AUGUST 28, 2026 · UP EVENTS AMSTERDAM
THE PROGRAM.
Most events give you a seat and a schedule. This one gives you a reason to stay until 23:00.
AUGUST 28, 2026 · UP EVENTS AMSTERDAM
Most events give you a seat and a schedule. This one gives you a reason to stay until 23:00.
The festival runs from 16:00 to 23:00 on a Friday. That's a deliberate choice. Young professionals shouldn't have to choose between their work and their development. The evening format means you can do both, and still show up fully for what matters here.
One day. Four focus areas, six stages, and a Social Hub that runs until 23:00. Walk-in from 15:30, program from 16:00. Here is how the day is built.
Most events give you knowledge and wish you luck applying it. The Pressure Cooker Sessions are different.
In groups of 6 to 8, you work on a real challenge brought in by a partner organisation, under genuine time pressure. Not to come up with the perfect answer. To come up with a concrete recommendation.
Every result gets collected. The most promising directions get shared with the partners who own the challenge. And as ORAM Next Gen Festival, we actively work to build the coalitions, connections and momentum needed to move things forward, including lobbying where it's useful. This session is open to all attendees. Because of the format, we work with a maximum of 40 to 50 participants per session.
0–5 min
What is actually the challenge here? Not the symptom. The structural tension underneath it.
5–15 min
Who are the players? What are the competing interests? Where does the system get in its own way?
15–30 min
Two or three realistic directions. Real trade-offs, not wishful thinking.
30–40 min
The most viable direction and one concrete action that can start now. Not "we should explore this further." An actual next move.
