Fieldtrips to Madurodam, Drievliet, Keukenhof and SnowWorld

In April, we got to visit four different companies during our fieldtrip: Madurodam, Drievliet, Keukenhof and SnowWorld. Each visit included a welcome presentation, a tour, and an assignment tied to a real challenge the company was facing at the time. 

Madurodam was a pleasant surprise. Having last visited as a kid, it was impressive to see how much the park had developed. Madurodam expressed the ambition to become a theme park in the future. With the addition of their new dark ride, windjager. 

Riding a rollercoaster in an empty park 
Drievliet was the most memorable stop for us, partially because we’re currently working on an accessibility project for them. The park was still closed to the public during the pre-season, which meant we got to experience it completely without visitors, something not many people get to do. On top of that, getting to ride the brand new StoomCycloon before its official opening was a highlight. It is a smart addition to the park because younger kids and older teenagers can both enjoy it in their own way. Riding one of the rollercoasters in an otherwise empty park was a pretty surreal experience, too.

Flowers
Keukenhof was on a completely different scale. With over a million visitors in just eight weeks and around 80% coming from outside the Netherlands, the numbers alone are impressive. The tour given by one of the gardeners made it even more interesting. The passion and knowledge behind the flowers and planting techniques were something that is easy to overlook as a regular visitor. The park was busy and beautiful, and the assignment around a possible new app gave a good look into how they are thinking about the future visitor experience.

Let it snow 
SnowWorld in Zoetermeer was a completely different kind of visit. We were familiar with the much smaller location in Rucphen, so the sheer size of the building was immediately impressive. Learning that the slopes need to be fully cleared and refilled with new snow every few weeks was surprising, and the assignment to make that process more sustainable sparked a lot of creative thinking from everyone. Ending the day with a drink on the terrace together was a great way to wrap up the whole trip.

One of the biggest takeaways was how differently these companies think about visitor experience, sustainability, and growth. Each company offered a completely different perspective on the leisure industry. Beyond the experiences, the trip was also valuable for networking. Each visit included time with the company’s management, which opened the door to talks about potential internships and future projects.