Creating New Congress Models

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With obvious pride, CEO Hans Bakker shows visitors the just-completed extension of the Amsterdam RAI congress and fair venue. The nine-storey Elicium building is, he says, “a third-generation meeting building.” He explains: “That means it works with the changing demand for capacity in conferences and events. As a host and events organiser now, you have to be at home in all markets.”

Largest Convention Centre in Europe

The new facilities are flexible. On the first floor, the largest ballroom in the Netherlands “can accommodate 2,500 guests theatre-style, or seat 1,200 people for dinner,” says Bakker. In addition, Elicium has four conference rooms, 20 meeting rooms, and its own offices. These can be transformed into 80 extra meeting rooms.

“Our total meeting and conference capacity is over 200 separate rooms, making us the largest convention centre in Europe,” adds Bakker. “Now we’re in the running to host meetings of international institutions like the World Bank, or an EU summit. Previously we could not handle prestigious meetings of this size.”

Beyond size, the RAI also boasts a unique location. “We are within walking distance of the historic centre of Amsterdam, and you can choose from ten different ways to get here, including bicycle, boat, tram, train, and, when the North-South line (Noord-Zuidlijn) is ready, metro,” says Bakker. “You can take the train from the RAI station and be at Schiphol in just 10 minutes.”

Reacting to economic trends is crucial. Recently, the RAI adapted the formula of the biennial car show, AutoRAI. The car industry felt the effects of the financial crisis quicker than most. As a result, it rained cancellations for this year’s edition of AutoRAI. “It was clear that many traditional exhibitors cannot afford to invest in large, expensive stands right now,” Bakker explains. “So we thought up a new proposition. We have divided the exhibition space into seven theme areas, such as sports, leisure, family, and adventure cars, rather than into the usual marque divisions. This approach means that the average fees are 20 % of the expected costs. We now have two-thirds of the original number of bookings. I daresay we are setting a new trend.”