Amsterdam Aims to Inspire Attendees With Its Sustainable Approach to Events

Amsterdam’s well-connected infrastructure means attendees can easily jump between venues, hotels, attractions, and restaurants.

Amsterdam is a European capital with a rich history that dates back nearly 750 years, yet it’s constantly evolving — not to keep up with the times, but to lead the way into the future.

Known for its progressive nature, Amsterdam is the ideal destination to inspire event-goers to think beyond their own perspectives and find creative solutions to the biggest issues facing the world today. After all, when event organizers choose host cities that embrace innovation and forward-thinking ideas, those values inevitably set the tone for their event programs and become part of the attendee experience. This has become especially apparent in recent years, with Amsterdam solidifying its position as one of Europe’s most innovative conference destinations for sustainable meetings.

A Leader in Eco-Friendly Living

With a compact city center that is easy to navigate on two feet, sustainability is built into the way of life in Amsterdam. Beyond the city’s walkability, biking plays an important role in the culture, with visitors welcome, and even encouraged, to partake. In fact, there are more bikes than people in Amsterdam, leaving no shortage of opportunities for attendees to hop on two wheels and explore. The city also offers several forms of public transportation, which, since 2019 is powered 100 percent by Dutch renewable electricity. All of the above points to why Amsterdam ranks sixth for urban mobility readiness and second for sustainable mobility when compared with 60 major cities around the world, according to the 2022 edition of Oliver Wyman Forum’s Urban Mobility Readiness Index.

Conscious meeting planners can rest assured that this focus on protecting the planet also extends to many of the 500-plus event venues available throughout Amsterdam. Venues with particularly noteworthy sustainability initiatives include Beurs van Berlage, a Green Globe-Certified venue, and EXPO Greater Amsterdam, a repurposed greenhouse featuring a solar panel roof.

Another sign of Amsterdam’s progressive and innovative spirit is its high concentration of prestigious universities, research centers, and other knowledge institutions. This is in addition to the city’s business community of more than 4,000 international companies, along with its dynamic startup scene. Meeting planners can easily tap into this impressive network of industry leaders for collaboration.

Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, is the perfect example of a unique eco-friendly venue in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam’s Success Stories

Amsterdam’s position as a natural choice for sustainable meetings is also illustrated by the many organizations whose events in the city have had far-reaching societal impact. Take Bloomberg CityLab, for example. Hosted in the fall of 2022, the event brought together more than 500 city leaders and experts from around the world, including 40 mayors from cities around the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Sessions throughout the event addressed challenges cities are facing regarding climate change, infrastructure, technology, migration, mental health, and more. Last year, Amsterdam also played host to World Summit AI, which gathered more than 6,000 attendees for 200-plus talks on the ethics of the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence.

Whether it’s for organizations focused on energy transition or those gathering in the name of sustainable fashion, Amsterdam is the place to be for meetings designed to inspire and impact attendees, for good.

For more information on hosting your next event in Amsterdam, email [email protected] or visit iamsterdam.com/en/meetings.