Venue Flash: meet Kontakt der Kontinenten

5 questions, 500 reasons to visit

Curious about this venue? Read an exclusive interview with Ellen Wamar about this one-of-a-kind venue in the middle of the nature.

1. How would you describe venue Kontakt der Kontinenten in two lines? What makes you different from other venues?

Kontakt der Kontinenten is a unique meeting place on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, where history, nature and worldly hospitality come together. Across two monumental buildings, we offer plenty of space for inspiring meetings, overnight stays and events.

2. Kontakt der Kontinenten literally brings continents together. How do guests experience that at your location?

Our name refers to the history of the former mission house and monastery, whose residents were sent out to different continents. That worldly origin is still visible everywhere today: in the names of our rooms, in the interior, in the stories behind the buildings, and in the international influences in our kitchen. We also welcome guests from many different sectors, organisations and backgrounds every day. That’s what keeps Kontakt der Kontinenten a place where people, ideas and cultures come together.

3. You hold a Green Key Gold certificate and run your own water project in Africa. How do you put these parts of your sustainable operations into practice on a daily basis at Kontakt der Kontinenten?

For us, sustainability isn’t a separate project, it’s a fixed part of our daily operations. With our Green Key Gold certificate, we continuously make conscious choices around energy, waste, procurement and food. Wherever possible, we work with local and seasonal products and choose partners who contribute to a positive impact. Through our Water for Water project, we’ve also been contributing to clean drinking water and sanitation in developing countries for years. The contribution guests make for our purified tap water is invested, via the Made Blue Foundation, in water projects in countries including Uganda. Since 2015, this has resulted in millions of liters of clean drinking water for local communities.

During the Travelmediate Summer Event, guests experience this very directly: sustainable catering, Made Blue water bottles, conscious choices in our hospitality, and attention to the social impact we help create together with our guests.

4. Why is the Travelmediate Summer Event such a good fit for this venue? And what can guests expect from Kontakt der Kontinenten at the Summer Event?

The Travelmediate Summer Event is all about meeting, inspiring and connecting. That fits perfectly with what Kontakt der Kontinenten has stood for over more than 65 years: bringing people together in a setting that invites new ideas and meaningful connections.

Guests can look forward to a unique setting surrounded by greenery, surprising historic spaces, excellent facilities and, of course, our worldly hospitality. We want visitors not only to enjoy an inspiring event, but also to experience what makes our venue so special.

5. What are you personally looking forward to most about the Travelmediate Summer Event?

The best part of events like this is the energy that comes from people in the travel and events industry meeting each other. I’m especially looking forward to making new connections, strengthening existing relationships, and introducing guests to our unique venue, our history and our sustainability ambitions.