Helping scientific communities grow through meaningful knowledge exchange
We support scientific societies, medical associations and international knowledge organisations — organising the congresses where their communities meet, and building the structures that keep those communities strong between them.
We believe knowledge changes the world. Progress begins when people come together — when scientists challenge ideas,
when professionals share experience, when leaders, researchers and innovators meet face-to-face to learn from one another. That is where meaningful change happens.
At Klinkhamer, we create the conditions for those moments to thrive — supporting scientific societies, associations and institutes not simply by organising events, but by building platforms for knowledge exchange, collaboration and growth.
Because while technology can connect us, meaningful relationships are built when people meet. Knowledge shared. Communities strengthened. Lives touched.
Small by choice, not by accident
Klinkhamer was founded in 2008 — but not from a business plan. It came from years spent inside international congresses, watching what worked and, more often, what didn't: the handoffs, the vendors who'd never met the audience, the associations left to figure out governance on their own once the closing session ended.
What started as congress management grew, deliberately, into something broader. Associations we worked with for a single event started asking us to stay involved — with their membership, their board, their long-term strategy. So we built that capability too, rather than referring it elsewhere.
We could have scaled that into a large, layered agency. We chose not to. Every association we've supported for years is a reminder that the model we started with — small, senior, involved — is the one worth keeping.
Four things clients notice within the first month
Senior-led projects
Every project is led from bid to closing session by the same senior team member — no handovers, no learning curve partway through.
Congresses + associations
We understand both the single event and the organisation behind it — congress management and association management, under one roof.
Technology under one roof
Registration, abstract handling, event websites and reporting — built by our design studio and a development team dedicated exclusively to us.
Financial control
Full budget oversight and risk management on every project, from initial forecast through to final reconciliation.
Organisations where the congress is the community
What these organisations have in common isn't size or budget — it's that their congress is inseparable from their mission. For a scientific society, the annual meeting is the community, once a year, in one room.
We're chosen by organisations that need a partner who treats it that way too — not as one event among many on a delivery schedule.
Leadership that stays close to the work
Niels Klinkhamer
Niels founded Klinkhamer in 2008, bringing years of hands-on experience in international congress organisation into the company from day one. He stays closely involved in client relationships and the direction of every project — not a distant owner running the business from the sidelines.
Robbin Grouwels
Robbin has worked in the congress industry for over 16 years and has been a shareholder of Klinkhamer since 2018. He is responsible for the internal organisation, marketing & communications and process optimisation of the company, helping ensure that both clients and project teams benefit from efficient structures, clear communication and continuous improvement.
Why these credentials matter to you, not just us
An internationally recognised standard
IAPCO accreditation means our congress management practices are independently benchmarked — so you're not relying on our word alone.
Consistency across the whole team
We're working toward full CMP accreditation across our project management team, so every project manager on your congress meets the same recognised standard.
Local access, when it matters
Our partnerships with the Maastricht, Brainport Eindhoven and Rotterdam convention bureaus give us direct access to venues and local expertise your congress may need.
Continuity, trust, and less to explain each time
Most of our long-term relationships didn't start as long-term relationships — they started as a single congress. What kept us involved afterwards wasn't a sales pitch. It was that the team already understood the association's governance, its board dynamics and its members, before anyone had to explain it to someone new.
That's the real value of staying with one partner: you stop re-explaining your organisation every year, and start building on what your last congress achieved instead of starting from zero.
Looking for a partner who understands both your congress and your association?
Tell us what you're working on, and we'll get back to you with next steps — no generic proposal, just a conversation with the team that would actually be involved.