EXPERIENCE THE CITY AND PORT AT BREAKBULK EUROPE

By Karin van de Braak and Arjanne Hoogstad

Making great things even greater in the city and port of Rotterdam, and generating both sustainable and economic value - those are the ambitions of Karin van de Braak, marketing communications manager at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, and Arjanne Hoogstad, marketing and communications manager at Rotterdam Partners. Working with their partners in Rotterdam, they are putting events and innovations in Rotterdam on the global map. Now Breakbulk Europe is on the horizon, the breakbulk sector is center stage, with the branding to match: Bigger. Better. Breakbulk. Make it happen.

The two managers get on well, and that shows in what they are accomplishing together. “We brought Breakbulk Europe to Rotterdam in 2022,” Karin said. “It was a joint effort with Rotterdam Partners, Rotterdam Ahoy and the

City of Rotterdam. And it was one of the Port Authority’s goals: Breakbulk Europe is the largest breakbulk fair in the world and so it dovetails with our ambition to be the best breakbulk port. To bring the fair to Rotterdam, we presented Rotterdam’s unique selling points. One of those is the strong connection between the city and the port. Rotterdam is a unique experience for visitors, precisely because they can visit both our city and our port outside the traditional trade fair environment.”

A successful example here is Breakbulk Boulevard, an initiative of the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Rotterdam Partners in cooperation with the Rotterdam hospitality sector, the Rotterdam Breakbulk Community, the Rotterdam Port Promotion Council and, last but not least, Hyve, the organizer of Breakbulk Europe.

After Breakbulk Europe opens in Ahoy, Breakbulk Boulevard will kick off in a trendy location: Schiedamse Vest, a street in the heart of the city center. The fair visitors can reach the venue quickly and easily by public transport. For the occasion, the Schiedamse Vest will be transformed into a restrictedaccess food square and renamed Breakbulk Boulevard for the duration. The hospitality companies located here will serve special drinks and dishes, promoting culinary Rotterdam with its large number of diverse cafés and restaurants. Karin emphasized that Breakbulk Boulevard is a great networking opportunity that will also be attended by the breakbulk community from the port of Rotterdam.

“It will also be a great stepping-stone for the visitors to explore the city’s nightlife,” Arjanne said. “Obviously, we are hoping that Breakbulk Boulevard visitors will fall in love with our city and return as tourists, possibly with their families, relatives or friends.” To make things even easier for fair visitors, the Rotterdam partners have produced a special visitor guide with all sorts of tips from locals about Rotterdam. The guide can be found on the Breakbulk Europe website, and it will also be handed out during the fair.

More than 1,000 Breakbulk Europe visitors registered for this unique networking event last year. “So things were nice and busy. The number of visitors exceeded our expectations. Of course, it was the first event after the pandemic. The location was special, and the weather was lovely,” Karin said. “It felt like a festival. There was a diverse crowd, and the atmosphere was great,” Arjanne added. “Together, we established a genuine connection between the city, the port, and the event.” Breakbulk Boulevard was such a success that Breakbulk Europe visitors can sign up for Breakbulk Boulevard again this year.

In addition to exploring the city, visitors can also go to the port. “We are organizing a free cruise: visitors can sign up for it when they register for Breakbulk Europe,” Karin said. “It is an opportunity to see the grandeur and dynamism of the port for themselves. They shouldn’t miss it!” This year, 300 participants will be able to join the boat tour.

When asked about the trends that affect their work and the breakbulk industry, Karin said “sustainability is essential for the port and city of Rotterdam but also for the breakbulk industry. That is reflected in the event conference sessions this year.” Arjanne added: “This also means that different sectors need to work together to be future-resilient and innovative. We need to be open to people who think differently, collaborate better, and join forces to work on issues together.”

“And we mustn’t forget the job market,’ Karin said. “Because it is difficult to find people with the skills needed given the challenges of digitalization and the energy transition. And that applies to breakbulk as well. So this is a major theme for the Breakbulk Europe Education Day and in the new Breakbulk Futures area on the show floor.”

For Arjanne, every Breakbulk Europe visitor should take a trip on the water taxi before they leave Rotterdam. On

King’s Day (the sovereign’s official birthday), even our King uses this cool boat. Karin also takes time to praise the Boijmans Van Beuningen Depot in Museum Park: “You should definitely pay a visit and look in the mirror, where you will see the Rotterdam skyline. It’s a wonderful sight!”

“You shouldn’t miss Katendrecht either,” Arjanne said. “This is where you find the beating heart of the port. The Stadshaven Brewery is also worth a visit.” Their list of suggestions is apparently endless, but they prefer to refer people to the visitor guide for the very best tips. Even so, Karin has one final idea: “From June 6 onwards, we hope people will come and see us at our stand in Hall 2 of Ahoy, where we will be present with about thirty breakbulk companies from Rotterdam. And of course, we look forward to seeing everyone at the drinks event at our stand on 7 June.”

Karin van de Braak

Hobbies: cooking, travel, hiking and tennis

Why are you a fan of the city and port of Rotterdam?

The city has the greatest skyline and it is always changing.

Arjanne Hoogstad

Hobbies: Walking through the city with the dogs, and travel (especially city trips). I also invest in Rotterdam in my leisure time in all kinds of clubs and networks.Why are you a fan of the city and port of Rotterdam? I love the city because of the mentality of the people: hard workers, straightforward and outward-looking. The New Waterway and the port allow us to maintain that world-oriented perspective. Literally and figuratively!

The Breakbulk Community aims to connect companies in the Rotterdam port and to further cooperation, knowledge sharing and business in these segments to strengthen the position of the port of Rotterdam and create value for breakbulk companies by organizing network meetings, knowledge sessions and company visits. But visits to trade fairs and participation at those fairs are also on the agenda. The community is facilitated by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Rotterdam Port Promotion Council.