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Expat job fairs & career events in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam & Utrecht (2026–2027)

July 11, 2026 by admin Career Coaching 0 comments

Looking to advance your career in the Netherlands? Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and the cities in between host a variety of job fairs, career events and open company days suited to highly skilled international professionals. Whether you’re in technology, finance, healthcare, marketing, or engineering, these events provide opportunities to network, meet top employers, and explore new career paths. Living or looking elsewhere in the country? See our companion guide to career events in the North, East and South of the Netherlands.

Note on dates: the list runs from autumn 2026 through spring 2027. Where a date shows “to be confirmed”, the event is a recurring annual whose new date is published closer to the event — check the organiser’s website before you go.

Expat-focused career events

  • IamExpat Fair — The Hague (Grote Kerk) — 7 Nov 2026
    Jobs, housing, banking and community — internationals welcome.
    Who it’s for: the international community in and around The Hague — expats, accompanying partners and newcomers looking for work, services and connections.
  • Career Workshop for Internationals — Amsterdam — September 2026 (online & in-person)
    Hands-on CV/LinkedIn coaching; practice employer messaging. Run by IN Amsterdam.
    Who it’s for: internationals new to the Dutch job market — recent arrivals, partners of relocated employees and anyone needing practical, one-on-one application help.
  • Seminar: The Dutch Job Market — Amsterdam — to be confirmed
    How hiring works in NL; optimise your applications. Watch the IN Amsterdam calendar for the next date.
    Who it’s for: internationals unfamiliar with Dutch hiring norms — newcomers and job seekers wanting to understand how recruitment works here.

Job & career fairs

  • Amsterdam Tech Job Fair — Amsterdam — 30 Oct 2026
    Meet multiple tech employers hiring now — CV chats on the spot.
    Who it’s for: international tech professionals — software developers, data, product, design and IT roles, from mid-level to senior, including those relocating.
  • Amsterdam Career Days — Amsterdam — early March 2027 (to be confirmed)
    Top employers; strategy/finance/consulting tracks; pre-book interviews.
    Who it’s for: students and young professionals — especially business, finance, consulting and strategy graduates at the start of their careers.
  • GSLS Life Sciences Career Days — Utrecht — March 2027 (to be confirmed)
    Workshops + employer booths for R&D/biotech careers.
    Who it’s for: life-sciences students, PhD candidates and early-career researchers moving into R&D, biotech and pharma.
  • VU Career Skills Day — Amsterdam — February 2027 (to be confirmed)
    Polish your pitch; meet recruiters and alumni.
    Who it’s for: students and recent graduates working on their CV, pitch and interview skills before entering the job market.
  • International Talent Event Amsterdam (ITEA) — Amsterdam — April 2027 (to be confirmed)
    City-wide employer showcase; internationals welcome; fast networking.
    Who it’s for: international students and graduates in the Amsterdam area looking to kickstart a career in the Netherlands — entry-level to junior.

Industry conferences with hiring potential

Tech leadership, AI & data

  • World Summit AI — Amsterdam (Taets) — 7–8 Oct 2026
    C-suite/data leaders; partner lounges; serious hiring & BD.
    Who it’s for: senior AI and data professionals — heads of AI/data, product and engineering leaders, founders and investors. Not aimed at entry-level.

Cybersecurity & cloud (manager+ audiences)

  • Cybersec Netherlands — Utrecht (Jaarbeurs) — 9–10 Sep 2026
    CISOs/security leaders; vendor briefings; leadership hiring.
    Who it’s for: security professionals and decision-makers — CISOs, security managers, SOC/IT-security engineers and consultants.
  • Cyber Security & Cloud Expo Europe — Amsterdam (RAI) — 19–20 Oct 2026
    Cloud/security platforms; meet MSPs and enterprise buyers.
    Who it’s for: cloud and security professionals — enterprise IT buyers, architects, developers, MSPs and technology decision-makers.

Media/tech & marketing

  • IBC 2026 — Amsterdam (RAI) — 11–14 Sep 2026
    Global media/streaming vendors; exec tracks; active hiring.
    Who it’s for: media, broadcast, streaming and content-technology professionals — engineers, product specialists, executives and vendors across the industry.
  • DigiMarCon Amsterdam — Johan Cruijff ArenA — 17–18 Sep 2026
    Enterprise marketing/data leaders; case-study networking.
    Who it’s for: digital marketing, media and advertising professionals — from marketing managers up to Heads of Marketing and CMOs.
  • Emerce eDay — Amsterdam (Kromhouthal) — 5 Nov 2026
    Digital innovation leads; hiring for product/strategy.
    Who it’s for: digital business, e-commerce, product and innovation professionals — mid-level to senior roles.
  • DMWF Europe — Amsterdam (RAI) — 24–25 Nov 2026
    CMO/Head-of performance circle; martech and data roles.
    Who it’s for: senior digital marketing leaders — CMOs, Heads of Digital/Performance and martech and data specialists.

Life sciences & health

  • Dutch Medicines Days — Leiden (CORPUS) — 7–8 Oct 2026
    Regulatory/clinical leaders; pharma/biotech networking.
    Who it’s for: pharmaceutical scientists and drug-development professionals across academia, industry and government — research, clinical and regulatory roles.
  • Health~Holland Global Investor Forum — Utrecht — 10–11 Mar 2027
    Founders meet investors; BD, corporate innovation, senior roles.
    Who it’s for: life-sciences & health founders, investors and business-development/corporate-innovation leaders — senior and strategic profiles.
  • Innovation for Health — Utrecht — 11 Mar 2027
    NL’s biggest LS&H conference; exec tracks and partnering.
    Who it’s for: life-sciences and health executives, innovators, researchers and partnering professionals looking to connect across the sector.
  • Zorg & ICT — Utrecht (Jaarbeurs) — 13–15 Apr 2027
    Health-IT buyers; CIO/CMIO crowd; digital care platforms.
    Who it’s for: healthcare-IT professionals and buyers — CIOs, CMIOs, digital-care vendors and care organisations adopting technology.

Energy, logistics & heavy industry

Open company days in and around the big cities

Open company days (open bedrijvendagen) are a very Dutch phenomenon: once a year, companies open their doors to everyone — no invitation, no CV required. For a job-seeking expat they’re a low-pressure way to walk into a workplace, see the culture, and talk to actual employees instead of recruiters. Most are free.

  • Wereldhavendagen (World Port Days) — Rotterdam — 4–6 Sep 2026
    The largest maritime event in the Netherlands: around 150 port companies show their operations, ships, cranes and innovation projects on and around the quays.
    Why interesting for expats: the port employs heavily in logistics, energy transition, engineering and IT — sectors that hire internationals. A relaxed way to scout employers like the Port Authority, terminal operators and offshore firms.
  • ESA ESTEC Open Days — Noordwijk — 26–27 Sep 2026
    The European Space Agency’s largest technical centre opens its labs and test facilities to the public once a year. Free, but tickets go fast.
    Why interesting for expats: ESTEC is one of the most international workplaces in the country (English is the working language), and the wider NL Space cluster around it hires engineers, scientists and support professionals from abroad.
  • Wetenschapsdag Amsterdam Science Park — Amsterdam — 3 Oct 2026
    Research institutes AMOLF, ARCNL, CWI, Nikhef and the UvA science faculty open their doors with tours, demos and talks.
    Why interesting for expats: these institutes recruit internationally for research, engineering and software roles, and the Science Park is also home to a growing cluster of deep-tech start-ups.
  • Kom in de Kas — Westland & other greenhouse regions — 3–4 Apr 2027
    The annual open weekend of Dutch greenhouse horticulture: growers across the country, with the Westland (between The Hague and Rotterdam) as the heartland, show how high-tech food and flower production works.
    Why interesting for expats: Dutch horticulture is a world leader that hires in agri-tech, data, robotics, logistics and international trade — not just growing.

The big cities in the west of the Netherlands offer a wealth of opportunities for highly skilled expats seeking career advancement. Whether you’re looking for a job in technology, finance, marketing, healthcare, engineering, or sustainability, these events will connect you with the right employers and provide a competitive edge in your job search. And don’t forget: some of the country’s strongest job markets lie beyond these cities — see our guide to career events and open company days in the rest of the Netherlands.

Looking for personalised career coaching? Orange Expats helps international professionals navigate their career paths in the Netherlands.

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