AQUATECH INNOVATION FORUM:
Celebrating Water’s Changemakers
1 NOVEMBER 2021 IN AMSTERDAM
This year’s Innovation Forum will be dedicated to not just the market innovations, but the innovators making it happen.
We don’t have time to wait. Sustainable Development Goal 6 (access to water and sanitation for all by 2030) is fast approaching. According to the UN, unless we quadruple our efforts, we will not reach this target.
The time of accepting sub-par, leaking and creaking infrastructure and water contamination need to come to an end. To do this, we need everyone on board. Every water professional has a role to play in making sure the innovation mindset runs throughout organisations to ensure our collective performance is continually improved.
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Why a Forum
The one-day interactive conference was added to strengthen the Aquatech Amsterdam activities in 2021.
Based on the principle of Roman city ‘Forums’, which were the centre for social, economical and political activities, the Innovation Forum was designed to disrupt the conventional conference model.
The Innovation Forum will be the third piece of the Aquatech puzzle and completes the trifecta of events taking place in the same week, also including the Aquatech Innovation Award ceremony and large scale, water focused exhibition.
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Why Changemakers
Often the discussions focus on the solutions: the hardware and software as the only solutions. We accept that technological solutions will help us get some of the way yet, without an accepting company culture and environment, innovations will struggle to scale, to be accepted and implemented to enable long-term water sustainability.
We want to celebrate the people and organisations making this change happen. From utility innovation managers, to start-ups, investors and corporate water managers, the Forum will unite the industry to share their positive and honest stories in a unique, creative and free-flowing festival atmosphere.
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Exclusive packageIncluding invitation to Exclusive 'Water F**ck up night', kick-off breakfast,
executive lunch, Innovation Award dinner and exclusive network opportunities.
€ 500.00(Ex. VAT)
The Benefits -
Business packageIncluding kick-off breakfast, networking lunch, Innovation Award dinner and exclusive network opportunities.
€ 450.00(Ex. VAT)
The Benefits -
Innovator packageIncluding kick-off breakfast,
networking lunch and exclusive network
opportunities.
€ 400.00(Ex. VAT)
The Benefits
These companies attending Aquatech Innovation Forum:
Dr Mehdi Khoury, a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter, will run a serious gaming workshop.
Water companies are increasingly using Serious Games to help in their strategic future planning and strategies, helping to link decision support systems, interactive visualisations and data science. Visitors can actively participate in “Aquatech Town”, a virtual community comprising 300,000 inhabitants. Through a series of correct decisions on the water cycle, players can help the town overcome water stress by implementing circular, energy-efficient solutions.
PROGRAMME
Explore our programme & stellar speaker line-up of 45+ changemakers
WATER F**CK UP NIGHT
It’s time to celebrate when things didn’t work out. Aquatech Innovation Forum kicks off with the ‘Water F**ck up night’ on Sunday evening, 31 October 2021. A selection of water-preneurs openly share experiences about mistakes and what they learned. Grab a drink, get out your comfort zone, jump in and let’s chat.
Buy your exclusive delegate ticket
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FORUM GOLDEN RULES
To make sure the Innovation Forum will be a truly interactive and engaging experience, we set the following Golden Rules:
1) Sessions will be no longer than one hour
2) Everyone participates and
3) Zero tolerance on sales pitches: Innovation Forum speakers are there to tell, not sell. -
MASTERS OF WATER
Do you have what it takes to be a Master of Water? Find out and meet some of the global water leaders who have spent their careers progressing the industry with their proactive adoption of new ideas, technologies and ways of thinking. To make sure you will get what you want out of the Forum, you will help set the content with the free flowing agenda format.
BATTLE OF THE GLADIATORS
Who can find the best Aquatech changemaker?
Our anonymous changemaker “scouts” will search for what they think is the biggest “changemaker” at the Aquatech Innovation Forum. This could take the form of an individual, a project, solution, ambition or investment.
We’d like to hear of their scouting experiences. How did they find their changemaker? What first impression did they gain? How did they choose their champion?
And then let the battle commence. The chosen changemakers (one per scout) fight it out in the colosseum in their quest for eternal glory. Final judgement and the crowning of the triumphant champion gladiator will be passed by Will “Caeser” Sarni.
AUDIENCE PROFILE
Approx. 230 attendees are anticipated from the following groups
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Start-ups and entrepreneurs
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Utilities
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Investors and financiers
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Corporate water professionals
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Engineering consultancies
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Solution providers/ OEMS

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Our sponsorship opportunities provide you with different ways to engage with delegates. Showcase your brand and expertise in the field of water technology in front of a high level audience including: Chief Technology and Innovation & Digital Officers, Engineering Consultants and Business Development Managers.
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Andrew Walker
Managing Director
BlueGold Marketing -
Annette Bos
Director Water Global
RAI Amsterdam -
Avishek Chaudhuri
Water industry advisor
Tata Consultancy Services -
Dr Benjamin Tam
Managing director UK
Isle Utilities -
Dr Richard Vestner
Senior Director Digital Cities
Bentley Systems -
Emma Weisbord
Innovation Lead, RHDHV Digital
Royal HaskoningDHV, the Netherlands -
Eva Martinez Diaz
Head of smart services
Aqualia -
Frank Zamora
Director of technology & IT
Acciona -
Jan Gooijer
Innovation manager
Vitens -
Jon McClean
VP of Technology and Innovation
Evoqua Water Technologies -
Mark Kaney
Director of asset management
Black & Veatch -
Matt Rolls
Vice President of Business Development
Specific Energy -
Miguel Angel Sanz
Director of Strategic Development
Suez -
Paolo Zacchi Cossetti
Director Open Innovation
Xylem -
Paul Fleming
Founder
Water Value LLC -
Paul O'Callaghan
CEO
Bluetech Research -
Prof Dragan Savic
CEO
KWR Water Research Institute -
Tom Freyberg
Content director
Aquatech Global Events -
Will Sarni
Founder & CEO
Water Foundry, US -
Yossi Yaacoby
Director
WaTech Mekorot
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Focus on discussions
Discussions will focus on innovation and practical solutions to challenges that exist; not unnecessary rhetoric and hyperbole.
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Highly interactive
The high-level Forum will be fully integrated with the Aquatech Innovation Award in an interactive format: audience members will get to hear exclusive presentations and content on ‘not yet to market’ technologies.
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Best in class speakers
Speakers will be individually selected to deliver targeted, actionable and practical content that address the application of innovative technologies.
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