Amsterdam city council and its pals at Amsterdam Partners – the people behind the IAmsterdam slogan – have been trying for some time now to improve the city’s image and get away from the sex and drugs reputation that haunts the Dutch capital.

Mayor Job Cohen is trying to clean up the red light district and get rid of all the nasty criminals, while Amsterdam Partners is trying to promote the city as a centre for the creative industry, not the drugs trade.
So one wonders what their reaction is to a certain trade fair taking place at the Rai exhibition centre later this week. On Friday, the day after the sedate conclusion of the annual conference of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the 10th HighLife gathering will kick off. The show has an interesting collection of sponsors including Nirvana Cannabis Seeds and the iGrow-box.
Just in case you have not fully understood what industry the fair is promoting – the full page advert in today’s Metro newspaper features a girl with a marijuana leaf navel piercing.
The aim of the event is, undoubtedly, to help small-scale growers who serve the nation’s hash-selling coffee-shops keep up to date with all the latest innovations.
Highlights of the party – sorry, trade fair – include the presentation of the annual Highlife Cup, the election of Miss Highlife and, on Sunday, the best product awards. If anyone can still focus by then of course.