Micediton summer 2017

Summer 2017 Life Sciences Amsterdam: the place to meet open mind sharp business

‘It’s where today’s science can become tomorrow’s technology.’

Borre Akkersdijk BYBORRE Making textiles that can sense

open mind sharp business

iamsterdam.com/meetings

Foreword

Knowledge is life Contents

4 Amsterdam neighbourhoods:

Oud-West & Westerpark 6 Venues 8 Venues & venue finder 10 Interview: Ger Baron 13 Where to eat 14 Hotels 19 Hotels & meetings 21 Facts & figures 22 Life sciences 26 KLM 27 RAI Amsterdam 28 Amsterdam neighbourhoods: Oud-Zuid 30 Worth a visit 34 MICE calendar 35 Your Amsterdam MICE partners

Published by: Amsterdam Marketing Project management: Daisy Waardenburg and Sandra Nakken Print: Joh. Enschedé Amsterdam Design adaption: Monique Willemse Designer: Arjen van den Houten Text: Julia Gorodecky and Ann Doherty, with contributions from Catalina Iorga and Douglas Heingartner Cover photo: Het Scheepvaartmuseum (The National Maritime Museum)

Amsterdam is a popular setting for meetings, conferences and other events thanks to its beautiful canals, elegant mansions, famous museums, stately parks and quaint neighbourhoods with plenty of cafés.

But the city’s preserved glory is not the only reason that companies flock here for their get-togethers: Amsterdam is also a renowned hotbed of creativity, innovation and diversity.

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s ‘smartest’ cities, Amsterdam is a leader in life sciences on topics ranging from health and horticulture to Big Data and nanotechnology. Currently the European Capital of Innovation, the city has a magnetic pull for innovators and entrepreneurs who are seeking to contribute to positive societal change. To date, some 180 different nationalities call the city home, and together they create a future-oriented climate of openness, pragmatism, agility and diversity.

Check out our interview in this edition with Amsterdam’s Chief Technology Officer Ger Baron and learn about how the Amsterdam Smart City initiative is working on multiple innovative, tech-driven projects to solve pressing urban challenges such as mobility, education, healthcare and the transition to renewable energy.

For businesses sharing Amsterdam’s ambition to solve societal and urban challenges, the Dutch capital is an inspiring place to hold a meeting, conference or other event. Read on to learn about some of the exceptional venues and hotels that Amsterdam has on offer for our visitors. We also profile two of the city’s most lively neighbourhoods – West and Oud-Zuid – and give you the low-down about the unforgettable cultural and dining experiences you’ll find there.

Come experience Amsterdam’s contagious energy. Read on to find out how the city can deliver a stimulating and satisfying event: for the mind, for the body and for all of the senses!

Disclaimer

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical or photocopy – without prior permission from Amsterdam Marketing. All information provided in this publication was verified for accuracy at the time of printing.

Amsterdam Marketing is not liable for any misprints or errors. © April 2017

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Oud-West & Westerpark

Amsterdam neighbourhoods

Vibrant atmosphere against a verdant backdrop Each area of Amsterdam has its own character and charm, and its own unique variety of shops, restaurants, cafes, museums and attractions. Take time to discover the city’s hidden treasures in Amsterdam’s neighbourhoods. Follow the path of the setting sun, and you’ll discover one of the most charming and eclectic neighbourhoods in the city.

Amsterdam West juxtaposes old and new: traditional ‘brown’ cafés and quaint canal houses sit side-by-side with new hip and trendy joints. Think street food in an old tram depot, a restaurant atop a former radio tower on the water, or locally-brewed beer in the park.

The neighbourhood is bordered by the popular Westerpark, which offers something for everyone: culture, cafés, restaurants, markets and lush greenery. Amsterdam West bustles with life both day and night, and you may find that you don’t want to leave until the sun starts to rise again in the east.

Where to start? Here are our golden tips.

Meeting venues WESTERGASFABRIEK The Westergasfabriek is part of a 19th-century industrial site that has been transformed into a unique blend of urban fabric and natural landscape. The impressive gasworks now house, among others, eateries, a local brewery, a wine bar, an arthouse cinema and numerous small creative companies. A busy schedule of exhibitions, food markets, festivals and cultural events is always underway, and the surrounding park includes woodlands, waterfalls, floating gardens, and open grassy fields.

HET SIERAAD Het Sieraad, or ‘The Jewel’, is the beating heart of the Baarsjes neighbourhood in Amsterdam West. A striking example of Amsterdam School architecture, this monumental brick building houses entrepreneurs and artists alike. The vintage-style bar and restaurant with a waterside terrace can be rented for events, and a number of stylish and characterful meeting rooms are available for every occasion. www.het-sieraad.nl 17

Several of the historic buildings are available for meetings and events: the grand circular Gashouder; the high-ceilinged Zuiveringshal West that stretches along the water; and the intimate Transformatorhuis with its wooden roof, to name just a few. And it’s easy to pop over to Mossel & Gin, a food bar specialised in innovative mussel dishes and gin cocktails, for lunch or post-meeting celebrations. www.westergasfabriek.nl 21, 22

RAMADA / RESTAURANT FLOOR17 The sky bar at Restaurant Floor17 at the Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre is one of the best spots in town to watch the sunset.

Enjoy French and international cuisine made with local products, sophisticated wines and signature cocktails. The Ramada Apollo also has hotel and meeting rooms; if you’re seeking an inspired gathering you might want to consider a top floor meeting room with a spectacular view! www.floor17.nl 13

To see & do REM Eiland

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BROUWERIJ TROOST Following its successful debut in a former monastery in the De Pijp neighbourhood,

Brouwerij Troost

Amsterdam microbrewery Troost now has a second bar in the Westergasfabriek. Enjoy a selection of tasty brews – ranging from an award-winning Honey blonde beer to a Barrel Aged Barleywine – and tuck into burgers, salads, flammkuchen, cheescake and more. You can also follow a guided tour of the brewery, enjoy live music, and eat, drink and be merry on the large outdoor terrace. If the weather permits, you can even take your beer and bites ‘to go’ for a picnic in the Westerpark. www.brouwerijtroostwestergas.nl 5, 12 54 REM EILAND Dine in a towering sea rig 22 metres above water level at this former pirate broadcasting station on the River IJ. Overlooking the city’s dynamic port, the restaurant’s guests can

swoon at the view as they enjoy their lunch or three-course evening meal. Private dinners for up to 25 people can be arranged in Studio REM, the former broadcast room, while the Captain’s Table on Deck 1 offers a menu specially created by the chef for more intimate groups of up to 10 people. www.remeiland.com 22, 48 RESTAURANT GEEF Restaurant Geef (Give) is an innovative restaurant with a strong social and environmental ethos. Not only do the chefs work with ‘reject’ – unattractive or misshapen, but otherwise perfectly fine – produce, but the restaurant uses a ‘pay-it-forward’ formula that encourages guests to pay a little extra thus helping to provide a delicious, healthy meal to someone who can less afford it. A three-course menu without drinks will cost you around €20-25, but you can’t put a price on the warm feeling you’re left with after a Geef experience. www.geefcafe.nl 18, 21, 22

Restaurant Floor 17

DE HALLEN Food, film, fashion, crafts, retail and architecture converge at this cultural centre in a converted industrial building in trendy Amsterdam Oud-West. A tram depot in its previous life, De Hallen has a bustling indoor food market full of top-notch street food from some of Amsterdam’s most delectable kitchens. And if you want to host your event at this hotbed of culture and gastronomy, you can choose from numerous unique spaces. www.dehallen-amsterdam.nl 13, 17

KOFFIE ACADEMIE Looking for a pick-me-up during a long day of meetings? The Koffie Academie in Amsterdam West serves freshly-made food: from croissants and brownies to carrot cake and sandwiches.

And, of course, their own freshly-roasted coffee, made according to the latest and tastiest methods. The friendly baristas are happy to talk beans with you, and you can shop while you sip as everything in the shop’s interior is for sale. www.koffie-academie.nl 1 170, 172

congress venue food & drinks going out museum/attraction theatre accommodation bus tram subway ferry

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Venues

An inspirational setting for every event

NEMO Science Museum Exceptional venue that has breathtaking views and is rich in scientific discovery NEMO Science Museum is an architectural gem. Designed

by Renzo Piano, it is conveniently located near Amsterdam’s Central Station. At NEMO, young and old can explore five floors full of scientific experiments, demonstrations and workshops, but it is also a fantastic venue for all kinds of events. The entire building is alive with science and technology, and there is a lot to discover in the field of Life Science too. Enjoy drinks and mingle between microscopes in a lab, organise a product presentation within a teenagethemed exhibition, or let your guests take tests and solve brainteasers to discover how the brain works. Outside opening hours, you can hire specific exhibitions, several floors, or even the entire museum for your own exclusive use.

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Highest public square in the country NEMO’s multi-purpose rooms are available for your event during opening hours. The Panorama Room on the top floor is the ideal location for a truly unforgettable event. It offers a breathtaking view over Amsterdam’s historic centre and port. The Panorama Room and the adjacent Restaurant with Conservatory offer direct access to the highest public square in the country, making it an ideal location for summer get-togethers and barbecues. Your guests will also enjoy the outdoor exhibition Energetica, where they can interact with sculptures to experience first-hand how power can be generated from the wind, water and sun.

T +31 (0)20 531 3150 E events@e-NEMO.nl I www.e-NEMO.nl/venuehire

Venues ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo Where nature and heritage meet Nature, culture and heritage meet at ARTIS, a place where people have been coming together since 1838 and where new memories are created every day. Visit and experience it for yourself – admire the many species living side by side in the Forest House and Bird House. Stroll through this city park, steeped in history and boasting a wealth of flora. The organisation of any event can easily be combined with a tour through ARTIS. ARTIS offers several spaces, all with their own identity.

Hold a meeting or dinner in the beautiful historic ARTIS Aquarium and enjoy the unique experience of dining between tropical fish and sharks. The ARTIS Library offers an atmospheric location for your conference or seminar.

Alternatively, you can choose one of the rooms in the North Pavilion – you can even have a meeting in the company of the former directors in the Founders Room.

ARTIS is a unique place for meetings and events right in the heart of Amsterdam.

The Concertgebouw The centrally located Concertgebouw (Concert Hall) is an inspiring location for events, dinners and meetings. The breathtaking historical building has played host to many of the world’s most famous musicians, and it is this heritage that you will experience. With excellent parking facilities, two conference halls and up to 10 break-out rooms to accommodate up to 2,500 guests, the Concert Hall is the largest conference hall in midtown Amsterdam.

Sustainable events The Royal Concert Hall developed a sustainable strategy that will help it reduce its energy footprint; over the next five years, the strategy will lower food waste by 25 per cent and energy use by 40 per cent.

Sustainable caterers The Royal Concert Hall works with a variety of high-quality sustainable caterers, which offer dinners, lunches and snacks.

Technical suppliers The Royal Concert Hall works with high-quality technical suppliers that can equip your meeting according to your needs.

Most of the rooms are already equipped with a projector, screen and sound system. Free high-speed Wi-Fi. Room capacities 50-1,900 people – theatre style 100-550 people – sit-down dinner 1,000 people – reception/walking dinner 10 break-out rooms Please call Laura Beenders or Roos van der Donk for further assistance.

T +31 (0)20 523 3584 E events@artis.nl I www.artis.nl

T +31 (0)20 573 0454 E sales@concertgebouw.nl I www.concertgebouw.nl/en

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Venues & venue finder Amsterdam Museum Association

Finding the right venue

Host your event in one of Amsterdam’s best museums From historic splendour to cutting-edge contemporary art and architecture, the 44 museums of the OAM (Amsterdam Museum Association) provide the perfect MICE location for all tastes.

Amsterdam Marketing is dedicated to making your next meeting or convention in Amsterdam a success. It is your one-stop shop for invaluable planning resources in the city and its surrounding areas, offering professional and independent advice, creative ideas and free promotional materials. We offer no-cost, professional support backed by comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the Amsterdam meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) market.

Amsterdam is home to many of the world’s most famous museums. The city has more museums per square metre than any other destination, making it a real paradise for art-lovers. Uniting under the OAM, 44 of these worldrenowned museums are now open to the meeting’s industry. Together, they boast the world’s biggest collection of Van Gogh paintings, at the Van Gogh Museum, and beautiful works by Rembrandt, at the Rijksmuseum. Amsterdam Museum tells the story of the city, which is rounded out by the canal-house museums Van Loon, Willet-Holthuysen and Geelvinck Hinlopen. The Hermitage Amsterdam, meanwhile, has unique access to the Hermitage St Petersburg collection, while the Stedelijk is renowned for its modern art.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable Amsterdam experience during your MICE event, OAM offers the perfect solution. Surprise your delegates with the most stunning and unique location for a dinner or reception, the perfect combination of business and pleasure.

Whether you’re organising a meeting for a large or small group, OAM offers assistance in hosting an all-inclusive event in one of the city’s most beautiful locations. If this sounds like an appealing option, please do no hesitate to contact us and start planning your next trip to Amsterdam.

T +31 (0)24 711 1378 E service@amsterdammusea.org I www.amsterdammusea.org

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Finding a venue & suppliers One of our most helpful tools is the venue finder, which you can find at iamsterdam.com/venuefinder. It will help you find the ideal location for your special event, whatever the size. Narrow your search down by group size, star classification or location. Not familiar with Amsterdam?

The map feature will help you to pinpoint the location of each venue in relation to everything else. Tailor your search and, in return, you’ll get a complete description of each venue or service that meets your needs, with the contact information so you can get in touch easily.

Once we’ve helped you pick the perfect place, we can help you perfect the rest of your event as well via our service finder at iamsterdam.com/servicefinder.

Looking for event services? iamsterdam.com/servicefinder Save your favourites in a PDF or link and share it with your co-planners for their feedback.

Looking for an event space?

Start your search online at iamsterdam.com/venuefinder

A one-stop shop for both visitors and residents, offering the best Amsterdam local products, tickets, books and gifts.

But it’s more than just a shop: the I amsterdam Store is also an information point where visitors find out what’s happening in Amsterdam, through personal advice or at the reading table that has iPads with access to the I amsterdam portal and other sites.

Amsterdam CS, IJ-side

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iamsterdam.com/store

Amsterdam Smart City is working on multiple innovative, tech-driven initiatives to solve Amsterdam’s most pressing urban challenges, including mobility and the transition to renewable energy. text Catalina Iorga photography Gregor Servais

Interview

‘Using technology to boost sustainable growth’ Ger Baron, In Short Ger Baron has been Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the City of Amsterdam since 2014. As CTO, he identifies exciting urban innovations to implement in the city, acts as a contact point for research institutes such as the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), strategically advises the city council on anything tech-related and ensures that Amsterdam remains a safe space for start-ups to experiment and grow.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re the world’s most experimental city per capita in terms of ICT pilot initiatives. But what sets us apart is that we don’t experiment for the sake of it; we strive for positive societal impact,’ says Ger Baron, Chief Technology Officer of the City of Amsterdam since 2014 and chair of the steering committee of Amsterdam Smart City (ASC). ASC is a unique partnership co-founded in 2009 by, amongst others, the Amsterdam Economic Board, the Municipality of Amsterdam, energy provider Alliander, design consultancy Arcadis, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool van Amsterdam) and the Amsterdam ArenA stadium – home to Amsterdam football club Ajax and test lab for the stadiums of the future.

Google ‘smart city’ and you will see ASC’s homepage as the second organic search result, surpassed only by Wikipedia’s entry on the topic. Whereas Wikipedia dedicates nearly 1,800 words to contouring what a successful smart urban development looks like, Baron cuts right to the chase: ‘A smart city uses technology to foster economic growth that is also sustainable, while improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.’ ASC is very much a goal-oriented platform: ‘We want to give people more options so they can make smarter choices in different areas, such as energy, education, healthcare and mobility.’ For Baron, a smart city is more than the implementation of various technologies that enable these more informed choices. ‘Ultimately, I see the city as an open platform able to meet residents’s demands through resource-efficient and user-centric solutions.’

THE SMART TIPPING POINT Alongside 100 project partners, including businesses, local authorities, research institutes and the city’s residents, ASC is working on more than 90 innovative, tech-driven initiatives to solve Amsterdam’s most pressing urban challenges, including mobility and the transition to renewable energy. A prime example on the energy front is the Vehicle2Grid pilot. Launched in 2014 as a threeyear project, this programme gives residents of Amsterdam’s NieuwWest district the chance to store locally produced energy from solar panels in their electric car batteries, or to feed it back to the grid.

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Interview

The results speak for themselves: the project saw one household’s dependence on the energy grid drop from 74 per cent to 40 per cent in a year’s time. ‘Vehicle2Grid proves that successful smartcity initiatives can be small; we started with 100 vehicles, but what we learned has the potential to change the way we design an energy grid,’ Baron adds.

AMS institute The Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS) is an ambitious scientific institute launched in 2014.

AMS sees science, education, government, business and societal organisations working closely together to address the complex urban issues the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area faces. The institute researches urban flows – such as water, energy, waste, food, data and mobility – in order to develop a deep understanding of the city and to design and implement solutions for its challenges. AMS focuses on building a circular and connected city through applied technology via a unique consortium of public and private partners: the City of Amsterdam; private partners such as Accenture, Cisco, Waternet, Liander, TNO and IBM; and three academic partners (the Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University and MIT). Through these educational partners, dozens of students will receive AMS certifications this year alongside their degrees. There is also a summer course, and the new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered on the edX platform had 8,000 new subscribers this past January.

Using Amsterdam as a living lab to assess urban solutions, AMS benefits from the full support of the municipality, which not only helps fund the institute but also contributes: for example, by sharing city data with AMS researchers and always being the first client to embrace AMS’s urban resolutions. What’s more, all AMS projects must involve the city’s residents, who are regarded as testers, users and co-creators.

AMS’s testbeds include the Student Hotel, where student guests can stay for a maximum of one year. Pioneering the concept of a hotel as a social research lab, AMS – working with energy provider Alliander, installation engineers Bectro, and Wageningen University – is investigating ways to reduce energy and water consumption in places with short-term inhabitants.

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AN URBAN LAB ‘ASC and its Living Labs make up just one of the four elements that turn Amsterdam into an urban testing ground. The others are the compact and accessible city itself, a strong ecosystem of innovative start-ups and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions,’ says Baron. The last, also known as AMS, is a public-private institute that officially opened in 2014, co-founded by a consortium of academic partners (the Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), societal partners (ASC, the Waag Society and the City of Boston) and industry partners (including KPN, Accenture, Alliander and Cisco).

Within the project, Leiden University and the Delft University of Technology collaborate with the Amsterdam-based Waag Society, an institute for art, science and technology, and Metabolic, a systems consulting and cleantech development firm. Together they are creating an interactive geological map of the built environment, as well as a plan to harvest and repurpose metals such as steel, copper, aluminium and gold from urban structures.

BUILDING A FUTURE-PROOF CITY Businesses that share the city’s ambition to solve societal and urban challenges are encouraged to open up shop in the Dutch capital. ‘Entrepreneurs should be open to participating in this collaborative network. As a city, we’re not looking for a quick win, so businesses with a long-term perspective that are willing to accept setbacks can really thrive here,’ Baron explains.

In addition to a fully-fledged private-public ecosystem, new entrepreneurs can take their pick from more than 130,000 students in the city, many of whom are increasingly focused on metropolitan solutions. Students of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences recently built a self-steering garbage collection boat that is not only cleaning up the city’s canals, but also proving there is enough talent in Amsterdam to power many innovative start-ups. In Baron’s own words, ‘If you are into creative, disruptive models, Amsterdam is the place to be.’

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Where to eat

Pick your place Meals are often the highlights of conferences and other larger events. Delegates get a chance to relax and have a conversation with each other while also enjoying plenty of good fare. A nice bottle of wine encourages extra gezelligheid (Dutch-style conviviality), too. However, meals often also present one of the trickiest event-planning challenges – where to fit all those people!

Here are some of our favourite spots that are accustomed to catering to a crowd. Pick your place, make your reservation, and let them take care of the rest.

RESTAURANT LIEVE This sleek Belgian restaurant is located in a canal house on the iconic Herengracht, right in the centre of Amsterdam. The menu has something for everyone: from the slightly peckish to the full-blown gourmand.

With several spaces, each of which has a different capacity, Restaurant Lieve can serve groups from 8 to 260 people. You can also fully customise the menu to match your preferences and price range. www.lieve-amsterdam.nl  DAUPHINE This brasserie – located in a former Renault garage – radiates contemporary and businesslike vibes with its glassy architecture and modern furnishings. The diverse menu includes everything you’d expect from a brasserie: steak and chips, grilled sea bass, plateau de fruits de mer, and more. With rooms for private hire, Dauphine is highly accommodating for groups: the entresol holds

a maximum of 55 people and the auditorium can seat up to 175 diners. www.caferestaurantdauphine.nl  VONDELPARK3 In the heart of Amsterdam’s most famous park, the lunch and dinner menus at this cosy restaurant include Dutch favourites and light bites. Vondelpark3 typically caters for groups of 8 to 30 people, which is appropriate for staff parties, informal meetings or intimate group dinners with friends. For larger dinner groups and parties, the location can accommodate up to 120 people. There are two special group menus, with options including duck confit, veal succade and crème brûlée. www.vondelpark3.nl  HAESJE CLAES Beautiful wood panelling and ornate tiles adorn Haesje Claes, a traditional Dutch restaurant spread across six charming houses.

Group dining The interesting layout makes it a good choice for groups of 10 to 20 people. This authentic eatery is well known around the city for its meatballs with peppercorn sauce, and brown bean soup. On top of that, the exquisitely decorated interior is sure to impress even the hardest-to-please members of your group. www.haesjeclaes.nl  HOTEL DE GOUDFAZANT This hip waterfront restaurant in Amsterdam Noord is massive (1,200m2), making it a great choice for larger group dinners (30 to 50 people). The raw, industrial, trendy style is certainly unique, but it fits right in with the area’s vibe. Hotel de Goudfazant has some impressive decor – including vintage cars, a glass-bottled chandelier, and finelinen tablecloths – and the staff are always attentive and polite. The restaurant is also a go-to spot for many of Amsterdam’s creative professionals. hoteldegoudfazant.nl 

Hotel de Goudfazant

HotelsEvents Choose from boutique gems to high-capacity conference centres; historical sites to new designer chic

The Dylan Amsterdam Exclusive Events at The Dylan Amsterdam At The Dylan, we understand that exclusive events are like photographs, created from thousands of tiny dots joined together to result in the ultimate picture-perfect event!

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Just what makes The Dylan the most exclusive address for your dream event in Amsterdam?

• Our distinct setting, distinct flexibility, distinct culinary offerings • For those who dare to dream big, The Dylan can be booked exclusively for an extravagant event • Sumptuous Michelin-starred cuisine courtesy of our executive chef Dennis Kuipers • Our expert events team that creates an experience bound to remain in every guest’s memory • An intimate sanctuary on the canal, with elegant gardens that beg for celebrations

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Our enchanting secret garden, potentially covered and decorated in line with the event theme A living flower wall as a backdrop for your event photos Dylan Thomas poets who create ‘off the cuff’ verses for your guests A private gin and tonic tasting room, or a private whiskey bar A decadent oyster bar Entertainment, live music or a DJ arranged for you Arrive in style by boat or limousine

Anything is possible when The Dylan is privatised for your group! Please contact our expert events team for an event tailor-made to perfection.

T +31 (0)20 530 2010 E events@dylanamsterdam.com I www.dylanamsterdam.com

Hotels Pulitzer Amsterdam Discover quintessential Dutch elegance in an intricate maze of 25 connected Golden Age canal houses. After a full renovation, completed in August 2016, this hidden neighbourhood now features: 225 guest rooms and suites, tranquil inner gardens, meeting and event spaces, a garden café, a hotel bar and a restaurant that serves simple yet beautifully crafted dishes. The Pulitzer is a unique blend of up-market, traditional and modern Dutch craftsmanship hidden amongst the city’s iconic canals.

Ever since the Dutch Golden Age, the canal houses of Amsterdam have been the setting for blossoming creativity, trade and meetings. Pulitzer Amsterdam is keeping this tradition alive by providing the perfect location for your meetings and events, custom-tailoring each event they host down to the details.

In the midst of the Pulitzer gardens, the Garden Room caters to events for up to 150 guests. With a private entrance on the Keizersgracht, the Saxenburg Room and Galleries are the most elegant spaces of the hotel. The arty Merchant boardrooms are the perfect backdrop for meetings, where the double doors create a subtle flow between the two spaces. The four Copper Rooms, for intimate private dinners or luxurious business meetings, are all equally charming in their own right. Or step on board the classic salon boat to add a little bit of Pulitzer magic to your event. For that extra touch of upscale Amsterdam ambiance, the Pulitzer has what you are looking for.

T +31 (0)20 523 5235 E events@pulitzeramsterdam.com I www.pulitzeramsterdam.com

Bilderberg Garden Hotel & Restaurant De Kersentuin Experience the many facets of Amsterdam from the elegant Garden Hotel. This hotel is ideally located in the museum district within walking distance of chic stores, restaurants and Museum Square, which is home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum. What’s more, the Zuidas / WTC and RAI are also nearby. The hotel itself offers exceptional personal service after an exciting day in the city: Relax in one of the 124 stylish rooms, enjoy a glass of wine in the bar or lounge and have a delicious meal in restaurant De Kersentuin.

De Kersentuin has a famous history which spans more than 30 years. Stefan van Sprang, the two-starred Michelin chef of restaurant Aan de Poel, is De Kersentuin’s Signature Chef. His motto: high-level casual dining with a healthy serving of flair’. The kitchen of De Kersentuin is in the capable hands of chef Wessel Ruijmgaart, who not only creates culinary delights, but also simplified versions of several of Aan de Poel’s signature dishes.

Wander around in the cosmopolitan atmosphere, and let yourself be amazed by the chefs’s creations!

Garden Hotel has three newly renovated meeting rooms, making the hotel the perfect location for all your business meetings for up to 200 people. The Maître B’, your personal service partner, is ready to answer all your questions and help with whatever you need.

T +31 (0)20 570 5600 E garden@bilderberg.nl W www.bilderberg.nl/en/amsterdam/garden-hotel

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Hotels Dutch Design Hotel Artemis

Conservatorium Hotel

It all begins with the need for a meeting: to reach the required change, to feel like a team again, or to present a challenging strategy for growth. Next, it’s the journey of reviewing hundreds of venues that might be able to fulfill your needs. And then, after you’ve made up your mind, various processes and people springing into motion to deliver the best possible result.

Venues in Amsterdam don’t get much more inspiring than those at the Conservatorium. Whether it’s an annual meeting or a business launch, a banquet or an auction, every gathering in the world’s most creative capital deserves a venue that’s equally imaginative. This means not just state-of-the-art technology, but an environment that in itself is a work of art.

Amsterdam is an international hotspot as far as the Life Sciences are concerned. And although this scientific field is not exactly focused on evolution in the hospitality industry, it certainly is about development through learning over the course of days, weeks and even years. An evolution in hospitality involves making the hard work appear simple, while ensuring that the ordinary is exceeded. At least this is the case at Dutch Design Hotel Artemis. At this venue, inspiration has developed into something extraordinary, and creativity is catalysed just when everything seems impossible. It is also a place where the outstanding ideas of famous Dutch designers like Rietveld and Dudok live on through the architecture and the modern furniture.

Dutch Design Hotel Artemis is ideally located between the city centre of Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport. With 256 comfortable rooms full of Dutch design, 11 multifunctional meeting rooms and a restaurant with a large waterside terrace, it is a venue to suit every occasion. And an evolution happens here every day in the way we provide hospitality to our guests.

While many hotels hide their meeting rooms, we give ours pride of place, with a special events tower positioned within our landmark lobby. So whether you’re holding a concert for ten, or a training for a hundred, it’s an inspired choice for any event. The Conservatorium is next to the city’s highlights such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum.

T +31 (0)20 714 1090 E banquets@aeonplazahotels.com W www.artemisamsterdam.com

T +31 (0)20 570 0000 E events@conservatoriumhotel.com I www.conservatoriumhotel.com

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Our dedicated team – that understands your specific requirements and brings out the best for every occasion – will guarantee a successful and memorable event.

Hotels

Apollo Hotels Apollo Hotels guarantees precious moments in the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands. We do everything to make sure that you’ll come back.

Apollo Hotel Amsterdam Looking for a place to host a meeting or event at a typical Dutch location? Apollo Hotel Amsterdam is situated in the Oud-Zuid region of Amsterdam, along the five canals and within walking distance of the RAI Convention Centre. Thanks to our private parking, good train connections and our shuttle service from Schiphol Airport, the hotel is easy to reach. We have 223 rooms and 5 meeting rooms for groups of up to 200 persons. You can even combine your event with a lunch or dinner overlooking the canals. The Harbour Club Apollo Amsterdam serves traditional meals with a playful twist. Leaving you bound to want more.

Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre Meet 85 metres above the ground at Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre! Our Sky Lounges and Rooftop Terrace

have the best views over the entire city. Our hotel is located right next to the Rembrandtpark and the A10 ring road. The city centre is easily reachable in just 15 minutes by tram.

International participants? Our Schiphol shuttle service brings them to the hotel within 20 minutes. We have 446 rooms, and meetings or events can be combined with a break at Restaurant Floor17.

Apollo Hotel Vinkeveen-Amsterdam Apollo Hotel Vinkeveen-Amsterdam opens in May 2017. A 12-minute car journey from Amsterdam, our hotel offers a combination of green surroundings with a view over the lakes of Vinkeveen and our private harbour. We have 86 deluxe rooms, and in fall 2017, we will open a 1,300m2 Meeting & Events centre for all types of gatherings. On the ground floor, you’ll find The Harbour Club Vinkeveen, known for the best sushi and grill dishes. Our chefs have a passion for food, and only use the best ingredients.

I www.apollohotels.nl

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Hotels

Hyatt Regency Amsterdam Introducing Hyatt Regency Amsterdam’s Meetings and Events Spaces: Perfect Spaces for Any and Every Occasion.

That feeling when everything goes right – our expert on-site meeting professionals are ready to elevate your next event, big or small. The newly-opened Hyatt Regency Amsterdam is your destination for meetings and events in the Plantage neighbourhood.

Conveniently located a stone’s throw from Amsterdam’s cultural garden, our upscale business hotel features 211 rooms - of which 15 are spacious suites - and specialises in attentive care for your guests before, during, and after your event. Whether it be for a large-scale conference, brainstorm, or a boardroom meeting, our 517m2 of versatile space brings any occasion to life. There is nothing like ample sunlight and space paired with the dedication of an on-site meeting coordinator, there to make sure your event will be one for the books.

Sophisticated by design, our two meeting rooms and grand

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ballroom take inspiration from the invigorating greenery of Amsterdam Oost and overlook the Singelgracht canal with beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows. The 200m2 open plan ballroom with a sensational foyer allows for customizable layouts, and even comes with a separate entrance to truly make your event shine.

For smaller groups, take advantage of one of our more intimate event rooms. Stimulating spaces with abundant natural daylight are our specialty, and you will find our flexible meeting spaces fully equipped to showcase all your event has to offer. When you plan to have an event at Hyatt Regency Amsterdam, you plan to have less things to worry about. We take care of every detail so you can focus on giving your guests the attention they deserve.

T +31 (0)20 554 1234 E amsterdam.regency@hyatt.com I www.amsterdam.regency.hyatt.com

Hotels & meetings Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam Perfectly positioned in the heart of Amsterdam, our boutique hotel is an energetic entry to launch your worldly travels.

Inside, relax amid our 274 deluxe guest rooms, which include 15 rooms housed in original Renaissance-era buildings. Later, discover elevated extras like hosted evening wine hours or float into our lush leafy indoor conservatory.

We’ve grown fond of saying, ‘Business is always a pleasure in Amsterdam’. For special events and conferences, our ideal central location features flexible historic-meets-modern venues, which total 602m2. For all size gatherings, we have you covered. Situated in three classic buildings, our space sits inside the childhood home of native playwright P.C. Hooft.

Our unique ‘Little House’ offers a ground floor conference space and first floor suite with all the state-of-the-art A/V equipment, and beautiful pitch-beamed ceilings. The top floor serves as the penthouse suite with a spiral staircase, fireplace and private terrace that offers expansive city views.

You’ll also have the support of our accommodating staff and a customised cuisine prepared by our onsite chef SammyD. Consider Kimpton De Witt your partner for productive, dynamic, custom meetings.

Email us at amsnl.meetings@kimptondewitthotel.com or call +31(0)205211852. An expert member of our team will guide you through all the details to ensure your event is a success and anything but business as usual.

Welcome to Haarlem ‘A classic Dutch city with a village feel’: That is how the New York Times described Haarlem several years ago. And it’s true. The beautifully-preserved old town and the thousands of monuments bear witness to the city’s rich history.

What distinguishes Haarlem from other cities is that, despite the resultant growth and wealth, the city never lost its human touch. It remained accessible, with locals that are friendly and a pace that is pleasant. Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes it’s noisy, but it’s always surprising. And always enjoyable.

For years now, Haarlem has been a source for new discoveries. Consider the invention of the printing press, the establishment of the first museum in the Netherlands, the paintings by Frans Hals, the construction of the first railway line, the first liberation and, more recently, the return of Jopen Beer, which originally dates back to 1407.

Besides the beauty of the city, the advantages for a meeting planner are easy to list. Located in the metropole of Amsterdam, it is excellently connected, is just a 20-minute drive from Schiphol Airport, and within cycling distance to the beach and dunes. What’s more, the recently-opened Haarlem Convention Bureau promotes the city’s hidden gems, acting as a liaison between partners, companies and cultural heritage.

With a unique selection of more than 30 MICE partners in the region, Haarlem offers a broad variety of inspiring locations, restaurants and hotels. From venues that are ideal for small meetings, to multi-complex conference centres. From modern to classic and from industrial to historical. If you’re curious about the energy and ambiance Haarlem can offer your meeting or event, come and experience it for yourself.

Award-winning City. City with character. Capital of North Holland.

T +31 (0)20 521 1852 E amsnl.meetings@kimptondewitthotel.com

T +31 (0)23 571 2262 E info@haarlemmarketing.nl I www.haarlemconventionbureau.nl

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iamsterdam.com/citycard

Facts and figures

>2,300,000 residents in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area

>880,000

Amsterdam in numbers

bicycles in Amsterdam

90%

Hi

#5

ä˝ ĺĽ˝

of the locals speak at least two languages

75

safest city in the world

165 canals in Amsterdam (more than Venice!)

museums in Amsterdam

>40,000 hotel rooms in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area

322 destinations

83% of all rooms in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area are found in 3-, 4- or 5-star hotels

direct flight connections, via Schiphol Airport

>2,900

1,114,569 participant days (MICE)

international companies have invested in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area MICEdition Summer 2017 21

Life sciences The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is making its name as a scientific and knowledge leader thanks to creative and strategic collaborations in fields ranging from health and horticulture to Big Data and nanotechnology. text Douglas Heingartner

The knowledge ecosystem

In April 2016, the European Commission awarded Amsterdam with the iCapital award and declared the city as the European Capital of Innovation for the following two years. The award is an official acknowledgment of the fact that Amsterdam is well known worldwide as being a creative, innovative and international business hotspot that serves as a gateway to Europe. But the city, and its greater metropolitan area, has another lesser-known strength: it is also one of the top knowledge cities in Europe. Amsterdam is unquestionably home to a thriving ecosystem of innovation that creates jobs, attracts talent and feeds entrepreneurship.

But what makes this city unique is that this ecosystem is powered by a close collaboration between world-leading universities, scientific and corporate research institutes, and the many local science-based entrepreneurs and innovators. Thousands of people work on innovations and technologies here, with the aim of helping to solve modern-day challenges.

AMSTERDAM AS URBAN LAB Building on its scientific strengths, Amsterdam has an asset that is hard to emulate elsewhere: it is an ideal testbed for new technologies and innovative ideas. The Amsterdam area makes a great living laboratory due to its compact size, extremely diverse population (Amsterdam residents span 180 different nationalities) and many ground-breaking spaces for collaboration. The innovation process is guided by a set of principles. These include openness, pragmatism, 22 MICEdition Summer 2017

agility and embracing diversity. These are principles that all stakeholders – from researchers and scientists to businesses and the City of Amsterdam – work together to realise. With innovation in the city’s DNA, Amsterdam is flexible and creative in how it deals with the challenges it faces. Researchers, scientists and the City of Amsterdam all work together to find innovative solutions for these challenges.

Amsterdam is the perfect place to employ scientific experimentation to build on our knowledge and generate new ideas for the marketplace. Our region is increasingly able to translate science-based solutions into practice – and to do so quickly – thanks to the outstanding infrastructure that the city provides to its start-ups and spinoffs. Amsterdam also benefits from its proximity to other major Dutch knowledge cities, such as Rotterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, Utrecht, Leiden and Wageningen – all of which are within 90 minutes of travel time. The combined research enterprise of the larger Randstad area is formidable, rivalling that of some of the world’s largest metropolises such as London or Tokyo.

KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITY According to ‘Mapping Research and Innovation: Understanding Amsterdam’s Competitive Advantage’, a 2015 study by Elsevier and the Urban Innovation Network of 11 European cities, Amsterdam’s per capita research output is second only to Copenhagen, and the relative impact of its research is the highest.

This enables the city to attract both young knowledge

From top clockwise from top left: Professor Patricia Lago, head of the Software and Services research group at the VU (photo: Peter Gerritsen); Arnold Smeulders, Professor of Computer Vision at the UvA (photo: Gregor Servais); Dr Tom WĂźrdinger (photo: Vincent Boon); Harry Buhrman, group leader at CWI and Professor of Computer Science at the UvA (photo: Gregor Servais).

workers who want to live in a highly-educated, collegial city, and companies that are seeking to employ that talent.

Some of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area’s indisputable scientific strengths include information technology and Big Data; life sciences and health; solar and nanoscience; and food, flowers and (other) green sciences. A relatively new development is Amsterdam’s rise in the field of urban sciences: initiatives such as Amsterdam Smart City, the Amsterdam Institute for Metropolitan Solutions (the other AMS), the Knowledge Mile and Amsterdam Water Science, all of which make use of the city as an urban laboratory.

Highlighting some of Amsterdam’s greatest assets in knowledge, science and innovation illustrates why Amsterdam has become a prime destination for companies seeking to test their innovations as well as do scientific research. For research institutions and knowledge-intensive companies wishing to build upon those strengths, Amsterdam’s scientific and knowledge community welcomes all opportunities to leverage these assets through co-operations and partnerships with stakeholders in Amsterdam, the rest of the Netherlands and abroad.

TAMING BIG DATA ENERGY DEMANDS How do we deal with the growing amount of energy that Big Data consumes? According to Dr Patricia Lago, the head of Software and Services at the Volksuniversiteit (VU), the growing data sector now uses about 10 per cent of the world’s electricity, and that amount is growing quickly. Yet many companies haven’t considered how they will deal with their future data demands, which partly explains why today’s 24 MICEdition Summer 2017

data centres use only 20-80 per cent of their storage capacity. Dr Lago and her team at the VU’s Green Lab work on ways of reducing the amount of energy used by data storage systems, developing smart software that can accurately predict how much capacity will be needed. This is especially urgent in Amsterdam, which is now home to a third of all European data centres.

Collaborating with industry players is critical to continued success in this field.

LEADING CANCER RESEARCH Amsterdam has been a globally recognised hub of cancer expertise for more than a century and in the process, has devised impressive ways of translating knowledge from the lab into real solutions for patients as quickly as possible. Many established oncological research institutes – such as the Netherlands Cancer Institute, the VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam and the Oncologic Research Centre AMC – call Amsterdam home. Together they employ nearly 9,000 people and produce around 4,000 scientific articles every year. These institutions have recently united to create the Oncology Graduate School Amsterdam, training the new experts working on tomorrow’s cures and treatments. In this way, Amsterdam is bringing these researchers closer together, fostering a true sense of community with shared goals.

ENDING CHILD OBESITY Professors Jaap Seidell and Arnoud Verhoeff are the brains behind the new, cross-disciplinary initiative known as Sarphati Amsterdam. This institute makes local children the focus of cutting-edge research on lifestyle-related diseases, especially obesity.

from left to right: Jaap Seidell & Arnoud Verhoeff of Sarphati Amsterdam (photo: Mark Horn); Professor Albert Polman, Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (photo: Vincent Boon); Dr Mark Knight of Solardam (photo: Vincent Boon); Amsterdam is a leading centre of green sciences (photo: Gregor Servais).

Sarphati Amsterdam, to be launched this year, will pool together the best minds in scientific research, government strategy and the private sector to contribute to the health of Amsterdam’s youth.

Its dynamic ‘living lab’ of patients includes about 150,000 children and young adults, which enables the group’s 30 researchers – from ethnographers and paediatricians to anthropologists and microbiologists – to uncover new understanding in preventing obesity.

MELDING SOLAR AND NANO TECH Eminent scientist Albert Polman has dedicated his life to the technology of small things: the world of nanoscience. With a focus on photovoltaics (a method of converting solar energy into direct current electricity) and the use of nanoscience in solar energy, Polman’s work is likely to have a major impact on our daily lives. Professor Polman previously headed a foundation at the AMOLF research laboratory in Amsterdam, and currently leads a scientific group working on photovoltaics there.

Alongside Japan and the USA, the Netherlands is one of the top three countries in nanotechnology research and innovation. The driving force behind this excellence in Amsterdam is a healthy ecosystem created by the collaboration between the government, universities, research institutes and the commercial sector. But as Polman is quick to point out, it all comes down to the people drawn to this location: ‘Why do people come here? Because it’s Amsterdam; it’s the city itself.’

THE AMSTERDAM GREEN CAMPUS The Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter

of agricultural products and an important centre for sustainability development. That’s why the Amsterdam Green Campus was recently launched: to better translate scientific knowledge into the innovations needed by the green and plant-based businesses in the Amsterdam region. Its founder Michel Haring describes it as a platform for bringing together everyone involved in the green industries, with a focus on sustainable horticulture, the breeding of plants and vegetables, green cities, product innovation and sustainable raw materials. One of its other main aims is to help educational institutions provide the right training and develop the skills the industry needs, from entry-level greenhouse staff to site managers, technicians, researchers and industry leaders.

MAKING AMSTERDAM (EVEN) SMARTER An initiative known as Amsterdam Smart City (ASC) is working on tech-driven solutions to the city’s most pressing urban challenges, including mobility and the transition to renewable energy. As explained

by Ger Baron, the Chief Technology Officer of the City of Amsterdam and the head of ASC, the initiative provides the connectivity, energy and data necessary for start-ups and entrepreneurs to develop their solutions. With about 100 partners, including businesses, local authorities, research institutes and the city’s own residents, they are currently working on more than 90 innovative projects. One example is the collaboration with the Amsterdam ArenA stadium, where real-time traffic information data will help improve mobility. Other projects focus on energysaving lighting, public Wi-Fi and even a self-steering garbage collection boat to keep the city’s canals clean.

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KLM Events

AIR FRANCE KLM Global Meetings & Events Your global meetings partner for airline travel

Unique discounted fares with AIR FRANCE and KLM • free tickets for event planners • discounts & benefits for event attendees • discounts valid from 5 days before to 5 days after the event

I www.klm.com I www.klmtakescare.com I www.airfranceklm-globalmeetings.com

AIR FRANCE KLM Global Meetings & Events is the travel solution for your event! The program offers benefits for event organisers: after registering your event in just a few clicks, you can earn free tickets with AIR FRANCE KLM’s reward program and get access to promotional material for your website.

Moreover, there are benefits for your event attendees. These include attractive discounts of up to 15 per cent on a wide range of public fares with AIR FRANCE, KLM and their partner airlines with an AIR FRANCE or KLM flight number. Discounts are valid for a period of 5 days before and after the event.

Attendees will also earn miles with Flying Blue, AIR FRANCE KLM’s frequent flyer program. For more information or to register your event, please visit www.airfranceklm-globalmeetings.com or contact globalmeetings@airfrance.fr.

Additional information: • Minimum of 10 participants with a return flight.

• Individual travel (max. 8 passengers in 1 booking).

• Registration up to 2 months before the event date.

• Discounted fares valid from 5 days before to 5 days after the event.

• Booking tool link, Air France & KLM Global Meetings logo and Official Carriers logo are to be included on the event website and event publications.

• The organiser will receive a communications kit including a link with an Event ID code.

• The program is for individual passengers. Groups will have to be requested via the AIRFRANCE KLM group desk.

The Netherlands as MICE destination With KLM and its large network and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol hub, the Nether­lands has a great deal to offer international exhibition and conference visitors.

The KLM Group flies directly to Amsterdam from more than 185 airports worldwide, offering direct connec­tions to most of the world’s major regions.

As a member of the SkyTeam alli­ance, KLM is part of a network that connects around 1,052 destinations in 179 countries.

RAI Amsterdam

Inspiring people

Corporate social responsibility at the RAI Almost a city of its own, the city’s largest special-event space – with 11 halls offering more than 100,000m2 in exhibition space, plus two auditoriums, a ballroom and 70 conference rooms accommodating almost 2,000 people more – is ringed by top restaurants and bars and one of the city’s prettiest parks. With more than 4,000 parking spaces as well as on-site entrances to the metro system and exclusive access for taxis, the complex is well connected with the larger city as well.

Every year, RAI Amsterdam facilitates and hosts well over 50 international conferences, 70 exhibitions and shows, even more events and over a thousand smaller conferences, presentations and meetings, attended by more than 1.5 million visitors.

To ensure that these events can continue for many years to come, it is the ambition of the team behind the RAI to stimulate the sustainable growth and development of people, markets and the local environment by attracting valuable meetings with its CSR policy. They apply these principles to everything from organising events and helping to make them more profitable through sustainable branding to their own energy usage and waste management.

This approach focuses on three areas: • People: Humans & society • Planet: Sustainable organising & facilitating • Progress: Stimulating development & growth T +31 (0)20 549 1212 E corcom@rai.nl I www.rai.nl/en

How they implement these focuses for any given event is tailored to the particular partner they are working with. This leaves but one question: How can they help you make your next event more sustainable?

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Oud-Zuid

Amsterdam neighbourhoods

From art and culture to beaches and beer Each area of Amsterdam has its own character and charm, and its own unique variety of shops, restaurants, cafes, museums and attractions. Take time to discover the city’s hidden treasures in Amsterdam’s neighbourhoods. Discover one of Amsterdam’s most beautiful and well-heeled neighbourhoods, home to some of the world’s best art museums. Wander the streets lined with stately historic buildings, and browse in the unique boutiques and galleries.

Amsterdam’s elegant Oud-Zuid (Old South) was developed over a century ago as a cultural gateway to the city in what was previously a boggy polder. It’s home to the Royal Concertgebouw and three of Amsterdam’s largest museums: the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art and the Van Gogh Museum. In the nearby Vondelpark – created in the style of an English landscape garden – visitors can enjoy plenty of picnics and outdoor performances during the summer months.

Venture a bit further away from the Museum Quarter and you’ll find some delightful urban adventures, including a new ‘city beach’, several Michelin-starred restaurants and a multi-sensory beer experience.

Meeting venues CONCERTGEBOUW The Royal Concertgebouw is one of the world’s most renowned concert venues for classical music, and is acclaimed for its excellent acoustics and superb programming.

The celebrated Concertgebouw Orchestra is the house orchestra, and there is a varied and top-notch programme of quartets, chamber music and recitals. Guided tours allow you to take a look behind the scenes and hear stories about the rich history of the building. The Concertgebouw is also a stylish setting for your event, with magnificent halls and foyers available for groups from 10 to 3,000 people. www.concertgebouw.nl 5, 16 170, 172 VAN GOGH MUSEUM Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum is one of the world’s most popular museums, attracting visitors from all over the world to see paintings such as ‘Sunflowers’, ‘The Starry Night’ and ‘The Potato Eaters’. In addition to these icons, the museum houses more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 letters by Vincent van Gogh. The Theo van Gogh meeting room holds up to 100 people, while smaller groups can gather in the Boardroom. Bring an extra

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dimension to your meeting with a guided tour around the museum or a visit to a special exhibition. www.vangoghmuseum.com 2, 5, 16 170, 172 STEDELIJK MUSEUM AMSTERDAM (CONTEMPORARY ART) Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum is the country’s largest museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design. The collection contains extraordinary pieces of art by

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Dutch and international artists: from Appel to Cézanne, and from Rietveld to Warhol.

Following extensive renovations, the museum reopened with the addition of a futuristic new wing affectionately known as ‘the bathtub’ due to its smooth white exterior. A range of extraordinary venues are available to rent, including the spacious, airy Schiphol Foyer for larger events, and the Teijin Auditorium which includes a 50m2 projection wall. www.stedelijk.nl 2, 5, 16 170, 172

are served with seasonal, local products. Hotel Okura also boasts one of the largest meeting facilities in the Netherlands, with a total of 19 meeting rooms and two foyers. www.okura.nl 12

Heineken Experience

OKURA The five-star Hotel Okura Amsterdam is situated in the trendy De Pijp area, close to the financial, cultural and entertainment districts of Amsterdam. What makes it unique is that it is home to four Michelin-starred restaurants: the double-starred Ciel Bleu with a spectacular view from the 23rd floor; the Yamazato Restaurant with authentic Japanese cuisine; Teppanyaki Restaurant Sazanka, where chefs prepare dishes on a hot griddle at your table; and Serre, where internationally-inspired dishes

HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE Housed inside Heineken’s historic brewery, this interactive museum will take you behindthe-scenes to learn about the exciting journey of one of Europe’s most beloved pilsners.

The Heineken Experience is among the city’s most popular attractions, with four floors of multimedia exhibits, historical brewing artefacts, a tasting bar and even a 4D adventure that allows visitors to discover what it’s like to be a bottle of Heineken. With five meeting rooms on the top floors, the brewery is also an exciting venue for meetings and events. www.heineken.com 7, 10, 16

To see & do STRANDZUID The leading international conference venue RAI Amsterdam has gained a wonderful new hangout with Strandzuid. Sunbathe, play table soccer with your colleagues, enjoy a craft beer on the terrace or a delicious meal in the restaurant: all of this is possible at Amsterdam’s new urban beach. Strandzuid has meeting options for every type of event, no matter the size of the group, including a Boat House and a Beach House. So, for that summer-holiday feeling, book your meeting at Strandzuid. www.strand-zuid.nl 4, 5 51

congress venue food & drinks going out museum/attraction theatre accommodation bus tram subway ferry

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Worth a visit Social programmes during your stay: canals, shops, diamonds and your event in a museum

Stromma Netherlands Host your event with the best view of Amsterdam!

With the historic canal belt as a background and our staff’s personal service, every event will be a success. Experience Amsterdam from its most spectacular perspective: the water!

Step on board and be dazzled by the breathtaking sights.

Winding canals, picturesque warehouses and lovely bridges – it’s no wonder the canal ring is a World Heritage Site! In honour of the city and its history, we have the most sustainable fleet in town. Our ships are clean and silent, so both you and future generations can enjoy Amsterdam to the utmost. We are proud to hold the Golden Green Key, the international eco-label for sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

As your local MICE partner, we offer a wide range of programmes in and around Amsterdam: • Event transfer: from venue to hotel or restaurant, we transfer groups of up to 1,000 guests via the historic network of canals.

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•

•

•

Event locations: our boats are excellent event locations, with options ranging from floating board meetings to conferences on the water for up to 500 guests.

Network activities: wine tasting, lunch or a dinner cruise: we offer the perfect combination of sightseeing, relaxing and networking.

Excursions: visit state-of-the-art attraction A’DAM LOOKOUT, the spring garden Keukenhof or the traditional village Volendam on one of our guided tours.

Stromma Netherlands creates lifelong memories on the Amsterdam canals, so get ready for an event to remember!

T +31(0)20 217 0500 E info@stromma.nl I www.stromma.com/amsterdam

Worth a visit Batavia Stad Amsterdam Fashion Outlet

Rembrandt and Jan Six: The Etching and the Friendship

This charming, reconstructed 17th-century village is a shopping Valhalla for anyone looking for quality basics or to make a statement with their outfit. More than 250 high-end brands like Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger and Denham will inspire you with the latest trends, must-have pieces and more. Beyond filling the gaps in your wardrobe, you can also indulge in jewellery, chocolate and even innovative cookware. Tired of shopping? Relax and soak in the cosy ‘Batavia vibe’ at one of the hip cafés and pleasant restaurants.

From 8 May until 3 September, the Rembrandt House Museum will present an exhibit entitled Rembrandt and Jan Six: The Etching and the Friendship.

363 Days of Shopping Batavia Stad Amsterdam Fashion Outlet is open 363 days a year and seven days a week, 10:00-18:00 on weekdays and 10:00-20:00 on weekends and bank holidays.

Visitors from outside the EU can shop tax-free, and international guests can use China UnionPay. Visit us from Amsterdam or anywhere in the Netherlands The Fashion Outlet is easy to reach by car or bus on the A6, while a daily Shopping Shuttle offers direct, fast and reasonably priced transport from Amsterdam. Batavia Stad Amsterdam Fashion Outlet is also reachable by public transport: hop on the train to Lelystad Station, and then take bus number 3 or a taxi.

The friendship between Jan Six and Rembrandt van Rijn is a famous story in 17th-century Dutch history. Their amity was expressed in an intimate portrait of Six reading by the window, which soon proved to be the high point in Rembrandt’s graphic oeuvre. The exhibit explores this friendship in the heyday of the 17th century, as well as the artist’s mastery that reached its ultimate expression in the etching. It furthermore explores the fascination in later centuries with etchings, the clients and the artist. As Dutch readers are currently under the spell of Geert Mak’s book De levens van Jan Six (‘The Lives of Jan Six’), the exhibit brings the friendship between Six and Rembrandt even more vividly to life in this small exhibit at the Rembrandt House Museum.

The Rembrandt House Museum is the artist’s former home and studio, and it is here that the etching of Jan Six was created. The loans from the Six Collection could not be better placed, and the visitor is offered a unique and relevant context for the exposition.

What else?

Batavia Stad offers full-service, customisable packages and benefits to partners and their guests. For more information, visit www.bataviastad.com/trade.

T +31(0)320 292 900 E sales.nl@viaoutlets.com I www.bataviastad.com

8 May-3 September 2017 The Rembrandt House Museum www.rembrandthuis.nl

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Worth a visit Martin Scorsese – The exhibition Martin Scorsese (1942), the director of classics such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Wolf of Wall Street, has developed a unique cinematic style over the years.

Raised as the son of Italian immigrants in New York’s Little Italy, his films paint an exciting picture of this close-knit environment in which family, faith and trust are central.

The Italian mafia plays a prominent role in this world, and crime and punishment are important themes in Scorsese’s work. The relationships between his characters – often with leading roles for soulmates Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio – are marked by distrust, fear and betrayal.

Violence plays a key role, as does the quest for spirituality.

Held at the EYE Filmmuseum, this first-ever exhibition dedicated entirely to Scorsese shows the influence of powerful, passionate stories on modern American cinema.

The visitor can view projections of many major film clips, along with more than 400 objects and documents from Scorsese and De Niro’s private collections.

Scorsese is also curating a programme of his favourite films from Amsterdam’s EYE Filmmuseum collection and from the private Scorsese Film Foundation. This programme, organised in cooperation with Deutsche Kinemathek, will include classics from non-western countries that have been restored by the Film Foundation.

25 May-3 September 2017 EYE Filmmuseum www.eyefilm.nl

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ARTZUID 2017 The fifth edition of ARTZUID, the international sculpture biennial in Amsterdam, will be held from 19 May until 17 September. The 2.5-kilometre-long sculpture route will wind along the Apollolaan, Minervalaan, Churchilllaan and the Zuidas business district.

The curator for the exhibition is Rudi Fuchs, former director of Amterdam’s Stedelijk Museum. He will position 50 monumental abstract sculptures by Dutch artists in Berlage’s Art Deco district in Amsterdam South. ARTZUID 2017 follows the theme year From Mondriaan to Dutch Design – 100 Years of De Stijl, and shows the influence of the movement known as De Stijl (The Style), on sculpture.

The artists are from different post-war generations working in the abstract tradition, and include André Volten, Ad Dekkers, Carel Visser, Joost Baljeu, Auke de Vries, Krijn de Koning, Esther Tielemans, David Jablonowski and Saskia Noor van Imhoff. A dozen works by international artists have also been selected, and will be shown in the Zuidas business district. With this anniversary edition of ARTZUID, Fuchs wishes to position Dutch abstract artists internationally.

19 May-17 September 2017 www.artzuid.nl

Worth a visit

Hermitage Amsterdam opens exclusive exhibit for Western Europe: 1917. Romanovs & Revolution One hundred years after the outbreak of the Russian Revolution, the Hermitage Amsterdam has opened an exhibit entitled 1917. Romanovs & Revolution. The End of Monarchy.

With more than 250 objects originating from the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, the Russian State Archive in Moscow and the Artillery Museum in Saint Petersburg, this will be the only showing of the exhibition in Western Europe. The turning point in Russia’s history was 1917. Films, photographs, paintings, decorative art and historical documents will tell the gripping story of fashionable Saint Petersburg, the art that flourished there at the beginning of the 20th century, Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra, and the explosive political and social circumstances during their reign. Visitors will experience through word and image how the choices and decisions made by the tsar made revolution and the end of

the 300-year reign of the Romanovs inevitable. They will also be given intimate insights into the final years of the imperial family up until their death.

Objects Top exhibits will include clothing from the imperial couple’s wardrobe, portraits of the royal pair, their children’s toys and drawings, a facsimile of Nicholas’s act of abdication, works of art from Russia’s ‘Silver Age’, various Fabergé objects and one of the murder weapons.

Until 17 September 2017 Hermitage Amsterdam www.hermitage.nl

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MICE calendar

A selection of upcoming conferences

3-5 May 27th Conference of the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) RAI Amsterdam

16-17 May Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) RAI Amsterdam 16-18 May Phocuswright Europe Beurs van Berlage 17-20 May 29th Annual Meeting of the European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD) RAI Amsterdam 22-24 May 11th European Congress on Menopause and Andropause (EMAS) RAI Amsterdam

28-31 May 5th World Conference on Research Integrity (WCRI) VU University 14-17 Jun 52nd Congress of the European Society for Surgical Research (ESSR) Beurs van Berlage

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20-22 Jun 56th European Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Association General Meeting (EPHMRA) Beurs van Berlage 24-27 Jun 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN 2017) RAI Amsterdam

9-13 Jul XXII EuCHEMS Conference on Organometallic Chemistry (EuCOMC) Beurs van Berlage

11-14 Jul 15th European Congress of Psychology RAI Amsterdam 25-29 Jul 16th World Conference of the International Society of Family Law (ISFL) VU University 30 Jul-3 Aug XV Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS-15) Amsterdam Medical Centre

28-31 Aug International Conference on Magnet Technology 2017 RAI Amsterdam 3-6 Sep 29th European Congress of Pathology (ECP 2017) RAI Amsterdam

14-19 Sep International Broadcast Conference RAI Amsterdam 25-29 Sep 52nd Congress of the European Society for Surgical Research (ESSR) RAI Amsterdam 25-29 Sep 32nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) RAI Amsterdam 26-28 Sep Safety and Security RAI Amsterdam 1-4 Oct 7th International Conference on the Theory of Information Retrieval (ICTIR) Hotel Casa 400

3-5 Oct European Utility Week 2017 RAI Amsterdam

8-10 Oct EUROGIN 2017 RAI Amsterdam 12-13 Oct TechDays 2017 RAI Amsterdam 6-8 Nov 72nd World Congress of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) IJ Venues 15-17 Nov The Amsterdam Produce Show and Conference Westergasfabriek

28-30 Nov WindEurope 2017 Conference & Exhibition RAI Amsterdam

Your Amsterdam MICE Partners

MICE partners Amsterdam offers a wide selection of hotels and venues in every style and price class.

In addition, the city is known for connecting parties to help you form the partnerships you need to make your conference or other event the best event possible. Here you will find a round-up of some of Amsterdam Marketing’s most important MICE partners – a comprehensive mix of hotels and venues eager to work with you to make your event, and the rest of your stay, successful.

Make your next event succesful

Find even more partners in the online venue finder at iamsterdam.com/venuefinder.

Hotel (venue) Bilderberg Garden Hotel (p.15) Double Tree by Hilton Amsterdam Dutch Design Hotel Artemis (p.16) EHM Hotel Amsterdam Apollo (p.17) NH City Centre Amsterdam Hilton Amsterdam Hilton Schiphol Airport Holiday Inn Seaport Beach IJmuiden Hotel Casa Hotel de l’Europe Hotel Okura Amsterdam (p.29) InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam Marriott Hotel Amsterdam Mercure Hotel Amsterdam City Mövenpick Hotel NH Barbizon Palace Hotel NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky W Amsterdam Park Hotel Park Plaza Victoria Hotel

Postillion Hotel Amsterdam Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre (p.4 & p.17) Renaissance Amsterdam Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam Tropenhotel Westcord Fashion Hotel Amsterdam Andaz Amsterdam Hyatt Regency Amsterdam (p.18) Venue Beurs van Berlage Cobra Museum De Bazel De Rode Hoed DeLaMar Theater EYE Filmmuseum Gassan Diamonds Heineken Experience (p.29) Het Concertgebouw (p.7 & p.28) Het Scheepvaartmuseum

KIT Meeting & Events Koninklijke Industrieele Groote Club (IGC) Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ Natura Artis Magistra (p.7) NEMO Science Museum (p.6) Passenger Terminal Amsterdam RAI Amsterdam (p.27) Rembrandt Tower Boardroom Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (p.28) Taets Art and Event Park Theater De Meervaart Van Gogh Museum (p.28) Westergasfabriek (p.4) Excursion/entertainment Stromma (previously known as Canal Company) (p.30) Cruise with Us De Bijenkorf Holland Casino Amsterdam House of Bols

Pathé Cinemas Tuschinski Theater Rederij de Nederlanden Rederij ‘t Smidtje Restaurant d’Vijff Vlieghen DMC ITB Holland KrasEvents PCO CAOS Congress Care MCI Amsterdam Meetinglinq Other services ACS Audiovisual Solutions GVB Amsterdam (public transport) Maison van den Boer (catering) Momice (eventmanagement) Taxicentrale Amsterdam (TCA)