Four venues, four characters, one partner

Next Venue's collection in the heart of the Netherlands brings international congresses a choice that goes beyond square metres: the choice of an atmosphere.

International congress organisers looking beyond Amsterdam soon discover how compact the Netherlands is, and how much it has to offer at its centre. In and around the Veluwe, the country’s largest nature area, Next Venue runs a portfolio of event venues that together cover almost every congress format. The range runs from a 2,500-person plenary with a full exhibition floor to a multi-day scientific congress where delegates sleep on site.

Most of the company's venues are historic buildings that have been given a second life. Because those buildings bring so much character with them, an organiser needs relatively little extra to create an impactful decorum. 

For international clients, the practical advantages are just as important: one partner, one team, and in-house food and beverage and audiovisual services across the locations. "Connecting people, creating memories" is how Next Venue sums up its mission.

Four venues form the backbone of Next Venue's congress offer. They differ in scale, but even more in character.

 

Midden Nederland Hallen: the innovator

The Midden Nederland Hallen in Barneveld is the largest and most contemporary venue in the collection. It is described as "one complex, three worlds", and each world has a distinct use:

• The Event Greenhouse. At 14 metres, it is the tallest greenhouse in the Netherlands and fills with natural daylight.
• The Theatre Hall. Its moving stands make 360-degree set-ups possible.
• The Event Hall. It offers an industrial look, a mega screen and an open floor for exhibitions.

The complex covers more than 15,000 m² and hosts groups of roughly 200 to 10,000 people. Breakout sessions can take place in 15 sub-rooms.

Sustainability is built into the design. Next Venue calls the Midden Nederland Hallen the first energy-neutral event complex in the Netherlands. It runs on solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling. Part of the event space is also housed in a repurposed greenhouse from the Floriade horticultural exhibition. For associations that need to report on the footprint of their congress, that is a convincing argument.

Best for: large association congresses with an exhibition, product launches and conferences where production value matters.

De Rijtuigenloods: the industrial icon

Walk between historic railway buildings, past original rails and overhead hoists, and you arrive at De Rijtuigenloods in Amersfoort. This national monument was once the carriage shed where the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij maintained its rolling stock.

Today the main hall works as a ready-to-use congress and party space for up to 2,000 guests. Fifteen breakout rooms surround it, and several of them are restored historic train carriages, which makes a workshop in a carriage a memorable experience.

For international delegates, accessibility is key. Amersfoort Centraal station is a five-minute walk away, and the train will bring you in 40 minutes straight to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The venue has no hotel of its own, but several hotels are within walking distance.

Best for: medium-sized to large congresses, symposia and gala dinners that call for raw, authentic character and excellent rail connections.

Mauritskazerne: the storyteller

The Mauritskazerne in Ede is a former infantry barracks built in 1904–1906 in neo-Renaissance style and is now a national monument. From the outside it looks much as it did on the day it opened. Inside, high ceilings and large arched windows flood the plenary hall, which seats up to 350, with daylight.

What makes this venue unique is its theme. Located in the FoodValley region, it positions itself as the food meeting place of the Netherlands:

• four meeting rooms styled around food, including the Mush Room, the Sweet Room and the Potato Room

• the Tasting Room with culinary experiences

• menus composed using products from regional suppliers

The interior consists largely of reused materials, including sea containers that once housed a Rotterdam pop-up restaurant. The train station Ede-Wageningen, within one hour of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, is just a few minutes' walk away.

Best for: smaller international congresses, board meetings and sessions in the agri-food, life sciences and sustainability sectors, where the setting reinforces the content.

De Werelt Lunteren: the retreat

De Werelt Lunteren is the venue in the collection where delegates can stay overnight. It is a hotel and congress centre on the Veluwe, with forests and heathland as its backyard. Its 15 breakout rooms host groups of 10 to 600, and it has 125 hotel rooms and its own restaurant. That makes it the natural choice for multi-day programmes where networking continues over breakfast, on a forest walk or at the bar.

Sustainability is part of the experience here, too. The building has solar panels and high-grade insulation, and the interior uses natural and reused materials.

Best for: multi-day scientific and association meetings, retreats and congresses where concentration and community-building come first.

 

Choosing by character

Together, the four venues show what sets Next Venue apart:

• Midden Nederland Hallen brings scale and innovation.

• De Rijtuigenloods brings industrial heritage.

• The Mauritskazerne brings a strong theme and intimacy.

• De Werelt Lunteren brings nature and an overnight stay.

International organisers can therefore choose their venue not only based on capacity, but also on the story they want their congress to tell. All four are in the centre of the country, close to motorways and the rail network.

 

 

Discover all locations at nextvenue.nl/en/venue-finder

 

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From 75 countries to one venue: the LVVN Attaché Network event

On 3 June 2026, De Rijtuigenloods in Amersfoort brought the international agri-food network in the Netherlands together under one roof. More than 350 participants attended the annual LVVN Attaché Network (LAN) event, organised by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN). 

Agricultural counsellors and attachés, who serve 75 countries from 59 Dutch embassies and consulates-general, met Dutch companies, knowledge institutions and industry associations, in one-to-one meetings about opportunities in their countries.