The farewell drink and the mysterious red box

For almost 20 years, a small mysterious red box with “project C” written on the front, was laying in my attic. Every time I saw it I thought: “if I ever leave National Netherlands”, I will tell the story of Project C. Last Thursday was the day. A few months earlier I had decided to start working for Breakout Bandits for 100%. This was my last day at NN and I brought the red box with me.

Slightly tensed I looked at my colleagues who had gathered at the farewell drink. I read the back of the box: “Project C is like any other project. Something is made that someone wants. That something has to be finished tomorrow and starts today. Halfway through, something changes into something else and tomorrow already becomes today. Project C has a purpose, but no one knows why. It has a result, but no one knows what. It has a leader, but nobody knows who. Project C has its methods and techniques, but nobody knows which ones. The project has its setbacks, but no one knows when. Project C is your project and… It’s a game! Be creative, find new solutions to old problems, learn to communicate in ways no one has ever done before, be inventive, break the rules and win!”

The project was a game that I had organised with a number of colleagues with the aim of getting colleagues in different departments to get to know each other better. Afterwards I thought: “I want to do this more often!” The project sparked a desire in me to one day work full-time for my own event agency. Fortunately I didn’t have to wait 20 years, because in recent years I created endless different concepts / games both privately and in my role as a youth worker.

A year and a half ago I founded Breakout Bandits and from that moment I was also able to get creative in my own event agency. However, I still worked part-time at National Netherlands. At the beginning of this year I made the decision to work full-time for Breakout Bandits and last Thursday it was my last day at NN.

I look back with great pleasure on the past years that I had the pleasure of working at NN. It felt like a home where there was always room for the person behind the colleague. A place where I have been able to develop as a professional and person who, partly because of this, is now able to take a new step.

Now it’s time for a new phase. It’s time to work full-time for Breakout Bandits. Are you curious about what I am doing together with partner-in-crime Esther van der Zeijden? Take a closer look at our services.

About us

We’re a full service event agency with a passion for surprises. We organize small-scale, tailor-made events all over the world! Whether it’s a teambuilding activity for collegues, a surprise birthday party, a surprise roadtrip for an wedding anniversary, a or just any creative idea that needs a surprise element, we’re there for you.

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