marking its birthday with a
party and a race to stage a
record 200 events this year
the fizz
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
For a five-year-old, it was a fairly spectacular birthday bash. Promoters
used to courting rock stars brought presents; international and Dutch VIPs,
musicians and artists were on hand. This was a party to remember.
Then again, Heineken Music Hall is a fairly special child, a mid-sized
music venue that hosts some of the best international and local performers
around. Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Strokes, Tiësto and others have
all played the spaceship-shaped stage of the Heineken Music Hall, giving
fans in Amsterdam the perfect space to interact with their favourite artists.
"I love this place, it's not too big, not too small," Mieke Joortsma, a Dutch
fan waiting in line to buy tickets to an upcoming show, tells me gleefully.
Director of Heineken Music Hall Paul Stiekema couldn't agree more.
"Eighty per cent of our shows are sold out—that's amazing—and it's
because fans like coming here. They like the venue as much as the bands.
You see, the problem was that Amsterdam didn't have a venue this size in
2001. There was [concert hall] Paradiso, which has a standing room
capacity of 900 and the [sports stadium] ArenA with a capacity of 50,000
But nothing in between." Leon Ramakers, the CEO of Mojo Concerts, an
entertainment company in the Netherlands, had a problem—all the artists
wanted to play Amsterdam, but Amsterdam had no appropriate venue.
Ramakers initially sought government support to help realise his dream, but
when it failed to come through, he looked to corporate sponsors.
In the 1990s, Ramakers found a willing partner in Heineken. Stiekema
explains: "With his ideas and drawings, Leon went to Karei Vuursteen
(former Chairman of Heineken N.V.), and was in luck. Heineken wanted to
get involved with the Dutch music scene, and Heineken Music Hall gave
them a chance to get into the game." Heineken saw the opportunity to
achieve brand equity through the venue.
In the years since, Heineken Music Hall has also helped to establish the
brand's cool reputation. Eight out of every 10 visitors polled respond that
they have positive associations with Heineken. At 5,500 attendees per
event, Heineken Music Hall is certainly delivering the goods to its young
adult target group. And with a record-setting 200 events planned for this
year, the company is set to continue its successes.
But whatever the marketing justifications, Heineken Music Hall is a
temple to rock and roll and the many celebrities that play there. "I love
music, I'm a real fan myself," Stiekema says as he introduces me to his
