Ria Joosten Catering & Events has long been a well-known name in the hospitality and events industry. What began as a modest catering and events company, has grown into a full-service organization with a wide portfolio of both owned and partner venues. Whether it's a romantic wedding at the charming Kasteel Eyckholt or a corporate event at Café Ipanema, the team of Ria Joosten turns every occasion into an unforgettable experience.
At Ria Joosten Catering & Events, everything revolves around customization. With a team of over 100 employees, they strive for perfection in every event, from the initial proposal to the final clean-up. This dedication ensures they always go the extra mile for their guests.
But as the number of venues grew, it became increasingly challenging to keep everything organized. When Ria Joosten took over the management of Villa Flora Brightlands in Venlo at the end of 2023, she realized that the current way of working was no longer sufficient. Communication between teams, managing proposals, and keeping track of schedules: everything required more structure for the three locations Ipanema, Kasteel Eyckholt, and Brightlands. The solution? The software of MICE Operations.
A clear overview of all events
Where creating proposals and schedules used to take a lot of time, everything can now be managed efficiently in one place, thanks to MICE. "You need to be able to respond quickly in this industry," says Ria. "MICE helps us tremendously to respond quickly and accurately to our guests' needs."
The calendar feature is invaluable to us. It helps prevent double bookings and automatically removes expired options from the agenda.
Ria Joosten, owner of Ria Joosten Catering & Events
With MICE, Ria and her team ensure that every event runs smoothly. Proposals are created and sent in no time, schedules are easily put together and shared within the team, and various integrations allow them to work seamlessly with different systems, such as accounting software. "Additionally, the calendar feature is invaluable to us," Ria emphasizes. "It helps prevent double bookings and automatically removes expired options from the agenda."
The software supports all departments and is widely used by different teams across various locations. For example, at Café Ipanema, two Sales employees work with MICE to manage the specifics of each event. Also, at (Villa Flora) Brightlands, several people work in the software. The worklists and schedules automatically generated in MICE simplify collaboration and ensure that the party manager can get started with the event right away.
Automation as the future of event planning
The integration of MICE has not only optimized current processes but also provides a good foundation for future growth. Looking ahead, Ria Joosten is confident that automation will ensure that the team continues to collaborate efficiently, even as the company expands. "The software is so intuitive that anyone on the team can use it," Ria explains. "Thanks to MICE, we can now respond much more quickly. It gives us the space to really focus on the details that make an event special."
Thanks to MICE, we can now respond much more quickly. It gives us the space to really focus on the details that make an event special.
Ria Joosten, owner of Ria Joosten Catering & Events
