Zaanstad (NL)

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Last winter, the municipality Zaanstad ensured that its residents could skate in the centre of Zaandam. Ice-World rented a mobile ice rink to us for this project. Quite frankly we greatly underestimated various things. Installing an ice rink, especially with this aluminium high-speed construction, is assembled in a flash but the organisation around it takes more doing than we initially thought.
We only had the idea 1 month beforehand. A lot had to be arranged: electric current, water, the ice rink itself, skates (+ rental), security, permits, licenses, sponsors, supervision, management, activities, events, sound, catering services, toilets, communication, opening, first aid, to name a few.
But... all the efforts were rewarded. Around 40,000 people visited the ice rink that was there for 4 weeks. All comers both young and old were hugely enthusiastic. However I would recommend everybody to take the entire organisation concerned seriously and to start in good time. That will allow you to avoid a lot of problems, create calm and increase the profitability. In all it was a fantastic experience from which we learned a lot.
Jeanette Hagen, Project leader, Municipality Zaanstad, www.zaanstad.nl