Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre celebrates it's fifth anniversary

The Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre (RACC) marks its fifth anniversary in December 2025. Since opening in 2020, the convention centre has grown into a leading venue for national and international conferences, events and corporate gatherings where professionals come together to share knowledge, drive innovation and forge new connections. 

Five years ago, we opened the Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre with a clear vision: to add a multifunctional conference venue with the largest auditorium in the Netherlands (RTM Stage), to the existing halls and the Arena of Rotterdam Ahoy. This was achieved in close collaboration with the City of Rotterdam, with the aim of attracting more national and international visitors and creating positive economic and knowledge-driven impact for the city. Although launching during the Covid pandemic was far from ideal, we can now say that our vision has become reality.

Jolanda Jansen, CEO at Rotterdam Ahoy
 

A legacy of meetings & conferences

From the EAIE congres in 2023 (European Association for International Education) to the EACR Congress 2024 (European Association for Cancer Research) a wide variety of business events has taken place at the convention centre over the past years. Organisers benefit from the flexible convention centre in combination with the exhibition halls at Ahoy. This allows conferences to grow: what starts small can develop into a large-scale event, such as the World Hydrogen Summit, which has successfully returned to Rotterdam Ahoy for several consecutive years. 

Upcoming events include DIA Europe 2026, the European Renal Association (ERA) Congress 2027 and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Conference in 2028.

Since the opening, we have worked with full commitment to increase our international visibility, and it’s fantastic to see the results of that effort with major international congresses appearing on the agenda. The fact that we are no longer only compared to port cities or so-called second-tier destinations, but are competing at a global level, makes me incredibly proud.

Karin Segers, Director of Conventions at Rotterdam Ahoy

Valuable visitors with impact

Thanks to collaborations with partners such as Rotterdam Partners, the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC), as well as the Port of Rotterdam and Erasmus MC, the RACC continues to attract a growing number of international conferences.

The opening of the Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre has significantly strengthened our international congress position. Thanks to the scale, flexibility and professionalism of the RACC, we are now able to attract events that were previously beyond our reach. The RACC has not only reinforced our shared ambitions but has also confirmed that Rotterdam is competing at a fully-fledged level on the global stage. We are proud of our strong and successful partnership and look forward to the coming years of continued growth and impact.

Eveline van der Pluijm, Manager Convention Bureau at Rotterdam Partners

In addition to its substantial economic spin-off, conference delegates increasingly have the opportunity to give something back to the city through legacy programmes that enables them to make a lasting contribution to the local community. During the World Seed Congress 2024, for example, the International Seed Federation created and sowed a flower border along the walking route to Zuidplein to enhance biodiversity in the local area. 

• Share
• 
• 
• 
• 
•