Organisers have confirmed that one of the main events on the dredging industry calendar, the popular two-day CEDA Dredging Days Conference, will again take place alongside Europort, firmly established amongst the world’s leading maritime exhibitions, in 2019.
An agreement between Rotterdam Ahoy, which runs Europort on a biannual basis in the Dutch port city, and the Central Dredging Association (CEDA), has recently been signed to continue the long-standing relationship between the two organizations. As a result, CEDA Dredging Days will be held on the final two days of Europort 2019 in Rotterdam, on 7-8th November, next year.
Raymond Siliakus, Exhibition Manager, Europort, says, “Dredging technology has always been one of the strong assets of Europort, as many of the world’s leading dredging contractors, as well as specialist dredging shipbuilders and suppliers, come from this region. So we are naturally delighted to have reached an agreement with CEDA to again host the world’s foremost dredging conference alongside Europort in 2019. This will be the 7th time that CEDA Dredging Days have been staged at Rotterdam Ahoy and the longstanding relationship we have forged with CEDA shows clearly the mutual benefits that exist from holding these events together.”
First organized in 1980, CEDA Dredging Days has established a position as the premier international dredging conference in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa region. It is widely considered to be the primary forum for leading researchers and industry experts to share ideas, discuss challenges and consider potential solutions. It also provides a welcome chance for delegates to visit the exhibition, where all the leading specialist equipment suppliers showcase the latest technology advances.
Polite Laboyrie, CEDA President, says, “The partnership between CEDA and Europort is a long and successful one, going back almost 40 years. Since we moved with Europort to Rotterdam Ahoy in 2005, Dredging Days have gone from strength to strength and we are looking forward to building further on that track record by returning here in 2019.”
Feedback from CEDA members about the co-location of the two events has been universally positive, he says. “Delegates tell us they are very happy the conference takes place alongside Europort, as it means they can make very efficient use of their time out of the office,” adds Laboyrie. “As well as listening to the top quality, cutting-edge presentations and interacting with other dredging professionals at the Dredging Days, they can easily visit the exhibition and catch up with all the latest industry developments.”
Preparations are already well underway for the forthcoming edition of Europort, which will be held in Rotterdam 5-8th November 2019. Rotterdam Ahoy aims to build on the achievements of the 2017 event, which was one of the most popular in the series to date. Almost 27,000 visitors attended Europort 2017, which hosted 1,100 exhibitors from over 40 countries, including 14 different national pavilions, within the 10 exhibition halls.
