So, you’re heading to UNLEASH Amsterdam taking place at the RAI over 23-24 October. It’s the world’s largest HR Tech show and you’re going to be in one of the coolest cities in the world. My guess is you’re probably looking to have some fun around the conference too. This is not your average destination for a business trip, so if you need inspiration, ditch the tourist guidebook and download our interactive map to discover the city’s best kept secrets. Why? Because we believe #employeesknowbest, so we asked our 200 employee engagement colleagues to help make your trip epic by revealing their spots and top things to do. Now you can experience Amsterdam the way locals do after a good day’s work.
UNLEASH Amsterdam: Top spots for your 72 hr trip
Amsterdam is not the place to be stuck inside for long. Before you head to the UNLEASH conference, and once it’s all over, here are some great ideas to help you discover Amsterdam.
UNLEASH Amsterdam: Free map with top spots for your stay
Heading to UNLEASH Amsterdam? Download this free map with the best restaurants, hotels and activities chosen by our employee engagement experts.
Download your free mapPark life
A morning run through Vondelpark is a popular choice among our people. Vondelpark is not far from the RAI, and when your workout is done, there are a few cafes that you can stop at for a refreshing juice or coffee, including the quirky ‘t Blauwe Theehuis.
The tall and narrow houses wrapped by canals are, of course, a highlight, but you may be surprised to learn that Amsterdam is filled with lush gardens that make the perfect setting for relaxed business lunches.
Make your way to Dignita Hoftuin behind the Hermitage Museum with its organic menu options served in either a terrace setting for warm days or within its massive glass facades perfect for when there is a nip in the air.
Go with the flow
As UNLEASH winds down in the afternoon, get your blood flowing by hopping on a rental bike for a leisurely cycle down the Amstel River. Don’t let a light drizzle deter you – you’ll be in good company: locals don’t wait it out when they want to get going. Start your self-guided bike tour at one of the main bridges that cross the Amstel, such as the Blauwbrug or Magere Brug, to get a sense of its enormity.
There isn’t a shortage of cafes and restaurants along the way, but we recommend stopping at the Rijsel for French-Flemish dishes. Alternatively, do it like the locals do and pop into a genuine brown cafe, so called for the heavy old wood interior, such as Cafe Hesp.
If dingy old bars are not your style, keep cycling until you make your way to tHUIS aan de AMSTEL for dinner in this tucked away culinary and artistic cafe that was once a grandiose mansion.
Night vibes
Head back into the city centre for dinner. Our top choices include SkyLounge Amsterdam above the DoubleTree Hilton, from which you can take in the city lights with a cocktail in hand. It’s ideally located right near Amsterdam Central. A stroll along the inner-most concentric half circle canal, called Singel, will lead you to Breda Amsterdam, which is the place to go if you’re looking for fine dining with a superb wine list.
For those in need of the very best cuisine, and preferably not far from UNLEASH either, Hotel Okura Amsterdam offers two Michelin rated restaurants. Authentic Japanese gastronomy awaits you at the One Michelin Star Yamazato Restaurant. With views from the 23rd floor, the two Michelin star Ciel Bleu offers out-of-this-world culinary delights with service to match. We recommend that you reserve a table in advance. If you haven’t booked your accommodation already, Okura is a high-end must for any business trip.
Download our interactive map for even more top spots, as well as where to find them and short descriptions of what they’re all about.
About Effectory
Improve your organization’s agility and performance through employee feedback. Headquartered in Amsterdam and with offices in Munich and Cape Town, Effectory is Europe’s largest vendor of employee engagement surveys. Our solutions cover the entire employee journey, ranging from organisation wide surveys to DIY pulse portals, and from onboarding to exit. The full suite is available in 22 languages. Features include gamified questionnaires, interactive reporting, advanced rights management, integrated action planning and best practices. Effectory is ISO 27001 certified and fully GDPR compliant. Effectory also conducts the Global Employee Engagement Index™, which provides reliable cross-cultural and industry benchmarking for 56 leading and emerging markets across the globe.