ORAM Next Gen Festival

MISSION

TRANSITIONS ARE DELAYED BY SLOW SYSTEMS.
NOT LACK OF AMBITION.

ORAM Next Gen Festival exists because the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area can't afford to keep having the same conversations in the same rooms with the same people.

Young professionals are not the future.
They are the present.

Young professionals are not the future of this region. They are the present. They are already working on the energy transition, the port transformation, the housing crisis, the AI rollout. They are inside the systems that need to change. And in most cases, they are not in the room where the decisions about those systems get made.

This festival changes that. Not by giving young professionals a platform to feel heard. By giving them the knowledge, the network and the structured space to actually do something, and by putting the organisations and institutions that shape the region in the same room, with the same expectation.

The challenges we work on, technological sovereignty, energy transition, port resilience, labour market transformation, aren't invented for the program. They're drawn from the Draghi report, the Wennink report and the Dutch AI Deltaplan. Everything we do connects to the priorities the region has already identified. This is where the next generation engages with them seriously.

Long-term, this festival is built to grow. The goal is to bring 1000 young professionals together, and to become a fixed moment in the regional calendar where the next generation and the institutions that shape the MRA meet on equal terms.

"Learn. Be inspired. Take responsibility."

The guiding principle behind every session, every speaker and every conversation at ORAM Next Gen Festival.

WHY ORAM

WHAT MAKES THIS FESTIVAL DIFFERENT.

Relevant, not trendy.
Every focus area, every speaker, every session is here because it matters to the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, not because it performs well in a conference abstract. If it's not on the regional agenda, it's not on ours.
Practitioners, not theorists.
The speakers at this festival are doing the work they talk about. Not consulting on it from the outside. Not distilling it into a book. Doing it, with all the friction, the compromise and the complexity that involves.
Solution-oriented, not just aware.
Every session is designed around one question: what will the people in this room do differently after today? The Pressure Cooker Sessions take this further, producing concrete recommendations that go back to the partners and organisations that need them most.
A network that moves.
Young professionals from across sectors in the same room, with the same ambition and none of the usual barriers between them. That combination is rare. And when it works, that's when things start to shift.
Responsibility, not just opportunity.
From 2026, the festival asks the harder questions directly. Who benefits from these transitions? Who bears the cost? What does it mean to take responsibility for a system you didn't design?
Rooted in Amsterdam.
This is not a generic professional development event that happens to take place in Amsterdam. It is about the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, its economy, its infrastructure, its contradictions, its potential. Everything here is local, specific and consequential.
THE ECOSYSTEM

WHO COMES TO ORAM NEXT GEN.

The festival works because of who's in the room. Not the names on the stage, the people in the seats.

Young professionals.
Active in business, logistics, tech, government and the creative economy. Present in the systems that are changing. Looking for the knowledge and the network to do more than their job description allows.
Organisations.
Companies and institutions that understand professional development as a strategic investment, not just a benefit. They send their people because they believe in what the region needs to become.
Speakers & experts.
Practitioners with earned authority. People who have navigated the complexity they talk about, and who are willing to be honest about what they found on the other side.
Partners.
Organisations that co-create the festival, because they believe in what it stands for.
THE COMMITTEE

CURATED BY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS.

ORAM Next Gen Festival is not organised from the top down. The program, speakers and format are shaped by a committee of young professionals who are themselves active in the field. They know what the conversation needs to be, because they are in it.

Renko de Vries
Renko de Vries
Community & Eventmanager
ORAM
Willem van Rossum
Willem van Rossum
Production Manager
Tata Steel Netherlands
Naam Achternaam
Functietitel
Organisatie
Naam Achternaam
Functietitel
Organisatie
Naam Achternaam
Functietitel
Organisatie
Naam Achternaam
Functietitel
Organisatie
2025 EDITION

THE FESTIVAL THAT SET THE STANDARD.

The first edition proved the appetite is real, and that young professionals in Amsterdam are ready to lead.

150+
Attendees
20+
Speakers
10+
Partners
12+
Sessions
ORAM Next Gen Festival 2025
ORAM Next Gen Festival 2025
ORAM Next Gen Festival 2025
ORAM Next Gen Festival 2025
FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

What is ORAM Next Gen Festival?
A one-day professional event for young professionals in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Four focus areas, 20+ speakers, keynotes, panels and Pressure Cooker Sessions — followed by an evening reception and afterparty. What sets it apart is the format: this is a congrestival. Part congress, part festival, fully solution-oriented. You choose your own route through the program, move between stages, and leave with something concrete — not just a sense of inspiration.
Who is behind the festival?
ORAM Next Gen Festival is organised by Renko de Vries, together with the festival committee and supported by ORAM, the business association for the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. ORAM works at the intersection of business, government and education to accelerate the economic and societal transitions the region needs to make. The festival is one expression of that work. We are currently looking for a Main Partner to co-create the platform at the highest level.
Is the festival in Dutch or English?
Entirely in English. The transitions shaping the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area cross organisational, sectoral and cultural boundaries. English is the language that keeps those conversations open, and ensures every professional in the room can contribute equally, regardless of background.
Who should attend?
Young professionals who are active in industries connected to the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, logistics, tech, energy, urban development, government, business services. The age range of roughly 20 to 39 is a guideline, not a hard rule. If you work on the transitions we address and want to be in a room that takes them seriously, you belong here.
How is this different from a regular conference?
A regular conference broadcasts. This festival builds. Sessions are designed for contribution, not passive absorption. The Pressure Cooker Sessions produce real recommendations on real challenges brought in by partner organisations. You choose your own route through the program — across four stages and a Main Stage. And everything is specific to the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. This is not a global trends event that happens to take place here.
Can organisations send multiple employees?
Yes. The Group Ticket covers 4 people at €380 excl. VAT. For larger groups or specific arrangements, reach us at nextgenfestival@oram.nl.
Where is the festival?
UP Events Amsterdam
Tom Schreursweg 8, 1067 MC Amsterdam

By car: Take the A10 Ring West and exit at S104 direction Tuinen van West. Free parking is available on-site and nearby. Travel time from Hilversum is approximately 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic.

By public transport: Take the train to Amsterdam Sloterdijk, then Bus 80 direction Halfweg/Zwanenburg. Stop at Tom Schreursweg, then a 3 to 5 minute walk. Total travel time from Hilversum is approximately 45 to 60 minutes.

By bike: Approximately 30 km via Amsterdam Zuid and Nieuw-West. Around 1.5 to 2 hours.
What's included with my ticket?
Every ticket gives the same full access to the festival. The difference between ticket types is timing, not what you get in. On arrival you receive a bottle of water, access to the BBQ dinner, and free coffee and tea until 19:00. You also receive 4 coins to spend on drinks throughout the evening. After that, additional coins are available to purchase at the bar.
What is the refund and transfer policy?
Tickets can be refunded or transferred until August 14, 2026. After that date, tickets are non-refundable but remain valid for the registered attendee. Full details in the Terms and Conditions.
Is there anything else I should know?
Walk-in starts at 15:30. The program runs from 16:00 to 23:00. Wear something you can move in, this is a festival, not a seminar.
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