After 13 years in Amsterdam, the organisation behind the IBC put the annual broadcast conference out to tender. It seems Munich and Barcelona submitted pitches, alongside Amsterdam. On Tuesday IBC announced it was staying in Amsterdam, much to the relief of the RAI exhibition centre. The International radio and TV exhibition draws 40,000 plus visitors (60,000 according to some press releases, but that is inflated I think) and earns the city some 50 million Euro. There had been calls for the conference to move, mainly because of rising hotel prices and the cities chaotic traffic situation during the building of a north-south metro line.
Personally, I am glad IBC remains on the doorstep, but I hope it will not mean the city will now relax and slip back into its old habits. No-one should ignore the efforts by other cities to grab the creative capital away from this part of the world. There are still too many who cannot see the wood for the trees, especially in Amsterdam.
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