This year, Maastricht and also the multi country region around it will be a very interesting and rewarding backdrop for a memorable study tour. Maastricht is a model city for retail development drawing in shoppers from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. It has a thriving art and design scene.
Study Tour
The Study Tour will run from Thursday, October 11th until Saturday October 13th lunch time. It traditionally is a combination of business visits and social and cultural activities. The objective of the Study Tour is twofold:
- To offer participants a quick but valuable insight into the apparel ecosystem of the host country.
- To offer a unique and memorable experience as a great backdrop for creating lasting business and global relations in the apparel industry.
Maastricht is the oldest city in the Netherlands, with numerous Roman age remains. The city lends itself perfectly to a combination of industry insights and interesting cultural sights. Within half an hour drive from Maastricht we can find both an impressive chemical industry complex containing also facilities for innovative start-ups in new materials, the city of Aachen in Germany, containing the old throne of Charlemagne, in the Unesco World Heritage Aachen Cathedral and some of Europe’s largest fashion e-commerce distribution centres.
Proposed Program
Day 1 – Thursday October 11th
09:30 Leave for Brightlands at Chemelot, large chemical industry complex
10:00 At Brightlands visit Dyneema production plant, visit Biotech Field Lab, visit DenimX
13:00 Lunch
15:00 Visit Aachen University Textile department
16:30 Guided Tour Charlemagne’s famous Dom cathedral and palace
17:30 Arrival back in the hotel in Maastricht
19:00 Dinner in Maastricht at restaurant ‘Mes Amis’
Day 2 – Friday October 12th
10:30: Start of combination of Maastricht City Tour and Retail Tour, including visit to several distinctive Maastricht fashion retailers, design oriented companies and to local desigh hub FashionClash
11:00: Coffee in Maastricht
12:30: Lunch in Maastricht
16:30: Vineyard visit ‘the Apostelhoeve’
19:00: Dinner at Château Neercanne and visit to ‘Mergelgrotten’ (marl caves) to view the signatures of the EU leaders for the Maastricht Treaty and the IAF members.
Saturday October 13th
10:00: Continuation of City and Retail Tour Maastricht
12:30: End of program
12:30: Optional lunch
Price
The Study Tour’s price (€ 695.-) will cover all costs, including food, drinks, transportation and tickets but excludes accomodation. Because delegates are most likely already staying in the Convention hotel, the Maastricht Crown Plaza in the town’s centre, this hotel will be the hotel for the Study Tour as well.