The Journal · 1 November 2026
PAN Amsterdam 2026: a vetted fair, and where the sales slip away
By Marques Hardin, artist manager · Paris & Rome
PAN Amsterdam runs from 1 to 8 November 2026 at the RAI, with about 125 dealers and galleries. Every work is checked by experts before it can be shown, and the crowd was strong and buying. What I saw at many stands was names going into notebooks, which is where sales slip away after the fair.
A fair that checks every work
PAN Amsterdam was started in 1987 by six Dutch art and antique dealers (PAN history). This year it runs from 1 to 8 November at the RAI, with about 125 dealers and galleries, after 46,000 visitors at the last edition (PAN Amsterdam).
It is a well-organised and highly secured event, and it is strict about quality. A team of independent experts checks every object (PAN Amsterdam), and work that is not approved the day before the fair opens cannot go on display. I think this is good, and the industry needs more of it, because it protects the quality of the whole event. From what I saw, it also brought a great crowd.
Something for everyone
You can find almost anything here, from jewellery and antiques to design, photography and new art. By my own count of the exhibitor list, roughly a third of the stands are modern and contemporary art galleries (PAN exhibitors). The crowd was mostly Dutch and the energy was high. Work was moving, too. One gallery owner told me he had sold five pieces on the first night and was close to selling two more while we talked.
Where the money slips away
One thing I notice at every fair, and noticed again here, is the notebook. Names and email addresses go onto pads in quick handwriting, the traffic is heavy, and often only one to three people are working the stand. After a week, it will be hard to remember who is who and why they stopped by. That is normal, and it also means a lot of money is left on the table, even when the goal is to sell what you brought to the fair.
If you are showing at a fair
- Do not use the fair to look for a gallery, because the dealers there are busy selling their own artists.
- Watch how people look at your work before you go up to them, since buyers will show you what they are looking for.
- Write down every name the same day, with the work they stopped at, the artist they liked most and the kind of work they want.
- Make your first message count, because it is more than a thank-you note. Ask what they collect and ask for a quick call.
Stands that stayed with me
Sara Punt's photographs of the body, presented by Hungry Eye Gallery, and Gallery ILÉ from Amsterdam and Lagos, which is new to PAN this year (PAN Amsterdam) and is showing Dominique Zinkpè and Gérard Quenum.
Disclosure: Hungry Eye Gallery uses Artelier Business.
A fair built on vetting
PAN Amsterdam was founded in 1987 by six Dutch art and antique dealers, and its first edition brought together 83 Dutch dealers and 10,894 visitors (PAN history). Attendance has since settled in the range of a large regional fair: a record 41,960 visitors in 2009, 46,598 in 2012, 37,500 in 2022, and 46,000 at the 2025 edition (PAN history; PAN Amsterdam). The 2026 edition runs from 1 to 8 November at the RAI, with approximately 125 art dealers, antique specialists and gallery owners (PAN Amsterdam).
Its defining feature is vetting. Independent experts examine every object, 80 of them in 2024 (The Flora Journal), and work that has not been approved by the day before opening cannot be displayed. In my view the industry needs considerably more of this discipline, because it protects the reputation of every exhibitor at once, and on the evidence of this year's opening it is precisely what draws a serious crowd.
What the floor looked like
PAN is deliberately eclectic, with Old Masters, silver, jewellery, design, photography and contemporary art sharing the floor; photography first appeared at the fair in 2001 (PAN history). By my own count of the published exhibitor list, roughly a third of the stands are modern and contemporary art galleries, alongside a smaller group of photography specialists and a handful of publishers and institutions (PAN exhibitors). The audience on the opening days was predominantly Dutch and the energy was high. Work was moving: one gallery owner told me he had sold five pieces on the first night and was on the verge of two more as we spoke.
The leak in the system
A rough average shows the pressure on each stand. Nine days, 46,000 visitors and about 125 exhibitors work out to around forty visitors per stand per day, unevenly spread and concentrated at the peaks, handled by teams of one to three people. What I observed, as I have at every fair, is that those visitors are still recorded in notebooks and on pads, in hurried handwriting. After a week it becomes genuinely difficult to recall who stopped by and why, and that is where money is left on the table, even at a fair where the stock is selling. The industry data says the same: 83% of galleries record booth enquiries with pen and paper, 60% rely on business cards, and only 31% enter leads into a system immediately (First Thursday, via ARTnews).
What a stand should record, and what it should do next
- Record every serious visitor on the day, with the name, a way to reach them, the work they stopped at, the artist they gravitated toward, the kind of work they want and, where offered, a budget.
- Record their consent separately if they wish to receive news, since following up their own enquiry and adding them to a mailing list are different things: in the EU, marketing by e-mail needs prior consent (Directive 2002/58/EC, article 13).
- Treat the first follow-up as the first chance to learn about the collector rather than as a thank-you note: ask what they collect and request a short conversation.
- Close the fair with a short report on what sold, how many new collectors were met, and which enquiries remain open.
Stands that stayed with me
Sara Punt's photographs of the body, presented by Hungry Eye Gallery, and Gallery ILÉ of Amsterdam and Lagos, a newcomer to PAN this year (PAN Amsterdam), showing Dominique Zinkpè and Gérard Quenum.
Disclosure: Hungry Eye Gallery uses Artelier Business.
PAN Amsterdam runs until Sunday 8 November at the RAI. Every object is checked by independent experts before it can be shown, which is a good reason to buy here with confidence (PAN Amsterdam).
- Ask each stand for its price list, so you can compare calmly.
- Leave your name with the stands you liked, and say which work or artist caught your eye.
- Say what you are looking for, such as size, medium or budget, so the follow-up fits you.
- Before you pay, ask for a numbered invoice and a certificate that stays with the work.
Frequently asked questions
From Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 November 2026 at the RAI in Amsterdam, with a private opening on Saturday 31 October.