1 july 2025
You are only as strong as your partners: How Vindicat professionally organizes its lustrum
Event type
Lustrum
Visitors
11.000
Duration
14 days
Services
Tactile Eco-systeem
The oldest student association in the Netherlands is celebrating its 210th anniversary with a fourteen-day event in Groningen. We take a look behind the scenes of an impressive organization.
In the summer of 2025, Groningen will spend two weeks celebrating a remarkable milestone: the 210th anniversary of Vindicat atque Polit. As the oldest student association in the Netherlands, Vindicat is marking this lustrum with a large-scale celebration spread across fourteen days and multiple venues. The festivities will take place from July 11 to July 24 and feature a diverse program centered around tradition, connection, and progress.
Tarik Meijer
Lustrum Board – Treasurer I
A rich program bringing together the past, present, and community
Behind the scenes, preparations have been underway for months. Tarik Meijer, treasurer of the lustrum board, decided to take a gap year between his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and his Master's degree in Finance to fully dedicate himself to the preparations. For him, this is the first project of such scale. Partly for this reason, the board adopted a clear organizational structure, supported by several subcommittees, each responsible for specific days or components of the program.
The setup of the lustrum is highly complex: every event requires its own logistics, programming, and execution. The schedule includes an opening celebration featuring a musical, a family day, an alumni day with traditional elements such as carriage rides and speeches, a Diepen concert for Groningen residents, and a closing event to conclude the festivities in style. The theme, "United Forward", reflects the association’s ambition to connect people, build together, and look toward the future.
Stronger through collaboration: The power of our network and partners.
Professional partners play a key role in the success of the lustrum. Through collaborations with organizations such as Heineken, responsible for beverage supply, bar setup, and event decoration, and Mangrove Group, which provides bar support, the lustrum board has benefited from expert guidance. These partners contribute not only their services but also valuable advice based on extensive experience in the events industry.​
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One of the biggest challenges leading up to the lustrum was securing suitable venues. According to Tarik, student organizations are not always taken seriously in professional circles. The involvement of alumni proved decisive: through their networks, the board gained access to venues that would otherwise have remained out of reach.
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Technology also forms an indispensable part of the organization. For payments and visitor communication, Vindicat selected the Tactile system. After consulting other student organizations, Tactile was frequently recommended. Visitors receive a personal payment card or cash card, enabling fully digital transactions throughout the lustrum.
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“Tokens or cash were simply not an option for us,” says Tarik. “With this solution, we as organizers have real-time insight into revenue, there are fewer human errors, and visitors don’t need to carry a wallet.”
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Members who have saved money throughout their student years specifically for the lustrum can spend it safely through the system, without relying on cash or physical tokens.
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Tactile also provides POS payment systems for the external event days, where local residents of Groningen known as Stadjer, are expected to attend. Since these venues operate as high-throughput locations, a closed-loop payment system would be less suitable. It was therefore essential to find a partner that could also support standard card payments.
In addition, the Tactile event app is being used. This integrated system allows the organization to communicate efficiently and directly with members, for example regarding schedule changes or practical announcements. The app also provides access to personal schedules, notifications, and wallet balances. Having all these services provided by a single partner offers significant advantages, ensuring everything functions quickly and seamlessly during the event.
A valuable memory for both members and the board.
What has Tarik learned most from the experience so far?
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“Let things come your way, and try to maintain an overview step by step. You need to be able to adapt and sometimes make decisions you weren’t prepared for. And yes, even as a student, you need to stand your ground in professional meetings. As treasurer, I naturally want to conclude this lustrum responsibly from a financial perspective: no debts, no surpluses. At the same time, I want to look back on this period with a positive feeling when I continue my Master’s studies in Amsterdam.”
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When asked what he hopes visitors will take away from the lustrum, he doesn’t hesitate:
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“For the alumni, I hope they feel like students again for a moment. That they relive memories and see what we mean to one another. And for the active members? That this becomes an experience they will never forget.”
