AMSTERDAM TO HAVE ITS OWN ‘ZEEHAVENDAGEN’

Amsterdam is to have its own ‘Zeehavendagen’ (Seaport Days). The new event in Europe’s fourth port offers everyone from Amsterdam to IJmuiden the chance to take a peak behind the scenes of the port and its businesses.

The main programme consists of tours and workshops at port and port-related companies and organisations. In addition, Seaport Days Amsterdam will offer daily boat tours on the IJ waterway from Westpoort to Zaandam. The first edition of the event will take place from Friday 23 to Sunday 26 June, with the intention of having it return annually in the last week of June. Other highlights of the first Seaport Days include dedicated cacao trips in the Westhaven port, an exhibition called Amsterdam-Havenstad in the National Maritime Museum, and tours of the NDSM wharf in Amsterdam North.

Meanwhile, everyone who enjoys the salty sea air and is interested in offshore wind and fisheries will feel very much at home during the IJmuiden Port Festival on 25 and 26 June, which partners with the Amsterdam event. Visitors can learn more about the nautical services sector which offers boat tours in the IJmond throughout the day, or visit the world’s largest sea locks via the lock port information point (SHIP).

Ambition
Amports and Port of Amsterdam have designed Seaport Days Amsterdam to give the general public an insight into the port industry and developments in the North Sea Canal region. The event revolves around six themes: the manufacturing sector, the storage and transhipment of goods, the energy transition, circular industry, history and nautical services. The programme gives an accurate insight into developments in the ports of Amsterdam and how they contribute to the economic engine of the North Sea Canal. It also serves as a platform to invite job-seekers, young graduates, politicians and civic leaders to the port work floor. The goal is to start with a modest yet strong programme in 2022 and expand into an annually recurring event that will be part of Amsterdam 750 and the tenth edition of SAIL in 2025.

Participants
Some 40 port and port-related companies and organisations are already committed making to Seaport Days Amsterdam a success. They include Damen Shiprepair and Oranjewerf, container terminal TMA Logistics, cacao specialist Katoen Natie, VCK Logistics, Eurotank Amsterdam, Chocolatemakers, the customs authorities, the Marechaussee, Tata Steel, Vopak, Spliethoff, nautical service providers and Vattenfall. The City of Amsterdam is participating with its employment programmes Westpoort Werkt and Amsterdam Werkt, as well as being involved via the Employer Service Point in the port.

Zeehavendagenamsterdam.nl
Seaport Days Amsterdam will become the annual highpoint of promoting the ports in the North Sea Canal region. The website and social media channels of the event provide an online platform offering the latest information about the port 365 seaport days a year. Over the coming years, the new platform should develop into a portal with easily accessible port-related information for consumers and people linked to the ports in the North Sea Canal region (Amsterdam, Zaanstad, Velsen-IJmuiden and Beverwijk) for business or politics. See www.zeehavendagenamsterdam.nl for more information.

Organisers
Seaport Days Amsterdam is organised by Amports, the networking and marketing organisation of the North Sea Canal region, with Port of Amsterdam and business association ORAM Amsterdam as fellow organisers. Event partners include the Maritime Museum, Amsterdam Boat Cruises and the City of Amsterdam.