Win-win on the exhibition floor

Exhibition Floor 2019 Tilburg

Recently we participated in the Exhibition Floor in Tilburg and we would like to share our experiences with you.

What is the phenomenon Exhibition Floor?

We are living in a time of big financial cuts. Social-cultural organisations, who have lived for years from government subsidies, or have achieved their objectives with gifts from business, are now being cut on their budgets. They have to look for other ways and means to guarantee the survival of their organisation of to create growth. It is therefore of great importance that right now these organisations can keep doing their good work.

Dozens of companies have been delivering their contribution for many years to the Exhibition Floor Tilburg. So on the one hand social-cultural organisations have a request, for example: we are looking for ‘helping hands’ with doing odd jobs, or: we want some computers for our clients. On the other hand there are entrepreneurs and organisations who have to offer something. The intention is that we get a ‘match’ between those organisations where everything can be exchanged (supply and demand) but money!

Why would you participate?

For us this Exhibition Floor fits principle 6 very well: I give and take actively. Both parties focus on mutual respect and advantage so you’ll get a good result. By participating we show that we are a Social Responsible Organisation and that it’s important to us that we contribute to the improvement of the social climate.

Next to that, it also fits principle 9: I invest in relations. Proactive improvement of the relation by contributing on the emotional bank account of the other.

Experiences this year

This 14th edition of the Exhibition Floor Tilburg, the biggest one in the Netherlands, yielded 583 matches. Between 350 and 400 businesses, foundations and charities came together to make a free deal for stuff and services.

We offered training and coaching, which has been accepted eagerly. Finally, we had four matches:

• A training in how to manage aggression for a health care organisation;
• A workshop ‘back in to your strengths’ for AA clients;
• A teambuilding for an new association board;
• A workshop ‘personal leadership’ for slightly mentally disabled clients.

In exchange we can use a training room for free, the organisation will post an article with pictures about us in the local newsletter and another organizes ameeting room with catering full of participants for a presentation. All good p.r. and advertisement about our services.

Are you familiar with an exhibition floor like this? We would gladly like to hear your experiences!