And it was, but not in the way I initially anticipated. While a tour of APM Terminals’ and Rotterdam World Gateway’s new hubs gave a glimpse of the scale of the Dutch port’s reclamation project, it offered very little in the way of actual terminal operations. A couple of cranes and a mass of hard standing here, a few AGVs and some lighting masts there do not a terminal make.
For me, the takeaway from the trip was the success of the ambitious onsite info-hub, known as FutureLand. Packed with statistics, time lapse videos, interactive games, and step by step photos, this compendium of the work at Maasvlakte II – past, present and future – captures that group we need on side for port development anywhere in the world: the general public.
The slickness of the displays and the engaging nature of the content brought our grimy port world to life. I was particularly taken by the videos of workers from different disciplines explaining the part they play in the project.
And if you are unmoved by the port construction nitty-gritty, there’s always the partial skeleton of a mammoth on display to impress you, which was discovered during the dredge. FutureLand even gets a 4.5 star rating by that fickle TripAdvisor bunch – no mean feat.
It’s this type of approach that plays a very important role in the development of ports, wherever they are. If you can engage locals you might find backing in unlikely places for your next expansion plan. If you can inspire younger visitors you may secure a steady stream of future employees. And if you can excite politicians your port may see rise up the pecking order of projects on the discussion table.
With such a colourful visual experience bringing the city’s port to life, it’s little wonder that Rotterdammers truly live and breathe the port life. It’s an example to all those port operators wondering why their latest project has locals up in arms and politicians at loggerheads. Take a leaf out of the FutureLand book and invest in that public face; it will pay back handsomely.
