Jean Paul Wijers the leading expert of protocols in the Netherlands. Wijers and his Protocolbureau (protocol agency) are involved in many appealing events, official gatherings and network meetings. A nice example is the opening of an art exhibition about the life of Buddha in the New Church in Amsterdam - attended by the Dalai Lama. The New Church requested Wijers to assist in welcoming the guests. In this interview, he explains how Momice event software helped prevent long waiting list for this event.
The Dalai Lama in Amsterdam
“Experiencing the close presence of the Dalai is very special”, says Wijers. “It is a real celebrity. The exhibition ‘The life of Buddha, The path to Now’ is going great.” He remembers what the Dalai Lama said about technology: being in contact via computers could never replace real-life interaction. “This is exactly how I look at events. However many ways to link people, true connection only takes place in a face-to-face setting, away from day to day trivialities. This is why the New Church decided to organise this festive opening.”
Wijers’ Protocolbureau was asked to assist in welcoming, checking in and placing the guests. “Our attendees need to feel welcome - and find their place in the venue effortlessly. The diversity of the guest list, consisting of more than 1000 guests - including board, sponsors and prominent Buddhists - made this quite challenging. The Dalai Lama was to enter only after all guests had arrived. And after the event, he is the first to leave. This is how the protocol works in practice.”
Momice software prevents long waiting lists
The visit of the Dalai Lama was facilitated by various stakeholders, all attending the opening of the exhibition. “The organisation wanted to give them a prominent place in the church. Momice registration software made it possible to differentiate in types of guests: a coloured pop-up indicated on which row the delegated was presumed to take place. This made the on-site registration smooth and clear. The organisation was very happy they could design the process themselves. That is the power of Momice.”
Another big advantage of Momice, according to Wijers, is the possibility to use any smartphone to check in the attendees. “You simply download the Momice Check-in App - and instantly turn your smartphone into a scanning device. This turned out to be a wonderful solution. Because many guests arrived at the same time, a long queue threatened to emerge. Luckily, we were able to scale up from 3 to 10 people at the door, thanks to the flexibility of the Momice App.”
Conclusion
“I often compare Momice to Media Markt (Dutch department store for electronics, red.). Back in the days, an expert advised you on which TV to buy. This changed when Media Markt opened its doors and enabled customers to pick their own TV. Momice also frees you from advisors, in the event industry. You don’t need agencies anymore, as you can take charge of registration and other event processes online. Momice software is easy, efficient and innovative”, Wijers says.
