About

After having lived in South Africa, Koen (middle) returned to The Netherlands with a spark. His love for music broadened the more variation he encountered. Not being able, nor wanting to choose between all possible styles, he decided: why not work interdisciplinary? Together with Rick (left) and Chris (right) the idea for “Plugged” had been born.

The trio went on to organise the first of many events called “Plugged”, where they plugged in live musicians as an addition to DJ sets. They quickly moved on from organising events to focusing on the artists. Facility, ticketing, that is all incredibly important. But what they really cared about was what happened on stage.

While “Plugged” became a brand on its own, Koen travelled the world, working for various events. On his way back home riding the Trans-Mongolian Express, he set off to write the business plan for what would become Plugged Live Shows. That might not have been the best idea. Curious why? Read it here.

Plugged Live Shows had been responsible for multiple large shows, including the annual celebrations of Booking.com. So far the focus was on fascination. The bigger, the better. During rehearsals in the catacombs of the Dutch National Ballet, the team shared an emotional moment. When goosebumps travelled down their arms, everything changed. From this point on, Plugged Live Shows would pursue emotion.

Show after show, Plugged Live Shows grew its passion and expertise. While original music had been essential from the start, soon props, costumes and scenography were added to our arsenal of tools. All to convey emotion in the most beautiful way possible. Along the way we partnered with wonderful creators and artists. Such as multiple Grammy-winner Yo-Yo Ma, a hallmark in the history of classical music.

Like for many, the coronavirus put a halt on our plans and projects. We worked hard to keep our team together and our creativity alive. At the same time, we saw our beloved industry wither away. Together with multiple partners we created Project Playground, to inspire event professionals and remind them of our collective strength. We were touched to see that our goal was met, when this event won the Golden Giraffe by public vote.

This year we ran the largest show production so far: a 1,5 hour evening show for a corporate anniversary. In the eight months of passionate work – in which we even went so far as to build a custom theatre (for one night only) – our brand entered a new era. Accompanied by a new website, a new brand identity, and even bigger dreams: this is the renewed and improved Plugged Live Shows.