Innovation Forum 
Erasmus University

The name says it all, the Innovation Forum is concerned with innovation by professionalizing innovation management and new business development of medium and large companies.  The members become acquainted with the latest theoretical insights and the experiences of innovation managers of large corporations. They also exchange practical experience with peers. One person is important in setting up this initiative, namely Jan van den Ende. He is professor of Innovation and Technology Management at Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

At each event, the Innovation Forum deals with one topic, which is chosen by the participants and is the most topical. This time it was Innovation Strategy: what is it and how do I get it? This topic was addressed in the conference that took place in 2021. The live event was organised in the Inntel Utrecht, entirely in accordance with the measures in force at that time. VKOZ was responsible for the total approach for this event: thinking along with the programme, project management, communication with the participants and coordinating the conference.  

For the conference we used the rooms ‘Spoor 3’ and ‘Spoor 4’. The reception took place in ‘De Halte’ on the 11th floor with a view over the city and the drink was in the ‘U-bar’. Names that suit the hotel, as it conveniently located next to Utrecht Central Station.  

During the conference, Jan van den Ende was not only the initiator of the Innovation Forum, but also the academic speaker. Three speakers from the business community were invited from the following companies: Danone, Nutricia and Rabobank. The participants had discussions in working groups to discuss the information. 

Due to the measures, the second event of the Innovation Forum took place online in the form of a webinar in 2022. ‘A webinar is a combination of web and seminar, also known as an online seminar.’ The advantage of this webinar was that because of the smaller group, it was easier for the participants to ask questions and exchange experiences. In this way it almost seemed as if the participants received 1 on 1 advice. This was experienced as very positive by the participants. An optimal knowledge session was ensured using break-out sessions with virtual rooms and online networking.