By Ids Boersma
, Director International Exhibitions, Amsterdam RAI
The reason to expand Aquatech to the USA is that a general exhibition like Aquatech representing the full spectrum of the water industry, from drinking water to wastewater to process water simply did not exist here. The partnership with the WQA was a logical next step, since for years there has been a close and very good cooperation between the RAI and WQA for the Amsterdam event.
Amsterdam RAI is the number one exhibition and conference center in the Netherlands. The aim is to continue to develop into Europe’s most attractive, innovative, compact international venue with star level exhibitions. The exhibition complex located on the outskirts of Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, hosts over 50 international conferences and no fewer than 70 national and international exhibitions and trade shows each year. More than two million people visit the RAI annually. Visiting the City of Amsterdam, the RAI venue and the RAI exhibitions is an inspiring experience.
Aquatech Amsterdam is a biennial industry event, taking place in even years. During the odd years, Amsterdam RAI organizes spin-offs of Aquatech in Asia and for the first time in 2005, in partnership with the WQA in North America. Different from the Amsterdam show is that the exhibitors of these “spin offs” are both local and international, but the visitors are mostly national. Many of our exhibitors from Europe use these platforms in other parts of the world to explore new regions on a low cost, low risk basis.
Amsterdam RAI organizes many very successful leading (inter)national trade shows in different fields. Since the early seventies, Amsterdam RAI organizes Aquatech, the international trade show for the global water industry. Last September Aquatech celebrated its 20th edition in Amsterdam with some 830 exhibitors, 67 percent of which came from outside the Netherlands. During Aqua-tech 2004, 22,009 water professionals came through the doors of the Amster-dam RAI of which 12,105 were from 97 different countries. We were very proud that the 20th edition of Aquatech once again proved the leading position within the water industry in Europe.
The water industry is a fast-developing innovative market. At WQA Aquatech USA 2005 in Las Vegas we will combine the traditional WQA show with the expertise of the broader profile of the international Aquatech show. Amster-dam RAI’s international network of agents and offices will take care of a large boost of international vendors in the USA with different technologies, different solutions and different business models. Advantageous to both exhibitions, the WQA and Aquatech are combining to offer the visitor new technologies, opportunities, business contacts, products, services, education and training in all segments of the entire water industry.
I look forward to welcoming you at the WQA Aquatech USA 2005 in March and wish you a successful visit!