Let's Wine: Stories Uncorked™ | Episode 48 | FIEXPO - Ep. 10 | Dennis Speet

And Amsterdam in general or as in Latin America, it's seen as an aspirational destination.

Tell us how do you position Amsterdam to the global stage as a destination, as a key destination, especially for meetings, events, and conventions?

Yes, that's a good question.

So we use Amsterdam as a decor for a podium for where the events can take place.

So we are a very historical city.

We celebrate our 750 years anniversary this year.

750.

Yes.

And, you know, 750 years ago, Amsterdam was built on a swamp.

So some people decided to build in the middle of a swamp.

They built a dam across the Amstel.

So that's where the name came from, Amstel Dam, Amsterdam Dam.

And back then already they were developing something that is unique.

Why would you want to live in a swamp? So all this innovation, this creativity to solve issues, that's still in our veins in Amsterdam.

So we try to position ourselves as a destination where a lot of innovation takes place.

in a historic decor, at the same time also where a lot of freedom is allowed.

People can be the way they want to be.

So we're trying to position ourselves towards the corporate meeting planners and towards associations to bring their business events to Amsterdam.

And to help us to build certain ecosystems, certain sectors that we want to grow in.

And we do that together with the different stakeholders, with the municipality.

We work together with Trade and Invest.

And we work also with our partners, the meeting industry partners.

So the biggest venues in the metropole and with the different hotels that we have.

That you partner with, right.

And I think you talked about the element of freedom.