Daniela Cox has been the new head of Kevelaer Marketing since the beginning of October 2025 and is also the new business promoter for the pilgrimage town. Since taking office, she and her team have set the course for modern, strategically oriented city and location communication. Initial projects have been initiated, existing structures reviewed and new ideas launched - with the aim of further positioning Kevelaer as a vibrant brand and attractive location for citizens, guests and companies.
Strategic thinking and a sense of home for Kevelaer's future
With the 36-year-old from Kevelaer, the city is relying on a mixture of strategic expertise, regional roots and new impetus. With her entrepreneurial mindset, administrative experience and tourism expertise, Cox is ideally placed to further strengthen Kevelaer as a dynamic brand and attractive place to live and do business. "Kevelaer combines tradition, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit in a special way," emphasizes Daniela Cox. "My goal is to further develop these strengths together with all stakeholders - with fresh ideas, reliable cooperation and an open ear for the local people."
Initial impetus and kick-off events in October
On her first day at work at the beginning of October, Daniela Cox took part in the business breakfast at the Konzert- und Bühnenhaus Kevelaer. Representatives from politics, the Kleve District Economic Development Agency (WFG) and local entrepreneurs came together to discuss current topics and perspectives. Right from the start, the event made it clear how important networking, dialog and partnership-based cooperation are for the new head of staff unit.
On October 6, 2025, Kevelaer Marketing held a closed meeting at the Mechel-Haus in Kevelaer. Together with her team, Cox looked back on the past year 2025, evaluated goals achieved and set initial priorities for the 2026 working year. Afterwards, the participants were given a tour of the Mechel House, during which the future use and development of the location was discussed.
Just one day later, on October 7, 2025, the 1st Dialogue Evening for the stakeholders of Kevelaer's city center took place in the Bühnenhaus. Daniela Cox, City Manager Reiner Op de Hipt and Mayor Dr. Dominik Pichler were the inviting guests. The event served as a prelude to a regular exchange between the city, business and other city center stakeholders and is to be established in future as a source of inspiration and platform for ideas, suggestions and constructive criticism. The evening covered a wide range of topics: in addition to questions about the interpretation of the Shop Opening Act in NRW and possible Sunday shopping, topics such as the designation and location of parking spaces, vacancy management and the accessibility of the tourist information office in the Solegarten were also discussed. The business development team took away numerous ideas that will be incorporated into future work.
Innovations and prospects - company visits in Kevelaer
During her first few weeks in her new office, Daniela Cox also visited three exemplary companies that reflect the economic diversity of the region. At "Irrland", the popular leisure and adventure park, it was impressively demonstrated how creative ideas and regional commitment can become an international success story. At Landtechnik Opgenhoff, the focus was on innovation and sustainability in modern agricultural technology. The tour concluded with a visit to Walther Faltsysteme, where efficient reusable and logistics solutions "Made in Kevelaer" are shaping the future of resource-saving packaging.
Outlook
After her first month in office, Daniela Cox draws a positive interim balance. The course has been set for modern and strategically oriented business promotion and location communication. In the coming months, the projects that have already begun will be further developed and new collaborations with companies and institutions in Kevelaer and the region will be established. The aim is to strengthen the economic development of the pilgrimage town in the long term and to further raise Kevelaer's profile as an attractive location for business, tourism and living.