A toast to AidEx 2016 success
by Lee Ria Villahermosa – Marketing & Communications
NRS International’s participation at the recently concluded AidEx 2016 in Brussels turned out to be a phenomenal success. From launching new companies and innovations, to hosting an award ceremony, we made a lasting impression. Our reputation among clients as a trusted, innovative and most preferred partner continues to grow.
If you were not able to catch us at this year’s summit, here are some of the highlights:
#NRSHub wowed the AidEx crowd
Our 84-sqm exhibition stand, dubbed the #NRSHub, was thronged with hundreds of visitors from the aid and development world. Our visitors were impressed with the ranges of high quality products from our subsidiaries, all of which contribute to our 40-year mission of improving the lives of vulnerable communities.
Jerry Bucket officially launched
We staged two product presentations of our latest innovation — the life-saving Jerry Bucket. The new bucket was designed by Oxfam and developed with NRS Relief as manufacturing partner. An Oxfam representative presented the driving forces that inspired the new design and showed how the Jerry Bucket’s upgraded features dramatically reduce drinking water contamination. The presentations, which took place on the Oxfam stand and at the #NRSHub, generated great interest.
Future of solar revealed
We unveiled NRS Relief’s eagerly anticipated solar brand, Enlight, and its Solar Shelter Kit innovation to the aid and development community. The Solar Shelter Kit was co-designed and developed with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – Shelter Research Unit and PRACTICA Foundation. It promises to bring a better life to those living in humanitarian settlements set up in the aftermath of natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Click here to know more about the product.
Watch this video to unlock the key features of the Solar Shelter Kit:
Humanitarian & Development Journalism Award winners announced
The winners of the highly anticipated AidEx 2016 Humanitarian & Development Journalism Award were announced during a ceremony on 17 November. Baptiste Collard was declared the winner in the Photojournalism category for vividly capturing, through his lens, the impact of conflict on civilians in Jordan. In the Reporting category, Manveen Rana of the BBC won for her ‘most thorough and unflinchingly close view of what Syrian refugees experience as they journey to Europe.’ A great panel session on the future and challenges of journalism in humanitarian settings was also conducted, led by experts Laura Shields, Ben Parker and Louise Court.
Click here for more details on the winning entries.
Spectators awed by the 360° virtual reality films
Our virtual reality (VR) booth at the #NRSHub was a hit! We were one of the first exhibitors to bring VR technology to AidEx, giving visitors a powerful, immersive and deeply moving experience. The most watched film was ‘Clouds Over Sidra’, which follows a 12-year-old girl named Sidra in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. It’s the first ever film shot in VR for the UN and is designed to support the UN’s campaign to highlight the plight of vulnerable communities. Click here for more details.
Interactive session on ‘Localisation’
Our colleague Nicole Malick, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, participated in a panel session on ‘Innovative Partnerships in Support of Localisation.’ We had a stimulating and interactive discussion with WFP Logistics Cluster and Hemocue on how stakeholders in humanitarian sector can partner in favour of aid localisation.