Event Case Mews Unfold 2025: a seamless collaboration with Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ

Mews Unfold 2025 once again proved itself to be an inspiring day for the hospitality industry. On April 30th, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam welcomed a large gathering of hoteliers, technology providers and other hospitality professionals for the third time. The day was focused on technology, innovation, guest experience and revenue strategies. In a setting that, according to Mews, could not have been better chosen.

“The key aim of Mews Unfold 2025 was to provide inspiration for the future, while also offering concrete ideas that participants could implement in their hotels the very next day,” says Katie Doerr, Global Events Manager at Mews. “We want it to be more than a conference – it should feel like an experience from the moment you walk in until the moment you leave.”

Photo Booth and massages

Katie highlights how the programme evolved this year. “We gamified our merch store to encourage visitors to move through the venue, meet partners, use our photo booth and explore our product zone. A new and popular addition was the wellness area on Foyerdeck 2 , where we offered 15-minute chair massagesand a juice bar. It’s not just about the content of the sessions, but about the total experience.”

Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ

For Katie, the Muziekgebouw was the obvious choice. “It’s the perfect place: there are excellent hotels nearby for international guests and it’s so close to Amsterdam Central Station, which made it ideal for local visitors as well.  The Grote Zaal provides the perfect setting for a main stage, and the waterfront setting offers stunning views. We also love the natural light in the Muziekgebouw – people often spend an entire day at conferences without seeing daylight. And the in-house AV and logistics team gave us great confidence when selecting the venue. Over the past three years we’ve built an excellent relationship with them.”

Doerr even calls the collaboration one of the event’s success factors: “Honestly, my biggest challenge was starting this job and taking over the project just five months before the event. The venue team  supported us brilliantly.”

A venue that grows along with the event

Frédérique van Oorschot, accountmanager business-events at Muziekgebouw  aan ‘t IJ also reflects with pride. “You can see that Mews is a  company that’s growing rapidly – and they’re growing with us. They use the entire venue: the main hall, all other spaces in the building, the foyer, the public areas and even backstage. They also make full use of our branding opportunities. It all looks so polished and professional; it’s a tremendous showcase for the Muziekgebouw.”

According to Frédérique, the perfect match explains the success. “For such a large event you really need a great connection. After three years we now know exactly what to expect from each other. We work very quickly together; it feels like a well-oiled machine. We keep the technical crew as consistent as possible every year, so everyone knows each other and everything runs smoothly.”

International appeal

Although Amsterdam is the home base, Mews Unfold clearly targets a global audience. “The event is absolutely not focused on the Dutch market,” Katie notes. “In fact, this year we again welcomed visitors from around thirty different countries. We’ve hosted previous editions in London and Paris,  but Amsterdam remains close to our heart due to our valued customer base here and the fact that it is easily accessible to so many of our EMEA customers.” 

Back again in 2026

The partnership between Mews and the Muziekgebouw will continue beyond 2025, Frédérique confirms. “The arrangements for next year are already made. They are 100 percent certain to return in 2026: the date, May 27th, is already set. With a mix of international appeal, innovative content and a venue whose full potential is utilised, Mews Unfold remains a leading event for the hospitality industry and a textbook example of how the right venue can elevate an event to the next level.”