Max Kuipers

“My year begins in November with the celebration of the 11th of the 11th. Then follow the Boètegewoeëne Boètezitting and the Venloop. Next, I get behind my computer to finalize the technical production of Pinkpop, Stereo Sunday, and Solar Weekend. From Pinkpop onwards, it's time to roll up my sleeves and ensure that everything conceived at the drawing board becomes a success in practice. I conclude with the dismantling of Zomerparkfeest. Then comes vacation, a period of implementing evaluation points, refining drawings, and preparing again for a new year full of festivities!

I grew up in Boekend and I am the youngest of 3 brothers. At home, we listened to rock, metal, and other heavy music. My parents love festivals, and when I was 16 years old, I was allowed to go to Rock Werchter. While my parents were mainly focused on what was happening on stage, I was focused on everything around it. How does this all come together? Who builds the stage and arranges the decorations? What might be happening behind the scenes? I think that's where my love for events and festivals was born.

I became a volunteer at Perron55, the former music venue in Venlo. There I assisted the lighting technician and learned more about stage technology every evening. Through Perron55, I also became a volunteer at the dance festival Stereo Sunday. I went on to study stage and event technology at the Eindhoven School, now SintLucas, and more and more events in Venlo asked me to help. After obtaining my diploma, I founded my company CODEX77 Event Productions. My network grew larger, and various wonderful projects came my way. Yet, I realized I wanted more than just providing technical support. That's why I pursued an event management course at the Hogeschool Utrecht. There, I learned in the classroom how to produce an event or festival from A to Z. In the evenings and on weekends, I applied that knowledge in practice. Looking out over a full venue where thousands of people are having the time of their lives: that's what I do it for!

The event world in Venlo is relatively small and feels like a sort of family to me. As a volunteer and intern, I earned the trust of experienced technicians and producers. They gave me the opportunity to learn through practice, and I am immensely grateful to my mentors for that. Now, I increasingly find myself in the role of mentor, and it's my turn to inspire young people to join the event sector. I find that incredibly rewarding! Organizing an event or festival together creates a special bond. You work closely together, put in long hours, and continuously solve all kinds of unexpected situations. The best moment is, of course, being able to celebrate together that everything went well.