Private Mansions is not your typical event venue. In their 'mansions' in and around Amsterdam, such as Mayor Manor and Maison des Curiosités, everything revolves around experience, flow, and surprise. No two events are the same, and that demands a very specific way of working. From weddings and immersive culinary experiences to high-end corporate events and cultural productions; every event always has one central question: “what do you want your guests to feel, experience, and remember?”
The strength of Private Mansions lies both in the buildings themselves and in the way the events are structured. Guests move from space to space, without knowing what awaits them next. “We don't want guests to immediately understand everything that's there. That element of surprise, that sense of magic, is part of the experience,” says Bas, General Manager at Private Mansions. “Each room has its own function, atmosphere, and surprise that is enhanced by performance, theater, or other forms of live entertainment.”
This layered approach makes each event unique, but it also means that standard packages or quick proposals don't work. Each event comes with its own variables: group size, guest flow, performances, catering, and timing. “I never start with: ‘where do you want the bar?’ First, I want to know: what do you want to achieve with this event?” says Bas.
- Personalized experience and customization as a starting point
Without structure, that level of customization quickly becomes overwhelming. That's why Private Mansions has been using MICE Operations since 2024: to support and organize the process, while keeping personal contact. Requests come in through multiple channels, with locaties.nl as the primary source. Thanks to the integration between that platform and MICE, requests are centralized, giving the team full visibility and allowing for focused follow-up.
At Private Mansions, the value is not in automating the initial contact, but rather in the conversation that follows. Bas is clear about this: “If we jump straight into champagne, menus, and prices, we miss the most important. It's first about the concept and the reason why you want to create a special experience.”
Interactive proposals as an extension of the conversation
The interactive quotes in MICE serve as a central hub where everything comes together: content, revisions, and communication. “The client portal feels like an extension of our own website,” says Bas. “Clients don't need to download an app or log into a special system.” Clients appreciate this greatly, and it serves as a logical continuation of the conversation. Revisions are visible, and communication takes place through the same environment.
The customer portal feels like an extension of our own website. Customers don't need to download an app or log into a special system.
Bas
One team, one overview
Not only does MICE work well for customers at Private Mansions, it also plays an important role internally. A new event is quickly set up in MICE, after which colleagues and partners can easily join: the caterer can collaborate directly, partner proposals are added instantly, and communication remains linked to the correct event. The workflows provide structure and peace in the follow-up, while the team retains the freedom to continue to steer each event in terms of content.
At Private Mansions, MICE acts as a system that adapts to their way of working. No quick proposals are made based on checklists. The approach is always personalized for each event. MICE mainly ensures that this way of working remains scalable. “It helps us better organize our customization,” says Bas.
Looking ahead and growing together
Looking forward, Private Mansions will focus on further professionalization and repositioning towards a higher-end market segment. This includes more active use of the CRM and sharper qualification at the front end.
MICE Operations remains the foundation of their commercial process: flexible enough for customization and strong enough to their support growth.
