Companies enthusiastic about WTC

Well before the official opening has even taken place, the World Trade Center (WTC) in The Hague is nearly filled to capacity. Only a handful of companies still stand a chance of getting office space in the prestigious trade centre.

The centre for international trade is located in the Prinsenhof building complex in the Beatrixkwartier, where there is already a large NH hotel. At present a conference and meeting centre as well as a business centre with flex space are being constructed and should be ready by November.

The municipality examined a number of locations in The Hague but the office tower near the Utrechtse Baan best met the WTC Association’s stringent criteria and was therefore chosen as the definite location. Frans Engering, the former Dutch ambassador to South Africa, is chairman of the foundation which will ensure that it complies with all the rules.

License

WTC headquarters in New York requires that there are enough international tenants and good facilities like a day care centre and restaurants. The license costs the municipality $ 10,000 a year. A total of 50 companies have already signed the dotted line to rent approximately 90% of the 13,000 square metres of available office space. A number of the companies have already moved into the building.

The official opening of the World Trade Centre will take place in the spring of 2012. At that time the official WTC logo will be placed on the building. A WTC Business Club will also start up and it will be accessible to all the companies in the region active in international trade. This way the entire region can profit from the prestigious centre.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Leeuwarden also have a World Trade Center.

Translated from an article in De Telegraaf, 7 October 2011