02 Report of the Executive Board

Bringing people together to connect and inspire through meaningful meetings has been our purpose for over 130 years, including 65 years at our multifunctional exhibition and conference centre at Europaplein in Amsterdam.

Organising and facilitating events are at the core of what we do. Since the early 2000s, we have increasingly focused on multi-day international events, which we develop both in the Netherlands and internationally.

  Events

Below, we present a (limited) selection of events. The events in the RAI were facilitated by us. Where specifically is indicated that it refers to an own event, we organised it.

RAI Amsterdam works closely with a broad network of partners and offers organisers, exhibitors and visitors a comprehensive range of facilities and services. We continuously strive to make our operations, products and services more sustainable, while further improving and expanding them. In doing so, we contribute to the city of Amsterdam and its residents wherever possible.

  RAI Sustainability

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an integral part of our operations. With this in mind, we seek an optimal balance in social costs and benefits, based on the perception and experience of society. We continuously work on reducing (or preventing) any negative social impacts and increasing social positive impacts. The results are explained in this chapter at the relevant sections.

RAI Amsterdam has committed to the following CSR initiatives:

• Net Zero Carbon Event Pledge: We are a supporter of the Net Zero Carbon Event Pledge, launched in Glasgow in 2021, where the event industry is committed to combating climate change and working towards net zero in 2050.
• Zero Waste Zuidas: In 2019, RAI Amsterdam signed the Zero Waste Zuidas agreement, an initiative by the Amsterdam Economic Board and Green Business Club Zuidas. The goal is to establish a circular Zuidas district with zero residual waste by 2030. This involves preventing waste wherever possible and ensuring that remaining waste streams are sorted and processed in a high-quality manner.

RAI Amsterdam has also developed a data sheet that provides organisers with key insights into the CO2 footprint of their events. It includes data on energy and water consumption, heating and cooling usage, and waste volumes per waste stream.

  RAI Hotel Services

RAI Amsterdam is the largest hotel booking partner in Amsterdam and the surrounding area, providing accommodation services for conferences, exhibitions and other events. The RAI Hotel Services team carefully selects suitable hotels for organisers, exhibitors and visitors, offering the best options at competitive rates.

Exhibitions provide opportunities for customer meetings, product launches and networking. RAI Hotel Services manages the accommodation process and arranges tailor-made bookings, often involving hundreds of rooms per exhibitor. This enables teams and business partners to stay together, maximise their participation in events and coordinate activities beyond the exhibition floor. In addition, RAI Hotel Services supports organisers in finding suitable venues for business events across the city. 

In total, we processed more than 33,000 reservations in the reporting year (2024: 40,300 reservations), representing about 114,000 nights (2024: more than 132,000 nights).

The IAmsterdam Approved label is a quality label for housing that guarantees 16,000 hotel rooms for large events in Amsterdam. For IBC, we used this label, in collaboration with partner hotels.

In 2025, RAI Hotel Services started a pilot to also support RAI Amsterdam's own foreign exhibitions with housing. For Interclean Shanghai and Aquatech Mexico visitors, the hotel reservation system has been made available to book affordable hotel rooms.

  RAI Food & Beverage

In the reporting year, we adopted a new vision for food & beverage (food and drinks) under the name F&B Makes you smile. An important aspect of a visit to an exhibition, conference, show, or other event is the catering experience. We manage every aspect from start to finish, from stand drinks with skilled baristas and flashy cocktail shakers to fully catered receptions and gala dinners. Depending on the demand, we take care of this in-house or together with selected suppliers.

Also in 2025, the RAI Food & Beverage team again delivered outstanding results during the most diverse events. During corporate events in particular, the emphasis was mainly on culinary and surprising experiences. Our kitchen brigade ensures not only the experiential aspects, but also the practical aspects such as allergen information and, of course, food safety and quality. Thanks to our experience with large-scale events, we know how to exceed expectations in this area too.

In 2025, many F&B contracts were successfully renewed, including the switch to a B-Corp certified tea supplier.

  RAI Design & Build

The Design & Build team facilitates organisers and exhibitors with modular stand construction. Exhibitions that work entirely with modular stand construction, like the METSTRADE with almost 1,700 standard and premium stands, require fewer build-up days. A modular approach makes it possible to build more efficiently and faster.

The use of modular stand construction minimises transport flows because materials are stored at in-house or nearby suppliers. This way, fewer freight movements are required to transport the same amount of stand area. This results in 50% savings on freight movements, 45% less CO₂ emissions and virtually 100% circularity.

In 2025, RAI Design & Build was able to support 5,200 exhibitors with modular stand construction (2024: 6,300). A total of 41,500 m2 of canvas was printed (2024: 38,000 m2).

  RAI IT

Wifi 6 en WBA OpenRoaming
With thousands of visitors a day the RAI requires and provides fast, stable and secure (mobile) networks and applications for data traffic. Our premises are connected to AMS-IX, the largest internet hub in Europe. The infrastructure was developed to allow a huge number of devices – 5,000 cabled systems and 30,000+ mobile devices – to simultaneously connect to the network. We also apply 24/7 connectivity monitoring. Our IT team works closely with local suppliers to keep the quality of our systems and applications at the highest possible level. This also benefits clients who require highly specialised knowledge and expertise for their events.

All halls at the RAI are equipped with Wi-Fi 6, the fast standard for wireless internet communication. We’ve also implemented OpenRoaming, eliminating the need to enter Wi-Fi passwords and click through pop-ups. OpenRoaming allows mobile devices to quickly, automatically and safely connect to the Wi-Fi network in our exhibition and conference centre.

  RAI Parking & Logistics

Our logistics team is involved in all transport movements and facilities related to the RAI.

Parking and P+R
RAI Amsterdam has ample parking facilities on site, allowing visitors, exhibitors and suppliers to park directly at the centre. By concentrating parking spaces on our site, we improve the flow around the area and limit the parking pressure in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Via the parking webshop, visitors can reserve their parking space in advance, for example at a discounted online rate or with a special evening ticket for parking in the evening and night.

In addition, the parking garages of the RAI play a role within the Amsterdam P + R network. In 2025, 205,500 P+R users used our parking garages (2024: 221,000). By allowing them to park at times when no major events are taking place, visitors can continue their journey to the city centre with the North-South line. The decrease compared to 2024 is due to a reduced availability for P + R.

Combi Deals: public transport and exhibition access
To reduce the impact of car traffic around the RAI for visitors, we actively encourage public transport use. By offering combination deals with exhibition access and transport, in collaboration with the public transport providers NS and GVB, visitors who travel to the city centre receive a discount. In 2025, our webshop realised more than 78,300 online transactions (2024: 53,700).

Outside event days, visitors can park with an evening ticket at the RAI between 5 pm and 1 am. This reduces car traffic in central Amsterdam, for example when visiting the theatre or having dinner in the city. In 2025, 13,000 users purchased the evening ticket (2024: 7,500 users).

 RAI Safety & Security

  RAI Energy

RAI Amsterdam is committed to a location free of fossil-based energy facilities and CO₂-emissions.

Grid congestion is a growing social challenge. As a leading event and conference location, the RAI has a significant and dynamic energy need, which requires innovative solutions to remain assured of reliable energy supply in the future. For several years, the RAI has therefore been conducting a constructive dialogue with energy suppliers, the network operator and the City of Amsterdam regarding the future generation, distribution, and use of energy. In this collaboration, it is being actively examined how the RAI area can grow into a net energy-producing zone.

Energy consumption
Our energy consumption is at the same level as the previous year. In total we consumed 103 TJ (terajoule) of energy (2024: 104 TJ).

Approximately 2/3 of our energy consumption is electricity: 64 TJ (2024: also 64 TJ). All power used is green electricity. This does not have a CO₂ footprint. This electricity was almost entirely generated from wind energy in the Netherlands.

Approximately 1/3 is taken from district heat: the residual heat that is released during industrial processes, generation of energy and/or waste separation. District heating is supplied via the municipal network. We used 39 TJ of district heating (2024: also 39 TJ).

The gas that we use apart from district heating is 100% green gas, fully compensated through CO₂ certificates. This gas consumption was very low, 0.1 TJ (2024: 0.6 TJ).

The central cooling and heating of the RAI works on electricity and district heating, not on gas. This results in a significant reduction of energy and CO₂ emissions. We work with cold and heat storage (TES) in the soil, with which facilities can be cooled and heated.

   CO₂ footprint

We have been calculating our carbon footprint since 2012. Total CO₂ emissions in 2025 amounted to 2,465 tonnes (2024: 2,412). District heating is a more sustainable energy source than natural gas. The residual heat generated by industrial processes, energy production and waste separation is utilised through the district heating network.

CO₂ footprint/Net Zero Carbon Event Pledge
RAI supports the Net Zero Carbon Event Pledge (https://netzerocarbonevents.org). This initiative is developing a roadmap for the industry that shows how the organisations involved can move towards net zero in 2050 and halve their footprint by 2030.

   Noise

For noise standards, we use an acoustic noise map. It allows us to predict whether a noise exemption is required. That is only allowed four times per year for the RAI. In 2025 we applied for three noise exemptions and they were granted by the municipality (2024: also, three sound exemptions requested and granted). In 2025, three noise complaints were received.

  Water

We are committed to efficient water use and we aim for reduction. Naturally, as an exhibition and conference centre, we deliver the requested quantities to the relevant events. RAI Amsterdam has placed various water taps to enable visitors and employees to fill their reusable water bottles they bring themselves.

In more than a century, the RAI has grown from an exhibition location to a leading event platform and innovation hub. With its events and conferences, the RAI creates economic and social added value. A transformation of the company and the area can further reinforce this added value.

The ambition is to further increase the value of the RAI area for all stakeholders, from customers to local residents. This includes making the RAI complex and its logistics more sustainable and modern, as well as adding new functions that enhance the liveability and attractiveness of the area.

In this way, the RAI site is being developed into a future-proof, vibrant and attractive RAI Quarter. This transformation can also contribute to addressing spatial, social and ecological challenges in the surrounding neighbourhood.

  Urban development strategy City of Amsterdam

  Employee satisfaction

The employee satisfaction score is an important indicator for RAI Amsterdam. We have switched from a general satisfaction score to the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) because this rating shows better how employees really experience the RAI. eNPS not only measures satisfaction, but, in particular, loyalty and involvement: to what extent employees would recommend the RAI as an employer. That makes the outcome more comparable with other organisations and more action-oriented for leaders and HR.

The eNPS score was +22. The total score consisted of 34% promoters, 54% neutrals and 12% detractors. This results in an eNPS of+22 (promoters minus detractors).

A score above +20 is generally considered as good and shows that a substantial part of the organisation is enthusiastic about working at the RAI, but at the same time there is still room to connect and involve employees more strongly.

Diversity and inclusion

We aim to be an inclusive organisation with a truly inclusive culture in everything we do. We strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive professionally and feel genuinely at home. At RAI Amsterdam, diversity is not just an ambition, it is an integral part of who we are. Inclusion is not a concept, but a core principle that shapes how people experience our shared environment.

Our Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) policy outlines our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive organisation and applies to all employees, regardless of their role. At RAI Amsterdam, a dedicated team focuses on strengthening an inclusive, equitable and diverse culture, supported by a strong network of ambassadors. A guiding principle in this work is the question: “What do you need to be successful?”, encouraging everyone to bring their best selves to work.

In 2025, we organised a series of lunch sessions to continue the dialogue on D&I, and provided anti-bias training for approximately 40 managers, with a strong focus on raising awareness of unconscious bias. We also introduced a social buddy programme, enabling new employees to connect with colleagues beyond their immediate teams and supporting broader social onboarding.

Our policy places inclusion at its core. We believe that an inclusive culture is the foundation of a workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued and heard, and a key driver of diversity overall. Based on research and input from focus groups, we place particular emphasis on fostering a sense of belonging and psychological safety. While diversity remains a priority, specific themes such as LGBTIQ+, cultural background and gender are integrated throughout our policy rather than addressed in isolation.

In 2025, we conducted our second organisation-wide survey on perceptions of diversity and inclusion. The results show clear progress: the steps taken in 2024 and 2025 to increase awareness and visibility are recognised and valued by employees, and the diversity score shows a slight increase. At the same time, the inclusion score decreased from 7.7 (2023) to 7.1 (2025), with the most notable declines in perceived psychological and social safety.

This shift can partly be explained by increased awareness, leading to more honest and critical feedback. Employees report reflecting more critically on their own experiences, which may result in more balanced, and sometimes more critical, responses.

Staff composition
Below, a few cross sections are presented regarding the employee population.

Hiring temporary staff

As an event organiser and facilitator, our organisation experiences significant peaks in staffing demand. We therefore rely on temporary staff. In 2025, this involved 4,607 individuals (2024: 4,863). Based on total hours worked, this corresponded to 204 FTEs (2024: 219 FTEs).

Trainees

We offer work experience opportunities to a wide range of trainees from different educational programmes. In 2025 we had 73 trainees (2024: 74). This included one entry-level vocational trainee (MBO 1) (2024: 3) and three vocational placements within the BBL/BOL pathways (2024: 1). In 2025, two training positions were created in our kitchens for students from the MBO hospitality programme at ROC Amsterdam. In addition, three students from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Leiden University completed research internships focusing on food waste reduction, sustainability reporting and compliance.

  Organisation

Activation strategy
In 2025, various internal activities were organised to clarify the new long-term strategy RAI Next and embed it within the organisation. Through so-called RAI Next dialogue lunches, executive board and MTR members entered discussions with employees in small groups to answer questions and get ideas.

Structure
The organisation structure of RAI Amsterdam is flat and clear. For an overview of the departments, we refer to chapter 4 Governance - Corporate governance.

  Healthy employees

Unfortunately, although still low, the staff absenteeism increased in 2025. The absenteeism was 4.4% (2024: 2.9%). The rise was caused by increased long-term absenteeism. We also see an increase of mental-health related absenteeism. Notably, this involves younger employees, under 40 years of age. The work-life balance is often a contributing factor.

  Competitive remuneration policy

RAI Amsterdam pays in accordance with the market. This applies to board members, managers and employees alike. The pay ratio, representing the ratio of the total remuneration of the highest-paid director to the median-earning employee, is 6.6 (year-end 2024: 6.4).

Constructive consultations were held on a regular basis in 2025 between the executive board, represented by CEO Paul Riemens, and the works council. In addition to the formal consultation meetings, informal meetings also took place on several occations. During two formal consultation meetings, members of the supervisory board were present.

The topics discussed in the consultation meetings included the plans regarding the RAI area development, the orientation of RAI Vereniging on its interest in RAI Amsterdam, and several requests for advice.

The director has, among other things, presented a formal request for advice to the works council on an alteration for RAI Markets, a restructuring of IT, and the growth plans for stand construction.

The works council itself submitted an initiative proposal on the implementation of a bicycle lease scheme. Subsequently, the scheme was included in the Staff Manual.

A covenant the works council had concluded with the executive board was replaced by a second covenant on 11 June 2025. In the second covenant, it was agreed that the works council will be converted, as of the same date, in a joint works council for RAI Holding and all private limited companies in which RAI Holding is a controlling shareholder.

In addition to the consultation meetings, discussions were held in various committees, like the HR committee, OHS committee, and the working conditions committee. Informal consultations between works council delegations and various managers also take place on a regular basis. This allows for resolving issues at an early stage.

The works council consists of eleven members. In late November 2025, regular elections for the joint works council took place. On this occasion, half of the members of the works council retired by rotation.

We expect 2026 to become a good exhibition year. The increase of international exhibitions and conferences, and the interest in choosing Amsterdam as the event venue, gives us a great deal of confidence. Unfortunately, the geopolitical tensions in the world continue and increase in some areas. Assuming this does not significantly affect us, our expectations remain very positive.