Studios Aalsmeer

Hotspot for Live Entertainment and Events

This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)

It’s been the heart of the Dutch entertainment industry for decades: Studios Aalsmeer. During Joop van den Ende’s heydays, the venue evolved from a flower auction to a television studio, and developed into one of the most versatile venues regarding live communication, entertainment, and events in the years that followed.

During the 80s and 90s, many Dutch television shows were broadcasted from Studios Aalsmeer. Since Endemol’s departure, much has changed at the studio complex – but the emphasis on live communication remained. The venue has modern facilities for live streaming and has a large network of media, entertainment and event companies onsite. Hit shows such as Masterchef are still recorded here today, and the dinner show Brooklyn Nights still attracts thousands of visitors each season. In fact, Studios Aalsmeer might be the hotspot for entertainment and events today more than it ever was before.

Mainstreet

Studios Aalsmeer includes three parts: the event venues, the television studios and the characteristic office facilities in the monumental building of the old flower auction. The main entrance leads to the foyer of the event spaces. This part of the building was designed to be an ‘entertainment city’, with numerous places of entertainment under the same roof. And with the focus of this venue being on corporate events, that setup works very well.

Studios Aalsmeer has six fully decorated event spaces that are connected through the Mainstreet, an extension of the foyer. Several attributes and decorations give Mainstreet its own informal atmosphere. Spread throughout the street are numerous kiosks and stand, that can be used as service points to receive and guide guests. They can also be used to arrange the street like a market.

Showbiz

The first event space we take a look at is the Big Apple. This room is fully decorated in New York style with a nod towards showbiz. Some striking elements in this space are a life-sized locomotive, the Statue of Liberty, a VIP-deck shaped like the Brooklyn Bridge, illuminated show stairs that lead to the main stage, and the skyline of Manhattan at the backdrop of it all. With no less than three trendy bars and elevated terraces, this space is all set for spectacular events – especially when the theme of that event fits America, and the glitter and glamour of showbiz. If you really want to shoot for the stars, you add some grass covers and picnic tables to create your own Central Park.

The atmospheric Piano bar lies a few meters next to the Big Apple. An intimate, oval shaped room in warm black and red tints. Red plush chairs and black leather couches are spread throughout the space. Portrait photographs of famous pianists hang on the walls. In the midst of it all is a shiny black grand piano on an elevated platform, right beneath a spectacularly glamorous oval glass chandelier. This is an incredible place for a drink with live piano music, but it’s equally suitable as a surprising reception with a speaker in the center of the room.

Natural interaction

We walk onwards to The Club, the third fully decorated space at Studios Aalsmeer, with the appearance of an intimate comedy club you’d only find in New York. This space has been divided into multiple levels, with a half-round stage in the middle of the lowest level. Several layers of chairs with small tables surround the center stage. It’s quite a sight when the stage lights are dimmed and the space is illuminated only by small table lamps. The room has a relaxed, intimate atmosphere that stimulates natural interaction and coziness. It’s been designed for stand-up comedy, raw blues, sizzling jazz; but it can provide a beautiful setting for presentations as well.

Theater

Moving forward, we make our way to the Theater. A large hall with 800 chairs and a large stage, fitted with state-of-the-art theater techniques and lighting. The largest led-screen of the Netherlands can be found on this stage: several panels that make it all the way up to the ceiling together create a screen of 220 square meters. They are flexible in setup and provide guests with the ultimate AV-experience. The massive screen can serve as an impressive decor to support presentations, product presentations, annual meetings, and kick-offs. Studios Aalsmeer has developed their own plug & play concepts for this massive screen, allowing customers to create a spectacular experience with the press of a couple of buttons. In addition, the full set of the dinner show Brooklyn Nights is available here and ready to be used for events. The stage has mechanisms for heavy lifting, such as cars and large decorative pieces.

Downtown

The former theater restaurant Downtown has been reconstructed to a flexible space for events and parties. Downtown is a bit more neutral in theme and decoration compared to the former heavily decorated spaces. But its warm colors, the use of natural materials, and the chic appearance fit in seamlessly with the rest of the building. Another stage can be found in the middle of this room, and the bar and dancing floor make this space particularly suitable for the more festive events.

The Studios

When we arrive at the television studios, the setting changes. We leave the thematic rooms behind us as we walk through the doors of Studio 5. At this side of the building we find six large multifunctional recording studios, ranging in size from 180 tot 2000 square meters. The largest of them all, Studio 1, is the former hall of the flower auction. The studios are being used since the 90s for TV-recordings of some highly popular shows, but because of the sheer size of the spaces, the height of them, the technical possibilities and great accessibility, they are now multifunctional rooms. The studio floors are particularly suitable for fairs, congresses, concerts and presentations.

Last but not least, we take a look at ‘The Joop’: Joop van den Ende’s monumental office that was renovated during the summer of 2016. The stately office is now an inspiring boardroom, suitable for meetings. Some of the drawings, scale models, and mood boards that Joop created provide guests with a unique glance at the history of this venue.

Live

Studios Aalsmeer has dozens of spaces available for events. From spectacular themed plug & play rooms, to highly customizable television studios. With an incredible 65.000 square meters of event spaces, meeting rooms, offices and television studios, this is a venue that knows no equal in size and possibilities concerning entertainment, live communication and events.

This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)