How do I book a room at the venue hotel? Is there a discount for registered participants?

Participating delegates benefit from a group discount rate to stay at the venue hotel during the summit, subject to availability. Further information will be available once the venue has been confirmed.

How long is the summit? What does it involve?

The summit is a unique business matchmaking and networking event that takes place over three days..

Day 1
Afternoon: A technical visit to a local railway facility, often involving a guided tour and presentations.
Evening: Welcome reception & Dinner

Day 2
Daytime: Pre-arranged one-to-one meetings between buyer and expert companies
Conference programme delivered by industry leaders
Evening: Offsite Dinner

Day 3
All day: Pre-arranged one-to-one meetings between buyer and expert companies
Conference programme delivered by industry leaders

How many people will attend the summit?

Recent editions of the International Railway Summit have been attended by between 100 and 300 delegates from across the globe.

Who will attend?

Representatives of key rail operators, infrastructure owners, rolling stock manufacturers, international organisations, associations, national governments, local authorities, and a wide variety of solution providers, including manufacturers, developers, and consultancies.

Buyer delegates, sponsor companies, and summit partners can be viewed on the participants pages of each summit.

The conference schedule and participating speakers will appear on the agenda pages of each summit.

Please contact your account manager if you would like to receive a full list of participants.

Who is eligible for a VIP Buyer pass?

Senior decision makers involved in general management, technology and/or procurement at national governments, local authorities, rail operators, rail infrastructure owners, rolling stock manufacturers, and rolling stock leasing companies. Other conditions also apply.
You can request a VIP Buyer pass here.

How do the one-to-one meetings work?

The one-to-one meetings are 25-minute pre-arranged meetings between buyer and expert companies taking place during the International Railway Summit.

Organisations registered for the one-to-one meeting programme will be asked to choose their preferred meeting partners. We will then schedule meetings.

These companies will receive a preliminary meeting timetable around a week before the summit and their final timetable on the morning of the first day of the meeting programme.

Meetings and conference sessions take place at the same time. Delegates participating in meetings will be asked for their preferred conference sessions so that their individual schedule will be tailored to their needs.

Are the meetings guaranteed?

Buyer companies taking part in the meeting programme are guaranteed meetings requested with them by expert companies.

Can I request additional meetings during the summit?

In addition to the pre-arranged meetings, additional meetings can be requested during the summit at our information desk.

However, we are not able to guarantee that these additional meetings can always take place, and we recommend that meetings are booked in advance in order to guarantee meetings with specific delegates.

What is The Waiting Lounge?

The Waiting Lounge is an online business matchmaking space. On The Waiting Lounge buyers can enter their project requirements and experts can enter the solutions that could make them a success.

The Waiting Lounge offers you the information you need to decide whether registering for the summit would be beneficial to your company.

If you have registered for the summit, The Waiting Lounge gives you the information you need to get the most out of your summit experience and meet the people you need to meet.

Can anyone apply to join The Waiting Lounge?

Yes. You do not have to be registered for the International Railway Summit to take advantage of a Waiting Lounge membership.

I have not registered for the International Railway Summit. Is The Waiting Lounge relevant for me?

Yes. The Waiting Lounge presents information on whether registered and interested companies are looking for what your company can offer or needs. This will enable you and other companies to see whether there are suitable meeting partners attending the summit and allows you to make an informed choice about registering for the summit.

I am a buyer taking part in the International Railway Summit. Why should I join The Waiting Lounge?

On The Waiting Lounge buyers can enter their project requirements and experts can enter their solutions. The Waiting Lounge offers you the information you need to decide whether registering for the summit would be beneficial to your company

Once you are registered for the summit, The Waiting Lounge will help us to tailor your summit experience to your needs.

Benefits for buyers:

By entering your organisation’s project requirements and company profile on The Waiting Lounge we have the most accurate information possible for our matchmaking programme.

This will allow us to:

    - Invite experts who provide solutions for your organisation’s current project needs.

    - Show you which experts provide solutions that you are interested in.

    - Make your attendance at International Railway Summit tailored to your needs

What are the technical visits?

The technical visits are guided tours and presentations at important local rail facilities (such as stations, operation centres, and maintenance facilities) and/or demonstrations of niche technologies. The visits often take place at new or recently modernised facilities.

There are limited number of places available A few weeks before the summit takes place delegates eligible for the technical visits will be asked to confirm their place.