Client: ESNS
Project: ESNS Conference
Location: Groningen, NL
Role: Conference Producer (Freelance)
Sytske’s relationship with Eurosonic Noorderslag ESNS stretches back over 15 years and spans multiple roles across production, registration, cashless payments, access control, and ultimately conference coordination. Her current role as freelance Conference Producer involves full-cycle responsibility for the delivery of the ESNS Conference — Europe’s leading platform for new music and industry dialogue.
Originally engaged by ESNS to oversee conference production, Sytske’s contribution quickly expanded. Drawing on her broad skillset and expertise, she helped stabilise operations following internal restructuring, strengthened interdepartmental communication, and contributed to the introducing of systems to improve programme planning and delivery. Her leadership has promoted clarity and cohesion in a complex, multi-venue event setting, while preserving the welcoming, personal feel that defines ESNS.
From involvement in building production and planning systems to reintroducing speedmeeting formats post-pandemic, Sytske’s impact includes ICT, technical execution and strategic development. She works closely with the conference programming team, technical AV & ICT, venue team, partnership, marketing, registration departments and the wider team, helping to shape and refine the public-facing elements of the conference while also supporting financial oversight and maximising operational efficiency.
In her role as conference producer, Sytske has played a pivotal role in implementing structural improvements across the conference. Working in close collaboration with the Oosterpoort Production Team and Registration team, she helped redesign the registration flow — rerouting queues, introducing queue stewarding and adjusting access to reduce congestion and improve the delegate experience. She also collaborated on key venue transitions, such as relocating the Saturday conference programme from the Forum back to the Oosterpoort, and replacing underperforming venues with more suitable alternatives, enhancing both audience comfort and programme flow.
Drawing on her extensive international network and long-standing industry relationships, Sytske has contributed to ESNS’s positioning as a forward-facing platform for the European music sector. Behind the scenes, she has supported conference programming by suggesting speakers, curating panels, taking on the production of crucial elements such as the ESNS Exchange Dinner, the YES GROUP meeting and other regular features outside the main conference programme, whilst managing external expectations, and supporting coherent session planning that reflects ESNS’s identity and values. Her approach combines high-level planning with responsiveness on the ground — bridging strategy and delivery, while remaining attuned to team dynamics and audience experience.
Sustainability, accessibility, and wellbeing are key through-lines in Sytske’s work. Whether advocating for realistic production timelines, championing cross-departmental collaboration, advocating for Mental Health support for delegates, artists and crew, or mentoring younger team members, she consistently fosters a culture of clarity, empathy, and shared responsibility. Her leadership style — equal parts structured and inclusive — ensures the ESNS Conference remains not only relevant and resilient, but also rooted in the idea of progress through partnership.
In 2022, the ESNS Conference, after initially being prepared as an regular, in person event, was last minute changed to a hybrid event. Panel were hosted live in the Oosterpoort and broadcast live on a digital conference platform. Sytske helped steer the transition, navigating online platforms and interactive formats under intense time pressure, with one foot onsite and one online. Her analytic and solution-oriented IT savvy approach ensured the continuation of vital industry conversations and global reach.
Among the many standout moments across the years, the 2023 conference with Dugi and Dua Lipa captured global attention. As one of the highest-profile conference speakers to take the ESNS stage, her presence required an exceptionally sensitive and strategic approach. From crowd planning to media coordination, Sytske played a key role behind the scenes in helping deliver a smooth and impactful session that reinforced ESNS’s place at the forefront of the industry.
The Production Panels co-curated by Sytske in 2024, were a successful addition to the programme, spotlighting behind-the-scenes expertise from across Europe. The same year Sytske successfully advocated for a new venue: Het Poortershoes. Nestled in the heart of Groningen and run by local volunteers, it added a more grounded and intimate feel to the programme — a contrast to the Oosterpoort and a chance to engage with Groningen’s cultural community and history more directly.
Highlights include:
– Successfully introducing a better queue management system at the registration desk
– The annual transformation of the Oosterpoort by the decor and design team
– The special projects like ESNS Science and VR Studio on the Mezzanine level (Paddestoel)
and many more!
Through it all, it’s the people — the core team, returning collaborators, and the extended ESNS family — that make the work special. For Sytske, ESNS remains more than a contract; it’s a creative home and a place to reconnect with old friends, welcome new voices, and build a better future for the European music ecosystem.