Hoeve Rosa: from Excel to MICE for more efficient meeting arrangements

Formerly a dairy farm, Hoeve Rosa has transformed into a comprehensive meeting and training venue for the corporate market since 2012.

Owner Yvonne Kersten shares the story of this transition: "Due to the expansion of a large logistics business park nearby, there was no longer any room for the dairy farm. We were very sorry about that, but we already had a nice clientele from the meeting locations. We decided: we are going to expand the meetings. We added three meeting locations and the entire outdoor area was redesigned. There is a large pond, there are outdoor seating areas, there are walking paths and there is a large grass field for team building activities, for example. You can, for example, do a boxing clinic or a sheep herding workshop. Now it is no longer 'meeting with the farmer', but 'meeting in the green'!"

Immediate professionalization

"When we made that change in 2021, we decided to take a professionalization step. After all, professionalism is one of our core values. We opted for a new logo and a new website. During that period, MICE came on my path and it fitted perfectly with that professionalization. I had seen it once and I was immediately sold. It just works fantastically.  At first we did everything in Excel. Now we have professional quotes and invoices. They are great to make, it's a breeze! What's also really better: before, customers had to call for information and adjustments. Now everything can be done through MICE. Sometimes you suddenly receive a request via the request module at 9:00 p.m. It’s ideal for the customer, that that is possible. You can then easily process the request into a quote."

Setting up and getting started

“I immediately noticed that it was very user-friendly. It was a big job to set it up. I spent a few days thinking about it: what do I want the packages to look like? Is that logical for a customer? What is and is not included in a package? What are you going to offer? Once it's in there, you can work with it easily and that's really great.

They think along well at MICE; if you have tips or wishes, you can let them know - they really do something with your ideas. It is a pleasant cooperation."

Exceeding customer expectations

“We have consciously chosen to focus fully on the business market. We just think that's really fun. And I believe that if you focus on one thing, you can do that very well. All rooms are equipped with everything you need for a successful meeting.

With MICE we have an overview and that benefits our service. I now work with three hostesses who can also look into the system, so they can see when it is busy, for example. That is very nice. And yes, you can just put a lot in there. I print out the work lists for my employees every week: that is the guideline for their work and I then lay them out. If a customer has asked an extra question or has a special request, you can put that in that work list as well. For example, we ask them what layout they want, note down wishes or points of attention from a previous time, and take into account dietary wishes. This way, we try to exceed expectations and make a difference together with the customer. We find that very important. And that works very well with MICE."