In the rolling green hills of East Flanders sits De Heerlijckyt van Elsmeren, a historic castle and retreat center where business depth meets personal development. The estate hosts multi-day retreats, leadership programs, and communication trainings as well as weddings and workshops.
“De Heerlijckyt van Elsmeren is a beautiful, inspiring location where we organize all kinds of events,” says Aline, manager of the estate. “It’s a place where guests can truly unwind, while still enjoying all the modern facilities they need for a seamlessly organized event.”
Watch our case with Heerlijckyt van Elsmeren. ⤵️
Lots of manual work, little overview
Relaxation may be part of the DNA of De Heerlijckyt, but behind the scenes things weren’t exactly stress-free.
“We worked with Excel sheets and loose documents, which was messy and time-consuming,” says Liesbet, Sales Manager at De Heerlijckyt. “We were looking for an intuitive system that would streamline processes, save us time, and keep everything centralized.”
The switch to MICE Operations didn’t happen overnight.
“We had looked at the system before, but first chose software tailored to retreats. That turned out to be a poor match. When we later kept hearing positive stories about MICE, we decided to take a more serious look,” Aline explains.
The onboarding proved smooth sailing.
“With our previous system I had to call the support team for months just to get basic things done. With MICE I set up most of it myself, and the team could start working with it almost instantly,” says Aline.
Unwinding starts with structure
What followed was a real breath of fresh air. “What we love about MICE is how intuitive and user-friendly it is. Very Dutch, if I may say so,” Aline laughs. “Everything is clear and straightforward, so both our team and our clients can work with it effortlessly.”
What we love about MICE is how intuitive and user-friendly it is. Very Dutch, if I may say so!
Aline
“And that’s crucial,” Aline continues. “We want our guests to feel at ease, and that starts with how we work ourselves. MICE gives us more peace of mind in our daily operations. We have better oversight, stronger teamwork, and more room to give real attention to our guests.”
The benefits show in the numbers too. “We’ve almost been able to cut our FTEs in half,” Aline notes. “That’s not only thanks to MICE, but it definitely plays a big part. We work more efficiently, communicate more easily, and avoid double work.”
Working with MICE brings tangible results: we’ve nearly halved our FTEs thanks to more efficient work and communication.
Aline
Everything in one place, even for the client
By now, MICE is the central system of De Heerlijckyt. Proposals, schedules, dietary requirements, room setups, payments: everything is managed in one place.
“That makes the work not only easier, but also much more pleasant,” says Aline.
And guests also notice the difference.
“Our guests feel truly heard, because we start discussing their event weeks in advance,” says Liesbet. “We often get feedback from clients saying how smooth and enjoyable the communication feels.”
A firm grip on the numbers
From her management role, Aline regularly dives into MICE reports.
“Most of my workday is spent analyzing. I monitor processes and revenue, and I use the reports for forecasting. What used to take me half a day in Excel, I now pull together with just a few clicks.”
Looking ahead, De Heerlijckyt plans to expand how they use MICE. “We’re exploring ways to streamline individual bookings further,” says Aline. “MICE remains our foundation, and we’re even looking at whether it can replace additional systems for us. There’s still so much potential for the future.”
