RAVE-cruitment at Expat Welcome Event 2009

 
Concluding his address to the audience and guests with “You improve the city,” Mayor Job Cohen got the Expat Welcome Event – the first senior level cultural and business exchange for expatriates working in Amsterdam

Amsterdam currently counts 177 different nationalities (and growing!), an estimated 50,000 of which make up the international community and add to the dynamic flavour of the city. It was the core theme of the evening, which, after its opening by the Mayor, was led by resident comedian at Boom Chicago Michael Diederich who also facilitated as moderator for the expat-led panel discussion. 

Is Amsterdam really a home from home? A panel of prominent speakers - consisting of expatriates working at senior management level in a company or organization in the Amsterdam area - debated, discussed and had fun with the question in a culture-fuelled pop quiz that raised as many disbelieving eyebrows as laughs.

Spokespersons included Mr. S. Sankaranarayanan, Regional Director Tata Benelux; Mr. M. Cox, CFO Mitsubishi Motors Europe; Ms. M. Ames, Consul General of the United States in Amsterdam; Mr. J. Raes, Managing Director Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; and Ms. S. Anderson, Creative Director Wieden & Kennedy.


On the question “How have your perceptions/expectations changed since you came to Amsterdam?” Mr. Cox considered that Amsterdam had the best balance between work and play. Elsewhere, Ms. Ames recommended research as her tip to get the best out of the city when asked what she wished she had known before leaving the US.

As a question thrown out to the audience, nearly 50% agreed that playing sports, enrolling their children in school or attending church has helped integrate them into the local communities. A number of people also declared they spoke Dutch or expressed intentions to learn the language in the future.


Other fun factoids from the the panel discussion: favourite Dutch phrases included ‘lekker’ (delicious), ‘ja toch’ (ok), ‘hartstikke’ (extremely) and ‘dat is niet mogelijk’ (that is not possible), while a trip to the Concertgebouw, winter skating on the frozen canals, Vondelpark Open Air and De Parade festival came up as expat must-dos.

 
Both a meet-and-greet session and ideal networking opportunity, the Expat Welcome Event drew to its climax with live entertainment from an ensemble of The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and a performance by the Benjamin Herman quartet.

You can catch a live sweep of the event at http://www.amsterdaminc.tv/2009/06/03/cohen-verwelkomt-buitenlanders/.
 

 

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