Venue & travel / The city
Rotterdam.
Hub for innovation and reinvention for future-proof urban planning, and the fitting home for a conference about turning water from foe to friend.
The spirit of Rotterdam
A city of frontrunners with the courage and will to drive change
Rotterdam is a dynamic world city that keeps reinventing itself at speed. Whether it’s the ever-changing skyline full of bold architecture, a port that is the largest in Europe and regarded as the smartest in the world, or the “can-do” mentality of the Rotterdam people in all their diversity.
“Rotterdam is an entrepreneurial city with a distinct character, constantly evolving and always looking forward.”
Centuries of water engineering
Almost 7 metres below sea level.
The Dutch have centuries of experience protecting land that sits almost 7 metres below sea level, engineering feats such as the Delta Works among them. That inheritance is why Rotterdam, more than almost anywhere, can host a conference that treats water as a design partner rather than a threat to be managed away.
Europe’s largest port
The Port of Rotterdam handles the continent’s largest volumes and is regarded as one of the smartest ports in the world.
Bold architecture
An ever-changing skyline, from the Erasmus Bridge to the Cube Houses, built by a city that treats reinvention as identity.
Easy to reach
Central within the Netherlands and well connected by rail and air to the rest of Europe, a practical base for an international delegation.