On the 25th of November the IAME 2021 Conference officially commenced. After months of preparation and hard work, the team behind the conference can finally see the fruit of their labor. If the first day is any indication, the conference should be a great success!
Recap
The conference kicked off on Wednesday evening with a welcome drink in the Foodhallen Rotterdam, which is a lovely venue where food from all over the world can be enjoyed. Of course, the typical Dutch bitterballen were not missing. All of the delegates could get together again after a break of a year and a half.
On Thursday, the 25th of November, IAME 2021 officially began. After some welcoming words from the director of UPT, Larissa van der Lugt, two keynote speakers took to the stage. The first keynote speaker was Allard Castelein, the CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority. He informed the delegates in the room and online of what the Port of Rotterdam Authority does exactly and their plans for the future, especially in terms of decarbonizing the shipping industry.
The second keynote speaker was Annet Koster, the managing director of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners. She talked on behalf of the Dutch shipowner community about the future of (clean) shipping. Afterwards, the panel discussion began where any and all questions about these topics where answered and discussed.
A break followed, after which the parallel sessions began. As the name suggests, 60 different sessions discussing a variety of topics took place at the same time.
Preview
The other two days of IAME 2021 will be filled with more interesting sessions and activities. Delegates will get the chance to interact with the industry, meaning with local businesses. Furthermore, there will be an event fair and port excursion. Naturally, you cannot leave Rotterdam before discovering its famous harbor! All of the delegates will also be able to enjoy good food during the lunches and the conference dinner.
IAME 2021
