 International Branding Of The City
Alderman, Frits Huffnagel (VVD) is responsible for City Marketing, International Business, ICT and Organisation and recently became responsible for the City Centre. With enthusiasm and passion, the Alderman talks about the The Hague brand, and his international approach with which he would like to see this city put firmly on the world map. “First of all, the international image and strong position of the city of The Hague must be presented extremely well. Americans often say: “Be good, and tell it!” Unfortunately in The Hague, we often stopped short. That’s a pity, because without communication, nobody can be well-informed, so you shouldn’t be surprised when they’re not. The Hague profiles itself as the international ity of peace and justice. Central to this role are the many organisations that work in this area. At the Peace Palace, there is the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia is situated on the Churchillplein. Every day in The Hague, a huge number of people work to make a better and nicer world. It’s not only the peace and justice components that give this city its international character, it’s also the seat of the Dutch Parliament and Government. That’s why Embassies and many international organisations have chosen The Hague as a place of business. In addition, there are many international and national head offices, such as those of Shell and Siemens. The city is geared towards this, and is becoming increasingly more attractive. It’s because of this that the city remains interesting as a (temporary) place of business for foreign entrepreneurs and employees with their families. There are various international schools, so that the expats (expatriates, who live and work in The Hague) and their children can also feel at home here. The Hospitality Centre, situated in the atrium of the Town Hall, is specially geared towards these expats and the international media. This information point supplies all the information needed to make living and working here pleasant. You only have one chance to make a first impression and we want guests to feel at home as quickly as possible. And when they leave we want them to become ambassadors of this city. This way, they can share their experiences of this special city that has so much to offer, across the world.
 A unique place on the globe
The Hague has been able to attract an enormous number of international companies within its borders over the last ten years. Our services have been re-directed and increased to address this. This can be seen in the rowing number of hotels, restaurants and shops at the beaches of Kijkduin and Scheveningen, and in the beautiful city centre. Posh shopping streets, such as the Noordeinde, the Hoogstraat and the Haagsche Bluf, but also the attractive Spuistraat, the Grote Markt and the Plein, form the centre. The historical city centre is full of arts, culture and beautiful places of interest which people can enjoy: the antique market, the Nederlands Dans Theater, The Residentie Orkest and last but not least, Madurodam. These are but a few examples of special places. The beautiful green surroundings and kilometres of coastline make the city an unique place on the globe. “My father worked his entire life in development co-operation, which meant that people from across the whole world visited us regularly. In order to see the Netherlands in one go, we always took the guests to Madurodam. It is really an unique experience for everyone and it’s great that it is in The Hague. Everyone can be proud of this city and we also regularly receive confirmation from others. It is, of course, fantastic that the New York Times has named the Mauritshuis in The Hague the most beautiful museum in the world, both in terms of its collection and the building. Then we must also realise what a beautiful city The Hague is. City marketing starts with taking pride in the city. Residents must be informed about all our qualities and that already starts in school. Important people from history, such as the writer, Louis Couperus, the artist Mondriaan and contemporary pop icons such as Anouk, the Golden Earring and Di-rect, also colour this city, and that’s something to be really proud of. Many events, such as Beatstad on the Malieveld, Parkpop and the Festival Classique on the Hofvijver, are supported by the local council, with the goal of increasing the feeling of pride amongst Hagenaars (Hague residents).”
You are our ambassador
In addition to his function as Alderman, Frits Huffnagel is also Chairman of the Holland Business Promotion Office. The HBPO wants to really put the Randstad on the map and through this, attract international investments and activities. During the Olympics in Beijing, the HBPO, together with other parties, organised a number of economic themed events. For the theme ‘China-Holland’, Chinese entrepreneurs shared their experiences regarding the climate of entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. The Hague was brought to their attention as an interesting location for foreign entrepreneurs. Frits Huffnagel: “It’s important that experiences are shared across the world and it’s most effective if people act as spokespersons, talking about their own experiences. This means you have recognition through nationality or another association. The foreign companies that are established here, but also familiar icons from The Hague, who share their experiences in the media are our ambassadors, as are the residents, visitors and tourists. Tourism is a line of business that always holds its own and is able to realise growth, in spite of swings in the economy. The Hague and surroundings are extremely suitable for both business trips and holidays. The arrival of the Hilton Hotel is a great move for attracting tourists. For foreign and domestic tourists, there are also all kinds of activities and places of interest that make a visit here worthwhile. “The intention is to make a good impression with our excellent accessibility, hospitality, safety and high quality of life, which considerably increases the probability that a visitor will come back to enjoy the ambiance again. Barcelona has been renewed considerably and has placed itself firmly on the map: this forms a source of inspiration for us in The Hague. Over the past years we have clustered different events and activities in June under the name The Hague Festivals. Next year, from Friday 12 to Sunday 28 June, there will again be very many excellent reasons for residents and non-residents to visit the city. With events varying from the Festival Classique to Parkpop, from Veteranendag (Veteran’s Day) to Roze Zaterdag (Gay Pride) and from the Shopping Night to The Hague Sculpture, we make this city, this beautiful spot on the world map, really visible." |
