. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For community, city and society

RAI Amsterdam contributes to the prosperity of Amsterdam and its hinterland as well as society as a whole, and the events bring revenue into the city. In 2020, Ecorys was commissioned by the City of Amsterdam to research the economic value of the RAI for the city. Based on the figures of 2019 when we had a turnover of around 690 million euros, the RAI’s added value represented some 580 million euros and employment for 6,300 FTEs. On average, one euro of turnover in the RAI generates eight euros for the region.

At the same time, we are aware that our activities utilise natural resources, take up space, produce sound and effect society in other ways. We try to keep the negative impact of major events on daily life in the neighbourhood, the wider surroundings and society as a whole to a minimum, continue to look for ways to increase our social contribution, and have an active dialogue with our stakeholders. A selection of our many initiatives in this field is provided below.

dialogue about activities and developments around the RAI

door-to-door and/or email

4,200 parking spaces

Surrounding

Neighbourhood Under the name 'RAI council', the City of Amsterdam and RAI Amsterdam organised four neighbourhood meetings for local businesses and residents in 2020, there of which were held online due to the pandemic. Topics discussed included the developments on the Wielingenstraat side of the RAI, the renovated Hall 5, the environmental zoning, the taxi policy and the overall logistics of the RAI.

Neighbourhood letters Three neighbourhood letters were distributed during the course of the year to inform residents about the latest developments in and around the RAI. They were handed out door-to-door among 12,000 households. Around 600 residents received their newsletter by email.

Topics discussed in 2020 included visitor traffic during events in the first quarter of the year, safety and the application of measures to combat COVID at the RAI, and social initiatives for the neighbourhood.

Traffic and parking RAI Amsterdam has 4,200 parking spaces, around 200 of which are under the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel. Some 38 of our parking spaces at the RAI have charging stations for electric vehicles. Concentrating parking spaces on the premises strengthens our position by increasing customer satisfaction, stimulating smooth traffic flows and reducing any nuisance to the neighbourhood.

park in the RAI garages and discover Amsterdam by bike

many activities focused on stimulating use of public transport, enhancing traffic flow and reducing nuisance

better communication on

timing, routes and loading/unloading

environmental zone and RAI

Amsterdam The concept of registration-based payment for parking reduces the use of physical tickets. It has already decreased the number of tickets by 50% and stimulates the flow at peak times, which in turn reduces the traffic on surrounding streets.

On days when there are no large events, parking garages P1 to 4 are open as a P+R option for the city. They are accessible at an attractive rate to visitors to Amsterdam who can then travel further into the city by bike, tram, metro, bus or taxi.

Since the summer of 2020, bicycles provided by Hello-Bike can be booked in the parking webshop and combined with a parking pass if required. The bikes can be collected at the P4 garage.

In partnership with Stichting Hello Zuidas and Hello-Bike, a corporate Park & Bike membership is also available for business travellers. This allows them to park their car at the RAI and continue to their office on a shared Hello-Bike bicycle.

We deploy various measures to reduce excessive car traffic around the complex:

Proactively stimulating the use of public transport to offer clients an alternative to driving. Deals that combine tickets to exhibitions and transport, offered in partnership with public transport companies NS and GVB, are more convenient and cheaper for visitors. Smoother service provision via our parking webshop, with more than 100,000 online transactions in 2020. Use of neighbourhood traffic controllers on busy days. Partnerships with NS, GVB and Taxicentrale Amsterdam (TCA). Facilitating bike rentals. During exhibitions for which busy build-up and/or breakdown periods are expected, 15,000 m² of external premises in Westpoort (outside the Amsterdam ring-road) are used as a buffer zone. Incoming traffic is directed to this area, where the vehicles are registered and then invited to drive through to RAI Amsterdam in an orderly fashion. This significantly spreads lorry traffic around the RAI and the buffer facilities can accommodate 90 trucks.

In 2020 we decided to implement a Truck Appointment System (TAS). This allows us to manage truck transport from departure to arrival and help drivers optimise their journey, ensuring they reach their final destination at the right time and preventing stagnation when they arrive. The aim is to further reduce the number of vehicles roaming in the neighbourhood and any congestion caused by cargo transport.

Changes were made to the environmental zones in Amsterdam in 2020 as part of the 'Clean Air’ action plan designed to make transportation in the city emission-free by 2030. RAI Amsterdam is now situated in an environmental zone except for our access road on the ring road side that leads to garages P1-P6 and nhow Amsterdam RAI. This exception was arranged together with the council to allow vehicles which cannot enter the city from the A10 to turn around. The impact of the environmental measures on the RAI is limited: nearly all cargo transport, buses and taxis comply with the environmental zone regulations.

renovation of Amsterdam RAI

train station

two noise exemption permits requested, careful monitoring of sound standard

donation programme The renovation of the Amsterdam RAI train station was completed in 2020, with reopening taking place after completion of the bicycle shed in March. This major public transport hub has been expanded with a spacious, transparent and integrated station hall for metro and train that allows travellers to easily transfer between the various means of transportation.

Noise We try to prevent excessive noise as much as possible using a so-called acoustic map. This enables us to accurately predict when we need to apply for a noise exemption permit – four such permits are allowed per year. Monitoring the standards enables us to take preventive measures when necessary. The acoustic map was used twice in 2020. Two complaints were received (2019: 19) related to two events (2019: 3) for which a noise exemption permit was requested. These complaints were submitted to us, the environmental service and the Amsterdam South district council. All other events were within the noise standards of the RAI environmental permit and caused no disturbance to our neighbours.

City and society

While stimulating the economy and development in the city, our influence has a much broader scope than finance alone. Our responsible and sustainable HR policy generates a greater social return for the city of Amsterdam. We are involved in various initiatives focused on creating more opportunities for unemployed youth (work agreement for tackling youth unemployment) and people with occupational disabilities, and our social matchmaking programme is aimed at further increasing our added value to society. Our heartwarming Amsterdam programme purchases local and fair trade ingredients, and our future vision will see us transformed into an attractive meeting place for everyone. A number of initiatives are highlighted below, others can be found via rai.nl/mvo.

Social matchmaking

Linking social issues and demands to suitable solutions resulting from our activities helps us find options for adding social value to the (unused) value of our business.

An event is the ideal place to attract attention to social challenges in the sector or community related to that event. We always look for opportunities to link events to relevant social initiatives, and explore the options for organising a donation programme that links demands from associated social initiatives to leftover materials and/or products. In 2020 we organised a Donation Room during Horecava, ISE and the Huishoudbeurs, where exhibitors could donate materials and products for reuse on the final exhibition days.

University of Amsterdam lectures

The UvA Amsterdam Business School used the Forum Centre for lectures for five weeks in November and December 2020. These lectures were attended physically and online. We developed a special educational COVID package with a classroom setup that ensured sufficient distance between attendees, Wi-Fi and a special parking rate of just five euros.

We have accommodated many exams and examinations throughout the years, and have plenty of halls and rooms to ensure safe and responsible education in a time of COVID-19.

We actively invest in partnerships with a long-lasting character, including working together with the ROC Amsterdam College in various areas. A good example is the establishment of a hybrid learning environment aimed at securing a high-quality hospitality standard. The co-creation worked on setting up a two-year educational programme (BBL) in Food & Beverage at level 2. The RAI chose to offer the study to refugees with a residence permit. The course was due to start in 2020 after a successful pilot with interns in 2019 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19. Students from the Urban Sport Trainer class were able to benefit from our empty spaces and parking garages for training purposes in 2020.

long-term relationship with ROC Amsterdam

sourced from local region and city

long-term relationship with Salvation Army

Farmers for Neighbours Discussions to provide space to student chefs to gain practical experience started in late 2020. In early 2021, 16 students from various levels began their training at the RAI. They are taught by their own teachers in a professional environment and supervised by two RAI chefs who are authorised to act as instructors.

Heartwarming Amsterdam

The ‘Heartwarming Amsterdam’ project deployed in our kitchens showcases a deliberate choice to work with regional products. The concept is aimed at offering RAI visitors a taste of Amsterdam via more organic and regional products. We also support local and sometimes vulnerable producers who depend on clients like the RAI. We now have a substantial network of local suppliers with products that offer added value to the Amsterdam metropolitan region or society in general. Care farms for outings or education, small local farms, urban greenhouses and dairy farms in the region are seen both as suppliers and a key source of inspiration.

This supports vulnerable products in our urban region while enabling us to offer people a chance to enjoy distinctive products grown in the region and dependent on the season. In addition, keeping the route and distance between production and consumption as short as possible helps reduce our CO emissions.

2

Our Basement Chefs contribute to the welfare of the city’s residents. They have been preparing a weekly three-course lunch, creatively composed of remaining food that can still be used, for up to 50 people in a Salvation Army neighbourhood centre since 2018. From 2020, leftover food products are also being used for a new project with the Salvation Army. Deep-frozen food products that could not be used in time due to the COVID pandemic were instead used to provide around 100 homeless people with a weekly hot meal. The Salvation Army soup bus distributes these meals from three locations in Amsterdam.

The partnership with the Salvation Army is of a long-term nature and our chefs maintain close contact with the organisers in order to provide help whenever possible. “We are constantly looking for ways to deploy our expertise, products and facilities, both for the city and for our partners and local suppliers,” explains RAI Amsterdam executive chef Rientz Mulder. “We recently made tomato soup from tomatoes from the Osdorp urban farm and chicken soup from Rondeel free-range chickens. Both soups were made for the Hogerlust care farm to sell, which is a great way to support local suppliers and the farm at the same time.”

Rabobank Amsterdam started the Farmers for Neighbours initiative in partnership with the council to encourage local farmers to provide healthy and affordable potatoes, vegetables and fruit on a structural basis to vulnerable households in the city. This spontaneous initiative arose out of the acute demand resulting from the COVID crisis. Since September the RAI has been providing space to store food, put together the food packages and distribute them throughout the city. By the end of 2020 the initiative had a database of some 1750 clients, and each delivery involved 275 to 375 orders consisting of 400 to 600 crates and boxes.

Farmers for Neighbours

long-term relationship with Regenboog Group Open houses and homeless shelters like those run by De Regenboog Group in Amsterdam have been busier than ever during the pandemic. The need to ensure sufficient social distancing has led to a lack of space and increased the time that homeless people are forced to stay outside. The RAI made various donations during 2020. In the warm summer months, De Regenboog Group was provided with leftover soft drinks, while the winter saw us supply clean (pre-worn) clothing left in the RAI or donated by our employees. Staff also registered as volunteers for De Regenboog Group.

COVID-19 testing and vaccination programme

As of June 2020 - Social interest Domain: Medical

Since 2 June 2020, we have been accommodating the municipal health service GGD while they test people for COVID-19 on their bikes, on foot or from their car. People with mild symptoms could schedule a test at the RAI by making an appointment via the free national helpline.

“Despite the difficult times for event venues, the municipality was able to count on RAI Amsterdam,” said Simone Kukenheim, Amsterdam alderman for Care, Youth, Vocational Education & Training and Sport. “The RAI played an important part in the rapid upscaling in the number of COVID tests, and now, in 2021, facilitating the vaccination process. Moreover, it provides all the facilities the GGD needs to do their work in a COVID-proof way. The city and I are grateful for the excellent cooperation.”

Over 400,000 people were tested for COVID-19 at the RAI in 2020 via the regular PCR or rapid flow tests provided by TNO. During 2021 part of the PCR testing facilities will be replaced by new breathalyser tests. The vaccination of health care workers at the RAI started on 11 January, which marked a major step forward in combatting the COVID pandemic. An extension of the contract with GGD will allow continued COVID-19 testing and vaccinating in the long term.

3,750 dinner boxes for Christmas

reduced energy consumption due to lack of events

solar roof supplies approx. 3.14 TJ of energy

EarthCheck 4.0 certification

gas consumption nearly ended In partnership with the Resto van Harte restaurant chain we produced 3,750 three-course dinner boxes for ‘The largest Christmas feast in the Netherlands’ just before Christmas. This live online event by the KRO/NCRV broadcasters brought together people virtually who were alone or lonely during the Christmas period. The dinner boxes were picked up on 23 December from various Resto VanHarte locations in the Netherlands.

Sustainable venue

Environment

reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions The lack of events due to the pandemic resulted in significant consumption reductions in 2020. The need to make extra savings also saw us shut down as much equipment as possible, excluding anything required to keep the convention centre safely open. In the same year we also returned electricity to the grid via our solar panels for the first time – a total of 8,968 kWh.

All energy consumed by the RAI is green power without a CO2 footprint. We receive certificates from Centriq confirming the purchase from provider Vattenfall of green power generated via water power in Scandinavia.

We have no less than 1,806 solar panels available, including 1,632 panels on the roof of Hall 8. Hall 8 measures 12,000 m² and more than 60% of its roof surface is covered in panels – the maximum proportion allowed given its structure and use. The roof of the Amtrium accommodates an additional 174 panels.

A total of 2,164 panels have been placed on the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel as part of a system taken into use in the spring of 2019. As the generated energy is provided to and used by the hotel, this does not affect our CO2 footprint.

In 2020, the solar panels produced 3.142 terajoules of energy.

Like many other companies, the RAI has previously been subject to energy audits to prove we are implementing sustainable energy savings in relation to the increasingly strict European energy legislation and regulations (EED). The transition to the EarthCheck 4.0 certification means no more energy audits will be necessary.

District heating vs. gas consumption Gas consumption has dropped considerably in recent years and was practically zero in 2020 due to the lack of events and pandemic. We have switched to a more sustainable district heating. The NUON pipeline has a capacity of up to 12 MWh, which is sufficient for us to, in time, entirely switch to district heating. On balance, we used 27,865 terajoules of energy from district heating and 20 gigajoules of gas.

adapted calculation model scope increased

waste management: zero waste, reduction, separation and reuse CO2 footprint We have been calculating our carbon footprint since 2012. The calculation method was evaluated in 2019 under the supervision of an energy consulting firm and various changes were made to the principles. Our total emission is approx. 4,500 tonnes of CO Switching 2. from gas to district heating has led to a major reduction in our CO2 footprint. District heating, which is distributed via the city grid, is a more sustainable energy source than natural gas as it is based on the residual heat produced during industrial processes, power generation and/or waste separation.

Waste management The RAI aims to consume and produce in a sustainable way, and everything possible is done to prevent waste. Where unavoidable we work closely with partner CSU and subcontractor Beelen to enable high-quality recycling and avoid landfill.

Where possible, the RAI applies the ‘polluter pays’ principle. This means that the parties who produce waste are responsible for its proper separation – separated waste is more sustainable and cheaper than unseparated waste. We also use reusable materials whenever possible and actively search for market demands outside of the RAI to ensure valuable residual streams are identified and repurposed and the entire chain is involved. The donation programme mentioned at the start of this chapter is a good example.

Certifications

In 2020 we were successfully recertified for ISO-9001 (Quality management), ISO-14001 (Environmental management) and EarthCheck 4.0 (CSR certification for sustainable operations). A new certification obtained in 2020 was the Platinum EarthCheck, making the RAI the first convention centre in Europe to be awarded this certificate.

In addition to these new developments, one of the certificating bodies, Lloyd’s, carried out surveillance (standard check) audits for ISO-20121 (event sustainability) and OHSAS-18001 (occupational health & safety).

RAI Amsterdam has the following certificates:

Recognised conference venue 5-hammers Green Key Gold* AIPC Gold EarthCheck 4.0 Platinum ITs (Integrated Accessibility Standard) ISO-9001 (Quality management) ISO-14001 (Environmental management) ISO-20121 (Event sustainability)* OHSAS-18001 (Occupational health & safety)* Envirometer* UN Global Compact BREEAM-Excellent certification (for construction of the Amtrium) Recognised training company (Samenwerkingsorganisatie Beroepsonderwijs - Bedrijfsleven)

* Having critically assessed our current certificates from an efficiency perspective we have concluded that the goals of some national certificates overlap with internationally recognised certifications and have decided to let them expire in 2021.