Amsterdam: Meetings that Strive for Impact and Diversity!

Amsterdam needs no introduction as a top-quality European destination for international conferences, but here at HQ, we always go one level deeper. Between world-class venues, excellent connectivity and a privileged collaborative business network, the Amsterdam Convention Bureau is also paying close attention to home-grown events that bridge the gap to its major industries. Check out the story below.

In 2021, the Amsterdam Convention Bureau (ACB) was re-established as a department of amsterdam&partners, a public-private foundation that aims to strengthen the reputation of the Dutch capital among residents, visitors and businesses. Providing meeting organisers with a reliable partner, the ACB is a valuable one-stop shop and promoter of meeting industry attractions, venues and knowledge institutions.

“Although offering hybrid solutions for meetings is the new norm in the sector, we have seen that many planners prefer to meet in person over the last three years. Offering a smooth customer journey has been a top priority for ACB and our partners, which is why we have intensified our collaboration with the municipality, the city’s knowledge institutes and Metropole’s partners,” says Dennis Speet, ACB Managing Director. As a result, the city now has a unique, quality offer for supplier certification: the ‘I amsterdam approved’ label. A guarantee for large international conferences that the city has enough hotel rooms for its delegates with certification of quality, reliability and good value for money.
 

This prominent destination has a strong event infrastructure adapted to the different needs and demands of meeting planners, and while they continue to value their heritage, the focus is now firmly on the future: “We are prioritising innovation and sustainability, concentrating on organisations aligned with that vision in sectors such as healthcare, artificial intelligence, energy, mobility and the food transition.” Since that reinstatement, the DMO’s priority has been to create a social legacy through events. “We’re learning ‘on the go,’ so we don’t have a solid framework yet. That’s why we’re still trying to better understand the municipality’s ambitions by mapping existing projects and anchoring our legacy efforts in Amsterdam.” According to Speet, the strategic focus is not only on the city’s status as a leading meeting destination, but also on its position as a driver of innovative solutions with a positive impact. “When bidding for events, we focus on organisations, partnerships and initiatives that not only contribute to the growth of our city’s key ecosystems, but also align with our commitment to a more sustainable events landscape,” says Speet.
 

RAI Amsterdam First Venue in Europe with Private 5G Network

In 2025, Amsterdam will celebrate its 750th anniversary. Everything about the city’s history, planning and journey reflects the innovation and visionary heritage that guides its values and purpose. Apparently, this attitude hasn’t changed: “We are always keen to explore the impact that events can have on our city. Our focus is not only to add knowledge to our associated institutes, but also to support concrete and sustainable projects.” Last year, on the occasion of the European Society of Cardiology Congress, ACB worked with its local partners, RAI Amsterdam (the convention centre) which hosted the event, and the bike rental service Yellow Bike, to make it possible for delegates to hire affordable, healthy and sustainable transport. Back in April this year, they supported a home-grown event called Plant FWD, with the aim of facilitating the food transition to a plant-based diet. During Plant FWD Week, around 40 restaurants and meeting industry partners raised awareness of alternatives in catering services by offering a plant-based menu.
 

"We seek to be the connecting link between planners’ objectives, our industry’s offerings, community demands and government policies."

Together with Amsterdam in Business, a department withing Economic Affairs, one of the goals is also to leverage the main strategic ecosystems, from energy transition, agritech and food, to mobility, healthcare and technology. “We have identified many international associations that organise events on these topics and we are working proactively to attract events that are in line with this mission, connecting them with local experts. At the same time, we realise that some of the topics are still finding their place in the industry, so there are no dedicated associations yet,” adds Speet. For this reason, the ACB is strongly committed to the growth and internationalisation of home-grown events, so that Amsterdam can become a hub for these markets. “We collaborate closely with destinations where previous editions of meetings have been held, ensuring that the impact generated locally is replicated and that the experiences and content unlocked previously evolve. We are also open to sharing this knowledge which allows this impact to progress over time.”
 

In 2023, ACB joined the GDS Movement and, with the help of all partners, began scanning all the sustainable projects they are working on. To this end, ACB has developed its recent “Inspiration for Good” campaign, responding to this growing demand for tangible sustainability solutions in the meetings landscape. Known for its progressive and liberal spirit, Amsterdam prides itself on safeguarding its various communities within the principles of freedom, tolerance, diversity and inclusion that were evident in its winning bid to host WorldPride 2026. The partnership with the Global Diversity Alliance brought this dialogue to the forefront, helping them to navigate a complex modus operandi for organising this type of conferences. Fortunately, the municipality of Amsterdam has acknowledged the importance of congresses in setting up certain ecosystems, when experts, companies and talents come together in one room. “Delegates not only contribute to the knowledge economy and the cultural environment here, but they have always been a fundamental pillar of new policies relating to a sustainable visitor economy,” says Speet. Finally, while ACB has initiated several collaborations with technology providers, RAI Amsterdam has become the first convention centre in Europe to have its own private 5G network. Venues and hotels are undergoing a process of hybridisation, and public transport now offers flexible payment methods such as bank cards. “We are now looking at several pilot projects in the city around AI, such as crowd management, accessibility and optimising energy use during large events,” Speet concludes.