But much more has happened in recent years. More space on the site has been occupied and the safety precautions have been improved to the point where the venue can now facilitate events from 2 up to 10.000 people. “No, not with just two people right in the middle of our massive venue for an intimate dinner, but in one of the smaller spaces which we keep adding to our list. The demand for events for smaller groups is increasing, so we gladly adjust. Up here in the Middenfabriek (Middle Factory), on the second floor, we’ve equipped two break-out rooms, but they’re equally fit for small, intimate events,” Rikwin says.

The Middenfabriek is the largest central hall of the factory with the characteristic atriums. Apart from the Middenfabriek, SugarCity offers four spaces for events: the Pulppersloods (Pulper Shed), the Binnenstraat (Inner Street), the Pakhuis (Warehouse) and the Bietenwasruimte (Sugar Beet Washer). All spaces are connected and can be used together for that incredible capacity of 10.000, but they can also be booked individually or in other combinations for smaller groups. “And we recently split up the toilets as well, creating two separate groups, which allows for multiple events to take place here at the same time. That flexibility benefits us.”