This past Monday, the annual Entrepreneurs’ Day took place. From late morning onward, entrepreneurs were welcomed to the event. After a plenary opening by EK Living director Peter Seemann, attendees split into smaller groups. Some participated in the workshop “Profitability and Succession”, while others engaged in one-on-one conversations with account managers, product managers, or the marketing manager to ask questions about the 2025 year plan.
This was followed by an inspiring presentation by Max Dekker, who spoke about how consumers perceive your store and how to best design the first seven meters of your shop. Next, Renee Bijlsma shared the latest trends for this autumn and the upcoming spring. The Local Hero marketing strategy for 2025 was also discussed in detail. Senior marketer Jean Tijssen gave a sneak peek of the upcoming social media campaigns, which will feature more personalized content through interviews and photoshoots.
The final speaker of the day, André Troost, delivered an enthusiastic and humorous session on customer friendliness. His message was clear: the classic “Good afternoon, can I help you?” no longer works—customers want to feel truly seen and acknowledged.
To close the day, a charity auction was held. Store display examples and various items such as cabinets, chairs, and accessories were auctioned off. All proceeds went to the Forgotten Child Foundation (Stichting Het Vergeten Kind).
The day ended with drinks and a well-stocked goodie bag. It was an enjoyable, informative, and above all, successful day!