EBF Conference: Conference Day

The sign-ups are open from the 11 th of September, from 12:00 pm – first 100 get a free dinner in the Martinikerk. Sign up now at ebfconference.nl/sign-ups

On the 5 th and 6 th of October of 2023, the 15th edition of the EBF Conference will take place.

The EBF Conference is the largest economic and business conference of the Netherlands and attracts around 600 participants each year including students, academics, alumni and business participants.

The EBF Conference consists of two days, each with its own distinctive character. The first day will have an academic character, whereas the second day will be the traditional Conference Day.

The theme of this year’s Conference is the “The Art of Adapting: Achieving Success in a World of Disruptions”.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” This quote was said some time ago by John F. Kennedy but is still relevant to this day. This quote shows how the world is characterised by constant change. In such a world, adaptability has become an essential competence for individuals and organisations. The ability to pivot, adjust and evolve in response to new challenges and disruptions is crucial for success in any field, especially in recent times. These disruptions are all around us. Money is becoming increasingly digitalised. The labour market is changing to where employees have become more powerful. The polarising world is creating challenges both in stakeholder management and strategic dualities.In order to deal with these disruptions, the art of adapting must be mastered.

The “art” of adapting involves a combination of flexibility, resilience, and creativity. It requires the ability to anticipate and respond to changes in the market, technology, and society, while maintaining a clear focus on long-term goals and values. Adapting also requires the willingness to take risks, experiment, and learn from failure. When companies master all these elements, they will unlock new opportunities and will be more likely to achieve success in this world of disruption. What are different ways to master the art of adapting? And what frameworks are being used by companies to adapt to these disruptions?

This year’s EBF Conference will elaborate on the following subthemes: Power of the Employee, Managing strategic dualities: Pursuing Conflicting Objectives, Satisfying Global Stakeholders in a Polarising World & Navigating the New Landscape of Money.

The Conference Day will take place at the Martini Plaza. This day you hear from keynote speakers such as Dolf van den Brink (CEO HEINEKEN Company), Agnes Koops-Aukes (CEO PwC NL), Dominique Hermans (CEO Randstad Northern Europe), Janus Smalbraak (CEO PON Holdings), Arie Koornneef (CEO ASN Bank) & Tom Arends (CEO Peaks). During the Masterclasses you have the chance to hear from Camiel Selker, the CHRO from Optiver, Nina van Hasselt, Senior partner manager from Too Good To Go, Alain Visser, the CEO of the Chinese-Swedish automobile brand Lynk & Co, and Margriet de Kroon – CMO of the dating app Inner Circle The final part of the day will inspire us with the two entrepreneurs from the Urban Jungle Project & Sea Water.

You can choose to sign up for both days or choose to join one of them. The sign-ups are open from the 11 th of September, from 12:00 pm. The first 100 sign-ups get a free three-course dinner in the Martinikerk. Deadline for signing up is 25 th of September, 23:59. Sign up now at ebfconference.nl/sign-up