Utrecht: Expanding the Dutch Events Conversation

After a whirlwind of an experience in Utrecht, visiting 5 completely contrasting venues, some fantastic restaurants, a boat tour, and a 465-step ascent 112 metres above the city, I’ve come back with a fresh perspective on the 4th largest city in the Netherlands – often called the “Little Amsterdam”.

Firstly, how fair is that?

Well, if the Amsterdam Convention Bureau come knocking, I’ll be sure to let you know.
(Hint hint, nudge, nudge)

But in its own right, the opportunity for meetings and events in the beautiful city of Utrecht is huge, and teeming with different options for every occasion. Not one place I visited was alike the previous one. Even down to the different meeting rooms available in just one of the venues, there was such variation you’d think you’d stepped from one venue into a completely different one.

Why was I there?

Well, to kick off, I must give thanks to Moulden Marketing and the Utrecht Convention Bureau for hosting and arranging the whole experience – you did a fine job of representing Utrecht in its own light, and a bright light at that.

As for me, “who?” is probably your question.

I’m Jack.

I joined EDGE Venues in March 2025 as Marketing Executive, and I’ve focused primarily on our content marketing, branding, and user experience – bringing EDGE to our industry’s screens, largely in the form of video. (We’ll get to that in a minute.)

Here at EDGE, we are always looking to give our industry the latest and greatest opportunities to thrive, at a time when we feel it has a real opportunity to flourish.

Part of that is looking nationally and internationally to find those locations that might just be perfect for the next event for the corporate, agent, or association using our platform. So when the opportunity to head to Utrecht and find out all I could about holding meetings and events here came up, I jumped at the chance.

Here’s what I found…

The city and it’s charm

I can see the inspiration behind the ‘Little Amsterdam’ tag Utrecht has. The canals, the wharfs and, of course, the thousands of bicycles that line every street. But really, the city itself is such a charming place in it’s own right. Everywhere you look, there is a little nugget of history – from WW2 bunkers within the canal walls to the cyclone that brought part of the cathedral down, leaving the DOM Tower and the Cathedral as two separate landmarks to appreciate.

It’s the kind of location that, beyond the meeting rooms and bedrooms, can host an experiential event that offers plenty of options to escape for those all-important breaks in the day that keep you fresh for the next session.

Fun.
Vibrant.
Varied.
Historic.

With up to 25% of the population being students, there is plenty of youth and activity in the city; yet it’s not so busy that you’re fighting for the tarmac you’re walking on.

Getting there and traversing the city

One major consideration for all meetings and events, especially with larger delegate numbers – how to get there.

Well, simply hopping on the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Amsterdam was a quick, comfortable, and seamless journey that, honestly, I was not expecting. Yes, the passport control section that comes with all international travel was ever-present, but avoiding the airport and going for a much calmer and more environmentally friendly transport choice was certainly the right one.

With ESG considerations becoming more prevalent in the industry – and all industries, for that matter – the Eurostar is a no-brainer. I’d argue it’s a quicker and cheaper solution too!

Varied and unique venues

I was fortunate enough to be able to visit 5 great venues – 3 were hotels, 2 were venues of completely different persuasions. There were tours on offer, as well as a bit of an experience in each. This might have been breakfast, lunch, or even a cocktail-making workshop…

1. Jaarbeurs
2. Tivoli Vrendenburg
3. Park Plaza Utrecht
4. Crowne Plaza Utrecht
5. Inntel Hotels Utrecht

Now, simply writing about these venues when I spend most of my days creating content and videos seemed like a waste of such a trip. And it didn’t feel very ‘Jack’y‘.

So, sit back and have a watch of this 4-minute tag-along tour with me. Just click the image below and enjoy.