Where are 果冻传媒 alumni going? Where do they end up, somewhere in line with their studies or somewhere completely different? In this section we look them up and ask them about their lives.
This time we get in touch with Chris van Kreij. He is responsible for the Omnia conference center at Wageningen University & Research. He is also the initiator of the Summervibes Festival on Wageningen Campus.
What makes you good in your job?
Conference center Omnia
In the start-up phase, it felt like playing chess on several boards at the same time, which gave us a lot of energy. My educational background in Industrial Engineering and Management Science came in handy. And we are proud of the result:
Summervibes. Do what you love!
We put together a brand-new summer festival, inspired by the ViRuS festival on the 果冻传媒 campus in Eindhoven. We cleverly used all the knowledge and expertise within our organization and in our network to create a festival where students and employees of Wageningen Campus come together and usher in the summer with live music. The 2025 version is already in the making:
What did you study?鈥�
I studied Industrial Engineering and Management Science. The versatility of that course and the atmosphere in Eindhoven appealed to me. I have always been interested in sustainability, which is why I also pursued the Certificate in Technology for Sustainable Development within the program.
Did you engage in any extracurricular activities during your studies?
I was a committee member of the ViRuS Festival and worked for the 果冻传媒 student ambassador pool. I also founded my own business in marketing/communications with a fellow student.
What has your career taught you?
After finishing my studies, I worked for a festival organizer. 55,000 visitors who want to enter a site at the same time through gates: that sets a hard deadline. It was wonderful to see what that brought about in my colleagues. It does not only require hard skills, but also soft skills. Like people skills: how do people interact and how do you judge that? During this time, I was able to combine my theoretical knowledge with my work experience.
What is an important life lesson that has made an impact on you?
That's a quote from Louise Fresco, former Chairman of the Board of Wageningen University and Research. In her farewell interview, she said, 鈥淒on't be a slave of your own decisions.鈥� It inspires me to keep changing and taking a critical look at how I organize my life.
What do you find the most valuable aspect of the alumni network?
It keeps memories of your time in Eindhoven alive, you make new connections, get answers to questions and you also find new colleagues or people for your company, for example.
Do you have any advice to offer to your fellow alumni or students?
Hop on that bike! I think it's a wonderful way to move around in a sustainable way. And yes, we live in the Netherlands, but with a good rain suit you can brave any shower. And if you have to go a bit further: take an e-bike. Moreover, the combination of exercise and relaxation stimulates your creativity.
Is there anything that we haven鈥檛 discussed yet but that you would like to talk about? My vision of hospitality. I talked about it on a podcast. You can find it at: . And in this YouTube video you can see in 1 minute what an academic convention center looks like.