Connect Amsterdam - Spring 2024

Foreword

Valuable Encounters and Relationships

The events industry is a dynamic sector focused on creating valuable encounters and building strong relationships. Therefore, in recent years, we have strongly emphasized placing our customers at the center and developing genuine partnerships based on trust and collaboration.

One of the highlights of these efforts is HLTH Europe, of which the very first edition will

take place at our venue in the RAI in June. This has been an outstanding demonstration of our ability to bring together various target audiences. The aim is to deliver an immersive and inspiring event where the entire European healthcare ecosystem converges. I am confident that together we will accomplish this.

An event like HLTH Europe showcases how we generate synergy between different markets and sectors. The RAI is not just a venue but a platform offering unique services and a broad network, striving for maximum added value for our customers. This involves not only trade shows, congresses, and corporate events, but also embracing public events and theatrical productions.

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Diddy Durant Director Global Business Development, RAI Amsterdam

Foreword

My goal is to work from a broad market perspective to cultivate long-term relationships and valuable collaborations, focusing on the top sectors in which the Netherlands excels. As RAI Amsterdam, we have a unique opportunity to make a significant contribution to the Dutch economy by attracting talent, connecting companies, and sharing knowledge.

Content based on an interview by Danica Tormohlen for Trade Show News Network

5 event Food & Beverage trends for 2024

What’s trending in group food and beverage (F&B) as 2024 begins?

We asked Eric Vaughn, executive director of culinary operations for CAESARS FORUM and the Las Vegas region, to share what his F&B team is preparing for events at Caesars Entertainment venues in Las Vegas this year.

Vaughn oversees banquet and culinary operations at various Caesars Entertainment

Las Vegas properties. Caesars Forum is a significant venue with extensive meeting space, which hosted several notable corporate events and trade shows in 2023.

Here are five taste trends Vaughn shared for 2024:

1. Plant-Based Foods

2. Healthy Options

3. Mushroom

4. Small Bites

5. Climate-Conscious Foods

RAI Amsterdam introduces sustainable water taps

Amsterdam, 10 January 2024 - The new water taps at RAI Amsterdam have been launched, a step in the fight against disposable plastic. This new innovation fits seamlessly with RAI’s mission: facilitating sustainable choices for guests and employees. Placed at Entrance C and Entrance K, the water tap points make it easy for visitors and employees to refill their reusable water bottles, reducing the purchase of disposable bottles and plastic pollution.

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Increasing the ROI of your event

Generate value for exhibitors

Online and virtual meetings can never replace live encounters. If the COVID period taught us anything, it’s that inspiring people, strengthening relationships and closing deals are best achieved face-to-face. At the same time, however, exhibitors have become more selective and participating in physical events is no longer a matter-of-course. Exhibitors first need to know what they will receive in return… And you can help them work this out.

Return on Investment is a simple calculation: the results gained from taking part in an exhibition minus the costs involved. The latter investment is easily quantifiable but how can exhibitors determine the return? Read it in our newest whitepaper.

DOWNLOAD THE WHITEPAPER

RAI Amsterdam voted winner in sustainable MT/SPROUT SD400

RAI Amsterdam has achieved the number one position in this year’s SD400 survey by MT/Sprout.

Leading the list in the ‘Media and Information Industry’ category, the RAI scored particularly high on the ecological aspect. But the RAI was also in the top 4 within the social and governance sub-areas.

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RAI Amsterdam wins public award for sustainability 2023

Last year November, the Zuidas Sustainability Prize was awarded for the second time.

The year before, RAI Amsterdam had already received the honor in the “Society” category. This year, the Basement Chefs of RAI Amsterdam proudly received the Zuidas Public Award for Sustainability with the entry “Heart Warming Amsterdam”.

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Content based on an article

by Edwin Nunnink for publique.nl

Occupancy rate of Dutch hotels 12% higher than global average

The occupancy rate of Dutch hotels has risen to 70% in the past year, an increase of 7% compared to the previous year.

This is significantly higher than the global average of 58%. While the Netherlands stands out positively in terms of occupancy rate, it lags behind in online checkin, with only 15% of guests using it compared to, for example, the United Kingdom with 23%. Nevertheless, Dutch hotels achieve spectacular revenue per guest, partly due to creative adjustments in their offerings and the provision of hybrid accommodation options. Upselling, particularly of parking spaces, also contributes to revenue, while global staff turnover in the hotel industry has risen to 44%, making the implementation of efficient technologies increasingly important for focusing attention on guests.

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RAI Amsterdam first venue in Europe with private 5G network

RAI Amsterdam has become the first convention centre in Europe to be equipped with its own private 5G network. This new technology, which only became available in the Netherlands at the start of December, will enable the RAI to take the next steps as a renowned centre of innovation.

“The RAI is increasingly evolving from a traditional exhibition and conference venue into an innovation platform and knowledge centre where events take place”

Bret Baas, Manager IT and Digital at RAI Amsterdam

Its private 5G network, the fastest and most reliable and secure mobile network currently available, will be used for the first time from February 5 to 9 during Cisco Live, one of the world’s largest IT events.

CSR

CSR ambassadors driven for sustainable RAI

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive and eco-friendly meeting place, RAI Amsterdam has developed a new sustainability ambition and strategy for 2024.

Our CSR ambassadors meet regularly to discuss various initiatives and coordinate efforts aimed at integrating sustainability, social engagement and ethical business practices within all aspects of our activities. Bringing various departments together in this way enhances a holistic approach to CSR within the organisation and makes a valuable contribution to the communities of Amsterdam.

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"As a CSR ambassador I am committed to making the RAI’s events and facilities even more sustainable. I was inspired by volunteering for the Donation Room program whereby the RAI collects unwanted items from exhibitors and distributes them to social initiatives. My focus now lies on the optimisation of this concept during events.”

"As a CSR ambassador within the RAI I see my role as part of my daily activities aimed at inspiring colleagues and sharing information on how to further improve our company. A key focus is on making sustainable choices for facility services, with an eye for people, animals and nature.”

"The integration of regular tasks with CSR projects is a key part of my role as a CSR ambassador within the RAI, with an emphasis on social themes and sustainable business operations. Motivated by the need for greater sustainability, my focus is on enabling guests to make eco-friendly choices.”

"Being a CSR ambassador gives me the chance to promote sustainability both within the RAI as a whole and for my specific domain of horticulture. My drive for making conscious choices is aimed at minimising the ecological footprint of all events.”

Maarten Huikeshoven

Facility Manager

Kirsten Caspers Project Manager Events

Henrike van Zanten Sales Executive RAI Hotel Services

Kim Schotborgh Exhibition Manager GreenTech

Shifting

Perspectives:

amsterdam&partners and Municipality of Amsterdam Launch 'Renew your view on Amsterdam'

amsterdam&partners, in collaboration with the City of Amsterdam, launches ‘Renew your view on Amsterdam’, a new image campaign for the city of Amsterdam!

The campaign encourages both visitors and residents to perceive the city in a different light. Initially targeting international visitors, the campaign introduces a novel concept, ‘Renew your view on Amsterdam,’ allowing visitors to see and experience the city as the locals do. The campaign doesn’t focus on attracting more visitors but rather on attracting a different kind of visitor. By shifting the current perspective on Amsterdam, the aim is to engage visitors who enrich the city and contribute positively to the livability of all neighbourhoods.

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Technology changes the game for museums

In recent years, Amsterdam’s museum landscape has undergone a significant transformation driven by advancements in technology.

This shift has seen museums embracing digital innovation to redefine the visitor experience, moving towards immersive, interactive encounters. Spearheaded by initiatives like the Fabrique des Lumières, Amsterdam’s museums are leveraging cutting-edge technology to engage audiences in unprecedented ways, bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds of art and culture.

A new generation of museums in Amsterdam is exploring how today’s technology can provide the means to expand their reach, going beyond online access to engage audiences directly in the physical space of the museum. It’s a back to the future scenario for museums, back to their own four walls with new kinds of experiences based on the technological approach that their visitors are familiar with from other environments.

“People said television is dead, but we said no, television is not dead. It has had babies. The same thing is happening now in the museum world. Together we are broadening the secretary. ”

Patrick

Alders, Directeur, Fabrique des Lumières Amsterdam

The current digitisation of cultural assets, was the necessary first step, to be followed by a new way of curating the museum experience. This implies a shift from the traditional approach to customised and personalised, highly targeted but scalable products and services.

Fabrique des Lumières, een real-life metaverse

Since 2022, The Fabrique des Lumières has been bringing art to life. The leap forward in digital technology has made it possible to present art in a more engaging way. Cuttingedge technology breathes and thrives in the vast open spaces of Amsterdam’s Westergasfabriek to create an immersive art experience. To describe what new museums are bringing to more traditional institutions, Patrick Alders, managing director of Fabrique des Lumières, who comes from the world of television, draws a comparison with the emergence of streaming services.

130 Years of R(A)I

About 130 years ago, on Sunday, December 17, 1893, six bicycle manufacturers and twelve importers gathered at the Haagsche Koffiehuis in Utrecht to establish the Dutch Association ‘De Rijwiel-Industrie’ (RI).

For the first exhibition, a location in Arnhem or The Hague was sought. It was intended to be a national event held once a year, with the motto: ‘unity is strength’. In 1901, the ‘A’ for auto was added to the RI due to the increasing connections between the bicycle and automotive industries. Thus, on January 5, 1901, the ‘RI’ became the renowned ‘RAI’.