Within Van Straaten, we often say that partnership is one of our three pillars. But to be honest: the word is used so often that it almost loses its meaning. For us, that makes it even more important to show what partnership looks like in practice. And why our customers – from international stand builders to brands that have been working with us for decades – immediately notice the difference when they collaborate with us.

Rooted in 100 years as a family business

As a family business that has existed for more than a century, this is more than just a fun fact; it’s the foundation of how we work. Across generations we’ve learned that long-term relationships are the only real way to build continuity. We grew by working shoulder to shoulder with customers, suppliers and partners. Not because contracts demanded it, but through trust, involvement and the belief that success is something you share.

One team across three countries and two continents

Our locations in the Netherlands, Germany and the United States operate as one team. We share production lines, expertise and innovations as if it were one big studio. This means customers benefit from local speed as well as international capacity. A project discussed in Amsterdam in the morning can be further developed that same day in California or Thuringia. For us this feels natural; for customers it means we can scale up, think along and adjust swiftly whenever needed.

Our international network of print partners

Alongside our own locations, we work with a select network of international print partners. These aren’t suppliers, but equal specialist companies that, like us, focus on visual branding and large-format printing. They support us in markets where we don’t have a physical presence. Sometimes that means last-minute production, sometimes local logistics or an on-site addition. And we do the same for them. Thanks to this mutual network, we have fine-grained international coverage across almost all major exhibition venues. For customers, it feels like working with a single partner that has global reach.

Building live brand experiences together

Stand builders have been at the heart of our customer base for decades. For them, partnership is not a luxury; it’s essential to delivering projects safely and smoothly. We think along with them in detail – materials, constructions, logistics, sustainability – and make sure their end client always gets the best possible experience. Sometimes we deliver only print. Sometimes full project support. But always as an extension of their own team.

Stronger together in the industry

We invest time in our role within industry associations such as IFES and FESPA. Not to simply be present, but because industry peers help each other move forward. By actively participating in knowledge exchange, innovation programmes and international networks, we stay sharp on trends, quality and sustainability. Customers benefit: they know we always work to the latest standards and stay aligned with developments in the market.

Partners in technology and innovation

We take the same collaborative approach on the production side. We work closely with machine manufacturers and material producers to test, fine-tune and adopt new technologies early. This keeps our quality high and our processes sustainable. We are also a beMatrix bePartner for printed panels and textiles. This means we know exactly what it takes to deliver materials that fit their system perfectly – tight, accurate and reliable. For stand builders, that provides certainty: what they design, we deliver down to the millimetre.

What customers notice

Partnership may sound soft, but it delivers hard results:

  • Shorter lead times because we think along from the start
  • Lower risk thanks to our knowledge and international capacity
  • Sustainable choices that demonstrably help reduce our customers’ footprint
  • Transparent communication and one clear point of contact
  • Solutions that actually work on the show floor

Many customers tell us that working with us feels like working with colleagues. That may well be the best compliment we can receive.

Why this way of working works

We can call it a “strategic pillar”, but in the end it’s simple: partnership is embedded in how we’ve worked for the past hundred years. In how we treat each other, our customers, our suppliers and our industry. And as long as we continue doing that, we’ll keep building not only strong visual branding, but above all strong relationships.