8 April 2025
Proef Amersfoort: More Flavor, More Experience, Less Hassle
Event type
Culinair festival
Visitors
10.000
Duration
5 days
Services
Payment (closed)
Proef Amersfoort is not a food truck event. Forget the quick bite and long queues at mobile trucks. This free culinary event is all about flavor, experience, and connection. Visitors are given the opportunity to sample dishes from thirteen renowned restaurants in the region. Think of it as a short restaurant visit, but in a vibrant, open setting where you can enjoy both a starter and an intermediate course from your favorite chefs. Atmosphere, interaction, and the intimate setting you normally only find in a restaurant take center stage here.
Timo Braeken
Organization Proef Amersfoort
The story and the driving forces behind it
For 30 years, Proef Amersfoort has been a household name. What once started as a small-scale event has now grown into a five-day culinary festival that attracts 25,000 visitors every year during the final weekend of Ascension Day. Not because it has to, but because it is driven by love and passion. That is exactly how Timo, the driving force behind Proef, sees it. He took over the event entirely in 2018, after having been involved in the organization for six years prior.
As an experienced event planner with his own agency, he knows better than anyone how important details are. Safety, organization, and financial structures—all of it needed to become more professional. One of the first things he wanted to tackle together with the organization? The hassle of cash payments and paper vouchers. The crew sometimes spent days in advance preparing envelopes with standard bundles of 5 or 10 vouchers. That had to change.
The birth of Keitje 2.0
Ten years ago, the organization introduced the now well-known Proef Pass. No more loose cash, no paper vouchers, but a convenient payment card with a fictional currency: “Keitjes.” A playful nod to Amersfoort, also known as the “Keistad” (Boulder City). This card made things easier for everyone involved: visitors, restaurateurs, the crew, and the organization itself. Faster payments, fewer errors, reduced fraud, and real-time insight into revenue.
A step forward with a new payment partner
But technology never stands still. In 2024, Timo decided it was time to take the next step and switch to a new cashless payment system in collaboration with Tactile. The previous payment solution, which was innovative at the time, had begun to show its limitations. The interface was cumbersome, the hardware outdated, and there were too many steps involved for both visitors and the organization.
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With the cashless payment system of Tactile, a modern, fast, and user-friendly solution was introduced. Visitors can easily top up their balance themselves by scanning a QR code, instead of waiting in line. Through a personal portal, they have real-time insight into their balance and spending throughout the day. This prevents confusion or discussions with restaurateurs if someone unexpectedly runs out of credit sooner than expected.
Although Tactile has extensive experience in the festival and food truck scene, Proef Amersfoort presented a new kind of challenge. Here, it’s less about speed and volume of transactions, and more about the overall experience and personal attention. With a few smart adjustments to their system and a different mindset, Tactile is once again ready to support Proef this year.
The same recipe, always surprising
And as always, Timo goes all out. This year features even more participating restaurants and a raised terrace, elevating the look and feel of the event to an even higher level. Proef Amersfoort continues to evolve, but one thing never changes: the love for great food and an unforgettable culinary experience.
