Following a successful debut in Lisbon earlier this year, The Glamping Show European Forum (TGSEF) is heading to Amsterdam on 26 November 2026.
For a sector that is growing and professionalising at remarkable speed, many of the most useful conversations still happen face-to-face: comparing experiences with another operator, discovering how somebody solved a problem you are currently facing, meeting a potential partner or simply hearing a different perspective that changes the way you think about your business.
That was the thinking behind the launch of TGSEF earlier this year. Rather than creating another large-scale trade show, the idea was to establish an intimate, highly focused one-day event that could move around Europe, bringing practical knowledge and meaningful networking closer to operators in different markets.
The inaugural Forum took place in Lisbon in March and brought together a wonderfully diverse group of operators, developers, suppliers, consultants and industry specialists from across Europe and beyond.
Now it’s Amsterdam’s turn.
On 26 November 2026, The Glamping Show European Forum II will take place at Basecamp Amsterdam, in Amsterdam West – an appropriate setting for a gathering dedicated to the future of outdoor hospitality.
Practical ideas for a changing market
Glamping may have matured considerably over the past decade, but running a successful business is arguably becoming more complex. Operators are having to think more carefully about pricing, occupancy, marketing, staffing, investment and the experiences they provide. The Amsterdam Forum is being developed around those realities.
The intention is not to fill the day with broad predictions or generic tourism presentations. Speakers are selected because they have built businesses, worked directly with operators, tackled challenges and developed ideas that can translate into practical action.
Among the first speakers confirmed is Kerry Roy, one of the industry’s original ‘glampreneurs’. Kerry founded the award-winning Camp Katur in the UK in 2012 and has subsequently diversified into areas including festivals, weddings and wellness retreats. Her considerable hands-on experience of creating additional revenue streams around a glamping business gives her a particularly valuable perspective for operators looking to maximise the potential of their own sites.
Also joining the programme is Alette Bastiaansen of FarmCamps, who brings more than 15 years of experience in building and scaling businesses. FarmCamps has developed an innovative model that creates new tourism income for farmers while providing families with meaningful opportunities to reconnect with rural life. Alette is now driving the company’s international expansion, increasing occupancy and developing partnerships with farmers.
The line-up will also include Sarah Riley, Co-Conference Director of Glamping Show Americas and a specialist in marketing glamping businesses, and Dutch leisure and outdoor hospitality expert Richard Otten of Pleisureworld, bringing additional perspectives on marketing, concept development, guest experience and the changing European leisure market.
The value of being in the room
Perhaps the strongest endorsement of the European Forum comes from those who attended the first event in Lisbon. One delegate described coming away with “a ton of new ideas and a lot more knowledge” and called the wealth of experience available in the room “a dream to have access to.”
WeCamp similarly praised the Forum for bringing professionals, brands and projects together around the shared ambition of creating stronger, more sustainable and purpose-driven businesses.
The programme includes time for coffee, a networking lunch and an evening drinks reception.
In a relatively compact industry, the person sitting beside you over lunch can sometimes prove every bit as valuable as the person standing on the stage.
Why attend?
For anyone operating, developing, supplying or investing in the European glamping sector, the Forum offers the chance to spend one concentrated day stepping away from the everyday demands of the business and looking at what comes next.
