We’re counting the days to Blogging the City with a series of short interviews with some of Thursday’s speakers. Today we publish our chat with advertising strategist and writer Wouter Boon, founder of Amsterdam Ad Blog. Amsterdam Ad Blog is a blog about Amsterdam, its people, and the coolest places in the city that is also known as the world’s Advertising Capital.

1. What puts your city on the map?
“Canals, soft drugs, prostitutes, and Vincent van Gogh.”

2. As a blogger, how does Amsterdam inspire you?
“Since there are so many expats with an open mind working in the Amsterdam advertising industry, they are the people that inspire me. They make a very diverse cultural mix in Amsterdam and create advertising that can travel abroad and make Amsterdam culturally neutral.”

3. Some people paint the town red. What would you paint?
“I’m not much of a painter. I’m a writer…”

4. What makes Amsterdam the Advertising Capital of the world?
“Creatives from all over the world want to work and live here. That’s one of the reasons why international businesses and agencies want an office in Amsterdam. What’s more, Amsterdam airport Schiphol is an international hub, the Netherlands has a friendly corporate tax climate for foreign companies, and the Dutch have always been outward looking and speak their languages — in the 17th century we were one of the biggest trading nations in the world.”