ABOUT US
Gain Momentum exists to strengthen the people who carry the night. We believe quality in nightlife doesn’t happen by accident.
It lives in basic skills in clear roles; shared standards; accountability; calm under pressure.
Creating conditions where chaos can exist safely. Where creativity can thrive; intensity doesn’t turn into instability.
We believe professionalism protects culture. Because when the structure is strong, the underground can stay wild. When communication is clear, artists can take risks. When teams trust each other, nights can go further.
Gain Momentum is building a framework.
A shared language for those working behind the scenes.
A culture where responsibility is taken seriously.
And where the people holding the night are supported, trained and valued.
Better structure doesn’t reduce freedom.
It creates space for it.
Chaos can stay.
We’ll manage.
Anke Straten (1997) entered the Dutch event industry from the ground up, starting with volunteering and small production roles before moving into stage management, club operations, and artist logistics.
Over more than a decade of hands-on work across the Benelux, she experienced both the energy and the pressure that define nightlife.
Long hours, blurred boundaries, and the intensity of live environments shaped her understanding of the field, but also confronted her with the less visible sides of the industry.
After a period of burnout, she began to reflect on what sustainable work in nightlife could look like, and what kind of support was missing for the people behind the scenes.
Her research at HKU Art & Economics (Event & Music Management) grew from this personal experience. Instead of focusing only on creativity or production, she explored how structure, care, and shared standards could improve working conditions without losing the spirit of nightlife.
This led to the development of the Stage Manager Training, created in collaboration with venues, festivals, technicians, work field experts, agents, artist and other event freelancers as a bridge between learning and working in the field.
Gain Momentum continues from that same motivation. It brings together professionals, educators, and event workers to translate lived experience into practical learning. The aim is not only to improve quality on the floor, but also to support the people who carry the night, with more awareness, stronger communication, and healthier ways of working.
Through our educational program, community space, and hands-on experience via temporary freelance jobs, we explore the event landscape together. Our focus is on the core: flawless execution and we prepare you thoroughly.
Always with care.
