13 aug 2025
KEI Week: A flying start for new students in Groningen
The ultimate introduction week for new students in Groningen: every year, no fewer than 5.000 first-year students begin their studies in the vibrant city centre. This makes the KEI Week the largest introduction week in Europe, whilst this is entirely organised by students.
What makes the KEI Week special is its rich history. It is one of the oldest introduction weeks in the Netherlands. Originally intended for university students, it was expanded in the late 1980s to include students from universities of applied sciences (hbo). This year, secondary vocational education (mbo) students are also fully involved for the first time. A great development that makes the KEI Week accessible to all new students in Groningen.
Roland Assies
Board Kei-week 2024
We spoke with Roland, Treasurer of the KEI Week 2024. According to him, the strength of the KEI Week lies in social connections. “Many students come from outside the city and really have to build a new life here. During the KEI Week, people are open to making new friends. That immediately creates a sense of fun and belonging."
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In addition to the social aspect, it is important for new students to get to know the city and its facilities. That is why there are 21 sub-events, ranging from sports, culture, and introductions to student associations, to informative sessions. The week kicks off with a big opening party on Monday and then offers plenty of variety, such as karaoke on Tuesday, an open-air cinema for students and city residents, and the informative Lust, Love & Lounge programme, where the GGD provides education on sexuality and drug use. ​
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Groningen is a popular student city, also for international students. The KEI board takes this into account by organising short lectures on practical matters such as opening a back account, so that international students can easily participate in student life as well, including enjoying a drink with their new study friends.
From zero experience to organizing a major event
We spoke with Roeland about his experience as treasures and what it was like to take on this role with little to no experience in the event industry. After completing his bachelor’s degree, Roland decided to take a gap year to fully focus on the KEI Week. “It starts off calmly, but in January everything accelerates. You begin brainstorming, then approving budgets, applying for permits, finding suppliers and booking artists. In May it really starts when registrations open; that was an exciting moment.” In addition to being responsible for all financial matters, he especially enjoyed being actively involved and contributing ideas.
Once Tactile, always Tactile
Because a new board is appointed every year, the KEI Week works with fixed suppliers to retain knowledge and experience. Tactile is one of these partners. Six years ago, the organisation switched to a cashless system due to the disadvantages of tokens. “Since then, we haven’t looked back”, Roland says.​
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​“The big advantage of working with a fixed partner like Tactile is that you gain access to valuable data”, Roland explains. “We could see exactly what the revenue and costs were and use that to create realistic budgets.” The organization uses various Tactile services, such as registration, ticketing, access control, CRM and a closed loop cashless payment system. The event app is developed in-house, but thanks to an API visitors can easily top up their balance.
The system works simply: participants register in advance and receive a QR-code. On the first day, they scan it to receive a personalized wristband, which gives them access to the venue and allows them to make payments. If their balance runs out, they can top-up immediately via the app of the Tactile portal.
Flexible Responses to unexpected situations
Of course, not everything always goes according to plan. Roland explains that severe weather was forecast for Tuesday, causing the event to literally go down the drain. “We had to act quickly and see how we could limit the damage. Thanks to Tactile’s system, we could immediately see how much revenue we were losing and decided to cut costs so we could still stay within budget.”
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In addition to data analysis, Roland especially appreciates the support during the buddy week. “It’s great that Tactile is responsible for installing the equipment and keeping the system operational. That saves us an enormous amount of work.” One challenge remains: external visitors, such as local residents, cannot pay with the wristbands and must collect an anonymous payment card, which sometimes causes confusion. Fortunately, since last year they have also been able to pay by debit card.
A valuable experience
It has now been a year since Roland served as treasurer, and he looks back with satisfaction. This year, he is still involved as a support staff member, helping to answer phone calls and support the current board. ​
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“It was an incredible educational period. You can really learn to take responsibility, deal with different opinions and make decisions you can later be proud of. I look back on a wonderful time and hope that this year’s KEI participants experienced it the same way. Hopefully, they connected with the city, their fellow students and the many associations in an enjoyable way and that this marks the beginning of a fantastic student life.”
