Logistics talents on the move for Crafted Festival

All transport in the hands of students

Crafted Festival is the ultimate event for creative craftsmanship. Students excel in fields like fashion, music, food, and design. But behind the scenes, many more young people are active. Think of students from Summa Hospitality and Summa Safety, or perhaps logistics talents. Boris, Youp, and Robbert are third-year students at Summa Transport & Logistics. They're excited about the festival. "We're constantly being creative too. What's the best solution in a given situation? Crafted is going to be the highlight of our four-year program."

They look confident, the three gentlemen studying Transport & Logistics Management, all eighteen years old. Everything has been meticulously prepared, and they're in almost constant contact with each other to finalize the details. It seems like there's little that can go wrong. "Yet, you know you're always going to encounter surprises," says Boris van de Laak. "You never know exactly how things will turn out. That's just how it is in our industry, and it keeps you on your toes. Then we tap into our creativity together: how are we going to solve this? We're looking forward to the day after Crafted, when all the work is safely and undamaged returned to all those different schools in the evening and there haven't been any calamities. We have two days for the set-up, but the Klokgebouw at Strijp-S has to be completely empty the next day." Youp van Rooij: "It gives us a great sense of satisfaction when everything is up and running. We walk around there and think: we've done it! Without us, those four halls at Crafted would be completely empty."

Various disciplines involved
Teachers are no longer surprised when the trio answers a phone call in the middle of class; for Crafted, everything has to take precedence. But many more students from the school are involved. For example, two young people have truck driving licenses: they will soon be responsible for transporting all the goods. "That also energizes us," says Robbert Loos. "They enjoy it. But we also work with first-year students in the Logistics Employee program. They load and unload, and it's up to us to coordinate everything. Everyone has their own responsibilities, just like they will later in the professional field. Various disciplines are involved."

Students at the wheel
The boys had to apply to the festival organizers, and it seems like the right fit has been made. Youp: "It takes a lot of energy, but we also get a lot in return. We're gaining experience, meeting people, and really creating something concrete. All good for our development. Fate is in our hands now; we're literally in the driver's seat. We're given a lot of trust, and nothing is pre-packaged. That's the fun part of this process." Robbert nods. "It's also great to see what all has to be done. Normally, you're at a festival and you think it's little more than setting up a stage and finding an artist. We now realize there's more to it. Learning on the job is invaluable."

A fascinating sector
All three will continue their studies, although no one knows yet exactly what they'll do after Summa College. What's certain is that Crafted will be a highlight. Boris: "It feels great that we're being thrown in at the deep end. Of course, there are challenges, and we'll receive occasional coaching. But above all, we really want to do everything ourselves." According to Youp, young people should know how fascinating the world of transport and logistics is. "It's not just packing parcels and driving a truck. We're building a very solid, broad foundation here that's valued in many sectors. Management, administration, economics, entrepreneurship, innovation. We deal with it every day, and that makes it very interesting." A sector in motion with three ambitious top performers who are eager to develop just as rapidly. Crafted Festival will reap the benefits.