Amsterdam MICEdition: Winter 2013

Amsterdam MICEdition Tenth edition

Number 2

Winter 2013

Meeting potential

INDUSTRY

UPDATE 2

3 HISTORIC

HIGHLIGHTS

4 INNOVATIVE

INDUSTRY

LEADERS

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UNIQUE LOCATIONS

6 PARTNER Playing host to more than 600 international conferences every year, Amsterdam’s diverse venues, developed infrastructure, excellent transportation links and entrepreneurial vision make it a top-ten international conference city. Read on to find out why.

PROGRAMMES

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Amsterdam MICEdition - winter 2013

Industry update The newest venues, latest initiatives and industry-related news.

Collaborating for success For four days in 2013, Amsterdam was the beating heart of the European Society of Cardiology, playing host to ESC Congress 2013, the world’s premier conference on the science, management and prevention of cardiovascular disease. More than 30,000 healthcare professionals attended the annual event, held at the Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre.

ESC Congress 2013 is just one example of the increasing number of conferences and corporate events that take place in Amsterdam each year.

Maximising the benefits of a successful collaboration between Amsterdam Marketing (the official marketing organisation of the City), the thriving hotel industry, the City of Amsterdam and the award-winning Amsterdam RAI Conference Centre, the Amsterdam meetings industry is welcoming more congress visitors every year.

Between 2008 and 2012, attendance at corporate events in the city increased by some 300,000 people – and numbers are expected to continue to grow.

Since the congress and hotel sec-

tors are so closely related, the city has been working to significantly increase the number of hotel rooms across the Amsterdam Area. A recent agreement earmarking 16,000 hotel rooms for each convention in Amsterdam – all bearing the ‘I amsterdam Approved’ charter label – demonstrates the City’s commitment to improving infrastructure and facilities in support of the booming conference industry.

Location, location, location Some of Amsterdam’s best-loved venues are improving facilities and building new wings to meet demand. The Amsterdam RAI is already the city’s largest conference venue, but the construction of a new multi-use addition will

Ground-breaking initiative gives congress organisers guarantee

Quality Seal Since April 2013, Amsterdam Marketing has been able to guarantee organisers of international, citywide congresses the availability of a maximum of 16,000 hotel rooms in the city. Amsterdam Marketing has also given them permission to offer their customers hotel rooms with the ‘I amsterdam approved’ quality seal as part of the package.

Participating three-, four- and five-star hotels specify beforehand in a charter how many rooms they can offer the city-wide congress organisers. This enables the city to field bids for large conference

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proposals in a fast and efficient way without holding preliminary discussions, and to guarantee the availability of a maximum of 16,000 rooms.

Over the last three years the hotel capacity in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area has increased significantly, from 25,000 to 30,000 rooms. As a result, Amsterdam is better equipped to accommodate large congresses and to further extend its position as an international congress city. Amsterdam Marketing cooperates closely with all stakeholders in achieving that aim.

cement the venue’s industryleading reputation. Also known as the home of football club Ajax, the Amsterdam ArenA has recently completed the construction of a new conference centre, making it a premiere league location for the gamut of business events and congresses, with room for five to 1,000 delegates.

Creative connections It is clear that Amsterdam has the necessary infrastructure in place to support the growing conference industry, but what makes the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area unique is especially strong corporate sectors, which provide conference organisers with seamless synergy they cannot find elsewhere.

©ESC Congress 2013

Revealing the city’s potential to congress organisers

I amsterdam uncovered On Tuesday, 3 September 2013, Amsterdam Marketing organised an exclusive business case event in cooperation with the Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre called ‘I Amsterdam uncovered’.

During the event, Dutch and international conference organisers from various societies and associations spent 12 hours learning about the many possibilities Amsterdam has to offer as a conference city.

The reception took place in the recently opened hotel Roommate Aitana, which was also the location for the casual meet-and-greet.

The group subsequently enjoyed a networking lunch while sailing by boat to the Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre to visit the ESC Congress and gain a good impression of what Amsterdam has to offer very large conferences (the ESC Congress welcomed 30,000 Dutch and international cardiologists and specialists). The opportunity was also taken to emphasise how the city works together with its stakeholders, including hotels, public transport, the airport and the cultural sector.

The ‘I Amsterdam uncovered’ group was transported by bicycle

rickshaw to a reception at the mayor’s official residence. The rickshaw ride went over a bicycle path specially constructed for the ESC Congress. Delegations from Professional Congress Organisers and the Taskforce for Citywide Congresses joined the networking reception. The taskforce is committed to optimising the citywide reception of conferences. This informative and inspiring day was concluded with an informal dinner.

Are you a congress organiser and also interested in a business case event? Please let us know acb@iamsterdam.com

winter 2013 - Amsterdam MICEdition

Hotels From historic to cutting-edge, Amsterdam’s many hotels are perfect for congress events – from intimate brainstorming lunches to vast multi-day conferences.

Find warm hospitality, a great location and contemporary architecture

Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam

A first-class business hotel with a wide range of recreational facilities, Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam is the perfect location for your (international) meeting or event. The free shuttle service to and from the international railway station and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport – and direct access to the A4 and A9 motorways – means you won’t lose any precious meeting time. The idyllic location on the edge of the Amsterdam Forest is the perfect backdrop for long walks, jogging and cycling during downtime. All 15 of the modern meeting rooms – suitable for all events of up to 620 delegates – have natural daylight and are situated on the ground floor. The hotel’s spacious foyers offer many possibilities for stands, promotional material and coffee breaks. A specialised team of event managers can help you

organise your tailor-made event or advise you about the extensive green meeting facilities. Wireless internet is free of charge throughout the hotel.

The hotel’s 440 comfortable rooms and suites are designed in warm colours and offer plenty of space and privacy. All rooms have tea- and coffee-making facilities, spacious working desks, ironing equipment, flat-screen TVs and safes. The Green & Fair Trade rooms are located on a completely climate-neutral floor of the hotel, meeting the wishes of many guests for sustainability. Enjoy traditional homemade dishes in Italian Restaurant Nadar, or watch live sports matches, while having a drink or meal in the Sports & Media Bar. The Lifestyle Club & Active Spa features indoor pool, Finnish sauna, steam bath, sanarium, massage and acupunc-

Using a new and innovative reservation system, Efficient Hotel Partner goes paperless

Efficient Hotel Partner Efficient Hotel Partner is your key to finding and booking suitable (environmental friendly) hotel accommodation or venues for assemblies, meetings, conferences or congresses – free of charge. Your application, no matter how complicated, is always welcomed as a new challenge.

Operating as an independent consultancy and reservation agency, Efficient Hotel Partner will search for the hotel room or meeting accom-

modation you require – Green Key certified or European Eco labelled if preferred. Taking the legwork out of your congress planning, they do the hard work for you.

EFFICIENT HOTEL PARTNER

Dorpsstraat 43, 1182 JB Amstelveen T +31 (0)20 345 23 22 E mail@hotelpartner.nl I www.efficienthotelpartner.nl

ture treatments, gym, relaxation room and terrace.

The Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam has been part of the Steigenberger Hotel Group since September 2012. The Steigenberger Hotel Group makes firstclass service, excellent facilities and a special ambiance its top priorities.

STEIGENBERGER AIRPORT HOTEL AMSTERDAM Stationsplein ZW 951, 1117 CE Schiphol-Oost T +31 (0) 20 540 07 77 E airporthotel-amsterdam@ steigenberger.nl I www.airporthotel-amsterdam. steigenberger.nl

Awarded for industry-leading fair-trade policies

Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre has received an award in recognition of full transition to the deployment of fair-trade cotton products. General Manager Albert Rouwendal accepted the award on behalf of the hotel from Jacobine Geel, jury president of the Fair Trade Town campaign, and Peter d’Angremond, director of the Max Havelaar Foundation. The award is part of the Fair Trade Town campaign, which encourages the use and sale of fair-trade products in the Netherlands. Wake up between fair-trade certified linen sheets, dry off with fair towels after a shower and dine on fair-trade certified tablecloths during dinner. Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam is a market leader when it comes to using fairtrade certified cotton, an inspiration for other hotels.

The hotel received the Green

Globe certificate in 2011 because of the integrated energy and environment programme with various green measures.

To meet the demands of the MICE market, the hotel has added a sustainable meeting package, which includes coffee breaks with local products, a fair-trade lunch buffet and the possibility of CO2 offset compensation. You can already book a full-day sustainable meeting package for just €87.50 per person.

Foto: Arie Kievit

MÖVENPICK HOTEL AMSTERDAM

Piet Heinkade 11, 1019 BR Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 519 12 00 E hotel.amsterdam.rfp@ moevenpick.com I www.moevenpick-hotels.com/ amsterdam 3

Amsterdam MICEdition - winter 2013

Historic highlights Amsterdam – and neighbouring Haarlem – are heaving with history.

Organise your congress in a classic location.

A friendly sized, cosmopolitan city

Haarlem Haarlem may not be the biggest city, but it’s certainly magnificent.

As The New York Times wrote: ‘Haarlem, a classic Dutch city with a village feel’ – a very apt description indeed.

The exquisite, listed historic city centre exudes the atmosphere of the Golden Age while retaining that distinct village feel. Haarlem is a unique and inspiring location for your business gathering. You’ll find all the ingredients for a successful business event within a relatively short distance, from efficiently equipped historic conference and meeting venues to charming restaurants and excellent accommodation options, all of them high-quality venues and facilities. Haarlem is also characterised by its central location in relation to Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and other cities in the Randstad.

What’s more, the city is surrounded by fabulous country estates, nature reserves and beach resorts such as Zandvoort and Bloemendaal, where you’ll also find excellent, charming venues to hold your meeting.

Partner programmes There is a wide variety of activities and attractions in and around Haarlem, which make the provision of partner and social programmes extremely attractive. Haarlem Marketing can help you put together a tailor-made day, afternoon or evening programme.

and one on the outskirts of the city, Haarlem Spaarnwoude station. The journey from Amsterdam to Haarlem takes just 15 minutes. The R Net lijn 300, a fast bus service between Haarlem, Schiphol and Amsterdam Zuidoost (south-east) offers highquality public transport. Haarlem is also close to Schiphol Airport (20km), so international visitors have fast and easy access to the city.

For our new brochure and more information, visit www.haarlem.nl.

VERGADER- EN CONGRESLOCATIES HAARLEM EN OMGEVING MEETING AND CONFERENCE VENUES IN AN AROUND HAARLEM

HAARLEM MARKETING Excellent accessibility Haarlem is very easily accessible, both by car and public transport.

Haarlem has two train stations, one in the city centre, Haarlem station,

Grote Markt 2 / PO BOX 5574 2000 GN Haarlem T +31 (0)23 571 22 62 E info@haarlemmarketing.nl I www.haarlem.nl

haarlem.nl

A green location with gravitas

The Royal Concertgebouw The centrally located Royal Concertgebouw is not just a superlative concert venue; it’s also an inspiring meeting location. The breath-taking historical building has played host to many of the world’s most famous musicians, and this heritage informs your experience. With excellent parking facilities, two conference halls and up to ten break-out rooms to accommodate up to 2,500 guests, the Royal Concertgebouw is the largest conference hall in midtown Amsterdam, complete with highspeed wired and wireless internet.

The Royal Concertgebouw is also the subject of the third mission of The Green Quest, a sustainability mission that will help the Concert-

A monumental conference centre in the heart of Amsterdam

Beurs van Berlage Right in the heart of Amsterdam you’ll find one of the city’s defining monuments, which used to serve as the Stock Exchange: the Beurs van Berlage. The majestic red-brick building originates from 1903 and provides a large variety of interconnecting halls, which can welcome international conferences for up to 1,000 delegates and dinners for up to 1,200 guests. The excellent service, glorious history and beautiful architecture optimise the unique experience and make the Beurs van Berlage the meeting place of Amsterdam.

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The conference centre is very easily accessible and is located between Dam Square and Amsterdam Central Station, with five direct trains per hour to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. As an additional service, delegates can take advantage of the efficient hotel booking tool, offering over 5,000 hotel bedrooms, all within walking distance.

BEURS VAN BERLAGE

Damrak 243 1012 ZJ Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 531 3355 E events@beursvanberlage.nl I www.beursvanberlage.nl

gebouw to reduce its footprint and lower energy use by 40 per cent in the coming five years.

See www.thegreenquest.nl.

Room capacities Main Hall 1,974 theatre seating 550 sit-down dinner 1,500 walking dinner/party 7 break-out rooms Small hall 437 theatre seating 2 break-out rooms Choir hall 150 theatre seating 100 sit-down dinner 150 reception/party

Mirror hall 220 theatre seating Pleinfoyer 90 theatre seating 120 reception/party 90 sit-down dinner Call the Concertgebouw’s experienced team of planning professionals for further assistance

THE CONCERTGEBOUW Concertgebouwplein 10 1071 LN Amsterdam T + 31 (0)20 573 04 54 E zakelijk@concertgebouw.nl I www.concertgebouw.nl

winter 2013 - Amsterdam MICEdition

Innovative industry leaders Award-winning companies that are treading new ground in the congress industry.

Your sustainable airline partner for events

A new era of digital poster presentations

AIR FRANCE KLM

Eventresult

AIR FRANCE & KLM Global Meetings offers organisers of exhibitions, conferences and events a free online tool that is unique within the aviation industry. It enables organisers to make their event more attractive to visitors and exhibitors by offering a discount of 5-15% on most KLM and Air France fares. In addition, the organiser can earn free tickets.

• Global Meetings fares are available from/ to any KLM and Air France destination, for example: New York/Amsterdam, Amsterdam/ London, Buenos Aires/Amsterdam

Benefits • As an organiser you can offer discounts of 5-15% on fares that event participants can easily book online. The fares are valid on all KLM and Air France flights and partner code share flights (for example, Alitalia, CityJet, Delta Air Lines) with a KLor AF flight number

• The programme is for individual bookings, not groups

• As an event organiser you qualify for reward tickets • The Global Meetings discounted fares are available from five days prior to five days after the eventdates

• Event organisers can also take advantage of the Global Meetings fares when making bookings via an IATA travel agent

Terms and conditions The event should be registered via www. airfranceklm-globalmeetings.com at least two months before it is due to start. The organiser will then receive a communication kit including a link with an Event ID code. The link and AIR FRANCE & KLM Global Meetings logos must be posted on the event website. Event participants can log in with the assigned Event ID code to book their flights.

Eventresult (sister company of ACS audiovisual solutions ) has started an innovative partnership with the MULTILEARNING group to improve the delivery of ePoster Solutions during Medical Congresses in Europe.

Eventresult is a congress IT Company across Europe, delivering user-friendly, smart and customised presentation solutions. Recently Eventresult has made a huge investment in hardware and has the largest amount of touch screens available of any European company.

Paper posters are the most common way to present research results at scientific conventions.

MULTILEARNING has developed an ePoster solution with auto-zoom to demonstrate poster sessions in a more innovative and interactive way. MULTIEPOSTER has completely modernised and improved oral ePoster sessions.

During the biannual convention of The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), organised from 29 June 29 to 4 July 2013 at Amsterdam RAI, the ePoster solution was presented for the first time on such a large scale. More than 2,500 posters were accessible through 80 touch screens for all delegates at the convention. All delegates were able to browse the meetings, subjects and speakers via every touch screen. Even the ISTH Mondriaan theme was integrated within the ePoster area to expound the ISTH 2013 look and feel.

This ePoster solution has many advantages and has introduced a new era of presenting scientific content!

EVENTRESULT

Archangelkade 5a-b 1013 BE Amsterdam T + 31 (0)20 606 93 58 E info@eventresult.com I www.eventresult.com

Your sustainable events partner

Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre Still in the no. 1 spot on Dow Jones Sustainability Index AIR FRANCE KLM has once again succeeded in retaining its leading position on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). AIR FRANCE KLM ranked first in the sector Transport* for the fifth time, and headed the Airlines rankings for the ninth consecutive year.

Acknowledgment of a pioneering role Corporations aspire to be listed on the exclusive DJSI, because it is a quality measure of the manner in which sustainability has been integrated into an organisation. It’s all about the three ‘P’s: people, planet and profit. In short, being considerate of the human and natural environment as you strive to earn profit, secure your future and add value to your surroundings.

According to the DJSI report: ‘AIR FRANCE KLM, as part of its overall business strategy, has made long-term commitments to reducing its environmental footprint and increasing operational efficiency. Compared to a 2009 baseline, the company made significant improvements in operational eco-efficiency in 2012. As a pioneer in the development of sustainable biofuels, the company continues to push for viable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.

The company actively manages its stakeholder engagement, ensuring that corporate goals are effectively rolled out and managed at the

local level. Through transparent and focused reporting, the company addresses multiple stakeholder needs, and closely outlines not only the progress, but also the challenges faced in achieving its sustainable business goals.’

A challenge to retain the lead ‘It is not easy to retain our leading position,’ says KLM President & CEO Camiel Eurlings.

‘Others in our sector are also taking steps, but we have managed to maintain our lead.

This is testimony to the fact that we take sustainability seriously, that we have done so for some time, and that we are doing a good job. It is, however, a remarkable achievement that we have managed to continue distinguishing ourselves in the field of sustainability.’ (*) The Transport category includes companies working in the airline, railway, maritime and road transport sectors, as well as airports.

MORE INFORMATION Please see www.airfranceklm-globalmeetings.com for complete terms, conditions and more information or send an email to globalmeetings.nl@klm.com

Back in 2008, Amsterdam RAI determined that corporate social responsibility would have a prominent place within the organisation.

Since then, Amsterdam RAI has celebrated many successes and won international awards and certificates.

Amsterdam RAI is convinced that a good CSR policy adds value and contributes to the success of a company – commercial and otherwise. Amsterdam RAI aims to be one of the most prominent sustainable conference and events industry leaders within the next five years – an ambitious goal in a world and industry where the focus on sustainability is expanding exponentially.

To achieve these goals, Amsterdam RAI aspires to have an excellent relationship with its stakeholders. Amsterdam RAI aims to help organisers to make their events more sustainable by supplying green energy, calculating their CO2 emissions, offering organic catering and minimising traffic movements by using various smart logistic concepts. Using combi-tickets at reduced prices, Amsterdam RAI actively encourages visitors to travel by public transport, and provides them with a comfortable and inspiring environment for exchanging ideas and experiences.

With all these goals and ambitions in mind, Amsterdam RAI began the construction of a new multipurpose conference and office building in October 2013, the RAI Amtrium, which incorporates the most sustainable techniques. Amsterdam RAI will aim to achieve a BREEAM-NL excellent level for the RAI Amtrium. The most eye-catching element, apart from the atrium, is the ‘green lung’ for city farming. This will allow the building to supply its own vegetables and herbs for the restaurant on the ground floor. RAI Atrium will open its doors in May 2015.

Download the Amsterdam RAI complete sustainability report for 2012 at www.rai.nl/csr

AMSTERDAM RAI

Europaplein 1078 GZ Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 549 17 22 E raimarketing@rai.nl I www.rai.nl 5

Amsterdam MICEdition - winter 2013

Unique locations If you’re looking for the ‘wow’ factor, choose an Amsterdam original for your congress event.

NEMO’s living roof is a green icon for Amsterdam

Science Center NEMO In June 2013, a terraced green roof was created on the upper section of the roof of Science Center NEMO. Planted with sedum and flowering herbs, NEMO’s 1100 m² living roof ranks alongside the roof of VU University Amsterdam as one of the City of Amsterdam’s green icons.

This green innovation is a key part of NEMO’s campaign to further its sustainability.

Michiel Buchel, Director of Science Center NEMO explains: ‘We believe that man and nature should be able to live together. And in greater harmony than they do now. We humans often see nature as a tool we can shape at will, regardless of the longterm consequences. Wrongly, in our opinion. We believe in the power of sustainable innovation.’

Sustainable technological innovations Companies who want to organise events with a sustainable touch can find plenty of inspiration in NEMO’s exhibitions. For instance, the current exhibition in the Innovation Gallery, Smart Technology, showcases sustainable developments in lighting, transport and electricity. You can even meet amid the exhibition itself: outside of opening hours, NEMO offers the opportunity to host receptions and other informal events for between 150-175 guests.

SCIENCE CENTER NEMO Oosterdok 2 1011 VX Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 531 31 50 E events@e-NEMO.nl I www.e-NEMO.nl

One of the most globally recognised companies

Hard Rock International Since 1971, our mission at Hard Rock has been to ‘do well by doing good’ in both our local and global communities. In a world where corporate philanthropy has become a new business strategy for many organisations, we’re proud to say that our manifesto ‘Love All – Serve All’ has been part of Hard Rock DNA since day one. The wide range of philanthropic causes we support around the globe is directly tied to our Mottos ‘Take Time To Be Kind’ (humanitarian); ‘Save The Planet’ (environmental) and ‘All Is

One’ (entertainment industry). At Hard Rock our goal in supporting these collaborative partners is to help raise awareness and necessary funding, and to educate our guests on pressing issues related to specific philanthropic programmes and causes. We believe that positive change is possible, and through our unique global platform of worldwide cafes, hotels and casinos, through our passionate guests who visit our locations day to day, a world-class line-up of ‘artist ambassadors’ and through our incredible team

of Hard Rockers, we can help make the world a better place for those in need – and ultimately for us all. Doing this with a total of 174 venues in 54 countries – including 138 cafes, 17 hotels and 7 casinos.

HARD ROCK CAFE

Max Euweplein 57-61 1017 MA Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 523 76 11 E claire_skudder@hardrock.com I www.hardrock.com/amsterdam

GET INSPIRED!

MEETINGS & EVENTS AT THE HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE The former Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam is an exciting venue for meetings and events.

The brewery has been completely renovated and transformed into the Heineken Experience: an interactive tour through the world of Heineken. On the top floors of the brewery, five beautiful meeting rooms have been created, varying in size from 60 to 350 m² and capable of hosting groups of up to 750 people. All rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. In short, the Heineken Experience offers you an inspiring environment!

For more information and bookings, contact our Sales Department: +31 20 5239 222 or email: sales.experience@heineken.com STADHOUDERSKADE 78 1072 AE AMSTERDAM * THE NETHERLANDS

heineken.com/experience

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winter 2013 - Amsterdam MICEdition

Partner programmes

From shopping to canal cruises, Amsterdam has plenty to keep your delegates entertained.

Luxury shopping – and inspiring meetings – at Amsterdam’s premium department store

De Bijenkorf Amsterdam

Founded in 1870, de Bijenkorf’s flagship store is located in a historical building on Dam square in the heart of Amsterdam. At de Bijenkorf you’ll find top high-street and designer fashion brands, as well as luxury products and brands.

Everything you could desire is under one roof – from the latest beauty products to the hottest accessories, from beautiful tableware and

glassware to the cutest toys, and even delicious handmade chocolates. Besides established brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Prada and many more, de Bijenkorf has expanded its brand collection for this winter season.

New upcoming brands are Farrell

by Robbie Williams, All Saints, Tory Burch, Rag & Bone, Avelon, Juicy Couture, Jimmy Choo, Santoni,

McQ by Alexander McQueen and Topshop & Topman. De Bijenkorf traditionally opens the festive season in Amsterdam, with the magnificent Turn on the Lights, on 21 November on Dam square. More than 100,000 energy-efficient LED lights illuminate the facade of the majestic building, and a spectacular show will attract thousands of spectators. Besides top-quality

catering and delightful patisserie products, de Bijenkorf Kitchen and the Dam Café are also great, inspiring locations for your business meetings in an outstanding, central location – just a ten-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station and 20 minutes by car from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Free Wi-Fi is available in all de Bijenkorf stores. De Bijenkorf offers the

highest quality and always presents the latest trends, exciting events and the best service.

DE BIJENKORF AMSTERDAM

Dam 1 1012 JS Amsterdam T +31 88 245 90 00 E info@debijenkorf.nl I www.debijenkorf.nl/english

Sustainability on the Amsterdam canals

A dazzling addition to any itinerary

Canal

Gassan Diamonds

Canal Company has been providing innovative and unique group programmes on and around the Amsterdam canals for almost 30 years – ranging from Canal Bike tours to delicious drinks on-board to deluxe lunches and dinners.

Canal boasts such exciting options as the Mix and Match Dinner plus a wide range of regular canal cruises, including The #1 Canal Cruise in 19 languages, the Cocktail Cruise and the Dinner Cruise.

In a nutshell, Canal is the trendsetter on the Amsterdam waterways.

Ever since the start, Canal has done its best to minimise the company’s impact on the environment. Sustainability has always been the starting point for clean and quiet excursions through the canals. Canal Bikes run on muscle power (the only emissions being drops of sweat), while the Canal Bus – the extremely low-emission

hop-on, hop-off canal cruise – runs on clean CNG engines. Canal also owns nine electric open sloops and one sloop that runs on hydrogen. All vessels are either electric powered or have clean engines that boast emissions of some 90 per cent less than standard dieselpowered vessels. In 2012, Canal was awarded the Golden Green Key award, making Canal the first passenger canal-cruise company in the world to receive this official and international eco-label for sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Ever since they were first discovered 2,000 years ago, diamonds have been immortalised as sources of inspiration and objects of desire. That’s why no visit to the ‘City of Diamonds’ is complete without adding diamonds to the itinerary.

During a tour of the Gassan factory, you can admire diamond cutters at work while your guide explains where diamonds are found and what stages the raw gems go through before being transformed into the most dazzling diamonds. Learn about what determines a diamond’s quality and value. Then view loose polished stones in various sizes and qualities in our showroom.

Gassan Diamonds can provide bespoke business-to-business activities, including hosting meetings in the diamond factory with a delicious lunch or cocktails to complete your programme. You can combine the diamond experience with a Champagne & Diamond Surprise Cocktail, adding excitement and sophistication to incentive travel participants. Or for groups with a maximum of 50 people, a watch expert will give a special lecture about Haute Horlogerie.

Gassan Diamonds also specialises in providing tailor-made gifts and premiums of venerable quality, offering not only products, but services as well –

for example, supporting anniversary programmes and the after-sales service. Why not arrive or leave Gassan Diamonds in the Dutch way – for example, rent a bike, have a canal cruise or visit the sights of the Plantage neighbourhood via Tourist Bus? With its mix of culture, science and nature, the Plantage it’s one of Amsterdam’s most varied neighbourhoods.

GASSAN DIAMONDS

Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 173175, 1011 LN Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 622 53 33 E info@gassandiamonds.com I www.gassan.com

CANAL

Weteringschans 26-1, 1017 SG Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 217 05 00 E info@canal.nl I www.canal.nl 7

Amsterdam MICEdition - winter 2013

Conferences 2014 30 January–1 February 2nd EACR Special Conference on Cell Death in Cancer Rode Hoed

22–26 April Annual Meeting Society of the Neural Control of Movement NH Krasnapolsky

3–5 February World Biomass Markets Hotel Okura

14–17 May 16th European Congress of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy – ESSKA Amsterdam RAI

4–6 February Integrated Systems Europe Amsterdam RAI 5–8 February Interaction14 Westergasfabriek 27 February–1 March ESL & Mother Tongue Conference Mövenpick Hotel 25 March Intertraffic 2014 Amsterdam RAI 1–3 April The Word Innovation Conference The Future of Law Enforcement Information Management Amsterdam Arena 7–9 April Global Berry Congress 2013 NH Krasnapolsky

21–24 May European Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect De Meervaart 31 May–3 June 51th Congress of the ERA – EDTA – European Renal Association & European Dialysis and Transplant Association Amsterdam RAI 16–19 June 76th European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) Conference & Exhibition Amsterdam RAI 2–4 July 7th European Conference on Positive Psychology – ECPP Beurs van Berlage

Events 2013-2014 22–25 August IEEE Sections Congress 2014 Amsterdam RAI 12–16 September International Broadcasting Conference – IBC Amsterdam RAI 27 September–2 October 8th European Congress on Emergency Medicine – EuSEM Westergasfabriek 9–12 October 23rd International Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology – EADV Amsterdam RAI

6 December–19 January Amsterdam Light Festival – light art on the city centre waterways Various locations in Amsterdam 23–26 January Jumping Amsterdam – showjumping event Amsterdam RAI

4 May Remembrance Day 5 May Liberation Day

23–27 January ITs Festival - Theatre festival Various locations in Amsterdam

29 May–1 June Rolling Kitchens – food-truck festival Westergasfabriek

12–16 March CineDans – international dance and film festival Eye Film Museum

20–27 June ITS Festival – International Theatre School festival Various locations in Amsterdam

14-16 October Helitech International 2014 Amsterdam RAI

20 March–18 May Keukenhof Amsterdam – the world’s largest flower gardens Keukenhof

21–23 October Broadband World Forum Amsterdam RAI

9–18 April Imagine Film Festival – horror, sci-fi, fantasy and cult movies Eye Film Museum

27–29 October The Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition – ATCE Amsterdam RAI

3–4 May Amsterdam Tulip Days – flower festival Various locations in Amsterdam

26 April (FROM 2015: 27 APRIL) King’s Day – celebrating the King’s birthday Various locations in Amsterdam

20–22 June Open Garden Days Amsterdam – canal gardens open days Various locations in Amsterdam 24-31 August World Rowing Championship Bosbaan-Amsterdam

PROGRAMME

HIGHLIGHTS

MICEXPERIENCE

HIGHLIGHTS

PROGRAMME

I amsterdam MICExperience 2014

Wednesday 22 January 2014 • Arrival in Amsterdam • Welcome reception

Thursday 23 January 2014

• Speed networking session • Amsterdam à la carte’, individual site inspections

• ‘I amsterdam MICEparty’ Friday 24 January 2014

• ‘Amsterdam à la carte’, site inspections in small groups • Closing reception Please note: departure is possible on Friday (19.00 flight from Amsterdam

Amsterdam arouses a special feeling in everyone, but what is it that this metropolis really has to offer when it comes to the meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry? Meeting planners are invited to an intensive introduction to the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.

From 22 until 24 January 2014, Amsterdam Marketing is organising the MICExperience 2014 especially for you, the conference and meeting planner. Over these two and a half days you’ll become acquainted with the many special venues, hotels and other parties in Amsterdam that can help you organise a successful event. During the MICExperience 2014, you will be paired with a partner who knows the city inside out.

All-inclusive For you, the conference and meeting planner, the MICExperience 2014 is all-inclusive. Participation in the MICExperience 2014 means: a wide range of site inspections; networking sessions with suppliers from the meetings industry; a welcome reception; inspiring guest speakers; informal lunches and dinners; accommodation in an excellent hotel; and a festive closing event. In other words: a fantastic experience!

Airport Schiphol) or Saturday.

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FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT MICExperience 2014? PLEASE CONTACT:

Maarten Nouwen T +31 (0)20 702 62 05 E m.nouwen@iamsterdam.com

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Published by: Amsterdam Marketing PO Box 3331, 1001 AC Amsterdam.

T +31 (0)20 702 62 00 I www.iamsterdam.com/meeting or E acb@iamsterdam.com Project Management: Amsterdam Marketing, Edward Wortman, Tom Wolters Print: Johan Enschede DTP: Amsterdam Marketing, Arjen van den Houten, Lizzy Bekker

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