On Saturday, September 26, the largest BurenDag ever will be celebrated. During the 21st edition, with over 10,400 registered neighbourhood activities, the 10,000 activity mark will be broken for the first time and a new record set. With over 600,000 expected participants, BurenDag, an initiative of Douwe Egberts and the Oranje Fonds, has grown into one of the largest social events in the Netherlands.
On BurenDag (National Neighbours’ Day), neighbours come together to get to know each other better and do something positive for their street, neighbourhood, or village. Throughout the Netherlands, residents organise a wide variety of activities, such as neighbourhood barbecues, coffee mornings, game afternoons, street play days, cleanup campaigns, greening projects, neighbourhood bingo, communal meals, and gatherings for young and old.
Since the first edition in 2006, BurenDag has brought people together to make their neighbourhood more pleasant, social, and stronger. The initiative by Douwe Egberts and the Oranje Fonds continues to grow every year and shows how much value people place on good contact with their neighbours.
The record number of activities underscores how important neighborhood connection is. In a time when many contacts increasingly take place digitally, Neighbors’ Day offers people the chance to meet each other in person. Strong neighborhood networks contribute to greater trust, livability, and mutual support in the neighborhood. From neighborhood barbecues and greening projects to street play days and gatherings for young and old: residents throughout the Netherlands are rolling up their sleeves.
Connection close to home “The fact that at least one activity is taking place in virtually every Dutch municipality this year is fantastic,” says Sandra Jetten, Director of the Oranje Fonds. “It shows how deep-seated the desire to look out for one another is. Change starts with small, local initiatives on the street. It is precisely these encounters between neighbors that create a greater sense of connection and contribute to a society where people feel seen and involved. As the Oranje Fonds, we are incredibly proud that we can give neighbors across the country that helping hand to make their neighborhood a nice place.”
“At Douwe Egberts, we have believed in the power of a good conversation for generations. It is special to see how a cup of coffee can grow into new contacts, friendships, and neighborhood initiatives. The fact that a record number of neighborhoods are now participating proves that people still have a need for real-life encounters. We are incredibly proud of that,” says Kathelijne Malcontent, who works at Douwe Egberts.
Registration is still possible Although the record has already been broken, the organisation calls on neighborhoods to keep getting involved. Initiators can register their neighbourhood activity up until the day itself via the Burendag website.
Mark Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 in your calendar with a thick marker, because you absolutely do not want to miss this. We are transforming the place into a true German beer paradise with no less than two halls packed with revelry. Prepare yourself for the ultimate atmosphere with fantastic live bands, crazy acts, and the best DJs turning the place upside down. Featuring, among others: Toeter Thijs, Micky Düse Die Party Hosen, Bennie Beenham, Steirisch Stark, Mispoes, Das Trio Heisa, and more!
A regular ticket costs only 10 euros (purchase in advance online), but for true connoisseurs we have a wonderful deal: for just 25 euros, you get a delicious, tender schnitzel with it!
And let’s be honest, no Oktoberfest is complete without the right Lederhosen or Dirndl. So, are you coming in your best Oktoberfest attire? Then we will reward you right at the entrance with a Flügel and a photoshoot to immortalize your legendary outfit.
GUEST BUSINESS CASE STUDY WITH VASSIA SARANTOPOULOU
Every business has a story. We usually see the finished version: a professional website, a recognizable brand, confident communication.
But how did it get there?
What happened before? Which decisions made a difference? What didn’t work? And how much of what we see today was carefully planned, rather than figured out along the way?
This October, we’re introducing Inside the Brand, a new series of Profile Studio Business Club meetings where we invite business owners to share what happens behind the scenes of building their businesses.
We’re putting her professional expertise aside for the evening and meeting her as a fellow business owner. We will find out how she built her brand, what made her change direction, where she invested her time and money, and what she learned along the way.
We’ll also look at how her visual identity has evolved, from earlier photographs and website designs to the way she presents her business today.
Think of it as a conversation around the kitchen table with someone who is willing to share the part of entrepreneurship we don’t usually see on LinkedIn.
What We’ll Explore
Together with Vassia, we’ll talk about:
✅ The early days of her business and what she would do differently today
✅ The decisions, investments, and turning points that shaped her brand
✅ How her website, photography, messaging, and visual identity have evolved
✅ The business challenges, experiments, and mistakes that taught her the most
✅ How she approaches positioning, client relationships, and communicating her value
✅ What it actually takes to build a recognizable brand while running the business behind it
How We’ll Work
An informal conversation with Vassia, a look at her brand’s evolution, and plenty of room for your questions.
No formal presentation. No polished success story. Just an honest conversation about business, decisions, and lessons learned.
What You’ll Walk Away With
💡 A rare look at the decisions and challenges behind an established business
👀 A better understanding of how branding and visual storytelling evolve in practice
📝 Ideas you can adapt to your own business, without having to repeat someone else’s journey
🤝 Honest conversations and fresh perspectives from fellow entrepreneurs
Who Should Attend?
✔️ Small business owners, solopreneurs, and independent professionals
✔️ Entrepreneurs who are building or reconsidering their brand
✔️ Anyone curious about the decisions behind another business owner’s journey
✔️ People who enjoy learning through real stories, questions, and shared experience
🗓 Date and Time: Oct. 8th, 6.30PM
📍 Location: Profile Studio, Frederikstraat 481, the Hague, the Netherlands
🎟 Only 8 spots available – We keep our table small so everyone has a chance to take part in the conversation.
Come with your curiosity and the questions you don’t normally get
As business owners, especially those running one-person operations, it’s easy to miss the camaraderie and collaboration of having colleagues. The Profile Studio Business Club bridges that gap, offering a place where you can:
Share and brainstorm ideas, plans, and visuals for your business.
Seek feedback on your projects, services, or events in a friendly and constructive environment.
Build a circle of trusted peers who understand your challenges and celebrate your wins.
Find business friends and collaborators to help you take your ideas to the next level.
Whether you’re refining your brand, launching a new product, or simply looking for a group of like-minded entrepreneurs to connect with, this club offers the perfect opportunity to grow personally and professionally.
What to Expect
Each meeting includes:
Casual Networking: A chance to connect with fellow entrepreneurs in a relaxed setting.
Idea Sharing: Bring your concepts, visuals, or plans to the group for constructive feedback and inspiration.
Mini Focus Group: Use the club as a sounding board for your ideas and gain valuable insights from diverse perspectives.
Creative Brainstorming: Collaborative discussions to generate fresh ideas and innovative solutions for your business.
Professional Guidance: As a photographer and entrepreneur, I’ll offer my expertise to help you refine your brand visuals, storytelling, and overall presentation.
Why Join?
The Profile Studio Business Club isn’t just a meeting – it’s a community. You’ll leave each session with:
A sense of belonging and connection to like-minded individuals.
Actionable feedback and fresh perspectives on your business.
Useful and practical topics for reach meeting for non-stop learning opportunities.
Ideas and inspiration for moving forward with confidence.
Relationships with people who genuinely want to see you succeed.
In her final book, The Key to Theosophy, Helena P. Blavatsky writes that there are four fundamental ideas capable of binding all of humanity together as one family: Universal Unity and Causation, Human Solidarity, Karma and Reincarnation. If we were to live by these ideas, the world would change. Chaos, war and poverty would cease to exist. There would be harmony and justice.
At this symposium, we will explore together what is meant by Universal Unity and Solidarity, as well as the deeper meaning behind Karma and Reincarnation. Most of us have heard these terms before, but do we really know what they mean and what their implications are?
We will show how society could change if people put these four fundamental ideas into practice in their lives. Would this really change the very foundations of civilisation? Every day, the media confront us with an overwhelming stream of suffering in all its forms. Could that ever come to an end? Is a better world simply a utopia?
Through three lectures and two workshops, we will explore these questions. Are these ideas truly so far-reaching that they can bring about change not only in individuals, but also – and perhaps even more importantly – in our society?
You are warmly invited to join us at the symposium!
OPEN DEUR Festival: Exploring consent, boundaries and safer nightlife
How do you flirt on a night out, communicate your boundaries and navigate consent in a club? OPEN DEUR Festival brings conversation, education, art and nightlife together for an evening that is both thoughtful and playful.
The programme begins with a panel discussion exploring flirting, consent, self-love, victim blaming, shared responsibility and respecting boundaries. Visitors can also take part in workshops, explore exhibitions and browse a market featuring local makers. An affordable community meal will be available from KLUB during the panel programme.
From 21:00, Feverdream takes over the basement for a club night continuing until 02:00.
OPEN DEUR is a collaboration between Studio Ongepast, Loslippig and De Haagse Nachtraad. The festival welcomes everyone interested in contributing to a safer and more inclusive nightlife culture.
Date: Saturday 3 October 2026 Time: 19:00–02:00 Location: The Grey Space in the Middle Tickets: €7.50 for the panel and programme; €12.50 for the club night
250 years after the USA declared independence, did they really vote to bring back TheKing?
“What a perfect time for another American Revolution,” says Dutch-American comedian Greg Shapiro. Let’s roast the King!
Shapiro is known as the voice of Trump in the ‘NETHERLANDS SECOND’ video from Arjen Lubach. He is one of the earliest members of the Boom Chicago theater in Amsterdam. He hosted Comedy Central News, and he has appeared on BNR, BNN-VARA, VPRO + regularly on Germany’s ZDF.
