A Cbd Success Story:

Climate Change, Security & the Peace Palace

Name of organisation: The Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael”
Name of conference: Planetary Security Conference 2016 (PSC)
Date of conference: 5 – 6 December 2016
Number of attendees: 300
Venue: Peace Palace
Location: The Hague, The Netherlands

Why Clingendael chose Cbd

In 2014, we worked with the Clingendael during the Nuclear Knowledge Summit in Amsterdam. The organisation was very happy with our services and asked us to collaborate with them again and organise the Planetary Security Conference in 2016 for 300 delegates.

Clingendael’s vision for PSC:

Open environment to promote discussions about climate change & security
Facilitate networking opportunities for delegates by means of lunches & dinners
Create designated spaces in venue for small work group purposes
Develop ideas that will shape policies & practices for the next 20 years

Congress by design assisted us in organizing the Planetary Security Conference 2016 with accuracy and enthusiasm. I look forward to continuing to work with Cbd for our next two conferences!

Louise van Schaik, Head Sustainability Centre / Senior Research Fellow at Clingendael Institute

Cbd overcame this challenge

Since the Peace Palace is a secure location, it was important for security to screen all delegates before the conference and do a passport check onsite. This was especially challenging with VIP delegates because we needed a lot of information from them so they could pass through security without waiting. Also, delegates who did not register for the conference presented an issue for security; this required security to do an extra check with the Cbd team and Clingendael organisers to verify the delegates were in fact invited to the conference to be allowed into the building.

Cbd overcame this challenge by:

Peace Palace security contacted before conference to get needed information for security checks
VIPs and delegates were informed of rules for walk-in access
Two volunteers helped security with passport checks
Maintained open & quick communication with Peace Palace security
Direct numbers were given to security in the event of a question, or an unexpected guest arrived

Cbd’s services

Our team made sure the Clingendael’s vision for the PSC conference came to life. Our client wanted the conference to take place at the Peace Palace because of its connection with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and its connection with climate and security. Several networking opportunities were made available for delegates: network corners, lunches & conference dinner. Designated spaces around the Peace Palace were used for breakout rooms to facilitate small work group sessions. By maintaining good communication with all parties involved, delegates entered the conference efficiently and in a timely manner.

Cbd team helped with:

Overall project management: planning, logistics & managing of conference, contact with the venue, arranged technical assistance, conference dinner, catering & entertainment
Onsite management: registrations, coordination, problem resolution & conference logistics
Scientific program & speaker management: invited speakers to register, arranged hotel &
travel for them
Delegate registration: Sent invitations, registration management, created a registration website & monitored registration process
Communication: development of conference app

Successful conference for delegates

Our team received a lot of positive feedback about PSC 2016. Many delegates were happy with the open atmosphere and the opportunities they were given to share their ideas. The beautiful venue was greatly praised by the foreign delegates.

Conference highlights:

Opening Plenary speeches made by key policy makers:Bert Koenders, Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs
Amina J. Mohammed, Nigerian Minister of Environment
General Tom Middendorp, Netherlands Chief of Defence
Part of General Tom Middendorp’s speech was broadcasted on the NOS Evening News
Christmas decorations gave the Kurhaus a nice holiday atmosphere; delegates enjoyed this during the conference dinner
Delegates expressed their enthusiasm for the next edition in December 2017

Our client: Clingendael

The Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’ is the leading Dutch think tank and diplomatic academy on international affairs. The Institute provides public and private sector organisations with in-depth analysis of global developments in the fields of economic diplomacy, international security and conflict management. Clingendael specifically focuses on security and Europe, and the position and role of the Netherlands.