Introduction World Port Days
September 3, 4 and 5, 2010

The Wereldhavendagen (World Port Days), a large, annual maritime event, is a festive and adventurous opportunity for its visitors to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the Port and Industrial area. Visitors are offered a wide range of activities, such as, ship tours, naval activities, demonstrations, seminars, excursions, exhibitions, music, preliminary work, to mention just a few.
This annual maritime event is supported by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Municipality of Rotterdam. The World Port Days is a typical family event. The main goal of this event is to familiarise visitors with the port and to create a positive attitude towards the port and its surrounding maritime city. The World Port Days 2010, will take place on September 3, 4 and 5.

Port Days in three core activities
The port industry is a closed industry due to the nature of its activities. Many people are interested in this industry; however, they do not usually get the opportunity to inspect the port from close quarters. And …ignorance breeds contempt. The majority of the public often has a negative view of the port. Dirty, filthy and heavy work are just some of the remarks that are commonly heard. In some cases, they are even worried about a similar type of heavy industry in the proximity of a city. That is why aspects such as the environment, safety and labour market communication should all play a central role in the World Port Days event.

Quay presentations
The port companies are invited to present themselves on the quayside in the centre. As a result, a type of trading floor is created with various tents and demonstration areas. The participating port companies are encouraged to come to the quay, bringing attractive and appealing material. A gripper of 80 tonnes does not look so big when it is hanging from a crane in the port area. Only when this same gripper is placed in the city centre does it become obvious just how big such a gripper actually is and just how many tonnes can be moved at a time. The public has free access to the enormous range of (working) ships on the quayside. These include inland vessels, tankers and tugboats, as well as floating sheerlegs and vessels of the Port Authorities.

The port of Rotterdam is a hub for the worldwide flow of goods, a centre for European distribution and a location for large-scale industry. In order to secure this position for the future, too, Rotterdam is working on the quality of its ports. By doing this, the port is and will remain a world-class partner on a global level. Good staff is of vital importance in this endeavour.

On the quaysides along the Wilhelminapier and the Scheepvaartkwartier, you can see how the Rotterdam port companies are working together to provide a safe, clean, versatile, efficient and sustainable port. The port of Rotterdam: a dynamic place to work, live and stay.

Excursions
The excursions give an immediate and “on the spot” view of what is going on in the port. This part of the programme ties up very well with corporate social responsibility; it is an exquisite opportunity to generate more commitment among the members of the public and for companies to position themselves as an attractive employer. In 2009 we programmed for the first time several adventurous port excursions with an English speaking guide. As these turned out to be a great success, this part of the excursion-programme will be increased in 2010.

Nautical demonstrations
Spectacular demonstrations on the water draw the attention of many visitors. During their continuous programme of spectacular presentations, port companies demonstrate exactly what their ships, sheerlegs and other sailing equipment are capable of. Entertainment and information continuously alternate with each other. An extremely media-friendly component with outstanding opportunities for participating companies to bring activities and sailing vessels to the attention of the public.

Programme
Breathtaking stunts, spectacular action, pure power and nautical expertise.
You can experience all this yourself from the Erasmus Bridge or from the grandstand on the Wilhelminakade. Rotterdam shows you just what it can do on water.