After all, evil spirits cannot stand the noise, he explained in his café Majestic on Dam Square. The same goes for the color red, which has been used in many oriental cases. Negative forces do not hold and make them gone.
Benno Leeser with Anguélique Stolk, director of the Gassan case on Dam Square.
Ⓒ Photo De Telegraaf
If there are still fireworks in the country in the coming days for a Chinese business, it is not surprising. The New Year’s Eve party lasts for a week. “It is customary in China to visit your family on New Year’s Eve”, the entrepreneur clarified, “And it is a large country …”
Evil is also driven out by Chinese dragons, dancing to the drums of their attendants. They had collected the invitees from a champagne reception at jeweler Gassan, across the national square. Krasnapolsky director Arne Heuwekemeijer, among others, came by, as well as Bijenkorf manager Willem Regeer, the Chinese entrepreneur KaJi But, of the floating restaurant Sea Palace in Amsterdam, and Marcel Schonenberg, director of the Beurs van Berlage. They all can’t wait for the public to come back to town. “Fortunately, we already have international conferences on the schedule,” said Schonenberg.
Marcel Schonenberg (l.) with Arne Heuwekemeijer in front of the fireworks display on Dam Square.
Ⓒ Photo De Telegraaf
“The city is dead without tourists!” said Gassan board member David Bijlsma to the guests, including businessman Jarno Goesten and Masters entrepreneur Yves Gijrath. “Abroad is often advised that it is not safe to travel to the Netherlands, because of the closing time of ten o’clock in the evening,” Bijlsma said.
Gassan CEO Benno Leeser gestured around him on Dam Square. “Look at it!” he said in the square, where it was just as quiet this weekday afternoon as it was on a Sunday morning. “This isn’t right, is it?”
Roberto Payer
Ⓒ Photo De Telegraaf
During the festive and welcoming lunch at Majestic, Roberto Payer said that although he has retired from the Waldorf Astoria in Amsterdam, he still has plenty of things to do. At Hilton he is an advisor, he is chairman of the art fair PAN and of the Dutch-Italian Chamber of Commerce. Then there’s the Tulip Festival in Amsterdam…
Neither is KLM director Pieter Elbers gone. “He will not leave until May 2023!”, clarified KLM board representative Frank Houben. “Last weekend he presented the newest KLM house: the tower of the 50-year-old Hotel Okura in Amsterdam.”
KaJi But (l.) with Kees Noomen.
Ⓒ Photo De Telegraaf
Kees Noomen had joined the Amsterdam entrepreneurs and directors as director of Coster Diamonds. He is also party leader of the VVD in Amstelveen: “I was in 56th place on the list for the elections to the House of Representatives.” Noomen said that the coalition parties had difficulty finding good people for the cabinet posts: “Many feared that the cabinet would fall after two years.”