Van Der Vegt Named EAA Chairman

Rotterdam Ahoy chief exec Jos van der Vegt has succeeded Ulf Larsson as chairman of the European Arenas Association.

“It’s an important international body, and I am deeply honoured to become its chairman,” Van der Vegt said in a statement.

He also said the EAA has chosen its motto – “more with one another and more for one another” – with care and he’s keen to intensify communication between EAA members, particularly in such areas as exchanging information on event development, acquisitions, EU legislation and research.

Van der Vegt joined the board as secretary and treasurer on June 2nd.

The EEA, which represents 23 arenas spread across 19 countries, was formed in the early ’90s to create a common platform for a number of leading venues in Europe and develop a new circuit for specialized events. It also enables the members to keep fully versed in many essential areas of operations such as commercial activities, financial, technical and maintenance requirements, technology and market trends.

In addition to Van der Vegt, the EAA board comprises the following members: Peter Tudor (Wembley Arena, London), Gil Carneiro de Almeida (Pavilhao Atlantico, Lisbon) and Aivar Sirelpuu (Saku Suurhall Arena, Tallinn).

Linda Bull of the The NEC Group (Birmingham) holds the position of Executive Director.

— John Gammon