Sponsorship deal for Rotterdam Port Days
Port of Rotterdam Authority (PRA) has agreed a sponsorship contract for the annual World Port Days festival, an event that is a whole lot more than just watching spectacular displays in Europe’s largest port.
The contract will see PRA acting as main sponsor of the three-day festival for the next five years.
The event, held at the beginning of September each year, is described as the largest free, open-air public event in the Netherlands, last year attracting around 400,000 visitors over the three days. And there is a lot more to Rotterdam World Port Days than the displays on the river and on each side of Nieuwe Maas, next to Erasmus Bridge.
Analysing why the event is so popular, one has to understand the affinity the Dutch have with the sea. Geography has in some way been unkind to the Netherlands, 26% of the country being below sea level, rising to 59% during storms and high water levels.
As a consolation prize its geography, in particular for Rotterdam, where several major European rivers empty into the sea, is of great importance for trade that has ensured the Netherlands is a true maritime nation, something the population cherishes.
Moving west
“World Port Days is an important event that we organise with our partners to underline the traditionally close bond between port and city and to keep the city attractive for our customers,” says Vivienne de Leeuw, PRA COO and chairman of the Port Authority’s sponsorship committee. “It introduces residents of the region to the modern port and encourages young people to work in the port.”
The ‘close bond between port and city’ has to be nurtured to avoid losing sight of the importance of maritime, both metaphorically and physically, as the port expands westwards away from the city centre. The organisers have addressed this in a subtle way, saying if the industry is now beyond easy access they will take you to it, allowing a closer look at industries which would otherwise be strictly out of bounds to the public.
Dozens of paid coach tours to container terminals, oil refineries, chemical plants and other industrial areas as far away as Maasvlakte, some 50km to the west, are offered. Visitors can dive into the underwater world of the workings of the lifting element of the Erasmus Bridge, climb to the top of the World Port Centre and learn about PRA’s port control operations or see the region’s flood control barriers that keep the waters at bay.
Another subtle element is allowing the many public and commercial service providers the opportunity to attract the next generation of employees who can say ‘I work in Rotterdam port’. While the usual displays are also staged, the first day’s theme (Friday) is on recruitment, with a careers festival staged in a cinema close to the cruise terminal. Dozens of coaches arrive throughout the day from around the country, bringing school students who can also get a taste of the opportunities the maritime industry in general has to offer.
Displays
At the heart of the event are the displays held on the water (and in the air) around the Erasmus Bridge. They are televised and shown on large screens both sides of the river, including live commentary, regional and national broadcast media also sharing the event beyond Rotterdam itself.
Displays include the work of the pilotage service, simulation of a fire on an inland vessel and the response from the KNRM lifeboat service, the Netherlands Coastguard (helicopter) and port emergency services.
How the Dutch military deal with a hijacked ship is always a spectacular and noisy demonstration, while at a more leisurely pace rowing races are staged – something for all.
The ‘tug ballet’ by the port’s towage service providers is always popular and the programme schedule changes daily, allowing visitors to plan their visit over several days to take in as much as possible.
The ‘tug ballet’ is always a popular demonstration
When available, commercial ships attend and in 2023 a Maersk container vessel was alongside and open to visitors for the duration.
On the Saturday and Sunday one of P&O’s North Sea ferries attends, with paying passengers enjoying a day’s mini-cruise, staging a touch-and-go at the cruise terminal, all with accompanying commentary. In 2023 the ship’s master was televised in interview on the bridge.
The 46th edition of World Port Days will take place on 6, 7 and 8 September 2024.
