Profile
EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE ORGANISATION
- RAI Amsterdam is an international exhibition and conference organisation.
- The RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre on Europaplein in Amsterdam welcomes some 1.6 million visitors annually (a figure which fluctuates over the years). They come to attend consumer & trade exhibitions, conferences, stage shows and other events.
- RAI Amsterdam lets its location and facilities to organisers (event owners/organisers) for whom it facilitates the event.
- In addition, RAI Amsterdam has developed its own portfolio of events. These consumer and trade exhibitions and conferences are organised by the RAI itself, both in the Amsterdam Convention Centre and in other exhibition & conference venues abroad.
Events
In the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre
The RAI has enjoyed healthy growth over recent decades, especially in its international events portfolio. As the main sector-specific exhibitions and conventions become larger and more international, organisers recognise the benefits of Amsterdam as a location for a short multi-day stay. It is largely these international events which currently take place in the RAI, and they are expected to remain the engine of sustainable growth in the coming years. > Executive Board report > Events 2018
Money 20/20
RAI events in the Netherlands and abroad
The RAI has a portfolio of its own events which we organise in the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre and/or elsewhere in other convention centres outside of Europe. Our sectors (and exhibition titles) are: professional cleaning (INTERCLEAN), remanufacturing (ReMaTec), traffic technology (Intertraffic), the maritime sector (METSTRADE, Superyacht and IBEX), water technology (Aquatech), horticulture (GreenTech) and unmanned aerial systems/urban air mobility (the new Amsterdam Drone Week). The RAI also has its own national events, the majority being consumer events like the Huishoudbeurs (home and household), Negenmaandenbeurs (pregnancy and infants) and HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show. There are also trade exhibitions such as Horecava, which targets the Dutch hospitality sector. All in all, the RAI has a well-rounded portfolio of its own titles. The events organised in Amsterdam provide turnover for the convention centre, while the events abroad reinforce our market share. > Executive Board report > Events 2018
Stimulating the economy, complementing a city
The RAI stimulates the economy in Amsterdam and the wider region. Hotels, restaurants, museums, transport operators, suppliers and the airport all benefit from the exhibitors and visitors who come to the city for the (often international) exhibitions, conventions and events in RAI Amsterdam. Business visitors who come for a few days are also good for the city and the wider region. They spend the day at an exhibition or convention, ensuring that the city stays in balance, while their overall stay contributes to the local economy. > Executive Board report > Regional impact
CSR is part and parcel of the way we think and act
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is such an integral part of RAI Amsterdam’s strategy that it is embedded in our mission: ‘the RAI aims to stimulate the sustainable development of people, markets and the society at large’. With this in mind we take great care of our natural and social environment. Business processes are constantly made more sustainable and we work with local suppliers whenever possible. We also help organisers set up their events in a sustainable and responsible way, while our own events encourage eco-friendly innovations, contributing to new ideas and greater sustainability in a range of sectors. > Executive Board report > Strategy

Our strength
The city of Amsterdam: a compact metropolis
Amsterdam is a global city on a human scale. The canals, the museums and theatres, the cosy cafés... Amsterdam offers freedom and a uniquely tolerant ‘live and let live’ mentality. It is this combination which gives the city its global allure. > In brief > Global city on a human scale
Our employees: a warm welcome to the RAI
RAI employees are proud of being able to offer a wide range of services and leverage on their many years of experience to guarantee a hospitable reception. The professionalism of our staff ensures that the most diverse wishes of exhibitors and visitors are met to their satisfaction.
There are 423 individual employees at RAI Amsterdam, whose presence adds up to 392 FTE. There is also a fixed group of flexibly deployed employees consisting of some 300 regular temps. Every year, RAI Amsterdam deploys around 4,200 such workers. It is energising for employees to work in teams to set up events and quickly switch from one event to the next. Working at the RAI is challenging and diverse in equal measure. > Executive Board report > Personnel and organisation
Multifunctional building complex: centrally located, innovative and sustainable
The RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre is an innovative building complex. We continuously seek to make our buildings and the events which take place within them more sustainable. The convention centre hosts an average of over 400 events a year.
The strength of the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre is the multifunctional nature of the complex, which enables fast and flexible switching between very diverse uses and purposes.
The convention centre is located on the edge of central Amsterdam, adjacent to the A10 ring road, train & metro station Amsterdam RAI and the metro station Europaplein. The main hall of Schiphol Airport and the central train station are just a 10-minute trip away. > Executive Board report > Facilities
Our shareholders
The holding company of RAI Amsterdam is RAI Holding BV which has two shareholders: the RAI Association and the City of Amsterdam.
The RAI Association owns 75% of the shares in RAI Amsterdam. It is a trade association that promotes the interests of 700 manufacturers and importers of passenger cars, trucks, trailers, bodywork and special vehicles, motorcycles and scooters, mopeds and bicycles. Suppliers of parts and garage equipment are also linked to the association. The involvement of the RAI Association in RAI Amsterdam goes way back in time. The bicycle industry started organising an annual exhibition in Amsterdam in 1893. A few years later, after the car industry also started participating, this show was dubbed the RAI, an abbreviation for ‘bicycle and automotive industry’ in Dutch.
The remaining 25% of shares are owned by the City of Amsterdam, an arrangement that dates back to 1956 and is based on economic considerations. The City of Amsterdam decided in 2016 to start the process of selling the municipal shares.
