The Gatherists :
Cultivating Creative Connections
The Gatherists—founded in 2017 by Marieke Verdenius and her friend, Margot—brings together like-minded individuals over homemade cake, slow drip coffee and specialty tea, fostering genuine connections in an intimate setting. Originally called "Coffee and Cake” and born from their shared love for connecting with other creatives, the gatherings are intended to help freelancers and other creatives recreate the sense of community found in a shared workspace. From its organic beginnings as a small group of friends in Amsterdam, The Gatherists has grown into a vibrant community with 44 gatherings held in inspiring locations, including cities like London, Copenhagen and Florence.
The Gatherists is not a traditional networking event but a space for authentic interactions without a set agenda. Attendees are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and engage in meaningful conversations about personal and professional challenges. Each session features a cozy setup, promoting deep, spontaneous conversations.
We talked with founder, Marieke, about her vision for The Gatherists, how she plans dynamic events again and again and why she believes face-to-face interactions are more important than ever. If you’re looking for real connection—a place where you can share challenges and inspiration, not just business cards (over a good slice of cake, no less)—look no further than The Gatherists.
Text by Annika Bielig-Bussmann & Marieke Verdenius
Imagery courtesy by Marieke Verdenius
The Gatherists.” Who came up with the name for the gatherings and can you share what The Gatherists is all about? Who is the face behind The Gatherists? The Gatherists began in 2017 when my friend Margot and I came up with the idea to plan a gathering centered around friends, cake and coffee. Margot and I both lived in Amsterdam but actually met via Instagram. We both enjoyed connecting with other creatives and hosting events and were both good food and coffee lovers. As a fresh freelancer, I longed for the connection I once shared with coworkers. Our encounter with numerous talented creatives on social media sparked the idea of bringing together like-minded individuals with whom we might never cross paths due to our hectic schedules.
Initially named Coffee and Cake(!), our event quickly evolved into The Gatherists, a title that captures the essence of our concept so much better. That’s when we decided to organize something without any set agenda or speaker; anyone curious can join, and people usually attend alone. It challenges you to step out of your comfort zone at these intimate events. To this day, the mornings include a cozy setup with a large table dressed with carefully selected tableware, a homemade cake and slow drip coffee and specialty tea.
You started as a small group of friends and freelancing creatives and grew to a creative, like-minded community. You meet regularly with like-minded creatives to share what you are working on and struggling with and to inspire each other. You usually have no agenda or end goal and keep it a casual gathering over coffee and cake. What are your core values for these small gatherings? The Gatherists wasn’t born as a networking event, but more of a way to connect with (creative) people that you’re interested in getting to know—people that you’ve perhaps admired for some time or felt inspired by that you are able to meet at one of the gatherings.
But not in an unnatural way. We all are human and we all have our struggles in our personal life and in our careers, even if all we see on social media is how successful everyone seems to be. All of these topics are openly talked about, without any shame or guilt, because we all recognize ourselves in each other. I believe that is very valuable.
Your gatherings are always offline in a small setting. What would you say are the benefits of face-to-face gatherings vs. online settings? What are some things we can only experience when we are in person together? You simply can't compare face-to-face connections to online experiences. The energy when people come together, especially in an intimate setting, is incomparable. We start our gatherings with a brief introduction round, where everyone shares something about themselves.
This reveals common fields of interest through personal stories. People are eager to share, especially because they are drawn to the concept of The Gatherists. The beauty lies in the unexpected—who you'll meet and what may come from it. I’ve heard many stories about people who started working together after meeting each other here, as well as newborn friendships. It gives me so much joy, because it means that people do meet up with like-minded creatives that they otherwise would never have met, but also: that it is still so much needed to connect in real life. Maybe even more than ever before.
Are there some topics that tend to get discussed more in an offline setting than online? I believe a group conversation is much more engaging and dynamic, especially when you can enjoy each other's company around a table or over a cup of coffee. The interaction is richer and more spontaneous compared to online conversations where usually there is just one person talking. One-to-one discussions or joining ongoing conversations bring a different kind of connection that is hard to replicate online.
I’ve noticed that the physical presence and shared experience of being in the same room adds depth and warmth to the interaction. And, of course, this also has an influence on what topics are talked about. It is much more diverse, sometimes en group and sometimes in a setting of two or three people.
You started in the Netherlands and celebrated your 43rd gathering in April. Are your gatherings solely in the Netherlands or do you have co-hosts in other countries? Yes, it is unbelievable almost: we just hosted our 44th edition, and I believe we’ve had over 350 guests so far! Together with Margot, I’ve organized many joyful editions, and since 2019 I have been hosting them with other friends.Usually they took place at my atelier, but the last couple of years we also traveled around the country to other locations, like the studio of a ceramicist, a concept store, the workshop of a woodworker, a coffee brewery and the atelier of a perfumer. Sometimes I even travel abroad, because I’ve met so many people from all over the world since I started The Gatherists. So far I’ve traveled to London, Copenhagen, Florence and Edinburgh.
This year I am hoping to organize another edition abroad, maybe in Antwerp, Milan or Berlin because I already have connections with people that I’d like to host it with. Let’s see!
When you first started The Gatherists, you all met in your atelier. Now, you invite friends to be co-hosts. Can you share more about the locations where you meet? What is special about the locations, and can people contact you if they think they have a great location? The locations are very important, but to me the most important is the co-host. And if the co-host has a beautiful studio where we can organize our gathering, then that is great! The location must be inspiring and inviting, but I am not hosting them just for the location. All co-hosts have joined an edition of The Gatherists before we plan one together, because that’s how they get a sense of the concept. So, whoever is interested in hosting one with me, I kindly invite you to join an edition first to get the vibe.
How often are the gatherings held? I think it is nice to do them when it suits my calendar. Recently, I moved out of my studio, transforming the concept into a more traveling version rather than hosting them exclusively at my own space. For this year, my goal is to organize six events, but I am flexible and willing to do fewer or perhaps even more if the opportunity arises organically. But still, it gives me a tremendous amount of energy to continue hosting them together with others.
Do you ask that phones and content creation be off limits throughout the gatherings or do you encourage attendees to utilize the gatherings as a time to create content, gain exposure and learn from each other?We don't set rules against using phones or making content at our gatherings. People get so engrossed in conversations that they typically don't think about it. It's nice to put our phones aside for a while and really listen to each other. Everyone is welcome to share what they like.
Your own photography is timeless and detail oriented, bright and inviting. When planning a gathering, do you look for other attendees who match your style and your profession or do you aim to have a mix of different creative fields and styles?
The individuals who are attracted to the idea and the visual appeal come from various professional backgrounds. I appreciate having a diverse group consisting of individuals from different walks of life, both male and female. All that is required is an openness to connecting with others and an appreciation for the concept to become part of this slowly growing community!
What is your vision for the next few years for The Gatherists? There are so many ways to develop the concept into something larger, but I must admit that I love the simplicity of The Gatherists too. This is what makes it kind of easy to organize, because the formula hasn’t changed since the beginning. So, the original version is still working, and I hope to do many more, also in other countries. But besides that, it’s nice to occasionally collaborate with like-minded brands too. We did one 1.5 years ago with KINTO (a Japanese brand for tableware), and it was lovely. I am open to planning more of these in the upcoming years!