The building had been dressed specially for the event. The courtyard was like a scene from The Prisoner, with clouds of huge, floating white globes, the ground studded with dozens of paper lanterns illuminated by candles. The bar/dining area was all in white with sand on the floor and had a kind of bond villain hideout vibe. The floor which we used for most of the speeches and presentations had been entirely carpeted with real grass.  (Large quantities of grass being just what you expect in Amsterdam.)