Guest Speaker: Henri van Rheenen from CameraNu

It's Tuesday morning just before half-past nine when the phone rings; my appointment is here. Right on time, but not excessively early, just as I like it. We find a spot in the lounge and after the usual small talk and ordering two coffees, we start with the first interview for our new section: 'Guest Speaker'

Opposite me sits Henri van Rheenen, who has been working for Cameranu for 14 years now. He started as employee number 30, but over the years he has grown with the company, which now has over 200 employees.

Inspiring and Connecting

The originally Urker company was started in 2003 by two college friends. Henri himself joined in 2009, the year a new warehouse with no less than 1600 m2 of space was built to house all the photo and video equipment. Indicative of the pace at which the company gained a foothold in the Netherlands.

After previous roles as Commercial Manager and Account Manager, Henri made the switch to Event Manager about two years ago. "After the corona period, I was looking for a more organizational role. Being more involved with the target audience and the influencers needed for that. The vacancy of Event Manager fit that perfectly," says Henri.

As Event Manager, Henri mainly focuses on the consumer. He explains the principle from which they work at Cameranu: "The why, how, and what we have defined is that we do everything we can to help our customers create beautiful images. We do this partly by advising on product selection, but also by embracing our customers by offering events." An example is the Saturday morning lectures with speakers in the various stores in the Netherlands. "By not only advising but also inspiring our customers, we really connect and are more than just a retailer," Henri explains.

A New Look

The growth of Cameranu.nl and the arrival of more and more physical locations called for a new logo and a new name: Cameranu. The look was completely renewed, and management expressed the desire to kick off the new design well among both customers and employees. Henri explains: "It was important to make the philosophy behind the rebranding clear to everyone. Of course, I wanted to help with that, and so I started looking for a location where we could organize the internal kick-off of our new look."

And so, last February, we were able to welcome 200 Cameranu employees in Zwolle. A location in the region was one of the frameworks that was quickly set, Henri explains. "Many employees live in this region because the headquarters and warehouse are still in Urk. Lumen was known from a previous partnership with PEC Zwolle (since 2018, ed.), and so I got in contact with Lars."

Exactly as Envisioned

During the discussion of the general outline of the evening, the desired space, and the necessary technology, it turned out that Lumen had exactly what Cameranu had envisioned for the event. "Moreover, it is a unique environment with a special ambiance, right in the PEC Zwolle stadium. The contact with Lars also went very well. Making clear agreements ensures that I can anticipate internally. Very nice!" says Henri. The positive stories from colleagues (Henri was unfortunately absent due to illness, ed.) and suppliers about the quality level confirm that it was a successful kick-off.

As a tip for fellow event managers, Henri advises: "Coordinate your frameworks well internally before you start calling locations and requesting quotes. It works pleasantly for both parties to enter a conversation well-prepared. That gives a healthy vibe and you get good energy from that!"