Tom De Lepper, a 36-year-old professional in the hospitality sector, is one of the driving forces behind Event Management Group (EMG), the well-known group of distinctive event venues. His journey in the hospitality industry began at a young age in a local restaurant, where he learnt the ropes. “I started washing up when I was 13. I soon caught the hospitality bug and, in the years that followed, worked my way up to become manager of various hospitality businesses,” says Tom. His ambition to run his own hospitality business led him to the Ridder Brewery in Maastricht, where he managed a microbrewery and a hospitality venue. Eventually, he found his way to EMG, a company where he now plays an increasingly prominent role.
Event Management Group’s unique venues
Event Management Group was founded by Danny Keppels and is renowned for managing a range of unique event venues. The company focuses primarily on the south of the Netherlands and Belgian Limburg, with a vision to potentially expand into North Limburg and Brabant. The key to EMG’s success lies in finding unique venues with character and charm. “Unique properties, real gems with character – for example, something very classic or, conversely, something industrial – that’s what we’re looking for,” says Tom.
Tapijn: from barracks to event venue
One of the jewels in EMG’s portfolio is Tapijn in Maastricht. This venue, originally a barracks canteen, has a rich history. “The venue is situated within a larger barracks complex and was once the mess hall for army personnel,” explains Tom. Following a series of transformations and renovations carried out by Maastricht University, the Tapijn building is now a vibrant events venue. Temporarily, that is, as the university ultimately has other plans for this part of the site. Despite the two-year temporary licence, Tom hopes that Tapijn will remain a central venue for events in Maastricht for many years to come. “As far as we’re concerned, we’ll be here for five years or more,” he laughs.
Tapijn is popular not only for business meetings, but also for weddings and private parties. “The setting here is truly unique; you feel as though you’re in an old hangar, with high ceilings and a beautiful terrace right in the heart of Maastricht’s city park,” Tom explains enthusiastically. The venue offers space for ceremonies, dining and evening parties, with a capacity of up to 360 guests. EMG’s specialisation in weddings is also evident here. “We have a licence to host official wedding ceremonies, and the outdoor area is ideal for wedding photos,” says Tom.
Synergy and the future
Collaboration within EMG creates a synergistic effect between the various sites. “We receive a lot of enquiries at both group and site level. This means we can always find the best site within the group for the client,” explains Tom. This ensures that clients are always catered for, even if a specific site is fully booked.
EMG’s future therefore looks bright, with an ever-increasing number of enquiries, a focus on sustainable growth and the search for new, unique venues. “We’ve noticed that the average group size is around 200 people, and we take that into account when looking for new venues,” says Tom. Trends in sustainability and local, organic catering are also important to Event Management Group. “We only operate when there’s an event to run, which allows us to organise events as sustainably as possible.”
With his passion for the hospitality and events sectors, Tom is seeing his role within Event Management Group grow. “As well as finding the business side of the events industry incredibly interesting, you help bring people together for special moments. That makes the work very rewarding.”
Meet Event Management Group
Would you like to discuss the opportunities at Tapijn Maastricht with Tom, or find out more about one of the other venues within the Event Management Group? Please get in touch with us For more information about our event venues in Limburg!
