Marleen

What exactly do you do within Obsession?

"I am an Account Manager. I focus on the public sector, so the government organizations. As an account manager, it's really about relationship management with existing and new customers. I also take on the role as advisor."

What made you decide to come back to Obsession?

"I previously worked as a Project Manager at Obsession and now the opportunity as an Account Manager came along, which fits very well with who I am because I have always found the relationship management part one of the best things about my work. At a certain moment my path crossed Gerbens and during this conversation it turned out that he was looking for an account manager. It seemed like a great opportunity for myself to perhaps be a little less involved with productions and to focus more on the relationship part, so that's why I chose to take the opportunity. The company is bustling, there is creativity, beautiful concepts are being made and I have always found Obsession a very nice company to work for in terms of people and the like-mindedness. We work hard, but also have time for fun things.

When you think back to the past, did you expect to be doing this work and why or why not?

"Yes, actually. Although my training was not necessarily event related, I started my Facility Management course with the idea that I wanted to organize events. I mainly got into it by starting at Winkelman and Van Hessen who had an event and were looking for a project employee, so it really suits me. Now after years of being a project manager and then as an account manager, it fits again."

What is one work-related thing you would like to achieve this year?

"We are already allowed to do a lot in the public sector and if you are talking about the government, there is a lot in The Hague. I studied in The Hague myself and always worked there, so I would really like to take our steps there even more and see if we can organize beautiful congresses and conferences there."

If you could only work on one project for the coming year, what kind of project would that be?

"When I started here in 2016, Obsession had won the EU Presidency for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. There were an average of two meetings for six months. That was really a project that was hosted from the Netherlands and such projects are just really the cherry on top. Something like that would be really cool for me. If a project of such a size comes back again, I would very much like to be part of it."

What does your ideal day off look like?

"A whole day to myself, going to the beach and having good weather."

What is still on your bucket list?

"I would still like to make a nice, long journey with the family. A tour through America or Canada, for example. Really see a bit more of the world."

With what can someone wake you up at night?

"I do not want to be woken up at night. I am very happy to have my sleep back again after the years with the children who woke me up at night. So I prefer to stay asleep. I really like sleep."

How would others describe you in three words?

"Humble, sociable and collegial."

Maud

What exactly do you do within Obsession?

"I am a Junior Concept Developer. So I come up with the entire concept for events together with the team."

What made you decide to come back to Obsession?

"I did an internship at Obsession before the summer and I really liked that internship, the tasks and the company. With Obsession it was a good match from both sides so I wanted to try to get hired and I succeeded."

When you think back to the past, did you expect to be doing this work and why or why not?

"No, not at all. I also did another study which was not in this direction at all, so it was only clear that I wanted to go in this direction since I started my new study. From the moment I started my internship at Obsession, it has become very clear to me that I would like to be in the preliminary phase, so coming up with concepts and working it out. Before that, I had no idea what I was doing."

What is one work-related thing you would like to achieve this year?

"Recently we had an assignment for MSD which also had a social touch and I think that is just a lot of fun to do, because you can really mean something apart from creating a cool event. So for sure assignments that are a bit more in the social direction seem very cool to me. Furthermore, I would love to win a big pitch process."

What does your ideal day off look like?

"It varies a lot per week. I love doing stuff, but I can also love to sit at home for a day, especially with bad weather."

What is still on your bucket list?

"Traveling. There is just a lot to see. There are so many cultures that just seem beautiful to me. Furthermore, I would love to build my own house. We are definitely not at that point yet. I am also a big fan of hardstyle and there is a hardstyle festival in Croatia every year on an island that is completely secluded and it seems very cool to just go there once. You do not hear anything from the outside world and are only focused on that festival."

With what can someone wake you up at night?

"Definitely with a dog. You always make me happy with cuddles from a dog. There is also something else you can wake me up for and it is kind of crazy, but I am completely obsessed with everything that has to do with potatoes, so fries, mashed potatoes et cetera. It really does not make any sense at all, but a potato dish is always good."

How would others describe you in three words?

"A perfectionist. Which is good, but which can also be bad because I sometimes get too much into it. Calm, the peace itself. I am not someone who likes to be the centre of attention, but I am just hobbling along in the background. Thirdly, I’m caring. I would always dismiss myself to help someone else. So I think perfectionistic, calm and caring."

Jill

What exactly do you do within Obsession?

"I am a Junior Project Manager. So I help organizing and executing events."

What made you decide to work at Obsession?

"The company immediately appealed to me, because it has a nice website with a lot of information about the company itself and it really has a nice look. It is professional, straight-to-the-point and it seemed to be a fresh company, so that was very appealing and the business events were something I wanted to be a part of anyway."

When you think back to the past, did you expect to be doing this work and why or why not?

"I studied tourism, so that is something completely different, but I have worked a lot in catering at large events, mainly corporate events. It made me realize that this really suited me and that I wanted to continue doing something in the event industry. It would have been useful if I had realized this a little bit earlier so that I could have chosen a more suitable study. Fortunately, I still ended up in the event industry."

What is one work-related thing you would like to achieve this year?

"I do notice that I still have a lot to learn. Learning new things goes really fast, because I immediately get thrown in the deep end at Obsession. At the moment I would like to produce an event on my own as soon as possible."

What does your ideal day off look like?

"The weather has to be nice so I can go outside. Walk through the city or have lunch somewhere on the terrace. Possibly to the beach, but those are very exceptional days with the weather in the Netherlands. Going for drinks in the evening is always fun. Coziness, good food, good drinks, being with friends and really having time to go outside."

What is still on your bucket list?

"I especially want to make beautiful trips together with my boyfriend. I did go to the Galapagos Islands with a group of friends two years ago and that was very cool. We will probably go to Mexico or Guatemala next year, but it also has to be my boyfriend's turn soon. Besides traveling, I also want to go skydiving. It's just not my biggest wish, because I think it is very scary."

With what can someone wake you up at night?

"To go on a vacation, to do something fun or for cheese fondue. However, I doubt if I would really want cheese fondue in the middle of the night. You can always invite me for it though. Besides, I also really like my sleep, so once I sleep I just sleep well."

How would others describe you in three words?

"Social, active and optimistic. I always really enjoy doing a lot of activities and I'm not going to spend a weekend at home on the couch."