Founded in 2020 by Niels Brugman (formerly Director of Sales at Corendon Hotels & Resorts, Hotel van Oranje) and Floris Looij (formerly Head of Sales at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts), Clique began as a hotel-neutral networking concept in the Netherlands, bringing together senior MICE sales and marketing professionals in relaxed, invite-only settings.
After two years of pandemic delays, the first Clique Borrel event launched in April 2022, attracting more than 100 attendees and setting the tone for a series of successful events across the Netherlands. Clique has since expanded internationally, hosting two sold-out showcases at IBTM Barcelona in 2024 and 2025, and establishing a vetted, invite-only online community for year-round networking.
From networking nights to a full-service agency
Now, in partnership with Greg Taylor, formerly Head of Marketing at M&I, the Clique founders are taking the next step with The Clique Agency – delivering specialist MICE marketing, business development, and sales strategy. Between them, Niels, Floris, and Greg bring over 50 years of combined experience in the MICE industry, giving the agency unparalleled insight into the needs of planners, buyers, and suppliers.
“Almost every sales director we speak to is overrun – I’ve been one, so I know it only too well,” said Niels Brugman, Clique co-founder. “They’re wearing two hats – sales and marketing – without the time or support to do either properly. Too often, the solution is using a generalist agency that promises miracles but doesn’t truly understand MICE. That leads to diluted storytelling, weak positioning, and wasted budgets. We’re here to change that.”
Brugman added. “With The Clique Agency, we’re offering a partner that combines strategy, storytelling, and execution – all focused on delivering measurable results for MICE brands.”
Greg Taylor, who joins as a partner, commented: “After a decade leading marketing at M&I, I’ve seen how many MICE campaigns fail to convert due to outdated approaches or a lack of specialist insight. I’d wanted to do this for a while and found the perfect partners in Floris and Niels. The Clique Agency gives brands a team that understands the industry, speaks the language of planners, and delivers campaigns that truly drive business.”
“We’re in an era where B2B marketing is evolving and aligning more closely with B2C, but MICE marketing hasn’t kept pace. Every hotel, destination, and venue has a unique story to tell. I’ve worked with hundreds of partners worldwide, and bringing those stories to life has always been my passion. Now, I’m excited to help brands tell those stories better.”
Taylor added that this challenge is becoming more acute as the MICE landscape grows increasingly competitive and experience-led. “Hotels and traditional venues are no longer competing only with each other – they’re competing with museums, studios, rooftops, pop-ups, and purpose-built experiential spaces. For decades, hotels led the market because they controlled space and sleeping rooms. That advantage is disappearing. Modern MICE events are faster, more experience-driven, and far less tied to room blocks. Venues that fail to market their flexibility, personality, and unique spaces are losing business – not because they’re irrelevant, but because they’re invisible. The Clique Agency helps brands reposition themselves for how planners actually buy today.”
About Clique
Clique is a curated, invite-only professional network for MICE professionals. Through a year-round calendar of events, an online community, and specialist business support via The Clique Agency, Clique connects like-minded professionals in a focused, high-quality environment.
The agency has already begun working with several clients, strengthening MICE positioning, improving campaign effectiveness, and driving measurable commercial outcomes.
To view the full service offering, visit www.clique-network.com/agency.
