

Sports are all about passion, coping with disappointment and limitations, and perseverance. It is also about training, strength and opportunities, and many people could do with a little help in this respect. Examples of initiatives include a football clinic at Ajax for mentally disabled youngsters, attending an Ajax match with blind and visually handicapped people, a sports day for autistic youngsters and a golf clinic for children.

For more information: www.abnamro.com

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KAS BANK

KAS BANK opens trading at the exchange with gong ceremony

Sikko van Katwijk, Chairman of KAS BANK’s Managing Board, opens trading at the Euronext Amsterdam exchange. Joining him at the opening are several clients from the financial and pensions industries.

KAS BANK (ticker symbol: KA) opens trading on the occasion of the bank’s recent win of “Custodian of the Year” at the annual European Pensions Awards held in London in early June. In addition to the recognition of the role of KAS BANK, this award is seen by KAS BANK as reward for the prominent and innovative role of the entire Dutch pensions and securities industries within Europe.

One of the recent innovations that the independent jury referred to in their motivation to recognize KAS BANK, was the launch last year of a cost benchmarking service. This initiative has been acknowledged as an important step towards greater transparency of the true cost to pension funds of the total investment process. Not only enhancing transparency for an individual scheme, it shows how these costs compare to a similar group of pension funds. As a result of this information trustee boards, pension fund professionals, members and all stakeholders now better understand the total costs of running the fund, both explicit and implicit. Since the start of the initiative, more than 50 pension funds have signed up to participate in the benchmark. This makes this cost benchmark one of the most used in the Netherlands.

For more information: www.kasbank.com

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