Destination showcase
Picture of pride
MECC Maastricht in the Netherlands is undergoing a massive renovation – and its
upgraded halls will play host to a world-leading spectral imaging conference
he city of Maastricht in
the Netherlands is riding
high, having won a bid
to host the International
Mass Spectrometry Conference (IMSC
2022) at MECC Maastricht.
IMSC 2022 will take place at what
will be a newly revamped MECC
Maastricht, 27 August-2 September
2020. The event is sponsored by the
International Mass Spectrometry
Foundation, and is expected to attract
over 1,500 delegates.
Maastricht has particular expertise
in high-resolution molecular imaging
of complex surfaces. It is home to
the largest molecular imaging centre
in Europe, Maastricht Imaging
Valley - a place where scientists from
various disciplines come together to
tackle some of the biggest issues in
healthcare.
Over the last five years, Maastricht
Imaging Valley has grown from
a vision into a hub of knowledge,
making significant advances in
medical sciences. Its creation
was made possible as a result of
substantial investment from the
regional government and Maastricht
University into a new organisation,
54
Issue 6 2019
Above:
Professor
Dr Albert
Scherpbier, the
founding father
of Maastricht
Imaging Valley
known as the Maastricht MultiModal
Molecular Imaging Institute (M4I).
Professor Dr Albert Scherpbier,
who is credited as the founding
father of Maastricht Imaging Valley,
comments: “The investment alone
doesn’t work, you really need
collaboration. We strongly believe
that in connecting and collaborating
you can make huge leaps forward.”
MECC Maastricht is located on-
campus, a 10-minute walk from
Maastricht Imaging Valley, meaning
there are opportunities for it to
showcase its facilities to visitors.
In addition to preparing for
IMSC 2022, MECC Maastricht is
preparing a bid for another key
imaging conference – the European
Microscopy Congress. The hope is to
bring that to Maastricht in 2024.
According to Professor Dr Ron
Heeren, Director of M4I and Chair
of IMSC Heeren, one of the things
that makes Maastricht stand out
as a conference and exhibition
destination is its central location.
He says: “If I walk out of my house
I turn left and I’m in Belgium, turn
right and I’m in Germany and if I go
straight on, I end up in Amsterdam.
An event MECCa
MECC Maastricht is currently
undergoing a significant
upgrade. Set to open in
February 2021, the venue work,
management says, will make it
more attractive and functional.
The most noticeable change will
be the glass shell around the
existing auditorium.
The conference centre will
have a more open structure,
enabling visitors to find their
way around more easily. The
interior of the auditorium will
also be getting a facelift, with
new rooms and spaces added,
and The Expo Foyer will be
enlarged. The new layout will
mean MECC Maastricht can host
conferences for 5,000 delegates.
There’s great connectivity in what is
a very European setting. There’s a lot
of talented young professionals who
want to showcase their science, within
a unique city and a unique conference
and exhibition centre.”
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk