Shape the City: turning impact ambitions into action

Updated 11 September 2026 at 11:06

Shape the City is an impact programme by the Amsterdam Convention Bureau that connects business events with local organisations tackling urban challenges. Meeting planners and delegates can choose from ready-to-use activities across four themes - Empowering Future Generations, Circular City in Action, Greening the City, and Caring Communities - making it simple to embed meaningful impact into any conference programme in Amsterdam.

Introduction

From artificial intelligence and agri-tech to renewable energy and the circular transition, conferences bring people together around some of today's biggest challenges and opportunities.

They also have an impact on the cities and communities where they take place. Shape the City connects business events with local organisations working on environmental, social and community priorities, making it easier to turn impact ambitions into action.

Through interactive volunteer opportunities, meeting planners and delegates can make a tangible contribution while connecting with Amsterdam and the communities shaping its future.

Why choose Amsterdam?

Aerial view on Noord and City Centre: Amsterdam Centraal, A'DAM Tower and EYE Filmmuseum.

Image from Cris Toala Olivares

Amsterdam is a city where businesses, knowledge institutions, public organisations and communities work together to address urban challenges. Shape the City gives conferences a practical way to connect with that work, bringing delegates closer to local initiatives and creating a positive legacy beyond the conference itself.

Whether you are considering Amsterdam as a destination or already planning an event here, the programme makes it easy to build meaningful local impact into your conference.

What is Shape the City?

Girls water the plants in the Jeugdland garden.

Image from Jeugdland

Shape the City is an off-the-shelf impact programme that lets meeting planners and delegates contribute to Amsterdam through volunteering, hands-on projects and other forms of local engagement.

Delegates and meeting planners can actively help shape the city by engaging with one or more of the following impact themes:

Within each theme, organisers can choose from a selection of ready-to-use impact opportunities. Activities can be selected within a single theme or combined across themes, depending on the focus, scale, and format of the event.

How does Shape the City work?

Only Friends disabled kids playing football outside

Image from Stichting Only Friends

Shape the City is designed to make it easier for conferences to integrate meaningful impact into their programme.

The Amsterdam Convention Bureau acts as a connector between conferences and local partner organisations. Based on the chosen impact theme, ACB supports coordination and alignment so that the activity is meaningful, feasible, and beneficial for all parties involved.

Impact contributions may take the form of hands-on involvement, financial support, in-kind contributions, or a combination of these, depending on the activity and the needs of the partner organisation.

Shape the City is facilitated by the Amsterdam Convention Bureau. While ACB supports coordination and access to local partners, selected impact activities require a financial contribution from the business event, depending on the scope and format of the activity.

Questions? Contact meetings@iamsterdam.com