1 juni 2026
Vidar: Moving Forward After a Challenging Year
Event type
Lustrum
Visitors
6.000
Duration
17 days
Services
Hybrid payment
For Vidar, a fire, a lustrum year, and a busy events schedule all came together in a single board year. Yet the association continued to look ahead. Together with Questor Odin, we discuss resilience, innovation, and the importance of continuing to build for the future, especially when facing adversity.
Odin Rood
Board Vidar 2026
More Than the Numbers
For Odin, Treasurer (Questor) of the Tilburg rowing association, his role is about more than simply keeping track of finances—it is also about everything happening within the association. Over the past year, he has done a great deal for the organization, and the countdown has begun until he hands over responsibility to the next board.​
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Together with him, we look back on the past year and the collaboration with Tactile.
Sustainability as a Goal
Every five years, Vidar sets a major objective, such as winning the Varsity or reaching 1,000 rowing members. This year, they chose to establish smaller, more achievable goals across three pillars that members could actively work toward. One of those pillars is sustainability.​
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Through the collaboration with Tactile, they have been able to leave plastic tokens behind and fully digitize payments. In addition, the association wanted to keep up with the times. That is why Odin chose from the outset to work together with Tactile during the lustrum year.
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“It also saves a tremendous amount of effort,” Odin says about the transition from tokens to digital payments. “All you need are the devices and a good connection, and you’re ready to go.”
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Especially with the many events taking place this year, he explains that it is useful to work with a system that everyone is already familiar with.
A Year Full of Events
This year, Rowing Association Vidar is working with Tactile at several events. The collaboration began with Comporno, a rowing weekend for first-year members held at their own venue.​
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The partnership then continued during the Heineken Opening Tournament in March, where the start of the rowing season was celebrated with a two-day event.
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In addition, Vidar is collaborating with other student associations in Tilburg for the Student Liberation Festival on May 5, and Tactile will also play a role during the nine-day lustrum week in the summer.
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At all these events, a closed-loop system with personalized wristbands is used, allowing participants to easily gain access and make payments. At the same time, the organizers maintain greater oversight of all payments and visitors.
The Impact of the Fire
In December 2025, Vidar was struck by a fire that rendered a large part of the building unusable. This had major consequences for the rowing association, on top of an already busy lustrum year.​
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“The building and its surroundings are our greatest asset,” Odin explains. “If part of that disappears, you immediately lose a significant source of income.”
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The situation also brought an important insight. While everything is normally available, it now became clear what is truly essential.
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“You start looking at what is really necessary,” and “You mainly focus on finding solutions,” says Odin.
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From the very beginning, they had to search for water and electricity connections.
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“You learn things you had never even thought about before.”
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In addition, they had to inform guests who wanted to rent the venue that they could no longer fulfill the promises and expectations they had made. This not only resulted in a huge financial setback but also affected customer relationships.
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Rowing camps that normally return every year cancelled their bookings and began looking for alternatives.
Finding Stability in Difficult Times
Odin explains that having goals is important during times like these.​
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“Having something to work toward when everything is falling apart.”
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In a year like this, it is reassuring to have something stable to hold on to and to know that not everything is collapsing. In that regard, stable factors such as the payment system are crucial.
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This allows internal events to continue, including their lustrum grounds week at Hall of Fame in Tilburg, where they will also use Tactile’s system.
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“It’s useful that Tactile is mobile; you can use it in different locations.”
Flexibility and Looking Ahead
Because Tactile does not rely on fixed devices, the systems can be deployed anywhere. Even when there is no mobile signal or Wi-Fi available, Tactile offers a Starlink solution that provides internet access in remote locations.​
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They made use of this during the Student Liberation Festival, allowing the event to proceed without connectivity issues and ensuring that payments ran smoothly. At this stage, that is especially important for the association.
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Despite the challenges, Vidar continues to look ahead. The combination of an intense lustrum year and the impact of the fire has not only tested the association but also made it stronger.
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With an increasingly important role for digitalization and a clear focus on efficiency, Vidar continues to improve. For now, the focus is on the lustrum week: a week-long celebration of the association.
