Full circle

As the first city in the world to adopt the doughnut economic model - a framework which balances a social foundation that ensures a good standard of living for all with respect for the limits of the planet’s life-supporting systems - Amsterdam is breaking new ground.

It’s always been known as a progressive hub but now it’s taking huge leaps, pledging to become completely emission-free city by 2030 and to have evolved a fully circular economy by 2050.

Sustainability is at the heart of many sectors from fashion to farming – and central to its events scene: a huge number of venues and hotels are opting for green energy and committing to slashing food waste. Its biggest convention venue, RAI Amsterdam, for example, is heated via a district heating based on waste heat recovered from industry and this year pledged to make its outdoor buildings even more sustainable in the years ahead.

This approach is rightfully earning global praise: Amsterdam topped a list of European Sustainable Cities in 2021 and was named Time Out’s second-best city in the world the same year.

Add this to the fact that it’s one of the most accessible cities in the world, according to a global survey of 3,500 tourists with disabilities, and you’ve got a gold (or green) standard for meetings and events that bring about positive change.

“Amsterdam is a city where business events can find inspiration, collaboration and innovation. With its progressive and liberal spirit, its extensive knowledge network, and its world-leading science and technology hubs, Amsterdam is the perfect place for conferences to create a better future and leave a lasting legacy,” says Bart Antonissen, account manager for Amsterdam Convention Bureau.

And the bureau is putting its money where its mouth is with support for conferences in life sciences and health, tech and AI, smart mobility, circular construction, food/ agritech and energy transition that intend to create a positive impact on the city.

A variety of venues

Amsterdam's hotel scene has added an extra 750 rooms in the past year and now offers almost 42,000 rooms in more than 500 properties. In keeping with its ethos, more than 70 hotels (comprising well over half of all hotel beds in Amsterdam) hold a Green Key certification, highlighting their commitment to adhere to the strict criteria set by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

Check out Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam which was among the Netherlands' first energy-neutral hotels; its meeting rooms offer great views over the river on one side and its indoor garden full of towering palm trees on the other, and can be combined to host some 225 delegates. Or the historic Beurs van Berlage takes booking for a minimum of 200 people: they are Green Globe™ certified and can help with everything from reducing food waste to going paperless.

For five-star class, you can't beat the Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam; the Meetings Space are headed there in July for their next forum. Its meeting spaces can host up to 1,500; if you're headed there in summertime, ask about events in the Summergarden, on the rooftop terrace, or on a canal boat moored at its pier.

What they say:

Julia Phillips, event director at Potting Shed Events, has the inside track on Amsterdam with her three venue tips:

• De Kromhouthal: An incredible industrial warehouse of over 5000 sqm that has been turned into an event space.  Accessible by boat, it is a unique and unusual venue option.

• De Kas restaurant: Located in a group of 1920s greenhouses, this remarkable restaurant has a wonderfully seasonal menu. The Garden Room is newly renovated and can be hired for small groups up to 20).

• A’DAM lookout: Right at the top of this building is Europe’s highest swing…

Case study: beautiful setting brings Insta appeal for finance conference

The stunning Koepelkerk, a 17th-century Lutheran church by the Singel canal, was the setting for the second Annual Global Summit on Sustainability and ESG in Taxation, which saw 150 delegates attend from 12 countries in October. The first summit was held in London but, as the world's number one for green finance, Amsterdam was the ideal destination for its second iteration, explains Michele Costa, conference director – head of international tax portfolio at Informa Connect. "To grow our conference in a more sustainable way was of paramount importance for us. The number of large corporations headquartered in the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, coupled with great transport links via the Eurostar as well as Schiphol made this a very easy decision."

The photogenic venue also meant plenty of posts on social media, she adds: "Visual communication in the age of LinkedIn and Instagram is so important, and Amsterdam is one of those destinations that tick all the right boxes, so I am sure we will be back to this great city again soon."