What Proef Amersfoort does

Proef Amersfoort is a privately organized annual culinary event held over five days in mid-May at Oliemolenhof in De Nieuwe Stad, Amersfoort, Netherlands. Founded around 1996, the event curates 13+ regional restaurants serving diverse cuisines to a public audience of 30,000+ visitors at no admission charge, while offering paid access to the invite-only VoorProefAvond and Proef Je Netwerk evenings for business partners and guests. The organization operates without subsidies and is funded entirely through tiered partner sponsorships (€350 to €25,000) and food-and-beverage sales.

The core operational technology is the ProefPas cashless payment system, developed by Tactile, which uses a chip-embedded card with QR-code-based top-ups via iDeal and functions offline during internet or power outages. Payments are denominated in Keitjes tokens (1 Keitje = €1.28), and a one-Keitje service fee applies per top-up. Event infrastructure is supplied by long-term partners, notably POP UP Pallets (100% circular wooden pavilions) and De Nieuwe Stad (venue), with marketing and brand identity handled by Concreet Geeft Vorm and Fuego Design.

The business model is a hybrid of B2B sponsorship and B2C transactions. Sponsors range from Proefgenoot (€350) to Hoofdsponsor (€25,000 over 3 years) and receive logo placement on digital screens, menus (7,000 printed per edition), city displays, ProefPasses (6,000), and tickets to partner-only evenings with up to 3,000 attendees. The customer base spans culinary enthusiasts, regional restaurants seeking audience reach, and 35+ business partners pursuing networking and brand visibility, anchored by City Marketing Amersfoort, Sligro, Royal Swinkels Family Brewery, Scheerder Drankenhandel, and Van Poelgeest BMW | MINI | VAN HARTEN MOTORRAD.

Name

Proef Amersfoort

Legal name

Proef Amersfoort

Website

https://proefamersfoort.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Proef Amersfoort is a privately organized annual 5-day culinary event in Amersfoort, Netherlands, founded around 1996, serving 30,000+ visitors with 13+ regional restaurants and funding itself via tiered partner sponsorships and ProefPas cashless food-and-beverage sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Events / Food Festival

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223), Food Service Contractors (722310)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups) (THAJAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers (THAHABAC)

Keywords

• Culinary event
• Food festival
• Partner sponsorship
• Cashless payment
• Restaurant showcase

Headquarters

HQ city

Amersfoort

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Partner Sponsorship Packages: Tiered sponsorship packages from €350 (Proefgenoot) to €25,000 (Hoofdsponsor 3-year), offering logo placement on digital screens, menus, posters, city displays, access tickets to VoorProefAvond, and exclusive territory use at the event.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from food and drink sales using Keitjes tokens (1 Keitje = €1.28). Attendees purchase ProefPas cards and load credit to pay at participating restaurants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Proef Amersfoort organizes and operates an annual five-day culinary festival held at Oliemolenhof in De Nieuwe Stad, Amersfoort, featuring 13+ regional restaurants serving diverse world cuisines with free general admission. On-site transactions run through the Tactile-developed ProefPas cashless payment system using Keitjes tokens (€1.28 each), and the event monetizes B2B relationships through tiered ProefPartner sponsorship packages priced from €350 to €25,000.

Product overview

Proef Amersfoort operates as a single culinary event platform rather than a modular SaaS product. The core offering is the annual multi-day food festival held at Oliemolenhof, complemented by the ProefPas cashless payment system (provided by Tactile), Grand Café Proef on-site restaurant, and ProefPartner sponsorship packages. The ProefPas serves as the primary transactional product enabling visitors to pay for food and drinks at participating restaurants using a chip-based card with QR code top-up functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proef Amersfoort Culinary Event Five-day annual culinary festival at Oliemolenhof in De Nieuwe Stad, Amersfoort, featuring 13+ local and regional restaurants serving world cuisines with free general admission.
• ProefPartner Sponsorship Packages Tiered B2B sponsorship packages for businesses priced from €350 to €25,000, providing logo placement on digital screens, menus, posters, city displays, access tickets to VoorProefAvond, and exclusive territory use at the event.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 visitors annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

37 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• De Nieuwe StadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation partner hosting Proef Amersfoort at Oliemolenhof since 2018. Provides the venue and infrastructure for the annual culinary event. Also offers parking facilities at MyWay for event attendees.
• Van Poelgeest BMW | MINI | VAN HARTEN MOTORRADflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomotive partner with flagship sponsorship involvement. Named 'Smaakmaker van Proef Amersfoort' in 2025, hosting exclusive partner events and providing vehicles for VIP transport.
• SligrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoodservice wholesaler providing supplies for the event's restaurant participants.
• POP UP PalletscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable event infrastructure provider building wooden pavilions since 2018. All pavilions are 100% circular with zero waste since the company's founding in 2012.
• TactilecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of the cashless payment system (ProefPas) used at the event. Developed the payment cards with QR code functionality for balance top-up via iDeal.
• Better Call SamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerService partner contributing to event operations.
• Jimmy loves FoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood industry partner with marketing collaboration.
• YokohamaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner contributing to event sponsorship.
• Herensociëteit AmicitiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal gentlemen's society participating as event partner.
• Endure DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign partner contributing to event visual identity.
• Landport BatteriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBattery and energy partner providing sustainable power solutions.
• Moore MKWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAccounting and advisory firm partner.
• HandelsbankenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner contributing to event sponsorship.
• Bouwbedrijf AmersfoortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction company partner from Amersfoort.
• City Marketing AmersfoortcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial city marketing organization promoting Amersfoort and its events, including Proef.
• Twynstra GuddeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvisory firm partner.
• PrintingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrinting services partner for event materials.
• Masters of BusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness services partner.
• Beryl PersoneelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStaffing agency partner for event personnel.
• DIKS AutoverhuurminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCar rental partner for event operations.
• Shell Serva BakeryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBakery partner contributing to culinary offerings.
• Content AmersfoortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContent creation and marketing partner for local media.
• Atlantic ProductionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduction services partner.
• Pon CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomotive center partner.
• UGLIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProject interior design partner.
• FAC Horeca UitzendburominorGTM or Marketing PartnerHospitality staffing agency partner.
• ABW Financieel AnalistminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial analysis firm partner.
• Weldam WinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWine supplier partner providing beverages for the event.
• Héman HorecaverhuurminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHospitality equipment rental partner.
• Fuego DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial media and text content partner responsible for event communications.
• Next BuzzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical realization partner for website and digital platforms.
• Concreet Geeft VormcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand identity and design partner responsible for Proef's visual style.
• MBO AmersfoortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVocational education partner in Amersfoort.
• Royal Swinkels Family BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrewery partner providing beverages for the event.
• Zinin! EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvents company partner.
• Pot Verhuizingen en LogistiekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMoving and logistics partner for event setup.
• Scheerder DrankenhandelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeverage wholesale partner supplying drinks for the event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eat Festival Amsterdam: Eat Festival is an indoor food festival at Amsterdam's Jaarbeurs featuring restaurants and food vendors. It is structurally analogous to Proef Amersfoort: curated restaurants, token-based F&B payment, and partner sponsorships driving revenue.
• Taste of Amsterdam: Taste of Amsterdam is a multi-day culinary festival in Amsterdam where visitors sample tasting menus from top restaurants. It is directly comparable to Proef Amersfoort in format (ticketed/pre-event access for sponsors, multiple restaurant participants, sponsorship-driven revenue) but operates at larger scale in a bigger city.
• TREK Food Truck Festival: TREK is a traveling Dutch food truck festival stopping in multiple cities. It overlaps with Proef Amersfoort on the multi-day food festival format, vendor-based F&B monetization, and sponsor-supported event economics, but with a broader geographic footprint.
• Culy Food Festival: Culy operates a Dutch food festival brand alongside its culinary media platform. It targets a similar audience of culinary enthusiasts and uses a comparable mix of restaurant participants and brand sponsors, making it a relevant peer for Proef's content-plus-event GTM.
• Rollende Keukens: Rollende Keukens is a well-known Dutch food truck and culinary festival held in Amsterdam. Like Proef Amersfoort, it is a multi-day public food event featuring multiple vendors, paid access via tokens/coins, and partner sponsorship, with comparable GTM motion and target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Taste Festivals (UK parent): Taste Festivals is the UK-based organizer behind the 'Taste of' series (Taste of London, Taste of Amsterdam, etc.). It is a broader incumbent running multiple food festivals globally with similar restaurant-participant and sponsorship models, and is the operator of one of Proef Amersfoort's nearest direct competitors (Taste of Amsterdam).

Others

• Horecava: Horecava is the Netherlands' leading hospitality and foodservice trade fair. While it is B2B and trade-show oriented rather than a consumer tasting event, it is adjacent to Proef Amersfoort because many of its exhibitors and sponsors (e.g., Sligro, beverage wholesalers) overlap with Proef's partner ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/proefamersfoort
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProefAmersfoort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proef-amersfoort
• Instagraminstagram.com/proef.amersfoort

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Proef Amersfoort