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Amsterdam hardly ever makes the grade in anyone’s hit list of Europe’s top romantic cities. Paris, Rome, Venice - even London - are likely to leave the Dutch capital in the shade. Some frown on Amsterdam’s links with red light sleaze and its drug smoking ‘coffee shops’. Others may think Amsterdam just a little too dull for a decent city break. Whatever the reasons, when a romantic weekend city break is on the cards, Amsterdam rarely turns up trumps.

What a pity! Despite what you may hear, Amsterdam is not all cannabis and carnality. Amsterdam also turns out to be a gem of a city break destination that could win the heart of the one you love. And what gives this city a romantic gloss?

Amsterdam, in fact, is one the the diamond capitals of Europe. And what surer way to win her heart than a glitzy tour of its diamond workshops? It’s a glittering jewel in this tourist city’s crown. And what’s more - it’s free! One of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions is the diamond factory tour.

The Gassan diamond-polishing factory in the city centre is itself considered a jewel in the city’s tourist crown. Factory tours are free - but you should book in advance to be sure of a place. You get to see where diamonds are found, how they are classified, cut and polished. You can even watch the polishers at their craft and wonder how they resist the temptation to drop the odd stone into a pockets. Visitors agree that the tours are every bit as sparkling as the gems themselves.

About 340.000 visitors come to see Coster Diamonds craftsmen at work every year in the heart of the Museum District . During free guided tours, which are available in more than 25 languages, the process of cutting and polishing a diamond is explained in detail by an efficient and accommodating staff. Costa is the firm that re-cut the 5,000-year-old Koh-i-noor diamond which sits in the British Royal Crown in the Tower of London. As an added treat you can admire their impressive diamond and jewellery collection - a brilliant experience you will not forget in a hurry.

Amstel Diamonds Limited, one of the oldest diamond factories of Amsterdam. They have been polishing gems here since 1876. The factory is found on the Amstel river in an old canal house in the very heart of historic Amsterdam and factory tours are free.

It all makes buying diamonds in Amsterdam a very special occasion for any visitor. This city has been a world centre for the diamond trade since the 16th century. It all began when Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition sought the safety of a tolerant and welcoming Amsterdam. Many jewelers brought the diamond trade with them and, when diamonds were discovered in the Dutch-colonised parts of southern Africa, the diamond trade boomed

Many rough diamonds have been handed over to the expert tradesmen at the factories and workshops of Amsterdam for polishing and processing. The trade flourished until the Nazis occupied the city in the Second World War and the Jewish community was almost wiped out.

Much of the Amsterdam diamond trade moved to Antwerp in the wake of Nazi atrocities. But the Amsterdam diamond trade has prospered again in recent years thanks to the city’s large and growing tourist trade, in particular its rising popularity as a weekend city breaks destination.

OK, classy diamonds may be a trifle too expensive for most pockets but there is nothing like window shopping and even trying on some of the most dazzling jewellery to be found in the world. What better way to dazzle that special person in your life with a city break trip that has that extra sparkle?

Andy Cornish writes for TravelSavvy Amsterdam - independent city guide for tourists. For more information visit: amsterdam sights.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/amsterdam-dazzles-as-a-city-break-gem-849384.html

Europe, Family Travel Europe

London’s hotels, stadiums and racecourses offer conference organizers plenty of places to hold their events. The heart of British urban life offers history, modern style and infrastructure to meet the needs of conference organizers. Since London’s conference venues are so diverse, industry groups and companies use the city as a meeting place each year for their conferences. A peek at the various groups that use London to stage their conferences can give other organizations inspiration when planning their events.

The medical and pharmaceutical industries in the United Kingdom bring in billions of pounds each year due to the constant demand for medical care. National and international pharmaceutical groups have the resources to reserve conference venues in London with modern amenities and luxurious accommodations. The typical pharmaceutical conference involves presentations on new technologies and drugs by industry experts along with vendor relations with the public. Pharmaceutical conferences allow private healthcare agencies and businesses to acquire the latest technology from medical suppliers, requiring a massive amount of space to facilitate these events. Since drug companies, medical suppliers and other medical businesses are big business in the United Kingdom, these conferences represent a major boon to hotels and other venues each year.

Another consistent revenue stream for conference venues in London is the constant demand from industry groups for event spaces. Conference venues in London work with industry groups peddling toys, electronics, clothing and home wares to arrange these massive events. Industry group conferences can be insider affairs where vendors and buyers work out retail arrangements for the next year. These conferences can also involve the public by showcasing prototypes, speeches by famed designers and allowing consumers to speak to vendor representatives. While industry group conferences vary greatly in size, conference venues in London can rely on multiple events each year if they offer quality amenities and resources.

Human resources departments at major companies and job recruitment firms use conference venues in London to hold job fairs. These fairs allow employers to meet with eager applicants, hold quick interviews and present available jobs to the public. Job fair organisers use conference venues in London because they offer projectors, large ballrooms for separated spaces and enough room for streams of applicants to move comfortably. Each job fair has to be held at a conference venue located close to public transit lines as well as high-traffic areas like universities and office buildings to maximize the impact of the event.

In the same vein as a job fair, book fairs are large undertakings that use the best conference venues in London. Book fairs can be separated into industry events and genre-specific conventions with different requirements from the venue operator. An industry event featuring magazine and book publishers allows authors, freelance writers and book agents to promote their latest projects, hoping to find a home for their artistic expressions. Since publishing industry events can lead to contract signings and negotiations, conference venues with office spaces and private meeting rooms are prized by event organisers. Genre-specific conventions in London allow sci-fi, romance and historical fiction fans to meet their favourite authors in the comforts of a hotel or conference centre. These conventions are more traditional than industry events with simple booths for book signings and a large stage for breakout sessions with authors, agents and industry experts.

Commercial organizers are not the only users of conference venues in London. Non-profit organizations, universities and think tanks hold policy conferences at venues in London because it is a central location for minds around north-western Europe. A policy conference’s agenda depends on the topic area in question but most events feature paper presentations, keynote speeches by luminaries and panel discussions. Since policy conferences have dynamic agendas with varying space requirements, conference venues have to be flexible enough to change room configurations from hour to hour. Professors, politicians and writers need to have access to computers and presentation equipment to communicate their ideas effectively to attendees.

A final group that uses conference venues in London on a regular basis is the country’s various political parties and action groups. Labour, Conservatives and other parties in the British political world frequent conference venues in London to gather supporters in a central location. The demands of political parties on hotels, conference centres and stadiums are significantly higher than industry groups due to the organizational requirements for political action. For example, the Labour Party may use a London football stadium to hold a rally for its leader as well as down-ticket candidates who need to mobilize voters. In this scenario, Labour Party organizers may need space for reporters to issue dispatches and booths for British luminaries in support of the party’s candidates. Since political parties in the United Kingdom are followed closely, venue operators need to be careful about crowd control as well as ensuring that maximum occupancy laws are followed.

Conference Venues in London UK
or call +44 (0)800 158 44 00 and Visit London Venues free no obligation enquiry form with 15 minutes turn round time.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/london-offers-plenty-of-places-to-hold-events-846022.html

Europe, Family Travel United Kingdom