As events become increasingly centred around knowledge, innovation, communities and ecosystems, we at RAI Amsterdam are investing heavily in our content networks. This applies equally to our own events and third-party exhibitions and conferences. Two RAI directors, Diddy Durant and Annette Bos, who share commercial responsibility for these aspects, explain how they serve different markets and how these markets reinforce each other.
Hub in a network of partners
Diddy Durant has been with RAI Amsterdam since 2012 and is currently Director of Global Business Development, responsible for promoting the RAI as a venue for national and international events. The organisers of these events include associations, large companies, exhibition organisers and theatre producers. RAI ranks in the top 10 event locations in Europe and a key factor that sets it apart is our ability to connect ecosystems, identify developments and unlock knowledge.
"As client needs change the RAI evolves with those needs,” says Diddy. “We form genuine partnerships with our clients, carefully examining together the event’s objectives and the profile of the attendees. Much of the added value we provide lies in our extensive network. RAI has strong connections within various leading sectors as well as in the political arena, scientific community and business. This allows us to easily connect organisers with sponsors, speakers and innovation partners.
“A good example was the recent Money2020 event. The organisers wanted to attract more startups so we connected them with Techleap (ex. StartupDelta) and directly with its special envoy, Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands. This led to a significant increase in startup participation at the event and, as a result, RAI Amsterdam will remain the home base for Money2020 until 2030."
Extensive network
One of the reasons the RAI has so many contacts is that we are also an event organiser ourselves. As Director of Markets, Annette Bos is responsible for all 18 of RAI Amsterdam’s own titles, which include Greentech, Aquatech, Interclean, the Huishoudbeurs, Amsterdam Drone Week and Intertraffic. Here, too, our network plays a significant role, as Annette explains.
“We have contact with many parties in the sectors in which we are active. This keeps us close to market developments, allows us to identify opportunities early, and enables us to connect relevant networks. The result is clear synergies and added value. Take Amsterdam Drone Week, where we work closely with Amsterdam council, Dutch government ministries, European bodies, knowledge institutions and the high-tech industry. Global agreements regarding the use of drones are regularly made at this event. This is a fine example of a public-private collaboration that contributes to social and economic themes. The new contacts we establish here can be connected to other markets or event as the network continuously strengthens itself.”
Stimulating innovation
Diddy: “Innovation is one of the main reasons that visitors attend an event and we at the RAI are always keen to contribute to this. This year will see the healthcare conference HLTH Europe take place in the RAI for the first time having previously been held seven times in the United States. This conference brings together the entire European healthcare ecosystem and we have brought them into contact with Holland Health, the Life Science Centre and leading surgeons. These connections are beneficial for the event and a great a way to position the Netherlands internationally as a country offering substantive knowledge and innovation.”
Maintaining communities
Another crucial aspect for events is communities. While physical events usually take place either annually or once every two years, related developments and innovations continue throughout the year. "We pay considerable of attention to facilitating and activating these communities,” says Annette. “This is achieved in various ways that depend on the needs of the target audience. A consumer event like the Huishoudbeurs, for example, shares offers and tips via social media. This is especially useful for relatively small and innovative players who have limited reach themselves. Horecava also has an active social community within which trends and research in the hospitality industry are shared all year round.
“For the more technical community of Aquatech, we send a weekly newsletter to half a million unique users to ensure the brand and impact stay relevant. The physical events are primarily the highlight of the year where everything comes together. And, of course, they are also the place for serendipity to play its role via valuable chance encounters. These kinds of meetings cannot be orchestrated but we can certainly do everything possible to make them more likely.”
Where challenges meet solutions
Whether it's our own events or third-party exhibitions and conferences, the added value lies mainly in connecting challenges with the parties who might have solutions. This is especially true in sectors where the Netherlands plays a significant role, namely water, logistics, mobility, healthcare, technology and IT, smart cities, biotechnology, agriculture and horticulture, finance, hospitality and food.
“Know-how, innovation, trade, talent and commerce all come together at events,” continues Diddy. “This acts as a vital catalyst for renewal, ensuring that events have both economic importance and enormous social value. The Dutch government is fortunately increasingly recognising this point and by attracting international communities to our country in this way, we are collectively strengthening the Dutch economy."
The same thing is happening in reverse, adds Annette. “Our successful in-house events have several sister editions abroad in countries where specific challenges are present. Greentech, Aquatech and Intertraffic, for example, have geoclone events in Mexico which focus on the key issues in that part of the world. We also organise geoclones in Asia and these kinds of events achieve two goals: promoting the Netherlands abroad while creating regionally relevant events.”
Event development
The two directors agree that events have become more complex and, in the process, more interesting over recent years. Annette: "The demand for content has increased. People no longer want to just see products and meet people; they also want to find information on the latest technological developments. In addition, they are looking to engage with their peers regarding the challenges of the future and play their part in solving them. The latter happens throughout the year while the event itself is the unique moment in time where everything comes together."
Diddy sees the same happening with externally organised events: "Compared to other event destinations such as Barcelona and Berlin, in Amsterdam we stand out for the role we play in bringing parties together and driving forward innovation. By joining forces, our suppliers, our network and the organisers form a synergy that together ensures the success of an event. This partnership also underpins all the knowledge, contacts and initiatives that arise from an event, which is what they are ultimately all about."
Like to discover more about how RAI Amsterdam can add value to your event? Contact our Business Development Department via raimarketing@rai.nl.