How are you doing, Coen? (Bonkend)

What impact does Corona have on your work at Bonkend?

When we had to go into lockdown because of the Coronavirus in March 2020, it certainly had an immediate impact on our work. In the period before that, we had just won a number of pitches and the current projects were going well. Until our Prime Minister announced at the press conference on the evening in question that organizations had to close down and that it was better to work from home. It was a big job to get all the equipment to our employees' homes and install it, to communicate digitally and to suddenly have to work in your private environment. From that moment on, a number of projects were put on hold...

Luckily, there was enough left to do. But yes, turnover-wise, this had quite an impact on us... as well as on many other companies, of course. From October onwards, we saw more and more projects come on stream and we also received quite a few new requests from existing and new clients. At the moment, we can certainly not complain and we have even added someone to our team.

What changes through Corona have you experienced as positive?

It is certainly not all negative what we are experiencing during this bizarre Corona period. We have all discovered new ways of communicating and we enjoy it even more when we meet each other in person. At Bonkend we still work at home as much as possible. The Zoom sessions help us a lot with this and we are even starting to get used to them. But it is still tiring...

What would you personally like to do first when everything "opens up" again?

Well, much actually. I have to say that I don't miss a lot of things and I like how it is. The weekends used to be packed and now they are a lot quieter, of course. You’re in the kitchen together a little more often and drink a glass of wine together at the dinner table, where you would normally sit with a group of friends. That's what I miss. Meeting up with your own group and doing fun things. Something I also miss is going to concerts. I can't wait to go to a gig or a festival again.

What is your favorite personal memory of 2020?

That is a difficult question. I think there have been several nice moments, apart from the less nice moments, which there were also plenty. But one of the highlights was certainly our two-week trip to Bergen aan Zee in the summer. A breath of fresh air, clearing our heads and recharging our batteries. Unforgettable!

Finally, what message do you personally want to give personally?

My message is that we should think of each other a bit more in the coming period. Make sure we have more patience. We cannot change the situation. Hang in there, there will definitely be another 'different' time, when we can party together again, have fun and pick up all the other fun things we miss. Take care and think of everyone around you and, of course, of yourself!