15 Okt 2025
TOP Week: The beating heart of Tilburg student life
Every summer Tilburg buzzes with energy when the Tilburg Orientation Program, better known as the TOP Week, kicks off. The official introduction week for students of Tilburg University. For one week, thousands of new students get to know the city, their fellow students, the university and the many associations. With around 3.500 visitors per day and a diverse program full of culture, parties, and encounters, it has since grown into the largest student event in the city.
The first edition took place in 1981, at the time still under the name TIK-week (Tilburgse Introductie Kommessie), conceived by two enthusiastic initiators. Since then, the event has grown into a household name, with the annual highlight being the cantus: a massive singing event where beer flows generously and the cantus committee oversees the proceedings. This year the cantus took place at the ice rink; a familiar tradition at a surprising new location.
Cas Bogaers
Board TOP Week 2025
Learning by doing
At the helm of this immense event this year is Cas, chairman of the TOP Week. He is responsible for internal management and forms the link between the board, the committees and the university. Stakeholder management is an important part of his task, as is representing the organization externally. For example, this year he was even interviewed by the radio, partly due to the extra attention for drug use.
In addition to parties and socializing, there is also room for social themes. For instance, last year the ‘consent tent’ was introduced for the first time, where students learn about the importance of consent. This year the focus was on normalizing conversations about drug use and mental well-being. There were workshops, a photo booth and confidential advisers present to offer students a safe environment.
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​Because the summer edition is immediately large-scale, the foundation organizes a smaller winter edition in January. This serves as a testing ground: new ideas and processes can be tested and refined. In this way, the board takes the experience gained into the busy summer week.
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Cas started without experience in event organization, but learned along the way how complex such a large project is. “Everyone reacts differently to the pressure,” he says. “One person checks everything down to the last detail and works long days, another lets things come more naturally. I have a bit of both.”
Creatively dealing with challenges
The opening party took an unexpected turn this year: instead of a performance with loud music, it became a silent disco. For many this was new, and for the organization it also felt like a leap of faith. The choice was not made lightly. The familiar location was under renovation, and other places in the city had too few sound days left. So creative thinking was required.
“It was quite exciting,” Cas says. “You don’t know in advance whether those headphones will work properly and how people will react.” Yet it turned out to be a hit: visitors were enthusiastic, and the atmosphere was unexpectedly intimate.
Nevertheless, the organization also faces challenges. The number of participants has decreased since corona, partly because the university records fewer enrollments. Because the first communication runs through the university, this cooperation is crucial to reach as many students as possible and to keep the week financially healthy.
Behind the scenes, things sometimes go wrong as well, from too little staff at a bar to a power outage during the winter edition. “The most important thing,” Cas says, “is that students notice nothing and simply experience a great start to their student life.”
Technology as the silent force behind the TOP Week
The organization works closely with fixed partners, including Tactile. This company provides the payment system, registrations, ticketing, event app, CRM system and the dashboard. Thanks to this integration, the board has hardly any concerns during the week itself.
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Students receive a wristband that gives access to all events, but can also be used to upload money and buy food or drinks. That system turns out to be not only practical, but also safe: minors handle their wristband more carefully, because they cannot simply “lose” it to get a new one. In addition, the wristband contains useful information, such as age and possible allergies, which helps the organization to plan responsibly.
The accompanying dashboard then provides insight into visitor flows, the number of meals collected and the turnover per bar, per event and in total. That data provides valuable lessons for future editions, although they are not always directly applicable during the event itself.
Past and present
Every year a new board is assembled. That process already begins in spring, so that successors can shadow during the summer. From October, board members work part-time, and from January even full-time. Still, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable candidates: the compensation is limited, while the role is in fact a full-time job. This year it eventually succeeded via LinkedIn to put together a complete board.
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For Cas personally, the chairmanship taught a valuable lesson: learning to deal with energy and balance. “I am enthusiastic and often give 200%, but that is not sustainable. I have learned to distribute my energy better, something I will certainly take with me in my further career.”
