Unique Venues means special, crazy, and unforgettable events. Every week, we dive into an event at a different venue to discover what went on. This week, the Melkweg event case: the Op1 & Pauw election debate.

In short:

• Op1 and Pauw's election debate
• Watch it live on BNNVARA
• Logistical challenge: two television productions in one room
• Important broadcast in the run-up to the national elections

The ins and outs of this event case

We were approached by BNNVARA with the question, “Is the Melkweg available for an episode of Op1?”. It concerns the election debate in the run-up to the national elections. The Melkweg is frequently used for recording television programs, and naturally, we were happy to host such a production, especially during the pandemic.

The request started as a single broadcast but ended up as a four-day program series with two live broadcasts per day. How does something like that come about? It is quite a process! At the Melkweg, we try to be as flexible as possible. From both the production and technical sides, we seek good cooperation with the external organization. This request was a real challenge, but a lot is possible at the Melkweg, and our staff are used to adapting accordingly. We have a true 'you ask, we deliver' mentality.

The optimal use of the location

By carefully considering the logistics and routing, we were able to make optimal use of the Melkweg. This made it possible to hold so many programs simultaneously and back-to-back. This made for a wonderful event. In the Max, two programs were broadcast back-to-back and live this evening. The OZ was set up as the control room; you can imagine that quite a bit of technology is involved in such a production. And last but not least: the café-restaurant was utilized as a pleasant catering space for crew and guests.

How did this match come about?

In addition to our regular concert and night programming, our event venue is often used as a location for television and recordings. Besides its raw and industrial look, the Melkweg is accessible and informal. This atmosphere fits the profile of BNNVARA very well, and this is also reflected in the broadcasts of this series. BNNVARA is a broadcaster that appeals to many young people as well as older people with broad interests and political awareness. Melkweg, with its versatile programming and atmosphere, aligns well with this.

Partners in this project

This production was realized in collaboration with NEP, Chain, and BNNVARA. There was perfect cooperation between the in-house technical crew and the external parties. By making good use of all the different Melkweg halls, there was also sufficient space for crew, guests, and staff. Afterwards, it was naturally a matter of quickly dismantling and loading up, but not without first extensively complimenting each other on the achieved result. We look forward to welcoming these partners again!

Curious about more case studies? Read, for example this one from the Olympic Stadium or this one from Passenger Terminal Amsterdam.