Market note

Intermodal Europe 2026 in Rotterdam: what to expect

November 4, 2026

Intermodal Europe, the container industry's annual European exhibition and conference, returns to Rotterdam Ahoy from 10 to 12 November 2026. Lessors, manufacturers, depots, shipping lines, forwarders and technology providers meet there for three days. MG-Atlantic will be in Rotterdam for the whole event, as a visitor, to meet partners and clients.

At a glance

Key takeaways

Dates and place: 10 to 12 November 2026, Rotterdam Ahoy, Ahoyweg 10, Rotterdam. Open 10:00 to 18:00 on the first two days and 10:00 to 15:00 on the last.
The organiser announces more than 4,000 professionals from over 90 countries, more than 130 exhibitors and two conference theatres.
The free visitor pass gives access to the exhibition floor and to the open conference sessions. A paid executive pass adds every session, the networking party and a port tour.
MG-Atlantic attends all three days. To meet our team about leasing, trading, sourcing or depot partnerships, send a request through our contact page.

Event logo: Intermodal Europe / Informa Markets

Intermodal Europe 2026 at a glance

Intermodal Europe has gathered the intermodal transport and container shipping sector every year since 1975. It is organised by Informa Markets under the Intermodal Events brand. After a 2025 edition in Barcelona, the event comes back to Rotterdam, Europe's largest container port.

The 2026 edition takes place at Rotterdam Ahoy, Ahoyweg 10, from Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 November. The exhibition is open from 10:00 to 18:00 on 10 and 11 November, and from 10:00 to 15:00 on 12 November.

The organiser expects more than 4,000 professionals from over 90 countries, more than 130 exhibitors and over 50 speakers across two conference stages. These are the organiser's own figures.

Who exhibits and who attends

The exhibition brings together the companies that own, build, move and maintain containers: container lessors, equipment manufacturers, depot and repair operators, software providers and service partners. Shipping lines, freight forwarders, traders, logistics groups and industrial shippers make up a large part of the visitors.

For a buyer or a lessee, the value is in the concentration. In three days, it is possible to compare lessors, meet the depots that will handle the units, see new equipment and tracking technology, and settle commercial questions face to face rather than by e-mail.

Trade bodies support the event, among them the Container Owners Association, the Bureau International des Containers and the Container Self-Storage & Traders Association. The Tank Container Development Alliance joins as a new partner this year.

The conference programme: two theatres

The Intermodal Theatre covers the strategic and operational side of container transport. Announced topics include the global container market outlook, strategic considerations for container trading and leasing, intermodal transport and supply chain planning, infrastructure for intermodal connectivity, safety and compliance, sustainable and efficient intermodal transport, and container recycling and new uses.

The second theatre, the Future of Freight Theatre, focuses on technology: digital interoperability of smart containers, IoT tools for container tracking, AI in container operations, reefer optimisation, cargo safety and security, container maintenance and tank containers.

The organiser groups the programme under eight themes: interoperability, AI, supply chain, container trading, tank containers, sustainability, container financing and transport planning. The full session agenda is published on the event site.

Why Rotterdam matters for the container market

Rotterdam is Europe's main entry point for deep-sea container traffic and the start of dense rail, barge and road links into the continent. For equipment, that makes it a reference location: units arrive there, are repositioned inland, and come back empty to be released for export.

This is why the questions discussed at the show are practical. Where is equipment available, and in what condition? What does it cost to move an empty from the port to an inland depot? How do one-way leases help a shipper carry cargo from a surplus area to a deficit area? Exhibitors and visitors come with these questions, and a fair in a port city is the right place to answer them.

Planning your visit

Registration is done on the organiser's site. The free visitor pass covers the exhibition floor, the open conference sessions and the event app. The paid executive visitor pass adds full access to both theatres, an invitation to the networking party, the VIP meeting lounge, lunch on all three days and eligibility for a port tour of APM Terminals Maasvlakte II.

Rotterdam Ahoy is about 30 minutes by train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and about 20 minutes by bus and tram from Rotterdam The Hague Airport. From the Zuidplein metro and bus station, the venue is a five-minute walk. By car, it is reached through the A15 southern ring road, with more than 2,500 parking spaces on site.

Meeting MG-Atlantic in Rotterdam

MG-Atlantic attends Intermodal Europe as a visitor, which means our time in Rotterdam is set aside for meetings. We are an independent Swiss container trading and leasing company: we are neither a shipping line nor a freight forwarder, and we work for our clients and partners.

The meetings we are looking for cover one-way and long-term leasing of SOC equipment, buying and selling containers, sourcing and repositioning, and partnerships with depots and suppliers in Europe and beyond. To book a slot, send us a request through the contact page with the day and time that suit you. We will confirm the meeting point at Rotterdam Ahoy.

Book a meeting at Intermodal Europe

Our team is in Rotterdam from 10 to 12 November. Write to us or send a WhatsApp message with the day and time that suit you.

E-mail us WhatsApp Arnaud WhatsApp Jérémy

Questions

Frequently asked questions

From Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 November 2026, at Rotterdam Ahoy, Ahoyweg 10, Rotterdam, Netherlands. The exhibition is open from 10:00 to 18:00 on the first two days and from 10:00 to 15:00 on the last day.

Yes, for visitors who register on the organiser's site: the free visitor pass covers the exhibition floor and the open conference sessions. A paid executive pass adds every session, the networking party, the VIP lounge and a port tour.

Container lessors, equipment manufacturers, depot and repair operators, tank container specialists, software and tracking providers, and service partners. The current exhibitor list is published on the event site.

By train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in about 30 minutes, or by bus and tram from Rotterdam The Hague Airport in about 20 minutes. The venue is a five-minute walk from the Zuidplein metro and bus station, and has more than 2,500 parking spaces.

Our team is in Rotterdam for the three days. Send a meeting request through our contact page with the day and time that suit you, and we will confirm the meeting point.