Right in the vibrant heart of Eindhoven stands a building you simply can’t miss: De Lichttoren. Since the summer of 2023, hospitality group Good Vibes Horeca has breathed new life into this iconic space. And it’s paying off. Every day, people gather at Grand Café De Lichttoren for lunch, dinner, drinks and even full-blown (corporate) events.
What started with small business lunches quickly scaled up. “Soon we started getting requests for much larger groups,” says Savannah, event manager and marketer at Good Vibes Horeca. “And we had to adapt. Fast.”
In the early days, Savannah managed event requests manually.
“Someone would email about an event for 100 people. I’d check availability, email back, and then the back-and-forth would start. Before you knew it, you were six emails deep just for one request.” And that’s not ideal when clear communication is key. “We needed alignment. With guests, but also internally. Who’s coming when, what was agreed on, what are the prices… It all has to be clear. And it wasn’t.”
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As the volume and complexity of requests kept growing, the team realised: something had to change. "I wanted one central place for everything,” says Savannah. “Requests, contact info, agreements. And especially: the ability to recognize our returning clients. We work with a lot of companies who regularly host events. The CRM in MICE shows us what they booked last time instantly.”
One seamless flow — from inquiry to payment
In December 2023, De Lichttoren made the switch to MICE. “I was in touch with another software provider, but the process dragged on,” Savannah explains. “MICE got back to me right away, with clear answers. That speed made all the difference. We work fast ourselves, so we need partners who can keep up.”
And fast it was. “It took me just one day to set up the online RFP tool and start using it,” she says. And the impact was immediate: "80% of our event requests now come in via the RFP tool. Guests see what’s possible and simply select what they want. I receive the full request in one go and all I have to do is send the proposal.”
80% of our event requests now come in via the RFP tool. Guests see what’s possible and simply select what they want. I receive the full request in one go and all I have to do is send the proposal.
Savannah, event manager & marketer at De Lichttoren
This new process also streamlined invoicing. “Before, I had to follow up by email to ask how someone preferred to pay. Now they just select their method when submitting the request. All the details are there already. That saves so much time.”
Everything and everyone up-to-date
The difference is also felt on the floor. Thanks to the integration with Formitable, their table reservation system, the team no longer needs to jump between different tools.
“For large groups, we used to work across several systems,” Savannah says. “Now everything is ready in one place.”
Changes to an event plan or proposal? Not an issue.
“I can make edits from home, and my colleagues instantly see the updates on the floor: including prices, headcounts, and all linked products. That creates peace of mind and overview for everyone.”
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De Lichttoren grows with MICE as its foundation
MICE is now fully embedded in daily operations at De Lichttoren. And the ambition? To grow even further as a go-to event venue in the centre of Eindhoven.
“Since switching to MICE, we’re not only seeing more inquiries, but we’re able to respond to them faster,” says Savannah.
That experience has sparked ideas.
“We’re even considering rolling out MICE at our second venue. If it works just as well there, we can get even more out of our events!"
I can make edits to the planning from home, and my colleagues instantly see the updates on the floor: including prices, head counts, and all linked products. That creates peace of mind and overview for everyone.
Savannah, event manager & marketer at De Lichttoren
