On September 19, the 11th edition of the Dinner Cruise through the Port of Rotterdam took place on board the 'Nieuwe Maze'.
We were honored to welcome as our Special Guests Robert Simons, Vice Mayor for Port, Economy, Hospitality and Governance (neighbourhoods) of the City of Rotterdam, and Aleisha Woodward, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague.
When all guests had embarked, the captain set sail towards the industrial harbors.The evening was opened with welcome remarks by AmCham President Jasper van Ouwerkerk and Vice Mayor of Rotterdam Robert Simons, followed by the introduction of Johan Scharpé (ExxonMobil) as new Chair of AmCham’s Rotterdam Chapter. This was followed by a fireside chat with Aleisha Woodward and Boudewijn Siemons, CEO a.i. / COO of the Port of Rotterdam, who emphasized the crucial role of the port and industry in the energy transition, as well as the importance of collaboration and dialogue between the public and private sectors in this regard.
During the dinner, guests enjoyed great views from the water of Europe's largest port before arriving back at the pier in front of the iconic Hotel New York, marking the end of a memorable night.
AmCham cordially thanks its co-host Port of Rotterdam and ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell for the sponsoring. Our sincere thanks also go out to the ‘Nieuwe Maze’ staff for the wonderful service and all the speakers for their insightful points about the importance of the port and industry for the Dutch economy.