Welcome Reception
Wednesday 14 May 2025
We cordially invites all participants to join their fellow delegates at the Welcome Reception. It will be the perfect opportunity to renew old friendships and build new ones, and to meet with the exhibitors, while enjoying some light refreshments.
All Congress delegates and registered accompanying persons are welcome!
Time: 18.00 – 19.00 (final times to be confirmed)
Cost: Complimentary for registered delegates, €30 for accompanying persons. Pre-registration required.
Location: Exhibition hall
Dutch Evening
Friday 16 May 2025
Time: 19.30 – 23.00
Cost: € 95. Pre-registration required. Maximum 250 places!
A short bus transfer will take you to the Railway Museum, housed in a former station in Utrecht. From the very moment you arrive in the historic Maliebaan Station, the atmosphere of Dutch railway history is palpable.
The entrance to the museum dates from 1874 and is where the train to Paris used to depart. The hall with enormous chandeliers, marble floor and walls covered in murals also boasts several waiting rooms, including a real-life Royal waiting room.
Upon arrival you can visit the inside of the Royal Train customised for former Queen Juliana early in the 1950s. Then you will proceed to the Museum Hall, where the historic locomotives, coaches and trains - including one of which the oldest original steam locomotive in the Netherlands - make a memorable backdrop for the Dutch Evening!
After a pre-dinner drink you will an informal dinner with locally sourced dishes. The caterer shares flavours from the neighbourhood: they want to make the world a nicer place by avoid making unnecessary food miles. From 30,000 food kilometres of an average plate, to 30 kilometres!
Unfortunately this impressive museum closes at 23.00 hrs., but you will be dropped off close to the historic city centre of Utrecht. Its intact medieval buildings, the canals with centuries’ old wharf cellars – unique in the world – and the tallest church tower in the Netherlands are not to miss! This part of town is packed with bars and outdoor terraces along the Old Canal to cater everyone's taste.
