Rotterdam Ahoy (formerly known as Ahoy Rotterdam or simply as Ahoy) is a convention centre and multi-purpose indoor arena located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Opened originally in 1950, the current complex consists of three main venues: a fairs and event hall, a congress and conference centre, and the Ahoy Arena. The latter (informally known as the , ) opened on 15 January 1971 and is the largest venue, with a capacity of 16,426 as of April 2019. Background and history Original exhibition hall The venue has a history dating back to 1950. After the devastation of World War II, Rotterdam city and harbor were rebuilt. In 1950, the harbor was almost finished, and the event was marked with the exhibition Rotterdam Ahoy!. The exhibition was held in a single hall that was built for the occasion and was located where the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam is today. The temporary exhibition hall was called Ahoy'-Hal and was used for both national and international events until 1966 when it was decided to demolish the hall. During the North Sea flood of 1953, the hall was also used as a shelter for flood victims. After 1966, temporary accommodation was found at Hofdijk/Pompenburg in the center of Rotterdam, on the site of a former heliport. Current Ahoy complex Construction work on the site of the present day complex began in 1968. The Sportpaleis, originally designed as an indoor velodrome, and three exhibition halls was completed in 1970. The official opening took place during Six Days of Rotterdam, a six-day track cycling race, and was performed by Prince Claus on 15 January 1971. However, the first fair already took place before the official opening, because in September 1970 Ahoy was the location for the Femina fair. The complex's striking design won various national and international awards. The design of the venue took inspiration from the water, with the building laid out like a ship. Two further halls were added to the complex in 1980, however the rarely-used built-in cycling track was dismantled in 1988 following the cancellation of the race in order to increase the main arena's capacity for concerts. In 1998, the complex was expanded again to include a sixth event hall and a main reception hall (known as the plaza) designed by the architectural firm Benthem Crouwel. Offices, catering facilities as well as smaller conference and meeting rooms were built. The main entrance to