As a freelancer, I work for Adobe Benelux a few days week and I am manager of the Dutch Adobe User Group. The other days, I work as freelance creative network consult: I promote the work of agencies through media and blogs and I help them with their strategy.

Promoting the work of the agencies
When you’ve got a great project coming up and you want to get it out there, maybe you should talk to me. Being a formal editor-in-chief myself, I write abut the project and use my connections: I get the news out to the industry: print, blogs, social and other media.

Strategy for agencies
I also assist agencies with their position in the landscape and their communication strategy. I help agencies define their usp’s, core messaging and communication plan (website, newsletter, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, agency listings). It gets them a better position, a better brand and more clients.

Here’s some of my clients:

Addikt Amsterdam
Timeframe: April 2009 – now
Service: strategy, promotion in the media
Result: media exposure, more clients

Tribal DDB Amsterdam
Timeframe: April 2009 –now
Service: promotion in the media
Result: media exposure

Hanazuki Studio
Timeframe: March 2010 – now
Service: promotion in the media
Result: media exposure

Code d’Azur
Timeframe: June 2010 – now
Service: strategy, promotion in the media
Result: media exposure

Redurban
Timeframe: May 2010 – now
Service: promotion in the media
Result: media exposure

Adformatie Groep
Timeframe: June 2009 – December 2009
Service: contacts with sponsors for Creatie op Locatie event
Results: extra sponsors

Industry experience
After doing graffiti when I was young, I did Grafisch Lyceum. After school I worked as graphic designer, 3D animator, interactive designer, video editor and art director (also in Hong Kong and Tokyo). Having this experience, I added my textual and organisational skills to that, as editor-in-chief at the leading graphic design magazine Dzone. After that I became project manager at interactive agency OER (part of Satama) and ambassador at FlashFabriek. The network and experience with all this came of great use at Adobe, of course. A great place to work, while I am able to expand this list with marketing skills and community experience - also as manager of the succesfull Dutch Adobe User Group. Next to this work, I have been head of jury at the Dutch Design Awards, the SpinAwards and The FWA jury's through the years.

Networking skills
No, not that type of person that wants to connect with anyone, just to have that business card. Quality of contact is much more important than quantity - and making the best possible connection with the right people is a sport. Idealisticly the drive for this comes from the passion for the creative industry and the will to make it all more connected and fun. So that's a mix between business and pleasure : )

Passionate motivator
Putting enthusiasm in your story gets people going. Motivation is key for really helping a project become succesfull. My positivity is definately helping being enthousistic about something, depending on the subject and goal of course. But we can sure have a look at that first. In an industry I see growing, and industry I want to help get bigger and better. That's my passion. I love my work.

Rik Heijmen

Co-founder OER

  Bert has a strong personality and shows enormous enthusiasm. He knows everybody who's anybody and is without doubt one of the most positive persons on this planet. 





Agencies
I wrote a lot about traditional and interactive agencies and their work for my job at Dzone. I made sure I knew what was going on in this industry, unconsiously expanding network. Because of these connections, Adobe Benelux asked me to help them use this for their marketing projects. And since keeping track of what happens in these areas is important for Adobe, I have been expanding and making this network larger and stronger.

Press
Previously being part of the press myself, I also connected myself with other print magazines, publishers and sites and blogs. First at my own magazine, later at agency OER and now at the Adobe User Group and my freelance work, I contact them whenever I know I have interesting news for them to use.

Organisations
Of course I also have my connections at the creative industry branche organisations like BNO and ADCN, awardshows like SpinAwards, Eurobest, Webby's and The FWA, publishers like Adformatie and Boomerang, event organisers like The Next Web, TEDx, FITC and Cut & Paste.

Creatives
Since I have been filling 4 years of Dzone magazines with design and advertising stuff, I built lots of personal connections I stay in touch with. And being a formal designer and art director myself too, I always feel connected to creative individuals - freelance graphic designers, illustrators and creative directors.