written by Netherlands User: Apr 20, 2019
Rotterdam, Netherlands, is home to the first floating farm in the world, complete with 40 cows, a farmer, and robots that collect manure and feed the livestock. Rotterdam: The Future’s Meeting Place, In the meantime, the city’s innovation district attracts and connects startups, incubators, and accelerators with established organizations.
With an eye toward becoming the first CO2-neutral port in the world by 2030 as part of an “energy transition” plan, all of this action centers on Europe’s biggest (and smartest) port.
The city is one of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, and it has been called a “living lab” where urban innovation and sustainability are encouraged.
Young talent in the public and commercial sectors and cutting-edge architectural masterpieces that dominate the skyline are only two ways Rotterdam’s youth is expressed.
Sunset Skyline of Rotterdam with Erasmus BridgeImage source: mihaiulia/Shutterstock.com
As part of its year-round festival and event schedule, Art Rotterdam Week recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.
In this light, it’s not surprising that business travelers and the meetings sector have begun to look elsewhere in the Netherlands than at the country’s capital, Amsterdam.
The city is presenting a fresh, raw, and timely option for meeting organizers.
“The fact that Rotterdam is a “smart city” is a plus, but the Netherlands is known for its green initiatives, and other cities like Amsterdam are also known for their sustainable approaches to living.” Rotterdam is different from other popular destinations because it wants to be environmentally friendly, has unique architecture, and has an urban feel. It is also cheaper than other popular destinations.
Rotterdam Ahoy
Rotterdam Ahoy Hosts Eurovision Song Contest 2021Image source: FlashBeauty/Shutterstock.com
Rotterdam’s ability to handle these mega-events has been a problem in the past, but that is being addressed with the construction of brand-new venues. The new Congress and Convention Center in Rotterdam Ahoy, one such location, is slated to open in the latter half of 2020.
When paired with the existing halls and arena, Rotterdam has already been catapulted into a larger bidding pool for conferences and trade exhibitions thanks to the inclusion of the Netherlands’ largest auditorium. The 2022 ASME Turbo Expo Conference, which will concentrate on turbines and energy, is the latest victory to stem from Ahoy’s future expansion.
The Van Nelle Factory, built in the 1930s and serving as Art Rotterdam Week’s major site, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.
There are probably not many UNESCO World Heritage sites that can be used for MICE events, and even fewer that can host go-karting or an International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) demo with helicopters landing in the parking lot.
The Depot
Reflections of Boymans Museum and Collection Depot in Museumpark, RotterdamImage source: Frans Blok/Shutterstock.com
Moreover, Rotterdam is a forward-thinking metropolis that continuously eyes the horizon for potential opportunities. Rotterdam’s “Bojimans Van Beuningen Depot,” scheduled to open in the Museumpark in the first half of 2021, is a prime example of this future-forward approach to art appreciation.
The Depot will house all 151,000 artworks from Museum Bojimans Van Beuningen and will be the first publicly accessible art storage facility in the world. The structure is shaped like a cup and has an atrium and roof garden, making it an ideal venue for preservation, refurbishment, and investigation-related gatherings.
Rotterdam’s modernist cultural appeal led Lonely Planet to name it a top-10 travel destination in 2016, while the entrance of Eurostar into Centraal Station soon afterwards increased the city’s accessibility.
The United Nations’ Global Centre of Excellence for Climate Adaptation is located there, and it was also selected as the European headquarters of Boston’s Cambridge Innovation Center. We at Rotterdam Partners CVB are prepared to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the city’s dynamic growth.
Here’s where you can find out more: Rotterdam Partners
