Ageing in the city: making impact with the IAGG World Congress 2026

Updated 20 July 2026 at 10:55

What happens when thousands of the world's leading experts on healthy ageing come together in Amsterdam? For the IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, the answer extended far beyond the conference venue. From 5–8 July, around 3,500 researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers gathered at RAI Amsterdam to exchange knowledge on one of the defining challenges of our time: how we can support people to live healthier, longer and more independent lives. Alongside the scientific programme, a city-wide impact programme ensured those conversations reached beyond delegates and into the lives of Amsterdammers themselves.

Bringing global knowledge into the city

It's a challenge close to home: roughly 100,000 Amsterdammers are currently 65 or older, a figure projected to climb to 145,000 by 2030 as the city's population ages. To help translate that reality into something residents could engage with directly, Amsterdam Convention Bureau developed the public impact programme, Ageing Independently in Your Own Environment, together with healthcare, knowledge and community partners, turning research into experiences residents could explore firsthand.

Across four public activations, visitors were invited to explore healthy ageing through technology, culture and conversation. With Smarthouse Amsterdam, hosted by ROC van Amsterdam-Flevoland, visitors could step into a VR experience simulating what it feels like to live with dementia, or try on stimulation gloves that recreate the tremors of Parkinson's disease - alongside the GERT age-simulation suit, exergaming, and other tools used to train future care professionals. As Dr. Geeske Peeters, senior researcher at Radboudumc, put it, there's no better way to build awareness of ageing than to let people experience it themselves. Leyden Academy's Future Selfcare experiment invited participants to meet their future selves and reflect on the choices they make today, while the Oudroze exhibition by artist Ernst Coppejans celebrated the stories of older LGBTQI+ generations. Meanwhile, films by the Stadsreporters van Amsterdam highlighted the everyday contributions of older residents across the city's neighbourhoods.

Rather than presenting ageing as a challenge to solve, the programme encouraged visitors to think about connection, independence and quality of life - demonstrating how international knowledge can become accessible, relevant and meaningful for local communities.

Collaboration at the heart of impact

Image from Mila de Heer

The programme was made possible through close collaboration between Amsterdam Convention Bureau and partners including RAI Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, ROC van Amsterdam-Flevoland, Stichting Stadsparels, Open Mind Foundation, artist Ernst Coppejans and many others.

By connecting international expertise with local organisations, the programme demonstrated how business events can create value that extends well beyond the conference itself. Through public engagement, knowledge exchange and community participation, the congress became an opportunity not only for delegates, but for the city as a whole.

A legacy beyond the congress

At Amsterdam Convention Bureau, we believe international business events should leave a positive legacy. By bringing knowledge from IAGG World Congress to the public, the impact programme demonstrated how knowledge, collaboration and innovation can help shape a more inclusive and age-friendly future.

Ready to explore what's possible? Send us your RFP and let’s start turning your vision into impact.