International gateway

Amsterdam is a national and international gateway. Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is considered one of the best in the world and is just 20 minutes from the city centre. Amsterdam’s compact city centre has an outstanding public transport service which brings most facilities and sights to within relative walking distance of one another. The city’s network of canals also offers a unique opportunity for transporting your delegates via the waterways. Home to the world’s first multinational company, the Dutch East India Company, Amsterdam is also the new address for Google and AKZO Nobel headquarters. A consistent high score in the European Cities Monitor for companies may be the reason why several international companies have their head office in Amsterdam. The MasterCard Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index ranks Amsterdam among the ten most important commercial centres of the world, and as the fourth most influential business centre in Europe. Advertising and design firms prefer Amsterdam for its ability to attract creative people. Because of its compact size and excellent infrastructure, Amsterdam combines doing business on the level of other European capitals with the ambience of a small town. During the 17th century Amsterdam was a stockpile of trading goods; today knowledge is also being generated. With two highly developed universities and several laboratories, Amsterdam is now firmly on the world map as a centre of knowledge. The city attracts many prominent academics and has become an attractive meeting place for those involved in science and research. Due in part to its central location on the edge of Europe, Amsterdam now offers a new ‘market place’ for the free and efficient exchange of ideas and knowledge.