Water organisations unite around Aqua Nederland trade fair

Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP), Water Alliance and ENVAQUA, in close cooperation with the trade fair organiser Easyfairs, will hold special events at the Aqua Nederland fair. The fair will be held at the Evenementenhal in Gorinchem on 15, 16 and 17 March. They will decorate the Aqua Business Lounge, run dozens of sessions in various locations, including the ‘Water Theatre’, organise a network dinner and they promise an exciting qualifying round of the now famous WIS Award in the form of short pitches by the contestants from water technology companies. A quick look at the subjects shows that, after a long period of lockdowns and restrictions, everyone involved has high ambitions and is looking for inspiration.

For those who are not yet familiar with Aqua Nederland, it is the water trade fair in the Netherlands. Aqua Nederland is itching to hold a trade fair again, says Marketing Event Manager Robin Vissers. “The last Aqua Nederland that we could hold was in 2019. Organising one again feels like a party. We used the last couple of years to work on our concept and to target four areas even more clearly. These are wastewater, potable water, process water, and urban water and sewage management. These four areas feature everywhere in the programme.”

That Water Alliance, ENVAQUA, Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) and the fair organiser Easyfairs are so strongly united in the trade fair is hardly surprising given that they have worked together for years. Nevertheless, Water Alliance Director Hein Molenkamp still sees even more potential for growth: “After many years of organising pavilions, innovation squares and international trade show stands, we know how we can bring the water technology sector together. And because we know what we all mean to each other, you also see that we get a little better every year. We are really looking forward to meeting all our contacts again at the fair.”

His colleague André Mepschen, National Business Development, agrees. “Aqua Nederland is a chance to finally meet up face to face. It will also be very interesting in terms of substance. The ‘Water Theatres’ in particular promise to be great events. Some of our members, such as RWB Almelo, Rolapac, CirTec and Van Remmen, will give presentations there. The programme is available on the Aqua Nederland website.”

Contact

Arjan Braamskamp

Team Lead Business Relations

+31 70 304 3700

a.braamskamp@nwp.nl

Join us at the Aqua Business Lounge, stand A.202A. This year's Aqua Business Lounge is situated at the brand new and modernised 'Next Level' upper floor of the Evenementenhal Gorinchem.

More information

Talent

Ignaz Worm, Director of the ENVAQUA umbrella organisation, is very much looking forward to the knowledge sharing sessions. “There is a lot on the programme,” says the Director. “Just to name two examples, there is a knowledge sharing session where legionella experts share their thoughts with the heating industry and a meeting about water technology for Africa. ENVAQUA is also putting companies that use creative ideas to attract talent to the sector and keep them in the spotlight through the Inspiratie Award ‘Beste Werkgever’ (best employer inspiration award). I am also looking forward to that.”

Lounge atmosphere

Relaxing while networking at Aqua Nederland can be done in the joint Aqua Business Lounge. NWP’s new Business Relationship Manager, Arjan Braamskamp, hopes to speak to many entities in the sector. “NWP, Water Alliance and ENVAQUA are bringing together and representing the biggest national and international Dutch water technology network. Aqua Nederland is a great opportunity to connect different entities, as well as to further hone our service provision and to ask what NWP can do for the Dutch water sector. We are thinking about the markets that are interesting, the obstacles that companies face, and how we can best support companies in their international goals. I am looking forward to it and am hoping for many good and useful discussions in our Aqua Business Lounge.”

The qualifying round of the WIS Award, Water Alliance’s innovation award, will also be held here on Wednesday 16 March. Illustrious previous winners such as Hydraloop and Samotics made their breakthroughs and underwent rapid growth thanks to the amount of publicity that winning the Award brought them. Seven to nine water innovations will present themselves in quick succession in the hope that they will win the main prize at the European Water Technology Week (EWTW) in September. More information on the WIS Award and an up-to-date list of the pitchers is available on wisaward.nl.

NWP is contributing to the topic of urban water management with three interesting presentations:

www.aquanederland.nl/programma

Dinner

The ‘network dinner’ on 15 March is also part of the programme. This is organised jointly by ENVAQUA, Water Alliance and Easyfairs. The venue is Next Level, the atmospheric foyer at the event centre in Gorinchem.

“A network dinner was always an important part of the programme,” says Robin Vissers of Easyfairs. “We strive to promote networking, sharing knowledge and hospitality. This dinner gives the stand holders a great opportunity to leave their stands to relax and enjoy themselves. As the dinner is not only available for the people manning the stands, but for ENVAQUA and Water Alliance members too, you can expect a very mixed group with whom to network.”

It goes without saying that the event organising partners will also attend the trade fair on all three days. The stand numbers to remember: Aqua Business Lounge A.202 (ENVAQUA, Water Alliance, NWP and Easyfairs) and B.206 (WaterCampus). These stands are on the Next Level.