At the Grüne Woche in Berlin, we succeeded in building a pavilion that felt like a unified whole: in terms of content, visuals, and organization. The magic word is stakeholder management. That might sound heavy, but it comes down to one thing: creating peace of mind by having the right conversations early on.
We spoke with several key players to learn from their experience.
"Grüne Woche is a success for us if everyone is satisfied," says Hannah Verhage, project manager at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). "And that is a very broad group. From our client, the ministry, to the participants and the visitors."
That is exactly why this year did not start with a traditional briefing.
"We had the luxury of starting earlier," Hannah explains. "We brought all stakeholders together – from NL Branding to the embassy – and started together with a brainstorm. That was an incredibly pleasant start to the whole project."
For many organizers, that feels nerve-wracking. More people at the table often means more opinions. But here, the opposite happened.
"By starting earlier, you create support from the beginning. Everyone feels heard. We finished earlier, deadlines were met better, we stayed within budget, and there was less stress."
According to José Schaap, commercially responsible for Exhibitions & Events at Gielissen, that is exactly where the key lies.
"In a traditional process, you get a briefing and you get to make a design. You have little room to ask questions and discover the question behind the question." And that is exactly where friction arises later. "If you only discover halfway through what the interests really are, you get discussions in design, planning, or budget."
"If it is clear in advance what the budget is, what the strategy is, and what everyone's role is, then peace is created. And precisely within those frameworks, you get room for creativity."
That creativity became visible in the heart of the pavilion: the Spiegel Garten. A mirrored cube full of orchids in which visitors could literally experience the story of the Netherlands. Because of the reflections, it felt as if you were walking through an endless sea of flowers.
Such an idea does not originate from a standard briefing. It grows when content, ambition, and trust come together. "If we had stuck to the classic approach, it would have been less creative," says Hannah.
A substantive foundation was important for the NL Branding team, part of RVO. For communication advisor Sabine Izaksson, a pavilion starts with meaning.
"It is good to realize that NL Branding is more than just a corporate identity," Sabine explains. "It is about the story of the Netherlands and how you can convey that well to the international target group."
That story revolves around core values such as open, inclusive, and inventive. "We want those core values to resonate in everything we do. Including the Dutch pavilion at the Grüne Woche."
That is why it was nice to be involved early. "We were brought to the table right from the brainstorm session with all the parties who need to have a say in it. This way, we were able to build a concept together and deepen it step by step."
Form followed content. Subsectors were given their own place and color, but merged into one recognizable whole. According to Sabine, that is exactly why this edition stood out. "For us, the Grüne Woche is a best practice, because it was truly a standout in terms of collaboration and execution."
That was noticeable on the floor. Participants recognized themselves in the design and knew what to expect. Roles were clear. Expectations were voiced. That provided peace of mind during the build-up and focus during the exhibition.
Or as José summarizes it: "If you start on time, take a good inventory, and determine strategy together, you will achieve a fantastic result."
