View our video on the Fair (by Mike de Haan).

As well as offering all the basic resources that are so important for newcomers to the Netherlands the Fair provided entertainment and culture to help expats understand the locals and warm to their new life abroad.

Lifestyle and entertainment

"I welcomed the opportunity to meet others with the same main objective – enriching a life living abroad!" says Danish blogger Jens Anders Wejsmark Sorenson in an enthusiastic report on the fair in what he describes as a "beautiful venue...considered one of the Netherlands most important 19th century architectural monuments and a milestone in the history of modern architecture."

A little bit of humour went a long way judging by the packed seats facing the mainstage where Boom Chicago's funny man Greg Shapiro spoke about his journey to final ownership of a Dutch passport. On a more spiritual note, inner wellness coach Barbara Rogoski said of the fair: "...of the three years I exhibited, it was the best yet."

Latin beats
Watch our video of hot dancers with Dance school Extremos...

Food and wine

Taste & Tintle entertained visitors with a glass of complimentary wine sipped with cheese supplied by family cheese business Reypenaer Proeflokaal. One visitor let us know by email that she found Sushi Time's sushi workshop so enjoyable that she would like to get together with friends to go to the 3-hour sushi workshop that the company offers.

Expat resources

Around 100 companies offered help and advice on a wide range of issues affecting expats, such as housing, banking and finance, career opportunities and schooling.

Visitors took full advantage of 'open question time' with five experts in immigration and employment law, mortgages, banking, taxes and housing who were available at the Expatica stand at allotted times. They could also pass by the various stands to chat freely with experts.

Also present were various expatriate clubs and forums such as Easy Laughs comedy improvisation, The American Women's Club of The Hague  and Democrats Abroad.

Business and networking

Representatives of Expatica's new Expat Executive Club Netherlands were inundated at the Expatica stand where expats could sign up for the club, or one or more of Expatica's newsletters (Daily, Weekly, What’s On or HR) or pick up an extra copy of the new 2009 edition of Expatica's Survival Guide.

Alderman of Amsterdam Carolien Gehrels dropped by and took over the mainstage to pass on her message to the expat community in the Netherlands,specifically Amsterdam: "I am extremely pleased with this event and to see this large crowd here. This is the place where you meet interesting people, where you discover Amsterdam in brief and maybe and hopefully learn more about this city...[read more]

TV station AT5's business arm, Amsterdam Inc, also thought it worthwhile to drop by and film the event (click here to view the video) which featured Paul Brown anchor-man of West International, the first TV programme for the international community in the Netherlands.

Certainly, from the buzz in the building, the international community were glad to be in the Beurs van Berlage on Sunday. As Indian expat Debjani Sengupta wrote in an email thanking us after the Fair:  Both my husband and I had a grand time. There were so many things to do and receive! Everything was so perfect and tastefully done!"

Thank you Debjani, and all the other participants at the Fair. We enjoyed it too and hope to see you next year!

Sponsors of the event included Eurohome Relocation Services, Voerman International, DKV Globality, Worldwide Broker, the British School of Amsterdam, Expat Mobile, H&N Associates, The Guest Card, Undutchables, ABN Amro, Expat Center Amsterdam, RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam and Unique Multilingual Services.

Photo at top of page from A'damblog.

The rest of the photos by TZE MOI Art & Photography

 For more detailed information on Expatica "i am not a tourist" Fairs click here.