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USP's

Amsterdam Metropolitan Area as an international creative hub

The creative industries are the trump card of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. This region belongs to the top five creative cities in the world, along with giants like London, New York and Los Angeles. Almost one in three Dutch jobs in the creative industries can be found here. Thanks to the scope, quality and diversity of the creative industries, the region is developing into an international creative hub.

The creative industries comprise three sectors:

  • The Arts - the performing arts, the visual arts, theatre, galleries and museums
  • Media and Entertainment - publishing, radio and TV, film and video, gaming
  • Creative Business Services - advertising, photography, architecture and interior, design, fashion, graphic design

Creative talent has plenty of room to manoeuvre in the type of service economy found in the Netherlands. Eighty-five percent of the total employment in the region is in the service sector. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is particularly strong in business and financial services. An increasing number of banks and multinational are setting up their international corporate headquarters in the region. This is not only because of easy accessibility, thanks to nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, but also because of the region’s innovative character and pleasant living climate. The presence of such large companies represents enormous market potential for creative business service providers, including designers and advertising agencies.

Conversely, a thriving creative sector also generates new entrepreneurship, innovation and employment. This, in turn, serves to attract and retain even more international talent.

Creative Amsterdam: creating opportunities!