Water Resilience & Emergency Preparedness (WREP) 2023 was an event held for the first time in Israel in its current format.
The event was the first significant international water event in the country after not holding one for several years.
The event was organized by the Foreign Trade Administration in the Ministry of Economy and Industry, including Matan Safran, the Economic Attaché to Turkey, Guy Kriger from the Trade Policy Division, and Asaf Argov from the Export Promotion Division, in association with Israel Export Institute.
WREP 2023 hosted dozens of delegations with a variety of international participation, along with local representatives of Israeli and International companies having presence in Israel.
More than 200 international guests attended the event, after receiving personal invitations through our global Economic and Trade Mission, headed by the Ministry’s Attaches who worked to promote the conference on the international stage. Interestingly enough, most international guests came from Asia-Pacific region, a part of the world that up until recently had just a few issues with water distress and scarcity.
Matan Safran, the Economic Attaché to Turkey
Asaf Argov from the Export Promotion Division
Guy Kriger from the Trade Policy Division
During the event, a total of approximately 600 B2B meetings were held, facilitated and overseen by our team of Trade Officers who arrived with the delegations from abroad. About 300 meetings were scheduled before the event, with the rest being arranged on-site, with the assistance of the team.
Preparations for the event were initiated in March 2023, following an introductory meeting with representatives from all the relevant partners: Foreign Trade Administration, Israel Export institute, Israel Innovation Institute, members of the Water Community’s Steering Committee, and senior figures in the industry. Discussions focused on the event’s concept and branding, emphasizing the themes of “resilience” and “emergency preparedness.”
Initially planned as a boutique event for Europe, it quickly became a global one due to the exceptional challenges of climate change, which affected the water ecosystems of almost all countries.
The event focused on water management at the government and local authority levels, combining a main day of lectures and B2B meetings with two additional days of tours.
The event featured 45 Israeli water companies, with the sponsorship and participation of Mekorot (the Israeli national water company) and the Water Authority, showcasing their technological solutions to hundreds of key decision makers internationally. The guests represented various sectors, including public and national or municipal water authorities, private companies, and more.
The central event took place at the Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv, with 45 Israeli companies showcasing their products and even presenting live demonstrations. The event included a professional seminar, held in the conference hall, featuring speakers from leading industries. This was followed by four roundtable discussions on various topics held in private meeting rooms, allowing in-depth discussions between the parties. Throughout the day, ongoing B2B meetings were held in the designated business zone with continuous support from the international team of officers from the Foreign Trade Administration.
Prior to the event, a preliminary mapping of top-tier meetings with expected VIP attendees was conducted, and specific schedules were created. These meetings took place in dedicated meeting rooms and elicited very good feedback from both the Israeli companies and the international VIP’s.
Around 130 conference participants took part in the first tour day. While exceeding all expectations, the logistical preparations, including transportation and meals, were planned to accommodate the large number of guests.
The Shafdan tour included a demonstration of emergency preparedness technologies and infrastructures conducted by the Israeli Water Authority and a visit to ‘Igudan’ (Dan Regional Association for Environmental Infrastructure) Visitors’ Center. A short and engaging lecture by Danny Greenwald from the Water Authority followed the tour, prompting numerous questions from the audience.
After the Shafdan tour, the guests split into three groups: one visited the Cyber Park in Be’er Sheva, where they learned more about how the State of Israel is successfully challenging the threats to its critical water infrastructure. The other two groups visited the Desalination facilities in Sorek and Palmachim – two of the largest facilities in Israel, and the world – 150M m3/year in Sorek A, 200M m3/year in Sorek B and 90M m3/year in Palmachim.
The second day of the tour began with a visit to the wastewater treatment facility in Modi’in, followed by presentations from several water companies specializing in infrastructure protection, leak detection, and water quality monitoring.
The event concluded with a comprehensive tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, allowing participants to experience the city’s historical significance.
The Foreign Trade Administration invites you to contact the nearest Economic & Trade Mission to find out about the next event appropriate to your company!
For More Information: https://agro-scout.com/
