Booths, Breakouts and Bowling for ControlUp in Amsterdam

The Campus That Fit the Checklist

Eventflare ran the Amsterdam search across several distinctive options, from a former munitions factory site to a design hotel, before the right answer emerged: B. Amsterdam, the city's sprawling creative campus built around the motto work, meet, play.

The campus absorbed the whole programme. The Wiechert hall took the main stage, four breakout rooms handled the parallel sessions, and The Lounge became the registration and expo side of the event, complete with arcade machines to keep the energy up between sessions. Eventflare arranged a site visit within weeks of the enquiry, negotiated the quote, and locked in an extra set-up day before the conference so the sponsor floor and AV could be built without a midnight scramble.

From there, Eventflare connected the client's team directly with the venue's event manager in a dedicated thread, staying in copy on every detail through the months of planning: Wi-Fi for the set-up day, furniture, extra services, and the running order of registration, sessions, lunches, and the day-one drinks reception.

A Warm-Up Night at the Bowling Alley

Midway through the year, the client came back with a second mission: a pre-event evening for 55 people on the night before the conference. The brief was charmingly specific. Something fun, with proper food and drinks, and absolutely not just the fried snacks you eat in a pub.

Eventflare found a bowling venue that could host the whole evening in one space: an hour across ten lanes, followed by food and drinks served where the games were played. The team handled the booking, collected dietary and allergy requirements guest by guest, and arranged early access so the client's lead could walk the venue with its event manager before doors opened.

Results and Impact

The conference ran across its two September days with the bowling night as its opener, and the client did not wait until the end to share a verdict. Halfway through, a written note arrived: the event is great, the venue team is excellent and helping with whatever is needed, and thank you for the hard work in finding this location.

Before the conference had even taken place, the client had already opened the next conversation, titled moving on to our next project together, asking Eventflare about venues across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. By late autumn, that conversation had a name of its own: the client's roadshow for the following year.

Wrapping Up

A 500-person technical conference is won on logistics, but remembered for its feel. This one had both: a campus with arcade machines at registration, breakouts that ran on time, sponsors with room to breathe, and a bowling alley to break the ice the night before. One enquiry, one team, and a client already planning the next tour before the first one wrapped.

Planning a large-scale conference of your own? Browse Eventflare's Amsterdam venue collection to see what's available.

Managed by Camila Rufini

Senior Event Manager, Eventflare

Camila guided the project from the first venue shortlist to the final day: negotiating and booking the campus, adding the set-up day, sourcing the bowling night, and staying in the loop on every planning detail across nine months.