ONE NIGHT AROUND THE WORLD
Friday March 4th 2011 Hilton The Hague
Index 02
Dear guest 3 Red carpet 4 Paul van Vliet gets the 6 ballroom rolling Live at the scene 8 Taste the world of hospitality 9 Generous hospitality 14 Cheers! 16 Live Magazines 18 Sponsors 19
Dear Guest, After a period of careful design, precise construction and 8 months in full operation, we celebrated the ‘Grand Opening’ of Hilton The Hague with all those organisations, companies and people who have contributed to a successful start, on the eve of March 4th 2011. The Hague is a truly unique city, with its international allure but yet provincial feeling, a philosophy we’ve adopted in the hotel as well. With a capacity of 320 delegates for meetings and the international network of over 3600 hotels in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio we are frequented by an international audience, yet the intimate setting of Grand Café Pearl and the personalised service of our team members have proven to attract a local audience as well. The design also shows a similar balance between international standards and geographical touches; Guest rooms are spacious and offer LCD TV’s and bathrooms with separate bath and shower. A fully equipped fitness center is accessible for guests 24/7 and wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel. In our public areas the atrium breathes the atmosphere of Scheveningen, Mesdag skies light up the ballroom and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring serves as the overall inspiration for our Grand Café. We hope you all got a taste of ‘the world of hospitality’ that Hilton has brought to The Hague with the opening of this fifth property in The Netherlands and I’d like to say ‘thank you’ for celebrating this with us. From the beginning we have felt very welcome in The Hague and received support from local shops and galleries, large international corporations , expat communities and locals supplier alike. This ‘Live Magazine’ is a registration of our Grand Opening, including its guests, performances and special moments. A tangible memory to a wonderful evening. Again, thank you for the warm welcome you have given us and I hope to see all of you on a regular basis at the Hilton The Hague! Hospitably yours, Karin van den Berg Hotel Manager Hilton The Hague
03
A hint of glamour in the cold A night to remember begins‌
As the guests exit their vehicles and hand them over to the valet, their big winter coats hide the glamour beneath. But when the high heels and polished shoes make their way to the entrance, the coats slide open and a hint of glamour is revealed. Outside drum beats pound the cold winter air, whilst inside the guests are welcomed by beautiful girls in historical costumes, from all around the world.
04
Our eye is drawn, however, to all the stunning women that keep coming out from under those enormous coats. A glass of champagne is immediately rushed to their hands by able servers and within moments the cold is forgotten. A night to remember begins‌
05
Paul van
Vliet gets the ballroom rolling The ballroom was filled with beautiful gowns and per- make our women tough and strong. How even the tour fume when the opening speaker took to the stage. guides are gay. But mostly, how our hearts are as big as He began by thanking the guests for their attendance the country is small. He complimented the décor of The and support, with a special Hilton Hotel, saying “this is mention for the mayor of the way god would have done The Hague, Jozias van Aartit, if he had money”. this is the way od sen and his wife. His speech made note of the important would have done it if he As founder of “Theater PePirole The Hague now plays jn”, he urged the guests to in the world, as the internabid at the auction and parhad money tional capital of human rights take in the raffle. All proceeds and justice. But also of all the history and culture that is went to the project that is not only dear to mister van found in the city’s streets. Vliet, but to the whole city of The Hague. Theater Pepijn is a podium for many young artists as well as a safe haLike comedy genius and patron of the Arts, Paul van Vli- ven for veteran performers. et. Born and raised in The Hague, he is the embodiment of what this city has to offer. During his passionate and Paul van Vliet thanked the audience by raising his glass witty speech, he spoke of the Dutch people. How we suf- and saying “I drink to the people! God bless you. After fer from overpopulation. How the weather and bicycles all, that’s his job.”
“
06
G , ”
07
Live at the scene
His Excellency Mr. Al Suwaidi, ambassador U.A.E.
“The only thing missing from this night is Paris.”
Mieke Bon and Lex Peters
A vision in black and red, (we just had to Mieke Bon, daughter of the owner. Though she
ask her for a picture) turns out to be
has been professionally involved with the
hotel in the past, tonight she is just a guest.
Free to enjoy everything the night has to offer. Her husband Lex Peters remarks: “It is wonderful to see the machine that is Hilton in motion. To watch the different components working and fitting together. So many people, working as one team.”
08
Onno and Henny Kreukniet
Onno Kreukniet and his wife Henny are resting in the comfortable red velvet
seats when we meet them.
Mr. Kreukniet Hilton on behalf of a magazine called “Xpat Journal”. “I thought Paul van Vliet delivered a superb opening! The evening lives up to our expectations. But we are very spoiled.” is involved with the
Taste the World of Hospitality
The kitchen is abuzz with activity when we sneak in for a peek at the beginning of the evening. A multitude of chefs and servers, all dressed in spotless uniforms, work side by side in chaotic harmony. The room is filled with delicious smells, coming from stainless steel trays on which colourful bite sized treats lie. Screaming to be tasted and enjoyed. Chef Edwin van den Heijkant explains how the theme of the evening “A World of Hospitality” is reflected in the food. “All the chefs of the Dutch Hiltons are here tonight. Each Hotel has its own cuisine they specialise in. For instance, The Hilton The Hague is mainly oriented in French/Dutch cooking, while the Amsterdam Hilton spe-
cialises in Italian cuisine. We joined forces to achieve the best of all these different international kitchens tonight. We even enlisted the help of Amsterdam restaurant “Cedars” so we could enjoy their Arabic dishes tonight.” And it’s not just the chefs that work together. Throughout the hotel, there were gorgeous displays put on by the house butcher, baker and fish supplier. We tasted fresh oysters, crispy bread and Black Angus steak so fresh we could almost hear it moo. Which went down well with the wine that was so abundantly present all around us, and always served with a smile. »
09
10
11
12
13
Cheers!
Margreet Bruggeman
Job Morsink
Margreet Bruggeman is a regular guest at The Hilton The Hague. “I just love the atmosphere here. The food, the staff, the interior, it’s all really good.”
Job Morsink has been fending off photographers all evening because her husband is wearing his dress uniform, but kindly let us take just one more snapshot. “I just like finding out what connects all these different people here tonight.”
Valentino Bugatti and Magdalena Santos
The couple that was dancing in front of the coffee booth, Valentino Bugatti and Magdalena Santos, really enjoyed the speeches. “The joke with Paris Hilton was really funny. And that Dutch song/poem by Paul van Vliet was quite the tongue twister.” Ms Santos pays us the biggest compliment of the night. “Thank you for your caliente.”
14
Generous hospitality
Mister Paul van Vliet’s efforts for PePijn were not in vain. When this magazine went to print the count was at over 5000 Euros. And the winning numbers are...
Cocktail workshop for 2 – No 114 Overnight stay Conrad Brussels – No 288 Wine tasting Taste – No 121 Overnight stay Hilton Antwerp – No 25 Wine selection – No 117
15
01 16
Aandacht & Service
17
On Live Magazines Every event deserves its own magazine When The Hilton The Hague asked us to make a Live Magazine during their grand opening we didn’t hesitate. Performances by Do and Paul van Vliet, a chance to witness the Hilton kitchen staff live in action, a red carpet with you in evening gown or tuxedo… That is one fantastic magazine! Actually, that is what happens every single time we are invited to an event. At these occasions we find ourselves surrounded by stories that are dying to be told. It’s like we mentioned earlier: Every event deserves its own magazine. The inventor ‘The merits of customer media don’t need to be explained. Not only is it a powerful and measurable way to communicate the brand value, product or service your company provides. What’s more, it is a marketing tool with which a relationship with your target audience can be build, sustained and even expanded. Live Magazines extends these advantages to the event business.’ Joost van der Steen (founder Live Magazines) The writer ‘Every event is alive with exciting, amusing and interesting stories. It’s a real kick to turn that harsh deadline into a sharp article or fun feature. At an event for the Dutch Chamber of Commerce we encountered two young internet entrepreneurs. They were just 14 and 15 years old, but explained to us that they actually no longer handled any of the work themselves. Delegating everything to freelance workers instead. These stories are what make an event tic. It would be a terrible shame not to record them for posterity.’ Martijn Brugman (editor Live Magazines)
The client ‘It was a joy to watch the Live Magazines team dive into the experience. They submerged themselves into the conference, became almost invisible to us, but then popped back up with just the right pictures and impressions. The magazine knows how to capture the spirit perfectly. When our guests received their copies at the end of the night, they almost tore the place down with excitement.’ Tjerk t’Sas (director Merger & Integration, AkzoNobel) This is how it works: At your event or conference the Live Magazine editorial team will create, then and there, an exclusive magazine for you to hand out to visitors, sponsors or business acquaintances. The team consists of experienced designers, journalists and photographers, who excel at transforming the energy and storyline of your event into a glossy magazine. Your very own magazine If you are interested in our services please contact us. We love to help you think ahead. +31 26 3639030 / live@livemagazines.nl Live Magazines was announced to be one of the most innovative products in The Netherlands.
18
THANK YOU The Hilton The Hague would like to thank our sponsors, for helping us put this amazing evening together. Without them this night would not have been possible. We hope to continue this wonderful collaboration in the future, and to bring you many more events like this. We enjoyed your company and hope to see you soon at The Hilton The Hague.
COLOPHON This edition of Live Magazine is made by: Editors, graphic design William van Giessen Margot Mager Writer Joyce Brekelmans Photographer Tom Roelofs Live Magazines速 is a registered concept and concept by O.K. PARKING. A magazine about your event, in one day. wwww.livemagazines.nl
19