Conference belgium 2016 by Het_Portaal_Uitgevers

PLANNER

Jeroen Janssens: ‘Satisfied? Me? During a congress? Never!’

SAFETY A practical approach: Event security management in a changing world

SPEAKER Pedro De Bruyckere:

Funny in explaining serious stuff

TRADESHOW Busworld:

A remarkable move for a remarkable event

SUPPLIER Kristal:

Pig hearts. And very expensive machines that go ‘ping‘...

DESTINATIONS

Belgium’s Best: Reports of nine authentic cities & regions

5 Edwin Nunnink is editor in chief of Conference Belgium and QM. He can be reached at edwin.nunnink@hetportaal.com or @edwinnunnink on Twitter.

A PUBLICATION OF HET PORTAAL UITGEVERS B.V. MEMBER OF

PARTNER OF

HET PORTAAL UITGEVERS B.V. Veerdijk 40-i, 1531 MS Wormer The Netherlands Tel: +31 75 647 57 47 E-mail: info@hetportaal.com Website: www.hetportaal.com EDITORIAL STAFF Editor in Chief Edwin Nunnink edwin.nunnink@hetportaal.com Contributing Editor Christophe Landuyt Christophe.Landuyt@expoid.be Contributing Editor Judith Munster judith.munster@teksthuys.nl Industry Specialist Maarten Vanneste maarten.vanneste@abbit.eu PHOTOGRAPHS & ILLUSTRATIONS Cover Illustration Mike Kok / Shop Around www.shop-around.nl Contributing Photographer Maxim De Clercq Stock photos iStock www.istockphoto.com DESIGN Creative Director Aryen Bouwmeester aryen@finnmedia.nl Graphic Designer Christian Gude chris@finnmedia.nl PRINT Company Real Concepts www.realconcepts.nl ADVERTISING STAFF Sales Manager Ferry Aaftink ferry.aaftink@hetportaal.com Account Manager Arjan Woortman arjan.woortman@hetportaal.com Traffic Manager Monique Zijlstra monique.zijlstra@hetportaal.com MANAGEMENT Chairman and CEO John Michael Swaab john.swaab@hetportaal.com Copyright 2016 by Het Portaal Uitgevers B.V.

WWW.CONFERENCEBELGIUM.BE @ConferenceBE www.facebook.com/conferencebelgium EDITION 2016

SAFE AND HOSPITABLE Belgium, and Brussels in particular, featured in the global news before and after the turn of the year in a way you'd rather not experience. Both related to an act of terrorism (in Paris) and as a target itself. What happens much more regularly elsewhere in the world and is even a daily reality in some places, is still a great exception in Europe. But perhaps also the new reality. BY EDWIN NUNNINK

The experiences of Paris, Brussels and Istanbul teach us that tourism directly responds to terrorist attacks. There are lots of alternative options that are often comparable for a holiday destination and risk aversion is paramount. For meetings and conferences, this is different. More and different considerations underpin the choice of a specific destination. For some events, a drop in the number of participants was experienced shortly after the attacks, but for the most part, business meetings went ahead and organisations continue to take responsibility by organising new conferences, trade fairs and meetings in the cities stated. The exchange of knowledge, visions and personal contact are too important to allow the organisation of meetings to be taken hostage by people who are intent on disrupting our society. The forging and maintenance of ties is part of the DNA of associations and international companies. They can now demonstrate what they represent by not giving in to the threat of terrorism. In the past months, there has been intensive contact between the conference offices of Brussels, Paris and Istanbul. In a short amount of time, they have gained a great deal of practical experience and drawn up procedures to deal with the new reality. They have also shared this knowledge with the other conference offices all over the world. After all, safety affects everyone and it's therefore also a joint responsibility. As such, we're focusing our attention in this edition on what you, as an organiser, can do to organise a safe, yet hospitable meeting. In addition, this issue also includes a number of interviews and columns by professionals who are active in the international conference industry. And to help you on your way through the varied landscape of the conference country of Belgium, we introduce you to a number of cities and regions, each with their own special qualities. Because however bad the isolated incidents were for those directly involved, it's now business as usual again.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x2030;&#x2C6;

CONTENT

‘Satisfied? Me? During a congress? Never!’ “As an opportunity to crystallise an international, professional network, the congress remains invaluable”, claims Jeroen Janssens, conference manager for the European Resuscitation Council.

10 15

No security without a plan

The increased threat of terrorism in western Europe has brought a global problem to our doorstep. Since 'Paris and 'Brussels', the European meeting industry can no longer avoid this new reality.

Pedro De Bruyckere is funny in explaining serious stuff The Belgian educationist, youth researcher and lecturer Pedro De Bruyckere debunks a range of myths about education. “People talk so much nonsense about young people and education, and all nuance is often lost.”

Logistics: Pig hearts. And very expensive machines that go 'ping'...

Tradeshow

ECCO, ERC, ESA, ESTRO, ISN... If the terms 'large conference' and 'complex logistics' appear in the same sentence, the chances are that the sentence ends with Kristal Logistics.

Busworld's history is unique in more than one way, so we've listed six lessons to be learned from this stalwart of the exhibition scene below.

30 Event technology

Their company may only be three years old, but Eric Antonisse and his colleague Rolf Gorter are already flying across the globe to provide technical support to conferences and events as Micemedia.

OPINION

Maarten Vanneste

Multi-city meetings are becoming a game-changing format The role of a congress is changing and with a professional There are so many reasons why multi-city meetings could become the next big thing in the meeting industry. So all of us had better pay some attention to this phenomenon.

Geoff Donaghy

“Building in” the destination experience In a time increasing globalization, when many events are Unless we recognize and address the changing needs of our participants we will lose the interest of a group that are the whole basis for everything we do.

CONTENT

ANTWERP

DESTINATION REPORTS

WEST

FLANDERS

EAST FLANDERS

(with congress calendar on page 57)

FLEMMISH-BRABANT

LIMBURG

BRUSSEL WALLOON-BRABANT

Brussels Home of international associations

Brussels, Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital city, is more than ever a major regional hub for international associations. It not only support conferences, but also encourages peer-to-peer interaction and education.

Bruges Meeting in a World Heritage city

The entire city centre of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stroll through the nostalgic streets, over the attractive squares and bridges and beside stately buildings, and imagine yourself back in time.

Antwerp Tropical medicine in a moderate maritime climate

Antwerp is above all an innovative city of knowledge. Three scientists from Antwerp discuss their unique research and the importance of conferences.

Leuven Mindgate of Europe

Aside from being Belgium's number one student city and the city of beer, Leuven is also a compact, historical city with a rich heritage that dates back centuries. Leuven is also known as Europe's top research hub.

Province of Liege Exceptional on many levels

Strategically located and therefore also easily accessible, the province of Liege, which has an impressive cultural heritage, offers an attractive, practical canvas for international meetings.

LIĂ&#x2C6;GE

HAINAUT NAMUR

LUXEMBOURG

Genk Brand-new meeting and event destination

The city of Genk is a must in Flanders. A brand-new destination insofar as conferences, meetings, seminars and events are concerned.

Wallonia Bubbling and buzzing like never before

In a not so distant past, the Walloon province of Hainaut was an exponent of old industry. Fast forward to 2015 and the picture has completely transformed: industrial technology 2.0 is right at home amidst the province's industrial heritage.

Ostend City by the sea

Flanders Pioneering craftsmanship in the meeting industry

Located in the Flemish province of West Flanders, in Belgium, Ostend will ravish the most demanding meeting planner with the right combination of infrastructure and leisure possibilities.

Evelyne Bardyn, Meeting Manager of the Flanders Tourism conference office, believes that Flanders has everything required to make any meeting, incentive trip, conference or event an unforgettable success.

About Conference Belgium is the most comprehensive guide for association managers and meeting planners who consider or decided to organise a conference in Belgium. Conference Belgium is a special edition of QM, the leading meeting magazine in the Netherlands and Belgium. Both are publications of Het Portaal Uitgevers. Het Portaal Uitgevers supplies trade and industry information in the trade fair, meeting,

promotional marketing, corporate gift and promotional product domain. We aim to improve knowledge in those who use these marketing and communication media to increase their returns and to stimulate and support further development in the relevant industries. We organise printed media, digital platforms and events to this end. These activities are carried out under the Expovisie, QM, and PromZ brand names.

ASSOCIATION PLANNER

‘ SATISFIED? ME? DURING A CONGRESS? NEVER!’ “As a vehicle to gather and distribute information, the congress has seen better days. There are other, faster and more efficient ways to test scientific insights, analyses and opinions against each other. But as an opportunity to crystallise an international, professional network, the congress remains invaluable”, Jeroen Janssens claims. Janssens is a conference manager for the European Resuscitation Council, a European umbrella organisation that focuses on the subject of resuscitation. BY CHRISTOPHE LANDUYT, SENIOR EDITOR CONFERENCE BELGIUM

On the front of a house in the centre of the small village of Niel, there is an automatic electronic defibrillator. The regulars in the Keizershof pub, a few steps down the road, call it the “little green box” without really knowing what it's doing there. Still, AEDs are becoming a much more common sight, and the European Resuscitation Council, which was founded in 1989, is behind much of this change. “The mission of our organisation is threefold”, congress manager Jeroen Janssens explains. “Just like other umbrella organisations of our type, one of our roles is scientific: advancing knowledge about resuscitation techniques and stimulating the exchange of scientific insights on this subject. What we also share with similar international associations is that we're developing a wide range of courses that eventually lead to a certification.” “But we also have a significant PR role. In a critical situation, time is the most important factor for successful resuscitation. In effect, this means you shouldn't wait for a professional to appear, but instead perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation yourself, or use an AED in

the correct way. For example, in the last two years, we've invested a lot of time in 'Kids save lives', a campaign to have resuscitation techniques added to the curriculum of secondary schools across Europe.” Diverse target audience The European Resuscitation Council provides direction for thirty National Resuscitation Councils. These national councils are the main recipients of manuals published in various languages by the ERC, and courses developed for diverse target audiences: basic courses of around four hours for beginners, and more advanced training across two or three days for nurses, fire fighters, emergency doctors and cardiologists. This diversity is also reflected in the ERC database - which contains around 400,000 addresses, half of which belong to doctors, and the remainder to nurses, paramedics and emergency professionals - and in the range of delegates at the annual congress. Jeroen Janssens continues: “In the early years, ERC opted for a biennial congress. As the organisation became

more established and our office staff expanded, it became possible to exchange knowledge in between the congress years as well. This was done through a smaller symposium. Since 2014, the congress has taken place annually, with a Guidelines Congress every five years, which attracts the biggest crowd.” Compressions and breaths “ERC started as a kind of 'salon des refusés' from the much larger European Society of Cardiology congress. The cardiologists at that congress didn't think all the fuss around resuscitation was worthy of their time, and rejected a separate working group on the subject. Leo Bossaert was enraged and stormed out following that decision. A little later, in a Viennese burger restaurant, he and five of his colleagues started making plans for a separate Council.” “Twenty-eight years later, we've become an established player in this discipline, and we're getting 1,400 delegates at our regular congress and up to 2,400 for a Guidelines Congress. The field of resuscitation is also evolving substantively: ‘compressions and breaths’

ASSOCIATION PLANNER

Jeroen Janssens: ‘I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the high level of collegiality and solidarity in the AC Forum.’

remains the basic tenet, but we're now also dealing with the high-tech AEDs that have started to appear.” Leisure destinations In the past few years, ERC congresses have been held in Stavanger, Ghent, Cologne, Porto, Valletta, Vienna, Krakow, Bilbao, Prague and Reykjavik. Freiburg will be hosting the congress in 2017, and it will be Bologna's turn the year after. Jeroen Janssens says: “Due to our size, we're holding events in places that aren't frequented by the large medical congresses. There are a number of benefits to this, both for our team and for the delegates, especially those who have to gain permission from their superiors before being allowed to travel.” “People are quick to associate Paris, London or Vienna with leisure. In the eyes of managers, these are fun places where you go to have a good time, and not to work or learn. This association is a bit less prominent with places like Stavanger, Cologne, Ghent or Krakow.” “The main disadvantage is that we have to pay for everything ourselves. The biggest congresses have such a significant economic impact that cities, regions or countries are prepared to provide assistance, for example by taking on the costs of the venue. However, we're some way from being a particularly sought-after event, and we're not sure we will ever get to that stage.” “I carried out a bit of an analysis on the evolution of congresses in the last few decades. What I found is that the big congresses keep getting bigger, and the small ones keep getting smaller. I'm not saying that I rush into a panic when attendance is lower than expected, but I am keeping an eye on the medium to long-term trends. One day, we may have < to come up with something completely

ASSOCIATION PLANNER

‘I DON'T WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS THE CONGRESS MANAGER WHO ORGANISED ONE TOO MANY CONGRESSES’ new. In any case, I don't want to be remembered as the congress manager who organised one too many congresses.” Charm above all Until a few years ago, ERC selected its congress hosts based on a limited number of bid books presented by the associated national councils, but this method has recently been thoroughly reviewed. According to Janssens, “These bid books didn't always result in interesting destinations. That's why we divided our territory into four zones and started making our own choice of destinations, which we try to rotate between north, south, east and west. The Congress Committee provides strategic guidance for the long term and approves the proposed destinations and budgets, the Organising Committee takes care of the practical realisation of the project, and the ERC board helps to decide the choice of host and provides scientific substance to the programme.” “This new method has allowed us to become a lot more dynamic, maintain better control over all kinds of geopolitical sensitivities, and monitor the individuality of the ERC Congress. Above all, we want to remain a charming congress to attend. The main scientific discussions are being held on another level and via different channels. On the one hand, the purpose of the ERC Congress is to build up and distribute knowledge, but on the other hand, it serves as a great opportunity to strengthen networks. Each edition of our congress has to be good enough for delegates to spontaneously say to others in their network, 'hey, you should attend

this congress too, because you'll learn a lot while you're there, you'll get to know lots of great people, and above all, you'll have fun.'“ Secrets of the trade A few years ago, ERC was successful in its application to join the Associations Conference Forum, an organisation for association planners that has the largest European congresses on its books. “It did cost us a fair bit, but you get a lot out of it in return”, Jeroen Janssens explains. “The backbone of the AC Forum is the Basecamp collaboration software. If you've got a question, you can just open it up to the group, and you'll soon receive valuable replies from colleagues sharing their previous experience. These questions may deal with pretty abstract matters as well as simple everyday things. Personally, I think this open exchange with colleagues is particularly valuable when dealing with new technologies. Does your congress need an app or not? And if so, how will that app be used during the congress? What are people who downloaded the app but not attending the congress doing? It is pretty useful to have the chance to throw these questions to colleagues before starting consultation with the board.” “I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the high level of collegiality and solidarity in the AC Forum. If someone in a certain city or venue is in trouble because local handlers are refusing to go anywhere near a forklift truck after half past four, this will be shared on the Forum within minutes. It's almost like the association planners are happy to share most secrets of the trade.”

Thinking in cities The compact office team - ten men and women - occupies itself with a large range or tasks and responsibilities throughout the year, but becomes fully devoted to the congress as the event approaches. Jeroen Janssens explains: “We still manage to get everything done without having to call on the services of a PCO. We've built long-term relationships with our suppliers, which makes everything a little easier. Our exhibition is quite limited, remaining between 25 to 30 participating companies, with whom we maintain close contact. I'm personally familiar with all responsibilities, and a lot of things can be arranged on the go without the need for extensive consultations and discussions. Once I've got professional contacts for the venue and catering on board - their quality is actually more important to me than the city we happen to be in - we're starting to move in the right direction. But still... You'll never see me completely satisfied during a congress. For the first couple of hours, I’m quietly bricking it, year after year.” “For a few years now, I've got into the habit of travelling to the host city with my family a few months ahead of the next congress. This way, you get to discover interesting places and nice restaurants, find out how public transport works and where to find a pharmacy. Delegates really appreciate it when you're able to share this type of information with them. Ten years as a planner at ERC has actually made me think in terms of cities: the birth of my children? My twins just before Malta, my daughter shortly after Bilbao. The first election of president Obama? One week after the Ghent congress!” ≈

Province de Liège, the unexpected Business destination

With its ideal geographical location between Brussels, Maastricht and Aachen, and its superb high-speed train station, Liège Province is a favoured destination for the world of business, with remarkable potential for hosting meetings and conferences.

Liège cité mirroir

©Hôtel du Château d’Ahin

La Boverie Museum Liège

Hôtel du Château d’Ahin - courshotel3

Château des Thermes de Chaudfontaine

The possibilities are so abundant and varied that the Convention Bureau Liège-Spa of the Tourism Federation of the Province of Liège has become the go-to partner for your MICE projects. It is able to offer sound advice, but also – and this is a new feature – take responsibility for partial or complete organisation of your event, ranging from simple service provision to the full package. You will benefit from a unique contact partner at your side, professional mastery of detail, and ground expertise that guarantees a search for appropriate locations and services adapted to your criteria and needs... It’s effective assistance, a considerable time-saver and – the cherry on the cake – a service that is totally free of charge! Are you looking for … totally new activities? Take flight with Fly-In, based in Liège Airport, which is the world’s biggest freefall simulator! Do you wish to combine work, automobile sport and relaxation? The Spa-Francorchamps Circuit is ideal for you, whether at the trackside, on the passenger seat or behind the wheel. … an original setting for your seminar? A timeless experience awaits you at the Ferme des Capucines (Latinne) which combines nature, crafts and wellbeing. Located in Huy, l’hôtel du Château d’Ahin, in its leafy setting, offers characterful rooms with a convivial ambience. Lovers of charm and excellence will be captivated by the refinement of the Manoir de Lébioles; as for the Château des Thermes, it positions itself as a place of class, elegance and quality. … a cultural backdrop! Right in the centre of Liège, the Opéra Royal de Wallonie offers meeting rooms and activities associated with the arts of the stage in a grandiose setting. Staying with the theme, the new Théâtre de Liège perfectly associates modernity and heritage. An exceptional site if there is one, La Boverie hosts exhibitions of an international standard which can be privately shown; some areas are devoted to the organisation of corporate events. … activities off the beaten tracks? Housed in the former pools of the la Sauvenière baths, Cité Miroir is a reference location dedicated to citizenship; a range of activities favours collective reflection there. Steeped in design, the Diamant Liege Conference & Business Centre boasts top technologies and offers modular meeting rooms that are the last word in comfort and convenience.

Whatever your desire, you’ll find the package you’re looking for here!

Circuit of Spa Francorchamps

Info: CVB Liège-Spa BusinessLand Candice Michot Tel. +32 (0) 4 237 95 85 candice.michot@provincedeliege.be www.liegetourisme.be/en/discover/mice.html

SECURITY

NO SECURITY WITHOUT A PLAN The increased threat of terrorism in western Europe has brought a global problem to our doorstep. Since â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Paris and Brusselsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the European meeting industry can no longer avoid this new reality. BY EDWIN NUNNINK, EDITOR IN CHIEF & CHRISTOPHE LANDUYT, SENIOR EDITOR | ILLUSTRATION ISTOCK

In addition to the main topics 'The Sharing Economy' and 'Business is Personal' on the programme of IMEX Frankfurt, the international meeting trade fair held in April this year, a supplementary 'track' was also added: security. Since the attacks in Paris and Brussels, and the many other attacks in countries we consider to be further from home, the European meeting industry can no longer avoid the new reality of an increased security risk. The European meeting industry is directly affected by the consequences of this and will have to take responsibility by taking the necessary measures. Practical approach At the trade fair, Marije Bouwman, Safety & Security Manager at World Forum

in The Hague provided a knowledge session under the promising title 'Practical approach for event security management in a changing world'. In 2014, she gained experience in event security as a project manager of the Nuclear Security Summit, whereby 58 global leaders came together for their biennial meeting intended to contribute towards a reduced risk of nuclear terrorism. She then gained even wider experience, working for the annual meeting of NATO, visits by royal houses, corporate events of companies such as SAP, Microsoft and REED Elsevier, as well as ministerial conferences. Last year, she spent eight months acting as Health and Safety Officer for the Pan American Games in Toronto on behalf of parent company

GL-events and obtained the title of Certified Protection Officer (CPO). Risk analysis That doesn't mean to say that she preaches security above everything else. The security measures need to correspond with the actual risk and you always have to weigh security factors up against hospitality, she explains. A security plan for a specific event starts by drawing up a risk analysis. A relatively simple calculation helps here: risk = likelihood x effect The fundamental question, of course, is how you determine these two factors. In order to do so, Bouwman uses the historical data that is available as an 'open source' on the worldwide web. If you don't want < to go into this much depth, the key is

SECURITY

TRAIN ALL THOSE EXTRA EYES AND EARS TO RECOGNISE SECURITY RISKS, MARIJE BOUWMAN FROM WORLD FORUM ADVISES HER AUDIENCE AT IMEX.

to focus energy and resources on the security risks with high scores in the combination of frequency and severity of consequences. Extra eyes and ears The host's role includes making use of everyone who is involved with an event. Train all of those extra eyes and ears to recognise security risks, she suggests. If you get an expert to explain how you can recogise 'unusual' situations, people will then be able to see them. That's not only possible during the event, but before it too. There is a 'terrorist planning cycle', for example, which involves someone showing extra interest in the floor plan of the building before the event. On the administrative side, it's important to have log sheets, checklists and call sheets to hand. You can use the log sheet to record security checks and surveillance. The checklists ensure that you don't forget any checks and measures and the call sheets, which list all the important telephone numbers, ensure that you can get communication going quickly and adequately. Quick communication The latter is important if something in or around the event ultimately

goes wrong. In that case, there are two priorities as the person responsible for security, Bouwman explains. Number one is 'fact finding'. Collect and, above all, filter all information so that you can work out exactly what is going on. To some extent, that's at odds with the second priority and that's that of (quick) communication. Bouwman is adamant about this: Make sure that you're the first to post a message; even if it's just to say that you're working on it. If you leave the initiative to others, their reports, often unsubstantiated, will be distributed to the masses for a lack of better reports.

Experts In a supplementary session by the German community MICE CLUB, a number of experts explained how to deal with a security crisis as a conference office. It made sense that there were also representatives of the conference offices in Brussels and Paris, as well as those in Dresden, for example. Of course it's on a different scale, but it's certainly a challenge if you have to tell the international guests that you really are a safe destination, while the international media is reporting about anti-Islam demonstrations in your city on a weekly basis. Prepared for the second time Elisabeth Van Ingelgem, Director of the Convention & Association Office of Visitbrussels, explains how the terrorist attacks in Paris and the impact that they had on the whole way of life in Brussels meant that people were prepared for the attacks on Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek metro station. Before November, people weren't well prepared, she acknowledges. But now there was a 'chain of command' that was quickly operational and also clear for everyone. The conference office had set up a

SOURCES TO CONSULT If you're looking for more knowledge and information in the field of security management, Safety & Security Manager Marije Bouwman from World Forum has compiled the following list. 1. ASIS International (American Society for Industrial Security), an international community of security professionals: www.asisonline.org 2. International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO), an association aimed at the further professionalisation of the safety industry: www.ifpo.org

3. S2 Safety & Intelligence Institute, a training institute for safety professionals: www.s2institute.com 4. The G5 Guide to Global Standards of Health and Safety at Exhibitions,guidelines for working safe in the trade fair industry: www.theg-guide.org

SECURITY

direct call centre, to which organisers and participants could turn with all of their questions. This meant that people could be referred to alternative means of transport, such as high-speed trains, so that they could still arrive at their destinations. Furthermore, the service level of VisitBrussels was further increased. We simply didn't say 'no' to the requests, the director of the Convention & Association Bureau explains. The conference office also immediately made FAQs available that it sent to all organisers, which they in turn could pass on to their participants. Initially, the FAQs were updated on a daily basis and these daily updates were later replaced with weekly updates. They concerned very factual information, Van Ingelgem explains, because people expect leadership in uncertain situations like that. Social media Strikingly, the decision was consciously taken to keep a low profile on social media, because it's deemed too uncontrollable. 'Thank you for your support. 'For factual information please contact...', was the minimal message. At a later stage, online media was, however, used very actively, with the aim of putting potential visitors at ease. For example, you could watch how life was continuing as normal again in the Grand Place in Brussels via a live webcam stream, positive news was shared generously and video interviews allowed participants to speak at conferences and trade fairs. Now, a few months down the line, it can be established that tourism to Brussels (and Paris and Istanbul) decreased significantly straight after the respective incidents. This relates, above all, to leisure tourism. Visitor numbers to business meetings may well have fallen slightly, but the number of international conferences, meetings and trade fairs stayed on track. â&#x2030;&#x2C6;

DOUBLE BAD LUCK Plastics Recycling Europe was/is a new trade fair that was set up by the British company Crain Communications and was/is intended for the European plastics recycling sector: a two-day trade fair with around 70 exhibitors and a jam-packed conference programme. The opening was disrupted twice as a result of terrorist attacks The event was postponed for the first time in November 2015, as a result of the 'lockdown' of Brussels. In the aftermath of this first setback, Crain decided to move away from the city centre and to choose a new date. The new official opening was planned for 10 a.m. on 22 March, two hours after the explosions brought the airport to a standstill and all flights were redirected to other airports; one hour after a bomb explosion in Maalbeek metro station also reduced public transport in and around Brussels to zero. "At such times, everyone just wants one thing", Alan Caddick, Marketing Manager at Crain says. "Most of the exhibitors were

either in their hotels or on their way to Brussels Expo at the time of the attacks, but their heads were full of anything but doing business or gaining knowledge. From one moment to the next, you end up in a besieged stronghold and that's anything but conducive to the business climate." "We could reasonably assume that lots of visitors and conference participants were in the air at the moment of the attacks and ended up stranded at nearby airports with no chance of continuing their journies to Brussels. What can you do? Turn round and go back home again. Via our online platforms for the plastics industry, we received a number of responses from people who didn't agree with our decision, but it was a negligible minority."

ALAN CADDICK: "WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF RESPONSES FROM PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T AGREE WITH OUR DECISION, BUT IT WAS A NEGLIGIBLE MINORITY."

OPINION

19 MAARTEN VANNESTE (CMM, CMA) started ABBIT Meeting Innovators in 1982 and evolved from audiovisual producer to meeting designer. Author of the manifesto ‘Meeting Architecture’, founder of the Meeting Design Institute and organiser of the FRESH conference. Considered the Guru in meeting design and conference improvement internationally, speaker and trainer of the CMA (Certificate in Meeting Architecture) 5 day course. maarten.vanneste@abbit.eu

MULTI-CITY MEETINGS ARE BECOMING A GAME-CHANGING FORMAT BY MAARTEN VANNESTE

There are so many reasons why multicity meetings could become the next big thing in the meeting industry. It will at least become a new niche market and it may even be disruptive to certain segments of the business. So all of us had better pay some attention to this phenomenon. Key issues like the environment, safety, stress, time constraints and money are all driving the setting up and planning of meeting and events. For these key reasons many of our conferences and meetings are under pressure and travel bans are not our preferred solution. Accordingly, many of us have done webcasts and recording of presentations. As a result, many of us therefore now understand the limitations to watching content alone as against real meetings in groups. Mix of both Between the extremes of watching a presentation and a real meeting, hybrid meetings have appeared as a mix of both. These combine a real meeting with online individual ‘viewers’ more or less involved or engaged via social media or a chat box. Sometimes a group of people gather in a room to watch the content. And these remote viewers sometimes even get some ‘stage time’. All these formulae have been an add-on to

the ‘real’ meeting. Second class passengers. However much we have done to involve them, we now know it is never the same thing as a real meeting. Multi-city meetings may start to change that. In the past I have watched a few multi-city meetings produced like a big TV-show with audiences in theatres around the globe. They were top-down, expensive productions taking up to a dozen crew members and a truck of equipment per location. In the many multi-city meetings that I have witnessed over the last year, the new thing is that all the participants are treated as equals. Each city is equal. Highly interconnected groups The meeting is constructed of highly interconnected groups of active participants in venues in different cities, countries or even continents. Each group remains a group, a real group, that gathers in a hotel, a hospital or university: any kind of venue. Within each group the dynamics are those of a real meeting: learning, networking and motivation. There are real coffee breaks, real conversations, real presentations, real lunches and dinners. All these groups are connected with ever cheaper, smaller and better technology. Participants tend to say “It felt like we

were all in the same room.” And that is essential: besides the individuals that are together in one room, all the groups feel a togetherness, not seen with any hybrid format before. Now it is up to us to play with this new format and discover its potential. One thing is clear, never was it any cheaper than today, with compact, affordable and professional equipment. When more locations are offered more people will show up through the local community in that city. Yet less travel is needed and less accommodation, which means that cost, out-of-the-office time and footprint go down, while safety and convenience go up. Save money The multi-city format combines the best of both worlds: real meetings while limiting travel. As technology becomes more portable and innovative, there will be a decrease from 7 to 2 to 1 technician per location. At such a low cost, it will become a way to save money, while standardized packages will make it easy to plan. If DMCs like Kuoni, hotel chains like IHG or companies like Hard Rock Café embrace it, nothing will stop meeting organizers from organizing at least some of their events in multi-city format. ≈

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

‘HELPING PEOPLE TO SEPARATE FACT AND FICTION ABOUT EDUCATION’

PEDRO DE BRUYCKERE IS FUNNY IN EXPLAINING SERIOUS STUFF The Belgian educationist, youth researcher and lecturer Pedro De Bruyckere also happens to be a speaker. In his lectures, he debunks a range of myths about education. “People talk so much nonsense about young people and education, and all nuance is often lost.” BY DAAN BORREL, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

How did you become a speaker? “I wasn't planning on it, and it happened almost by accident. As a teacher, I was a member of an association for teacher trainers, and they wanted to hire a few speakers for an event. However, they didn't have the money to pay for them, and someone of the board suddenly said: Pedro knows just as much about these subjects. Just a week after sending the invites for that lecture, I received two more requests. My fourth lecture was attended by a publisher who asked me if I wanted to write a book, and the rest is history.” What do you talk about? “My research has always focused on the three-way relationship between popular culture, young people and education, and how they influence each other. I actually talk about anything to do with young people and education. Ever since my most recently published book Urban myths about learning and education – which we used to debunk a variety of myths about education – my lectures have mainly addressed the plethora of made-up stories about young people and education. This is actually a project that got a little out of hand: I wrote the

book to get over my writer's block, but it became my best-selling work. The book has now been translated into English, and Swedish and Chinese translations are in the making. As a result, I'm getting more and more requests to deliver lectures outside of the Netherlands and Flanders. In Urban myths about learning and education, we're taking a look at the facts behind the claims made by education gurus and others: is there actually any substance behind what they're saying? For example, last summer, many newspapers ran a story about the benefits of attending lessons without wearing shoes. The story was supposed to be based on research involving 10,000 pupils, but here's the catch: that research never actually happened. It took me two minutes to find out the facts, but almost all newspapers still went along with the story. People are always on the lookout for simple solutions, and that claim in particular sounds great: just take off your shoes and learning will become a doddle.” What is your message? “My message, especially when we're talking about young people, is this: people must remain aware of nuance. Simple, ready-made solutions do not

exist, because the stereotypical “young person” does not exist either. What you can do is try to establish what the main factors are that play a role in the lives of young people, and how you should deal with these as a teacher. Funnily enough, I'm actually failing to meet my promise to myself that I wouldn't ever deliver the same lecture twice. I'm reusing parts, but I'm trying to introduce at least 20% of new content into each talk. I would never have imagined that this subject would be such a hit. Sadly, I'm having to refuse a lot of lecture invites, because I want to keep teaching and researching as well. Those three elements - research, teaching an lecturing - really complement each other very well, and it would be stupid to give up on one to focus on the others. In all three of my areas of expertise, I urge people to remain critical, and I try to provide as much information as possible to help people separate fact and fiction about education. How does the audience react to this? “Right at the beginning, Generation Einstein's Inez Groen, who often gave lectures, warned me that there would be a lot of angry reactions, and I really expected that to be the case when I started

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

talking about myths in education. But I've never actually witnessed the rage I was expecting. I have asked a few people why that was, and apparently, I'm managing to deliver my message in a disarming way. Let me give you a quick example: I was invited to a scientific conference to talk about a deeply serious subject, and it really wasn't the time and place to be light-hearted. I thought I my lecture treated the subject with the seriousness it deserved, but the first question I got when I came off stage was whether I had ever considered a career in stand-up comedy! Apparently, I'm just unable to keep science inaccessible, or to avoid humorous comments when I'm talking. So the audience is laughing, but learning at the same time. I suppose it's just the natural teacher in me. After that lecture, I promised myself never to hold back again - I'm incapable of doing so anyway!”

What is your speciality? “It's difficult to say that about yourself, but someone once told me that I was 'funny in explaining serious stuff', and I think there's something in that. It's important to me that I'm clear and factual in what I'm saying, but that I don't lose any nuance. That's something I invest a lot of time in. I always mention a lot of experiments in my lectures to make things really clear, and it gives me pleasure to base those thought exercises on real scientific experiments. Just last week, I received a really nice compliment at the Dutch Teacher Conference. Someone said: “I've never heard someone explain research in such a simple way”. What's funny is that people should really have known all this stuff. But adopting 'facts' without questioning them seems to be more tempting that doing a bit of research.”

What has surprised you recently? “I recently discovered an error in my own lecture. In my introduction about young people, I mention a well-known quote from Plato about young people today. But I recently found out that this quote isn't actually ancient at all, but originated from a 20th century parody. Even though everyone always falls back on that quote! You should always check everything, even with the most serious of books and authors. Have you heard about Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours rule? The one that says you need to practice for 10,000 hours to become an expert in anything? This summer, the researchers on which Gladwell based his research published a book. In brief: Gladwell has completely misunderstood their research. You should always remain critical, and check everything a hundred times.” ≈

OPINION

22 GEOFF DONAGHY is AIPC President, CEO of International Convention Centre Sydney and Director Convention Centres AEG Ogden. AIPC represents a global network of more than 180 leading centres in 57 countries with the active involvement of over 1,000 management-level professionals worldwide. It is committed to encouraging and recognizing excellence in convention centre management and maintains a variety of educational, research, networking and standards programs to achieve this. www.aipc.org

‘BUILDING IN’ THE DESTINATION EXPERIENCE BY GEOFF DONAGHY, PRESIDENT AIPC

In today’s rapidly evolving world of meetings and events everyone is paying a lot more attention to research conclusions, particularly in terms of what delegates most want to achieve from their participation. The reason is simple: unless we recognize and address these needs we will lose the interest of a group that are the whole basis for everything we do. From a facility perspective, one of the most important findings in recent years is the growing importance delegates are placing on the actual event experience as opposed to simply program content. With so much of the information detail and latest developments associated with any discipline available through other media – often much more quickly than by waiting for the annual gathering – the focus for face to face events is shifting onto the more qualitative aspects of the event, including such things as networking, sharing of ideas and perspectives and even the opportunity to experience new places in ways that stimulate thinking and satisfy our need for new kinds of experiences. City business With these new insights into delegate

priorities, convention centres are realizing that they need to take a greater role in helping to shape and deliver the delegate experience in terms of special services and ambiance to distinguish themselves amongst competitors. This can include anything and everything from centre location and decor to helping facilitate community connections or arrange offsite events that both relate to an events own objectives and at the same time create something unique. Boston, London and Sydney are examples of three cities that have pursued city business and professional connections with targeted programs, and many others are exploring their options in this regard. And it’s not just event organizers and delegates that benefit – it can also reward the local community itself by helping it realize a greater overall return from the events they are hosting. Fundamental role At the same time, an exciting and distinctive surrounding environment is stimulating to delegates, particularly those who may have been attending a particular event for many years. That means that what may initially

be seen as simply an enhancement to the event experience may actually play a fundamental role in improving outcomes. Good examples in this regard are the ways that centres in Vancouver Canada, Hong Kong and San Diego USA have used their harbour front locations to full advantage, linking the facilities to adjacent areas that feature all the excitement of the city. All of these are good reasons for centres and destinations to make the extra effort to deliver a distinctive event. One that not only respects organizational aims but honor and share the destination and its qualities. Matter for collaboration But as with so many of the issues that characterize the centre-client relationship these days, this is a matter for collaboration. Organizers know better than anyone what the wants and needs of their delegates are, while centres know and can access local resources and experiences more effectively because of their local knowledge and relationships. By consulting with one another early in the process, results can be achieved that will benefit everyone – particularly the all-important delegate! ≈

LOGISTICS

PIG HEARTS. AND VERY EXPENSIVE MACHINES THAT GO ‘PING’... ECCO, ERC, ESA, ESTRO, ISN... If the terms 'large conference' and 'complex logistics' appear in the same sentence, the chances are that the sentence ends with Kristal Logistics. BY CHRISTOPHE LANDUYT, SENIOR EDITOR CONFERENCE BELGIUM

Kristal Logistics has built up unique expertise as a logistics operator for international conferences, and is held in high regard from Rovaniemi to Buenos Aires and from San Francisco to Manilla. General Manager Lieve Myvis and Logistics Manager Geert Frere can't think of anything they can't get in a container and deliver in good shape to the agreed location. Like a unicorn A conference centre surrounded by nature, with well-paved roads leading to it, a large car park (for lorries too), convenient storage warehouses and smooth connections with public transport is like a unicorn: you can keep looking for it. Conference centres are often established in the hearts of cities, close to hotels and businesses, in places where people like to hang out. These are the same places that have slowly but surely become clogged up as a result of urban growth and ever-increasing traffic over the past decades. In 1994, this was the sign for Lieve Myvis and her associates to create a new company that would focus exclusively on logistical support for conferences. Lieve Myvis: “The difference between a batch of car parts and conference equipment is found at the beginning of the logistic chain as well as at the end of it.”

Strict timing “In our case, there are often dozens or hundreds of involved parties who need to supply information: the organiser, the exhibiting companies, the sponsors who want a leaflet in the conference bags, the supplier of the conference bags... Not all involved parties are familiar with the strict timing that we, as a logistics operator, need to operate with and that's where the ability of our employees to cope with stress is put to the test for the first time.” “Everything is determined by the specific circumstances at the place of destination: how much set-up time is there? In which way is the exhibition floor accessible? Where can the lorries park? Where does the packaging material need to go?” Exercise in reverse “Afterwards, the exercise is carried out in reverse: how much disassembly time is there? Where does the packaging material have to come from? In which order and how often do the lorries have to approach? By when, at the latest, do they have to be at the quay with their cargo? If you have a conference of some size, you're soon talking of 50 trailers.” At Brucargo, the logistical nerve centre near Brussels, big lorries are quickly

overtaken by delivery vans, while a hundred metres above them cargo planes whizz past. The only thing you don't see here is boats, even though they form part of the logistical solutions offered by Kristal. Missed by the boat Geert Frere: “Usually, various modes of transport are combined for a conference: sea freight for the bulk of the process and the bulk of the goods, road transport for the first and last miles, and air freight for everything missed by the boat.” “From the outside, the transport cases and containers all look identical, but what's inside can really vary: from paper and printed matter to IT equipment and really expensive, fragile medical equipment. And everything has to be reported to customs, from the CT scanner worth a couple of hundred thousand euros to the box of pencils worth 15 euros.” “Because everything originally comes from different countries and is ultimately reimported back to those countries after the conference, specialised declarants take care of the customs formalities for us. There's always something new when it comes to customs legislation. The only way to

LOGISTICS

General Manager Lieve Myvis and Logistics Manager Geert Frere can't think of anything they can't get in a container and deliver in good shape to the agreed location.

prevent customs formalities throwing a spanner in the works is by working with very detailed cargo lists and a single ATA Carnet with the logistical operator as the holder.” 100 percent control National, regional and even municipal legislation and regulations have an influence on logistical operations. In Istanbul, Turkey, freight traffic is prohibited during the day and loading and unloading can therefore only take place at night. In France, you need an exemption from each department in order to be allowed to drive on Sunday. In many European countries, night work is prohibited. Geert Frere: “In all conference cities and in almost all countries, we have local agents who know the rules that apply locally as well as the specifics of the venue. We go to the location one year in advance in order to suss out the situation.

After that, the manual that describes, in great detail, what is and what isn't possible, the costs associated with the various stages and by when which items need to be in our warehouse is edited.” “On this side of the logistical chain, we try to incorporate sufficient margins to be able to counterbalance any unforeseen circumstances, but that's impossible on the other side. Because each hour needs to be paid, the set-up and disassembly time for conferences is extremely tight. In order to ensure that it doesn't go haywire, the official operator has to have 100 percent control over the site.” Pig hearts During the days of conference, the logistical operator often also remains the first point of contact to get things arranged quickly. Spare parts for a machine that suddenly stops working, a package that's hastily sent on, goods that only go through customs in fits

and starts...At Kristal they know what appropriate speed is and ensure that everything is alright in the end. Even if the request is something special. Lieve Myvis: “During a medical conference in Buenos Aires, our team was urgently sent to the Argentinean Pampas. The assignment was: to find pig hearts and pig larynxes and bring them here as quickly as possible. The guys got a cheque so they could pay the farmer in cash. Was that our most bizarre cargo ever? Not really...” “We transported plastinated corpses for Gunther van Hagens' Body Worlds. And we once had to transport an anatomical collection from a hospital to a university: dozens of human heads, packed in dry ice. I bet this caused our employees to raise their eyebrows. On the other hand: that was a cargo that had all the time in the world, and when it comes to conference logistics, that's really something special.” ≈

TRADESHOW

SIX LESSONS FROM THE SUCCESS OF BUSWORLD After 45 years, Busworld, the leading trade exhibition for everything to do with buses and coaches, has outgrown its usual location of Kortrijk Xpo. From 2019, the exhibition will be hosted by Brussels Expo: a remarkable move for a remarkable event. BY CHRISTOPHE LANDUYT, SENIOR EDITOR CONFERENCE BELGIUM | ILLUSTRATIONS ISTOCK

Desperate times call for desperate measures. In 1971, Luc Glorieux - who was the general secretary of the West Flanders federation of bus and coach operators at that time - was infuriated because he was asked to leave a venue halfway through a talk - and halfway through a pint - well before closing time. The next day, he returned with plans to organise his own exhibition. Inspired the wise words of general Sun Tzu (500 BC), the trained military historian was able to convince people with an idea that was clear and brilliant at the same time: a large bar surrounded by buses from different manufacturers, which would allow for business to be done in the most pleasant of environments.

The event became a hit: 'Car & Bus' became a little more international after each edition, and Kortrijk became an established term in the world of coach operators and manufacturers. The party returned every two years, and both manufacturers and operators looked forward to it in equal measure. Busworld's history is unique in more than one way, so we've listed six lessons to be learned from this stalwart of the exhibition scene below.

Go where the market is Bringing together potential buyers from across the world in a single place is good, but taking sellers from across the world to those buyers is even better. From 2001 onward, Busworld started to

focus on expanding markets for collective transport, and created spin-off events in the countries that are responsible for 92 percent of new bus sales each year: India, China, Russia, Brazil, Turkey, and starting from December this year, Colombia. Even though each of these spin-off events plays a significant role in regional debates about mobility and transport, none of them has a detrimental effect on the original event: the latest edition of Busworld in Belgium saw a visitor number increase of 9 percent.

Choose strong partners For each of its spin-offs, Busworld International enlists strong local partners with excellent track records.

TRADESHOW

Rather than glorified servants, the organisation chooses experienced exhibition organisers who know every trick of the trade: Inter Ads Exhibitions in India, HKF Trade Fairs in Turkey, ITEMF Expo in Russia. On each occasion, the initial event was highly rated by both visitors and exhibitors, and second editions quickly became a realistic prospect. Busworld also leaves sufficient room in its partnerships to give a local twist to essential aspects.

Take knowledge seriously More than half of the time, the knowledge programme of trade exhibitions turns into a forum for well-paid exhibitors to spend half an hour spouting nonsense. Busworld's knowledge programme is arranged by Busworld Academy, which gathers relevant knowledge all year round on all themes that could possibly concern coach operators. As soon as a spin-off event has become sufficiently established, Busworld Academy will be there too. Exhibitors respect the rules and stop trying to infiltrate the programme with simple sales talks.

Keep it fun Busworld started out as a bit of a party in the coach sector, and has stayed true to this tradition even after 45 years. During set-up, there is a daily happy hour with free snacks and drinks for everyone working in the exhibition halls. The full organisation team is there too (for them, attendance is mandatory), to allow any issues to be resolved immediately. These happy hours are highly appreciated by the teams of exhibition stand builders and service providers, and they're more than happy to provide a return favour whenever necessary.

Tune in to local agendas Even before the first square metre of exhibition space is sold, Busworld International starts discussions with all authorities that have anything to do with mobility and public transport. Local, national and regional policy makers are invited to use the exhibition as a platform to test policy proposals and launch new ideas. As soon as the first edition, people start to tune in to each

other's agendas, and Busworld becomes the moment of choice for politicians to publicise ideas. This in turn ensures that the event receives plenty of media coverage.

Move when necessary China is a bit of an exception in the overall Busworld story. After four successful editions in Shanghai, Busworld suddenly received fierce competition from the Bus & Truck Expo in Beijing. For the past fifteen years, the semigovernmental organisation Transport Technology Exchange Center (TTEC) had been organising a wide-ranging exhibition for anything on wheels, but it never succeeded in attracting foreign bus manufacturers. Moving Busworld to Beijing and holding the event at the same time as Bus & Truck Expo proved to be a stroke of genius: Busworld managed to get rid of a frustrating, even dangerous competitor in a single move, and Bus & Truck Expo suddenly had backdoor access to the international image it had hoped to attract for such a long time. â&#x2030;&#x2C6;

TECHNOLOGY

MICEMEDIA SEES TECHNICAL EVOLUTION IN THE MEDICAL CONFERENCE WORLD

‘IN EVENT TECHNOLOGY, YOU'VE GOT TO BE AHEAD OF THE PACK’ Their company may only be three years old, but Eric Antonisse and his colleague Rolf Gorter are already flying across the globe to provide technical support to conferences and events as Micemedia. Lots of businesses are relying on the knowledge and experience of the fledgling company. BY SJOERD GEURTS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Micemedia is a technical production and consultancy business with only two fulltime employees. For each assignment, a project team is created from local and international AV and IT suppliers. "That way, we're always keeping up to date with the latest trends and newest developments", Eric Antonisse explains. "In the field of event technology, you've got to stay ahead of the pack. This sector does not stand still when it comes to innovation." We're meeting Micemedia's founder in the Sheraton Hotel Schiphol. Unlike his colleague Rolf Gorter, who is based in the Netherlands, Eric Antonisse lives and works in France. "We largely work and hold meetings online, and that's not a problem at all", he adds. Antonisse, who trained at the School of Audio Engineering (SAE), spent years working as a sound technician for pop groups. "I would create the best possible sound for musicians at different venues and clubs. I had a fantastic time, but I was always working irregular hours. That was the reason behind my change of direction." Sound technician In April 2000, Antonisse started work at ACS Audiovisual Solutions. From

his initial job as a sound technician, he quickly advanced to a technical project manager role for international conferences. After thirteen years, his employment with ACS came to an end. "There was no more room for me to grow at ACS, and that's why I started working for myself in 2013. Since the start of this year, I've been joined by Rolf Gorter, a former colleague at ACS. As Micemedia's consultant and technical producer, we arrange AV and IT solutions at conferences. We take care of the technical production of conferences on behalf of our clients. From the request for proposal right up to the on-site execution and technical management." According to Antonisse, Micemedia's added value particularly resides in its extensive knowledge of the market, and its ability to provide total peace of mind to its clients. "We organise the technical production of conferences for medical associations and corporate clients. These events vary in size from 100 to 8,000 delegates, and event technology budgets range from 20,000 € to 800,000 €. We also provide tailor-made solutions with in-depth knowledge for smaller events with limited budgets."

Added value "Why should people choose us for their events? Lots of conference organisers end up working with five or more technical suppliers, and that's not an ideal situation, because they lack the knowledge to provide proper direction. Clients prefer a single point of contact, with the right level of in-house technical knowhow to be able to manage these different parties." "This could be that one AV company that puts itself forward as a turnkey partner, but let's be honest, they're likely to put their own interests above anything else. They won't hesitate to come up with a solution that benefits them the most. The trend of one AV company being the single consultant for a client is a thing of the past. What people want today is an independent consultant positioned above the different parties, to bring out the best from each field.” “The main advantage of independent consultants is that they know exactly what's happening on the market. Organising a conference is just like building a house: you hire someone to design the house, a set of specifications is created and the main building contractor will then employ a number

TECHNOLOGY

live 3D images from an operating theatre 4,000 km away. This live connection is brought about via a satellite link, and the whole room is looking on in amazement, through 3D glasses. You might also be able to ask the presenter a question through your smartphone, people who are not there in person may be able to follow events via live webcasts and presentations can be viewed again at a later date.”

Eric Antonisse: ‘Our clients see an average budget saving of 30 percent.’

of subcontractors. That's exactly how we work. We specify what's needed from an audiovisual and IT point of view, and we enlist the right parties to deliver this, whether it's in Paris, Rio de Janeiro or Kuala Lumpur." Transparent "We don't use commission deals or kickback fees - instead, we simply charge for our work at an hourly rate. Our clients can access their project folder on our servers 24/7, which means they can always keep an eye on what we're doing and view all information." “Our way of working is transparent, and through tailor-made solutions, our clients see an average budget saving of 30 percent. This seems to be working, because the amount of growth we're seeing right now has enabled us to enter into a worldwide partnership with the Australian company De Backer

Consultants, which has been using similar methods to ours for some time now." Market knowledge According to Antonisse, the event technology market has become more and more complex in the past few years. "Every client has its own specific requirements, and each piece of technology has its own specific application. From a technical point of view, the main thing for a conference is that the basics are done well: a sound system with high-quality speech intelligibility and image projection that's suited to the size of the venue and the lighting conditions." “I've also noticed a demand for innovation from medical conferences, and that calls for optimal audiovisual and IT infrastructure. For example, a cardiology conference may be showing

Data collection One new development that Antonisse has noticed is that clients want to be able to collect data, such as how many delegates there are, where are they going at any time, and whether there are any hotspots. "Clients want to measure the emotions of delegates. Right now, we're able to collect certain data via chips in badges. In future, facial recognition - as we're already seeing in CCTV systems will also start to be used." "E-strategy will become more important, as will the integration of all online and offline activities in one allencompassing strategy." "We've also noticed that medical conferences, which are our main area of expertise, are becoming bolder. Things such as an arena setup with a circular stage surrounded by an audience to allow two doctors to debate are becoming more common. Such a thing would have been unimaginable not so long ago: doctors wouldn't dream of entering into any public debate.” "Times are changing, and conferences are becoming more fascinating. This requires the right technical solutions, such as good-quality wireless sound, to allow speakers to keep their hands free. It's good fun to provide the best possible solutions for these technical demands, and there are new challenges around every corner." ≈

DESTINATION

Brussels

BRUSSELS

HOME OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS Brussels, Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital city, is more than ever a major regional hub for international associations. It not only support conferences, but also encourages peer-to-peer interaction and education. This year Brussels accelerated its strategic shift towards developing the city as the major European gateway for more than 2,000 international associations based in the capital city of Brussels and Europe. Helping them achieve their international business goals is now top priority. Brussels has joined already Washington, Dubai and Singapore in the Global Association Hubs partnership, to help associations grow in the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key regions and serve their overseas members. Summit and postgraduate courses The annual European Association Summit (EAS) in Brussels, organised as a peer-to-peer education and networking

FACTS & FIGURES Largest auditorium (seats) Palais 12 (Brussels Expo) Number of hotel rooms (total) Largest hotel (rooms) Sheraton Brussels Hotel

9,500 20,000

Distance to Brussels Airport (km) www.visit.brussels/meetings

511 15

forum for international association executives and senior staff, is an early success from a new approach supporting associations. The fifth edition will take place on 30 and 31 May 2017. The programme features success stories on cutting-edge practices in diverse areas of association management. With the support of visit.brussels and professional associations, the Solvay Brussels School has launched two postgraduate courses: the Executive Master in International Association Management and the Executive Master in Hotel management. The courses for both masters will be based on the fundamental skills needed to manage an international association or a hotel. Fund for Scientific Congresses Every year some 870 scientific conferences of more than 50 delegates are organised in Belgium by academic organisations, 255 of them by Brussels-based organisations. To give optimum support to the organisers of these conferences the Brussels Fund for Scientific Congresses is introduced in 2011. The Brussels Fund for Scientific Congresses, which is managed by visit. brussels. fulfils a double mission: it offers the possibility of pre-financing to scientific congresses which do not have access to credit and it provides scientific

congresses organised in Brussels with subsidies for each international delegate. The numbers of international associations taking advantage of the fund have been growing steadily from 2 in the last quarter of 2011, 13 in 2012, 17 in 2013, 22 in 2014 and 28 in 2015. Top ranking conference city For the 7th consecutive year, UIA (Union of International Associations) rankings show Brussels is the number one European city for association congresses. Looking at the wider meetings and events market, Brussels ranks firmly in the top ten destinations in Europe, ahead of many larger rivals, according to the leading event management platform Cvent. On a worldwide basis you will find Brussels on the 13th spot, based on 2015 data from ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association). The presence of the European Union, NATO, the offices of more than 2,000 international associations, 15,000 lobbyists, more than 1,000 press correspondents, regular summits of the 28 heads of state, as well as the many facilities such as the AISBL status, good universities and hospitals, its central geographical position and accessibility, the professional services and the presence of the FAIB (Federation of European and International Associations established in Belgium) contribute to the attraction of Brussels. Most cosmopolitan city The infrastructure and resources developed to host the European institutions

DESTINATION

CINQUANTENAIRE MUSEUMS

BRUSSELS EXPO - PALAIS 12

SQUARE MEETING CENTRE

and the meetings industry make Brussels a truly global centre. The latest ranking of the International organisation for Migration positions Brussels as the second most cosmopolitan city in the world. This also stimulates the cultural development in Brussels. The opening of the Atomium Art & Design Museum (quickly adopted as ADAM) in Brussels Expo park and the inauguration of the Train World museum in one of the city’s finest old railway stations, started this exciting season. In the canal area, where life is bouncing back, The MIMA (Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art) opened doors in March and will be followed by MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in the iconic Art Nouveau Citroën building in a few years. On a lighter note, Brussels will put its proud popular heritage on show at the opening of the Belgian Beer World in the old stock exchange building in 2018. And last but not least, The House of European History is opening next Spring. Wide choice of venues Brussels offers the vital element that conference organisers search for: a wide choice of venues. Indeed organisers can choose from a vast selection of venues specifically for conferences ranging from

HOME OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

large, modern well-equipped sites to architectural masterpieces and museums adapted to the latest requirements of the meeting industry. These more than 200 meeting venues provide capacities of between 10 and 10,000 persons. The same variety you will find in the more than 150 conference hotels the city offers. A range of choice that still continues to develop. In March the 9Hotel Sablon opened its doors, a place of inspiration and creation located between art galleries and antiques shops. The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group introduced in April its Radisson Red brand in the heart of the EU district and on the doorstep of the European Parliament. A 4* luxury hotel offering an exclusive experience centred on art, design and music. This Summer Hilton Garden Inn Brussels Louise and Jam Hotel enriched the hotel offering in the city. The last addition is Tangla Hotel & Resorts, the first high end Oriental designed hotel in the European Capital. It is a 5* property offering 187 bedrooms and several meeting rooms. Convention & Association Bureau The visit.brussels Convention & Association Bureau helps every

POPULAR HERITAGE: BELGIAN BEER

organiser – whether it is an association, a company or an intermediary agency – by providing information about potential local suppliers. This includes the selection of the venue, an introduction to PCOs and DMCs, and other services before and after the event, all this free of charge. The convention bureau uses various strategies to increase the attendance of congresses in Brussels. For example a personalised welcome for the participants at the airport and in Brussels railway stations and the visibility of the congress on the visit. brussels website. The Brussels Booking Desk (BBD) is the dedicated “Accommodation Booking Service” linked to visit.brussels. It offers tailor made solutions for event organizers and participants in the reservation of hotel rooms in Brussels and can also obtain competitive prices when hotels are booked. For large conferences, visit.brussels offers even a wider range of services, like helping to prepare a high-quality bid book, requesting support from relevant politicians and authorities and planning and advising on social programmes for persons accompanying the delegates. ≈

DESTINATION

Bruges

BRUGES

MEETING IN A WORLD HERITAGE CITY The entire city centre of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stroll through the nostalgic streets, over the attractive squares and bridges and beside stately buildings, and imagine yourself back in time. Bruges is living proof that a historic city is perfectly able to go with the times. Bruges is even one of the most sustainable cities in Belgium. The green character and the other trumps of the city are appealing to the international MICE sector, judging by the amply filled Congress agenda for the coming year. The agenda includes VIB Conference (ER stress, Authopagy & Immune System in Bruges), International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI 2017), International Skeletal Dysplasia Society (ISDS 2017), EAU Robotic Urology Section (ERUS 2017), IEC Global

FACTS & FIGURES Largest auditorium (seats) Concertgebouw Brugge Number of hotel rooms (total)

1,289 > 3,300

Distance to Brussels Airport (km)

www.meetinginbrugge.be

100

Leadership Conference 2017 and many others. Sectors that are well represented in city and region include healthcare, metal & mechatronics and the maritime sector, that – with the world port of Zeebrugge – plays a crucial role in the energy supply of Western Europe. Besides natural gas, Zeebrugge is also a port for palletised goods such as fruit and paper pulp and a hub for the automotive industry. Medical conferences Bruges is the perfect destination for small to medium-sized medical conferences. Two venues are special in this respect. Concertgebouw Brugge is not a purpose-built convention centre, but is frequently used for medical conferences. The large concert hall (1,289 seats) is extremely well suited for streaming live operations to a big screen. Medical congress delegates also feel at home in convention centre Oud Sint-Jan. Eight centuries ago, the friars and nuns took care of pilgrims, travellers and the sick here. The medieval exterior is still exactly as it was then. The interior has been transformed into a modern conference centre, while maintaining the historic features. Each room has its own unique charm. The largest two halls have

a capacity of 500 persons each, while the other seven rooms have a capacity of up to 150 places each. In fine weather, the large courtyard is used for receptions and dinners. A visit to the nearby hospital museum and a medical guided tour through Bruges is enjoyed by many medical congress delegates. Special Venues Bruges has a high concentration of exclusive special venues. Fans of industrial heritage can, for example, choose ‘La Brugeoise’ on the outskirts of the city, where congresses can be held beside the giant historical generators. In the heart of the city are the City Halls of the Belfry and the Provincial Court. These beautiful historical locations have a capacity for respectively 600 and 220 people and form the setting for countless conferences and gala dinners. In addition, there are also a number of academic institutions, which offer ideal budget-friendly convention locations. One of them is Vives Campus Brugge, where the state-of-the-art auditorium for 650 people offers the very latest technologies. Both the Howest sites and St Lodewijks College also often receive congresses. Bruges also has many special venues for smaller groups. ‘Huis Empire’ is a neoclassical mansion dating from 1822, which is rented out for exclusive meetings and receptions. The original boxwood garden with teahouse, where it is even possible to moor a small boat, further increases the ‘wow’ factor. The

DESTINATION

LA BRUGEOISE

CONCERTGEBOUW BRUGGE IS FREQUENTLY USED FOR MEDICAL CONFERENCES.

THE BELFRY: TOP LOCATION FOR INTERNATIONAL GUESTS.

Huis der Notarissen (Notary House) is also ideal for smaller board meetings. USPs at a glance Belgium is well-known for its highquality culinary delights and that certainly applies to Bruges. The most delicious beers, the best chocolate, the Burgundian cuisine... With just 117,958 inhabitants, the city has no less than 9 Michelin stars; that’s saying something. But the many restaurants that have not received an award are also out of this world. Everything is close at hand in Bruges. It is a real ‘walkable city’ where you can do everything on foot and transfers are superfluous. Conference participants walk from the venue to dinner or participate in the social programme on foot. It is also a very safe city, which is important for many international meeting planners. Furthermore, Bruges is an internationally known destination for city breaks; each year the city receives 6.6 million visitors from all over the

THE PROVINCIAL COURT

world. Many conference participants know the city or have heard of it. The multilingual inhabitants are proud of their city and are always willing to give directions or a tip. They are used to this welcoming and friendly mentality from way back. Accessibility Bruges is perfectly accessible by train from the surrounding countries. Brussels-South station is the Belgian hub for international rail passengers with several high-speed trains every day to and from Paris, Lille, London, Amsterdam and Cologne. There are two trains every hour from Brussels-South. The travel time is about one hour. From Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport) and Rotterdam (Airport Rotterdam–The Hague) you can also change trains in Antwerp. A direct train towards Bruges departs from there every hour. The journey takes about an hour and a half. There is also a direct train service from

Brussels Airport. By car you can reach Bruges from Brussels in one hour, from Antwerp in an hour and 15 minutes. Big in small Bruges is a compact city and very suitable for middle-sized conferences. Bruges is small in size, but big in what it has to offer, in appearance, in atmosphere, in hospitality, and in the service of its convention bureau. Briefings are answered within 24 hours with a list of possibilities, a check of the availability and a quote. Customers are personally received and guided around the city, free of charge. And then there is the showpiece: international conference groups with a minimum of two overnight stays get a chance to have an official reception in the City Hall. The Congress participants are then received by the mayor or one of the aldermen in the spectacular Gothic room from 1421, where you can quite literally marvel at the exceptional paintings and decorations. Afterwards there is a free reception with the local beer ‘Brugse Zot’. ≈

DESTINATION

Antwerp

ANTWERP

TROPICAL MEDICINE IN A MODERATE MARITIME CLIMATE Antwerp is above all an innovative city of knowledge. Three scientists from Antwerp discuss their unique research and the importance of conferences. In addition to its central location, attractive meeting venues and historical city centre, full of hotels, museums and restaurants, Antwerp also focuses on its entrepreneurs and researchers, dispersed over the logistical, industrial, maritime, medical, technological, creative and commercial sectors. Their expertise and innovative ideas make Antwerp a conference city full of inspiring knowledge. This is demonstrated by three researchers from Antwerp's Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), one of the world's leading organisations for education, research and the provision of services in tropical medicine and healthcare. Working together with pioneers Jean-Claude Dujardin, the Head of Department for Biomedical Sciences: “You never practise science on your own. Just like in other sectors, working together is crucial in order to exchange information and keep updated via conferences. We also do that via conferences. This year, the ITM was the host of MEEGID, a leading international conference on infectious diseases. This was the perfect opportunity to inform about our unique research.”

“For more than thirty years I've been working on leishmaniasis, the tropical disease that, after malaria, causes the most victims and also occurs in southern European countries. The parasite quickly becomes resistant to medicines. We carry out fundamental research into this resistance in a unique way: while others are researching a single strain that was isolated 50 years ago and maintained in labs, we have an extensive database of clinical isolates, which were only one month old when frozen. This is possible thanks to the collaboration of the ITM.” “Our researchers are constantly at work in the southern regions, meaning that we can follow the whole chain; from the biotope in which the parasite develops, to the patient, and ultimately the lab. Our work there is also pioneering. We were the first to analyse a mass of genetic information for a whole population of parasites via bioinformatics.” “In short: our work fitted in well with the topics of the conference. This was reinforced by our location in the historical city centre, according to the co-organiser. After all, the conference

JEAN-CLAUDE DUJARDIN

is about more than the lectures alone. It's also important that guests network, for example to set up consortia in order to raise money. And the cultural and culinary context of Antwerp offers a wealth of opportunities here.”

DESTINATION

PROFESSOR KEVIN ARIËN

Bringing together a range of disciplines Professor Kevin Ariën, Head of Department for Virology: “Researcher in white coats who withdraw into their labs are a dying breed. If you do that, you lose touch with the field. It's essential to stay in contact.” “Research is becoming increasingly multi-disciplinary. Take the Zika virus as an example. We're focusing on the diagnostics and sexual transmission, while other clinics are carrying out studies on the neurological impact, and others are focusing on the mosquitoes that spread the virus. Within the ITM we also deal with different disciplines under one roof, which I believe is our biggest strength. Bringing together all of those disciplines is very enriching.” “That was one thing we also noticed during the international Ebola conference that we organised this year at the ITM, for which we were able to attract numerous top speakers to Antwerp and even had to turn guests down. That success pleasantly surprised me. The pioneering role of ITM certainly played a role: forty years ago, in 1976, Ebola was discovered here by Peter Piot and Guido Van der Groen, who also came to speak at the conference. At the same time, we were able to zoom in on some recent developments to which we have contributed here in Antwerp. Such as the diagnostics that we set up during the Ebola outbreak in 2013 and have since extended to other viruses, for which we are developing new diagnostics. Important, impressive milestones. Just like the three vaccines that are on the shelf now.”

“Furthermore, the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson communicated the data from those vaccine trials for the first time at our conference. But conferences like that are about even more than just learning and sharing information. Above all, we want to bring people together so that new projects can be initiated.” Stronger by sharing knowledge Molecular Biologist Lieselotte Cnops: “I'm currently busy developing a new diagnostic test to detect multiple arboviruses, transferred by mosquitoes, at the same time. It can detect the genetic material of various tropical viruses that cause fever during the acute stage of the disease. The development of such a test starts with a design to detect the genetic code, followed by testing clinical samples. Thanks to the status of the ITM, I can rely on an extensive collection of samples.” “I'm not the only researcher involved in this. Investigators all over the world are focusing on diagnostic tests. We can therefore share knowledge with each other. That's essential. For the same reason, we're also working together with the business world.” “We can share experiences during conferences, but also by means of training sessions. I regularly organise sessions regarding molecular tests with our southern partners. This kind of international work is necessary. The experiences from countries where the disease is active are extremely valuable. By means of our training sessions and lectures, we want to share knowledge and encourage people to work together.” “In this way, we can continue dedicating

our efforts to the detection of viruses. Which virus will be the next to break out and when will this happen? Of course, we don't know the answer to that. But thanks to our experience, including the development of molecular tests for the Ebola and Zika virus, we're prepared. Conference and networking are also important for that reason: if we can collect as many signals and results as possible from all over the world, we're stronger.” ≈ Are you planning a conference in Antwerp? The Visit Antwerp Business Development Team will be pleased to assist you and put their local and international network to use in order to give the appropriate solution. www.visitantwerpen.be/business

MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST LIESELOTTE CNOPS

Leuven

LEUVEN

MINDGATE OF EUROPE Just a stone's throw from Brussels, but with its own distinct signature. That's Leuven. Aside from being Belgium's number one student city and the city of beer, Leuven is also a compact, historical city with a rich heritage that dates back centuries. Leuven is also known as Europe's top research hub. As the home of the renowned KU Leuven university, the nano-electronics research centre IMEC, around 140 spin-offs, more than 130 high-tech companies and one of Europe's most cutting-edge university hospitals, Leuven calls itself the European centre of innovation, and rightly so. Via Leuven Mindgate, Meeting Leuven & Vlaams-Brabant focuses in particular on attracting scientific conferences in the field of health, high tech and creativity. Mindgate Many knowledge institutes and technological platforms in Leuven carry out high-tech research in sectors such as nano-electronics, cleantech, material

FACTS & FIGURES Largest auditorium (seats) Pieter De Somer, KU Leuven Number of hotel rooms (total)

814 1,100

Largest hotel (rooms) Novotel Leuven Centrum Distance to Brussels Airport (km) www.meetingleuven.be

139 25

research, mechatronics, e-security and ICT. Leuven is therefore the perfect destination for conferences that are linked to interdisciplinary research. At the many high-tech companies in the region, it will always be possible to find a link with your conference. A company visit might be a good option for the social programme? Another thing that makes Leuven the number one research hub is the university. Leuven Catholic University was founded in 1425. As such, it's not only the oldest university in Belgium, but also the oldest Catholic university in the world. With more than 50,000 students, 1000 professors and 4500 PhD students, KU Leuven is Belgium's largest institute of higher education. Leuven Catholic University is known as one of Europe's most prestigious research universities. Last summer, Reuters even declared KU Leuven as the most pioneering university on the European continent. The University Halls, with the Promotiezaal (374 seats), the Museumzaal and the Jubileumzaal are perfectly suited for exhibitions, receptions and banquets. M-Museum and Irish College Two other locations that stand out are the M-Museum and the Irish College. M is an impressive, sleek museum

building in the heart of the city and a real eye-catcher. The building, designed by top architect StĂŠphane Beel, combines existing historical buildings with contemporary architecture. The roof affords you with wonderful views over the city and the peaceful courtyard, with its old, majestic oak, is a great place to relax. M has a number of rooms available for business meetings too. Of course, it's possible to combine all of these with a special M activity, such as a tour, brunch or an after-hours visit. The historical Irish College of Leuven was founded 400 years ago and is now home to the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe. The 17th-century chapel now houses a wonderful auditorium (220 seats), featuring all the modern touches, such as simultaneous interpreting. The building is home to many meeting locations, the culinary restaurant Ulysses, a cosy courtyard and comfortable guest rooms with views over the large garden. Compact & cultural heritage But there are so many other reasons to choose Leuven as a conference destination. Leuven is a compact city that's easy to explore. And it's also a wonderful historical city, full of art and cultural heritage. And the great thing is: the unique conference locations, tourist attractions, picturesque shopping streets, authentic restaurants and bars (with their famous beers and outstanding hospitality)...you can go everywhere by foot. The famous city hall is one of the city's top attractions. But you also get to discover the city's rich past in the < picturesque alleys of the beguinage

DESTINATION

CITY HALL

MUNTSTRAAT

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

(a sanctuary in the heart of the city) or in the medieval abbeys. From the tower of the university library, which is worth a visit in itself, you get a great view over the city. But Leuven has other unique locations. Like St. Peter's Church and the fully restored Tafelrond on the Grote Markt and the wonderful buildings in the Grand Beguinage. Those who are looking for modern and/or exclusive conference and event venues, can enjoy the renowned M-museum, the Faculty Club and De Hoorn, the birthplace of Stella Artois in the Vaartkom area. Outside of the city centre of Leuven there's also the Brabanthal trade fair and conference centre, suitable for larger conferences with more than a thousand participants. Accessibility and security Leuven's outstanding accessibility and security also make the city a top-class conference destination. Leuven is

ST. PETER'S CHURCH

LEUVEN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

located in the centre of Belgium, close to Europe's capital of Brussels. From Brussels Airport, it's just a fifteen minute train ride to the centre of Leuven, and it's only 20 minutes by car. From the international train station BrusselsSouth, you'll be in the city in just half an hour. Safety is one of the most important issues for conference organisers today. And rightly so. Leuven is known as a safe destination. The people are friendly and welcoming, and that's something you can really feel. Conference guests can comfortably stay out on the streets until the early hours. In order to get a taste of the real Leuven, a night out in this lively student city is a must. Social programme The buzzing city life is also thanks to the famous Belgian beers that are served. Did you know, for example, that Leuven is Belgium's 'capital of beer'

GROOT BEGIJNHOF

and that the famous Stella Artois has been brewed here for seven centuries? The conference guests will be sure to appreciate experiencing the rich culture of beer, for example during an interesting visit to a brewery, a beer capital walk or a beer pairing workshop, where you find out which beers go with which food. Sample the most surprising dishes in the many restaurants; how about finding somewhere to eat in the Muntstraat, Leuven's cosiest dining street? Immerse the guests in the vibrancy of Leuven and let them go home with an unforgettable experience. Convention Office Meeting Leuven & Vlaams-Brabant is the official convention bureau of the city of Leuven and the province of Flemish Brabant. If you're looking for an objective and professional partner with whom to organise meetings and conferences, you've come to right place.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x2030;&#x2C6;

DESTINATION

Liege

PROVINCE OF LIEGE

EXCEPTIONAL ON MANY LEVELS Strategically located and therefore also easily accessible, the province of Liege, which has an impressive cultural heritage, offers an attractive, practical canvas for international meetings. With cities that are rich in cultural heritage and futuristic attractions, and a landscape with many faces, the province of Liege has important trump cards for conference organisers. Its strategic location and the unique hospitality of the people of Liege add to this, making it clear that the province of Liege is the perfect destination for meetings and conventions.

flights between these four countries pass through the province of Liege. Especially its majestic Calatrava high-speed train station and airport guarantee its ease of access. But Liege is also the gateway to Europe where water is concerned: thanks to the connection of the Meuse and the Albert Canal with the Scheldt and the seaport of Antwerp.

Exceptionally central There are few provinces in the world that can say that they border four countries. Liege can. Situated on the Brussels-Maastricht-Aachen triangle it borders with the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and its own Kingdom of Belgium. Virtually all motorways, train connections and

Exceptional natural beauty When it comes to natural beauty, the province of Liege has something for everyone. The wild forests of the Belgian Ardennes, the beautiful orchards in the Land of Herve, the mysterious High Fens on the plateau between Belgium and Germany, the splendid rolling hills of Hesbaye, the banks of the Meuse.... not forgetting the thermal wellness resorts of Spa and Chaudfontaine either. Between all of these regions are cities that each have their own unique character: Huy, Verviers, Spa, Stavelot, Malmedy, Eupen and Liege. The Walloon city of Liege is a lovely, fascinating city, rich in history and culture. Its variety of monumental heritage includes the Place Saint Lambert with the Prince-Bishops' Palace, the Place du Marché, the former monastery of the Liege Friars Minor, the Montagne de Bueren with 373 steps and the buzzing streets of Le Carré. But a university and student city

FACTS & FIGURES Largest auditorium (seats) Palais des Congrès (Liege)

1,000

Largest hotel (rooms) Silva Hotel Spa-Balmoral Crowne Plaza Liege Distance to Brussels Airport (km to Liege city centre) Regional Airport Liege (km to Liege city centre) www.liegetourisme.be

126 125 90 10

Liege is also the city of innovation. Take, for example, the futuristic glass Design Station Wallonia and the state-of-the-art train station Liège-Guillemins TGV-Thalys. Exceptional locations There's no lack of exceptional locations in the province of Liege, that's for sure. A city of culture, Liege puts several of its gems to the service of business tourism. Such as the Théâtre de Liege, a total surface area of 7,800 m² built in wood, concrete and glass which marvellously blends modernity and heritage. Another prestigious cultural location, Stavelot Abbey – part of Wallonia’s outstanding heritage – offers you characterful rooms that can accommodate up to 500 persons. Besides its 3 museums of international standing, the abbey presents exciting temporary exhibitions and offers packages combined with the world’s most attractive circuit... Spa-Francorchamps, of course. History lovers are certainly in luck: the castles of Jehay, Modave, Harzé and Reinhardstein all guarantee a unique experience. Situated in the heights of Huy, the Naxhelet Golf Club is also an inviting place for relaxation. The former castle farm has been transformed into a superb clubhouse, a restaurant open to all and a 35-room hotel equipped with a superb spa and seminar rooms. You will also find peace and quiet at the Kloster Heidberg convent in the centre of Eupen, with its unique 18th-century atmosphere: a truly captivating location. A novelty not to be missed: in a leafy setting on the banks of the Ourthe,

FLY-IN, THE WORLD’S BIGGEST FREEFALL SIMULATOR

CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL LIEGE A 5-STAR CONFERENCE VENUE

HISTORY-STEEPED BLEGNY-MINE

STAVELOT ABBEY

Diamant Liege offers you a conference centre comprising 7 modular rooms that can accommodate up to 400 persons and are equipped with ultra-modern technologies. The Palais des Congrès on the banks of the Meuse is also impressive. The Palais has one of the biggest meeting rooms in Wallonia and a special location, on the edge of the Meuse and right in the middle of the Park La Boverie with a wonderful art museum and a new footbridge, a walk away from the new station and Liege city centre. Exceptional sensations You can also experience thrilling sensations with Fly-In, the world’s biggest freefall simulator. This new concept, based at Liege Airport, is the ideal place for discovering the feeling of freefall without jumping out of a plane. Another new activity: the getaway game Get Out Liege. The principle? In a Sherlock Holmesian world, participants are locked up in teams in a ‘panic room’ and have one hour to solve the main puzzle and escape in time.

WORLD’S MOST ATTRACTIVE CIRCUIT... SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS

DESTINATION

ADVENTURE PARK FORESTIA

Both a zoo that is home to around thirty species and an adventure park offering 10 trails in the trees, more than 100 obstacles and a giant 120-metre zip line, Forestia guarantees you a total change of scene. The whole of the park, comprising a restaurant and meeting room, can be hired for private functions. Finally, for fans of more restful activities, the unique and history-steeped BlegnyMine, that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers you the ‘Mines Gourmandes’ package: a visit to the galleries interspersed with gourmet stops. Exceptional hotels Concentrated mainly in Liege and Spa and making full use of the province’s urban and rural contrasts, the hotel infrastructure in Liege province is characterised, above all, by an excellent quality/price ratio. Notably with 4-star establishments for the price of 3 stars elsewhere, indeed even 2 stars in Brussels... Located right in the heart of the Ardent City, the Crowne Plaza offers you an

unforgettable stay. With its 125 rooms, gourmet restaurant, numerous meeting rooms and majestic ballroom that can accommodate up to 300 persons, the only 5-star establishment in Liege province is the pace-setter for an already highquality network of hotels. Enjoying unmatched accessibility, the Park Inn Liege Airport, for its part, has progressed from 3 to 4 stars. Ever a beacon of innovation, the Château des Thermes at Chaudfontaine reopened its doors at the start of September 2016. Convention Office Hotels, castles, conference centres, special venues, sites and specialists in incentive activities and team-building... As you know now Liege and Spa offer a myriad of possibilities, many of which are unknown to organisers. The Convention Bureau Liege-Spa ), your sole, go-to contact partner for all MICE projects, will take on the partial or total organisation of conferences, meetings, incentives, business events, et cetera, from the simple service provision to the full package. On top of that, this new service is totally free. ≈

DESTINATION

Genk

GENK

BRAND-NEW MEETING AND EVENT DESTINATION The city of Genk is a must in Flanders. A brand-new destination insofar as conferences, meetings, seminars and events are concerned. And with its innovative and creative industries and sites, its rich mining history and its captivating, multicultural environment, Genk has everything to surprise its guests. Genk is a young city, and that's someÂthing you really notice. The city has a dynamic and creative spirit. Genk has reinvented itself time and time again over the years and will probably always carry on doing that; innovation is in its DNA. The innovative character is reflected in local trades and activities, as well as the 14 unique event locations, 60 meeting rooms, 16 hotels and 56 restaurants the city has to offer.

FACTS & FIGURES Largest auditorium (seats) Limburghal (8 halls) Number of hotel rooms (total)

11,100 787

Largest hotel (rooms) M Hotel (Different Hotels)

Distance to Brussels Airport (km)

Distance to Maastricht Aachen Airport (km)

www.meetingenk.be

Genk is centrally located in the EU and is easily accessible by car, train or plane. The proximity of many international and regional airports (Brussels, Charleroi, Liege, Maastricht/Aachen, Eindhoven and DĂźsseldorf) makes Genk the perfect destination for meetings and events. Colourful & diverse Genk is a colourful and diverse city. A real asset. When the mining industry was flourishing, Genk attracted residents from countries such as Turkey, Italy, Greece and Spain. This multicultural population gives the cosmopolitan city its unique, dynamic vibe. As a result of the tradition of immigration, the population is known for being very welcoming. Furthermore, there's lots to discover in terms of cuisines from all over the world, such as in the Vennestraat, a stone's throw from the C-mine site. In 2016, it's mainly the students, talents, start-ups and entrepreneurs from all over the world who find their way to the spirited city. Energy, healthcare and more Sustainable energy, healthcare, the creative economy... Genk stands out in various sectors. At Thor Park, for

example, you'll find everything related to research into sustainable energy. This park at the former Waterschei coalmine has become a hotspot for technology and innovation. The IncubaThor is the first realised industrial building and offers office space as well as various meeting rooms. The topic of 'healthcare' has really taken off since Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (ZOL) attracted a number of top surgeons, such as the orthopaedic surgeon Professor Bellemans, also head of medical staff of the Belgian delegation at the Olympic Games in Rio. Another thing worth mentioning is the vibrant community in the field of design, gaming and IT that has emerged at the imposing site of C-mine, a former coalmine. In addition, Genk is a pioneer in the field of logistics and technology & engineering. And as a gateway to the Hoge Kempen National Park, environmental developments are also top of the agenda. Outside the Box at C-mine If you like thinking outside the box, you can't miss C-mine. C-mine is the city's creative hub and an absolute must. This location, on the site of the former Winterslag coalmine, breathes innovation. Here you can find a culture and design centre, a cinema complex, many creative companies, an art college, 1,120 free parking spaces and a whole lot more. At C-mine, you literally meet up between the old machines, but in an innovative and inspiring context. With more than 31

DESTINATION

THOR PARK

CUISINES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD IN THE VENNESTRAAT.

VIRTUAL REALITY TOURS

C-MINE, OLD MACHINES IN AN INNOVATIVE CONTEXT

rooms, distributed over various buildings, the options are rich and diverse. There's a large auditorium (487 seats), an impressive event hall (400 seats or 800 standing), a handful of meeting rooms and multi-functional spaces. You've also come to the right place if you're after an original catering concept or activity. The so-called C-mine crib is home to more than 20 creative and innovative companies. You can also rent meeting rooms, a creativity loft, a co-working space and a demonstration area. Street of the Senses For an original catering concept or a special activity, you're also at the right place at C-mine. How about a miners' menu or street food? Or a C-mine expedition where the guests don't only go underground, but also 65 metres in the air? The Vennestraat, also known as the ‘Street of the Senses’, isn't far from C-mine. Here, multi-cultural restaurants, cafés and handicraft shops are interspersed with surprising design shops, galleries and pop-ups. Do you want to serve something

CYCLING IN THE HOGE KEMPEN NATIONAL PARK

a bit different from the classic lunch? If so, you've come to the right place. Cycling through water Bokrijk is a large, open-air museum that transports you back to the atmospheric 17th century. The museum contains a reconstruction of an impressive old-fashioned city. Here you'll find HANGAR58, a large multi-functional event location, where a dinner for up to 1,200 people, a reception for up to 2,000 people and a conference for up to 500 people can be organised. Bokrijk is also the designated place for social programs. One of the highlights is that you can literally cycle through the water here. Cyclists pass through the De Wijers pond region along a 200 metre-long cycle path, with the water at eye-level on both sides. All of the senses are stimulated: you see, feel and smell the water from your bike. Virtual Reality Tours Another unique experience is a workshop at Studio Peter Stockmans,

an internationally renowned ceramist from Genk. Its plates adorn many famous restaurants, including the worldrenowned Parisian restaurant Le Meurice of the top chef Alain Ducasse. The Virtual Reality tours in C-mine are also a must. Experience how dark it really was in the sultry corridors. Feel the ground boom with the numerous explosions in the tough ground. Step inside the time capsule, put a helmet on and step back in time, to the heyday of the Belgian mining industry in the 50s. Of course, the wonderful scenery of Genk also offers many opportunities for social programs and team-building activities. Cycling, walking or horse riding in the Hoge Kempen National Park is sure to be an adventure. MeetinGenk Interested and looking for advice? The MeetinGenk team would be happy to help you find unique locations and experiences in Genk and the surrounding area. ≈

DESTINATION

Wallonia

WALLONIA

BUBBLING AND BUZZING LIKE NEVER BEFORE With Brussels as the European capital, Wallonia is an important player in the international conference market. But Wallonia has so much more to offer. Easily accessible large cities with top-class conference facilities, cultural, historical and industrial heritage, delightful scenery, but also untamed nature and a Burgundian tradition of culinary delights... As the home of the European Commission, the European Parliament and NATO, Brussels is the designated conference destination. Conferences that have a link with European topics are an important economic spearhead for the city. Each year, thousands of meetings and almost 500 conferences take place in this metropolis, and everything is done to ensure the conference visitors have a pleasant stay. Of course, the big draw of Brussels is its central location. But its many great and unusual venues, such as Art Nouveau palaces, alluring hotels and state-of-theart conference centres all play their part too. In Brussels, business and buzzing city life can be perfectly combined. Examples here include a comic strip wall, a culinary TramExperience with star chefs, dining in the Atomium or in a guildhall dating back centuries... International organisations, embassies, multi-national companies and international associations will find more than enough MICE opportunities in Brussels for any budget.

Square Right in the centre of Brussels, a 10-minute train journey from Brussels airport and two minute walk from Brussels Central Station, is the modern Square Conference Centre. The auditorium can accommodate 1,200 people, the capacity for receptions is 3,000 people and the capacity for banquets is 1,600 people. Murals by Paul Delvaux en René Magritte are part of the modern decor. The Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a ten-minute walk away, as is the chic Zavelbuurt and important museums. This location is also special because 6000 hotel rooms can be found less than a ten-minute walk away. A new addition to Brussels, completed at the end of 2015, is the Brussels Environment Conference Centre, built on the historical Tour & Taxis site. Measuring 16,750 square metres, this is the largest passive office building in Belgium and one of the biggest in Europe. The auditorium seats 450 people and there are various spacious meeting rooms and banquet options.

Liège and Namur The city of Liège is the economic capital of Wallonia. Thanks to the combination of an inland port (the third largest in Europe), a TGV station and an airport, this city on the Meuse attracts a lot of economic activity in the field of transport and logistics. For conferences, Liège has an array of venues and hotels, such as the 5-star Crown Plaza Liège with 124 rooms and a meeting capacity of 300 people. The elegant Namur, also located on the Meuse, is Wallonia's official capital. Namur has an economic network that's primarily driven by SMEs. The Palais des Congrès is in the heart of the historical city centre and offers space for 300 guests. There are many unique green meeting and team building locations in the area, such as the Castel de Pont-àLesse and Dinant Evasion, including its own quarry. Between Liège and Namur is a special new sustainable meeting location: Naxhelet Espace. 33 hotel rooms have been built in the old farmhouse, with two suites in the chapel as well. In the grounds there are also meeting rooms (for 200 people), an 18-hole golf course and a wellness centre. Fresh, local produce is served up in the restaurant. Mons and Charleroi The province of Henegouwen has two large cities within its borders, Mons and Charleroi. In 2015, Mons was the

European Capital of Culture. This is hardly surprising when you consider the wide array of cultural gems the city offers: Maison van Gogh, the Museum of Modern Art (MAC's), the industrial complex Le Grand Hornu and a variety of UNESCO monuments. The presence of the Digital Innovation Valley, with Microsoft and Google establishments, also makes Mons a European hotspot for technology. Next to the station, the brand-new Mons International Congress Xperience (MICX) and the luxurious Van der Valk Hotel recently opened. The largest conference hall accommodates 500 guests; MICX has a total capacity for 700 to 1,000 people. Charleroi focuses in particular on aerospace technology. The Charleroi Expo trade fair centre has a conference infrastructure for up to 450 people. The Centre Espace Meeting Européen (CEME) has halls with a maximum capacity of 250 participants. Meet in Green Just to the south of Brussels is the wealthy province of Walloon Brabant, with its challenging golf courses, the Villers-la-Ville abbey and numerous

MARCINELLE - BOIS DU CAZIER

unique castles. The real eye-catcher for conferences, however, is the Aula Magna in Louvain-La-Neuve, a university city. The province of Luxembourg is located in the heart of the Ardennes and is perfectly suited for green events, such as a unique team-building experience in the forest. Spending time in such a green environment is sure to generate fresh new ideas. Cities like Durbuy, La Roche and Houffalize are must-sees, and the Château de Jemeppe castle is also worth a visit. For bigger conferences, the conference centre in Libramont and the Euro Space Center in Transinne are the perfect base. Spa By now it must be clear that Wallonia is buzzing and bubbling. That's certainly the case in Spa, the historical city where the bottled water of the same name comes from. But with the SpaFrancorchamps Formula 1 circuit, Spa has another unique trump card. An incentive trip to the circuit is unforgettable. But it's also perfectly suited for meetings. The circuit offers halls with a dining capacity for up to

CENTRE ESPACE MEETING EUROPÉEN (CEME)

OPERA ROYAL DE WALLONIE

ROSELAND ROOM AT ALBERT HALL

DESTINATION

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS FORMULA 1 CIRCUIT

450 people and a reception capacity for up to 600 people. It's possible to spend the night there too. Thanks to the wellness tradition that dates back centuries, there are numerous leading hotels in the area, many of which have conference facilities. Together, there are around 550 4-star rooms and around 45 meeting rooms. Of course the hotels in the city of Liege are also an excellent option. The oldest abbey in Belgium, the Abbey of Stavelot, is also not far from Spa: a perfect location for a meeting or dinner. ≈

FACTS & FIGURES Largest auditorium (seats) Martin’s Château du Lac Genval

1,050

Largest auditorium Brussels Palais 12 at Brussels Expo

9,500

Largest hotel (rooms) Hotel Vayamundo, Houffalize

271

Largest hotel Brussels Sheraton Brussel www.meetinbelgium.com

511

DESTINATION

Ostend

OSTEND

CITY BY THE SEA Located in the Flemish province of West Flanders, in Belgium, Ostend will ravish the most demanding meeting planner with the right combination of infrastructure and leisure possibilities.

dolls, puppets, masks and vases. In his studio, he painted the artworks which today can be admired in the New York Guggenheim, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and in the Royal Academy of London.

types of energy are the spearheads of the Belgian government in its North Sea policy. These are mostly carried out in Ostend. In addition to the research infrastructure for Blue Energy (wind, tidal and wave energy) and sustainable aquaculture, the city by the sea hosts high-quality technological companies working in these areas. These developments attract new specialized and professional conferences and symposiums. The main topics are green and blue energy, sustainable aquaculture, harbours and transhipment, fishery and shipping, and of course tourism, leisure and hospitality.

All-round Many historic buildings have been converted into meeting facilities. This is why Ostend has a wide range of conference and meeting venues. Most of them are situated at unique locations in the city and yet all venues are within walking distance from each other. As for hotel accommodation, Ostend has more than 2,000 rooms to offer, the most of which belong to either three or four-star hotels. All hotels are within walking distance of the most important conference venues and offer the best value for money. Due to its wide range of facilities and activities for partner programmes and evening activities, Ostend can really be called an all-round destination.

Ostend (Oostende), the only conference city by the sea at the Belgian Coast, offers an interesting diversity of conference venues such the Thermae Palace – part of Ostend’s cultural heritage, or the Kursaal – equipped with the latest technology. It is a compact meeting city where all hotels and venues are within walking distance. Ostend has also the widest choice of 3 and 4 star hotels of the Belgian Coast. Blue Energy Over the past years, Ostend underwent great developments regarding ecology. Research and development of new

FACTS & FIGURES Largest auditorium (seats) Kursaal Number of hotel rooms (total)

2,051 > 2,000

Largest hotel (rooms) Hotel Thermae Palace

130

Distance to Brussels Airport (km)

120

Regional Airport Ostend-Bruges (km) www.meetinoostende.be

Great artists Ostend has a wide offering of tourist sights, museums and art galleries. Great artists thrive at the seacoast, where the constant play of light and reflections has always fascinated and inspired them. And this is true of Ostend. Immerse in the brilliant cultural world of the internationally renowned artist James Ensor (1860 - 1949). The city is full of references to the painter. You can visit the house where he was born, which also displays several of his most important paintings and his grave. The James Ensor House contains his furniture and his collections of musical instruments,

Easy to reach Ostend is easy to reach, both international as national. You can get to Ostend from the main international air hubs London (via Calais - Eurostar) and Amsterdam in 2.5 hours and from Paris in 3 hours. Brussels International Airport is only an hour's drive by car. There are direct connections by train to Paris, Brussels, Antwerp and Kortrijk. Ostend-Bruges airport is only a few minutes’ drive from the city centre. Charter flights from sunny destinations such as Spain, Tenerife and Turkey land

DESTINATION

THE ONLY CONFERENCE CITY BY THE SEA AT THE BELGIAN COAST.

OSTEND SEA PLACE

SPORTY TEAMBUILDING EVENTS

at this airport and private jets can land here as well. Conferences Ostend has all you need to organize your conventions by the sea. Kursaal Oostende is one of the largest congress centers in Belgium with a capacity of over 3,000 persons. The Kursaal has a magnificent Auditorium with over 2,000 seats, the Delvaux Hall can host up to 700 persons, the Hall of Honor has a capacity of 1,500 people and the meeting center another 400. Another option is the Thermae Palace Hotel. This hotel in Art Deco style is the perfect setting for conferences up to 600 delegates and receptions up to 1,000 guests. Most of the nine conference and meeting rooms have sea view. Neighbour of the Thermae Palace Hotel is the Wellington Racecourse. Outside the horse racing season, the main building of the racetrack is used as a conference venue for 2,750 participants, bearing the name 'Ostend Sea Place'. Next to it is the 'Bagatelle' in which receptions and dinner buffets for up to 300 person can be organized.

KURSAAL OOSTENDE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CONGRESS CENTERS IN BELGIUM.

Corporate Events From staff parties to product launches the City by the Sea has the right venues for all activities. In joint consultation, the team of the Oostende Convention Bureau will put together an original formula for your event. Moreover, the team offers customized services and takes care of the logistics and the permits. Fort Napoleon is an idyllic location in the dunes and is well adapted to all kind of business events. Their three-master “Mercator” is a maritime museum ship that provides the ideal location for a reception or a buffet. The Hip at the Wellington Racecourse is the location for organizing your big corporate events. Incentive programs Ostend offers a wide range of inspiring incentive programs. Ranging from sporty and adventurous teambuilding events to culinary and cultural activities, tailormade workshops and incentives. If you are into sporty teambuilding activities, then you have certainly come to the right place. After an afternoon of blokart racing, a high impact sailing trip or the latest Ecobuilding day, you will feel

totally reinvigorated from the intense seminar or workshop you had in the morning. Ostend has also a lot to offer for your next family day. For all outdoor events, locations such as Domain Raversyde, Fort Napoleon and the Kursaal offer an all-weather guarantee. Ostend Convention Bureau The conference department of the Ostend Tourism Board offers, free of charge, professional, custom-made and personal services. Organisers can rely on an appointed account manager who will help them to compose a tailor made program. Everything is arranged professionally and up to the last detail: conference venue, hotel nights and - if desired - partner programmes and other peripheral events. The Ostend Convention Bureau provides a wide range of services like bidding assistance, logistic support, contacts with all the municipal services, site inspections, procurement of visual displays, negotiating better deals by means of leveraging on supplier contacts and an online hotel reservation tool. ≈

Ibis Styles Zeebrugge

Zeebrugge -

79 modern rooms with free Wifi Satellite TV, Airco 5 NEW meetingrooms with daylight The latest in AV equipment Contracts with extern rental companies Heated Swimmingpool Private parking on site (80 places) Bar with terrace open 24/7 Terras for cocktails/dinners,...

Port of Zeebruges, international reputation ICO, Hoppe and other companies nearby Zeebrugge is a part of Bruges Situated in the Golden Triangle Bruges, Ostend, Knokke In the heart of the port APZI at 1 km 1 of the laragest ports of Europe Largest carport of Europe Modern fish auction of Europe Restaurants at walking distance Largest beach with sight on the Thornton Bank

Ibis Styles Zeebrugge Kustlaan 99 8380 ZEEBRUGGE T +32 50 20 12 02 F +32 50 27 07 02 www.ibis.com www.accorhotels.com H8091-gm@accor.com

Ibis Styles Kortrijk Expo Hotel ibis Styles Kortrijk Expo is the perfect spot for organizing all your meetings, incentives, conferences and events. Our 3 polyvalent and convertible meeting rooms provide natural daylight and can host up to 250 persons. Several room configurations and room set-ups possible. Audiovisual equipment, wifi connection and air-conditioned rooms at your disposal.

Choose a coffee break from “healthy” to “dolce” to add to your event. Taste our exquisite “flavours” in our restaurant “Ex-Ky” at lunch or make your event residential by adding an exclusive dinner and overnight in our hotel. Just ask for our brochure “The Conference Times” by sending us your request by mail: HA240@accor.com.

Hotel ibis Styles Kortrijk Expo President Kennedypark 1 8500 KORTRIJK T +32 56 20 06 87 F +32 56 22 12 73 www.ibis.com www.accorhotels.com HA240@accor.com

DESTINATION

Flanders

FLANDERS

PIONEERING CRAFTSMANSHIP IN THE MEETING INDUSTRY Evelyne Bardyn is Meeting Manager of Visitflanders Convention Bureau, the umbrella convention bureau of Flanders. She believes that Flanders has everything required to make any meeting, incentive trip, conference or event an unforgettable success. Recently, Flanders has been investing significantly in conference tourism. Why is this? As a result of the economic crisis, growth in the tourism sector was lagging behind a bit. As such, the Flemish minister of Tourism Ben Weyts decided that the economic opportunities in the field of tourism needed to be investigated. This research revealed that in particular conference tourism to Flanders had a huge potential. The study indicates that the number of meetings, conferences and incentive events can certainly increase by 12 percent in the long run, up to around 84,000 events each year. The biggest potential for growth is with international associations. This is surprising, since Brussels, the home of the European Commission, the European Parliament and NATO was already a top destination for conferences for associations. However, the research reveals that the real 'super conferences' can still increase by 51 percent, in the other art cities too, up to about 300 prestigious association events per year. In order to enable this growth, the Flemish government is making targeted investments in conference tourism.

What shape do these investments take? Action is being taken on three fronts. Besides the infrastructure needed to be able to host the somewhat larger conferences, work is being carried out on the professionalisation of the conference product and the experience itself. In addition, a specific marketing plan has been drawn up, which contains concrete objectives, and the markets that will be focused on have been established. In concrete terms, this means that the conference office is looking for conferences within the economic growth sectors on the one hand and conferences that relate to Flanders' assets on the other hand. In that case, it's about conferences that reinforce Flanders' identity and that will improve the positioning of Flanders as a tourism and conference destination. Work is also being focused on hubs such as Brussels, Geneva, Paris... as other regions where there is a concentration of economic growth sectors. With reference to the infrastructure, the minister has launched an leverage programme. What does that involve? For the infrastructure, the minister has launched an leverage programme

with a focus on special venues. This is about installing or improving meeting infrastructure at unique heritage locations. 'Our heritage distinguishes us from our competitors', the minister explains. 'We offer businesspeople the best possible setting for a conference: the wonderful Flemish heritage'. Examples here include cities of art like Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, where the art is virtually there for the taking. Taking a stroll through the historic streets, across the squares and bridges, you're transported back hundreds of years in time. To a time when the old masters were painting, the brewers were stirring beer in their copper vats and the blacksmiths were forging railings. But there's even more: think, for example, of the abbeys, industrial sites, mine buildings, castles... how great is it to get together in such settings? The leverage programme gives support to the construction and expansion of conference facilities in those types of heritage locations. How about the promotion of Flanders as a conference destination? Are investments also being made there? The investments, as mentioned above, also relate to promotion. The workforce of the Flanders Tourism conference office has been reinforced with four extra members of staff. These employees will work full-time on attracting international conferences. Colleagues

DESTINATION

in the foreign network of Flanders Tourism are also going to be focusing more on this lucrative market. In order to be able to work more successfully and efficiently, partnerships are being set up. Collaboration with Flanders Investment & Trade is being intensified, for example. In addition to that, the promotional budget has also increased progressively. We're now working on combining forces within the convention bureaus in Flanders to form a single Team Flanders in order to tackle the association market together. What are the key industries in Flanders? Many of our cities are close to water. The global port of Antwerp is probably the best-known port city in Flanders, but other cities that rely on water such as Ostend, Bruges and Ghent shouldn't be ignored. Port logistics, the chemical industry and blue energy are key industries in Flanders, as you might expect. Other fields of expertise include the diamond industry, green energy, healthcare, nano tech, bio tech, life sciences, ICT, digital health, pharma, mechatronics and more. Which 'touristic factors' do you use to tempt the conference industry? Flanders has a large number of key assets. Belgium is known for its chocolate, the Flemish masters, fashion, beer, universities, craftspeople and creative types, comic books, design, Bourgundian cuisine, art, culture and historical mementos such as the Fields of Flanders (First World War). Specifically when attracting conferences, we focus on the experience in and around the heritage venues of historic cities and sites, such as with 'Dining in Flanders', art and culture. In addition to conferences that tie in with our economic strengths, we also make use of our touristic assets to

EVELYNE BARDYN: 'SPECIFICALLY WHEN ATTRACTING CONFERENCES, WE FOCUS ON THE EXPERIENCE IN AND AROUND THE HERITAGE VENUES OF HISTORIC CITIES AND SITES'.

attract conferences related to beer or a UNESCO conference, for example. In this regard, with all of our local experts, we are certainly one step ahead of our competitors as a destination. At the same time, these conferences reinforce our reputation and position Flanders even more firmly as a worthwhile conference destination. We're loading the brand 'Flanders' with all of these unique selling points and are noticing that our message is beginning to gain a foothold in the meeting industry. You mentioned that investments were being made in special venues in particular. Can you provide an example? A good example is the brand-new Flanders Meeting and Convention Center in Antwerp, which has just opened. The conference centre is located in Antwerp Zoo, the most attractive and best preserved 19th-century zoo in the world, right in the heart of Antwerp, next to the central station. The architect, Ian Simpson from Manchester, created an inspiring, strong and flexible building, which combines an existing historical

building with hyper-modern architecture. The building alone is reason enough to come to Flanders: a fine example of urban renewal that will inspire many people. With a surface area of 25,000 square metres, 30 rooms, a large state-of-the-art hall with 2,000 seats and a total capacity of 2,500 guests, who can all spend the night within walking distance, the new conference centre is a world-class player. The conference experience in the Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp can be optimised in a whole host of ways, with an exclusive VIP aquarium dinner, for example, or a 'morning run' through the zoo while the animals are waking up... an experience you'll never forget. What can conference organisers expect from Meet in Flanders? Our team has in-depth product knowledge and offers professional advice and guidance free of charge. We provide tailor-made proposals and put organisers in contact with all the right suppliers on the market. We also organise site inspections and familiarisation trips to bring meeting planners to our wonderful destination.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x2030;&#x2C6;

CALENDAR

CONGRESS CALENDAR Selection of international congresses and conferences that will be held in Belgium. For the complete list visit www.conferencebelgium.be/calendar Congress

Date

Venue

City

Website http://bit.ly/CB1701

2017 Meetings/Workshops on Mathematical Logic

16 - 19 January

University of Mons

Mons

Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP)

24 - 27 January

Les Halles de Schaerbeek

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1702

ER Stress, Autophagy & Immune System

26 - 27 January

Sint-Janshospitaal

Bruges

http://bit.ly/CB1703

PHPBenelux Conference

27 - 28 January

Hotel Ter Elst

Edeghem

http://bit.ly/CB1704

7th Platts Middle Distillates Conference

01 - 02 February

Hilton Antwerp Old Town Hotel

Antwerp

http://bit.ly/CB1705

Git Merge

02 - 03 February

The Egg

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1706

Fosdem

04 - 05 February

ULB Solbosch Campus

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1707

Config Management Camp

06 - 07 February

N/A

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1708

7th Conference on Industrial Computed Tomography (iCT)

07 - 09 February

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1709

European Congress of Qualitative Inquiry

07 - 10 February

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1710

15th European Financial Services Conference

07 February

Square Meeting Centre

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1711 http://bit.ly/CB1652

International Scientific Nursing and Midwifery Congress

08 - 10 February

City Campus - Hof van Liere

Antwerp

Actuarial and Financial Mathematics Conference

09 - 10 February

Academy Palace

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1712

Belgian Week of Gastroenterology

09 - 11 February

Hilton Antwerp

Antwerp

http://bit.ly/CB1713

2nd International Conference on Mechanical, Manufacturing, Modeling and Mechatronics (IC4M)

24 - 26 February

University Gent, Campus Kortrijk

Kortrijk

http://bit.ly/CB1714

2nd International Conference on Design Engineering and Science (ICDES)

24 - 26 February

University of Ghent

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1715

PIC International Conference

07 - 08 March

Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1716

4th Spring Meeting of the EORTC Quality of Life Group

09 - 10 March

Crowne Plaza

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1717

19th Annual Conference of the Society for Phenomenology and Media

15 - 17 March

Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1718 http://bit.ly/CB1719

Health Economics for Non-Health-Economists

16 - 17 March

Parker Hotel Brussels AirportÂ

Brussels

37th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

21 - 24 March

Square Meeting Centre

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1720

IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety

29 - 31 March

Square Meeting Centre

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1721

RightsCon

29 - 31 March

Crowne Plaza Brussels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Le Palace

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1722

5th International Slag Valorisation Symposium

03 - 05 April

College De Valk

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1723

CompTest2017

05 - 07 April

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1724

Between Metaphysics, Aesthetics and Religion

19 - 20 April

Institute of Philosophy

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1725

Randomized ML @ ESANN

26 - 28 April

Novotel hotel

Bruges

http://bit.ly/CB1726

Short Fiction: Co-texts and Contexts

04 - 06 May

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1728

IMPAKT 2017 Breast Cancer Conference

04 - 06 May

Square Meeting Centre

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1729

27th Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC EUROPE)

07 - 11 May

Square Meeting Centre

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1730

Conference of the European Media Management Education Association -EMMA-

10 - 13 May

N/A

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1731

10th European Heat Pump Forum (EHPA)

10 - 12 May

BEL Environment Building

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1732

GGI European Region Conference 2017

11 - 14 May

N/A

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1733

BELTA Day Conference

13 May

Odisee, Campus Brussels

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1734

CALENDAR

Congress

Date

Venue

City

Website http://bit.ly/CB1735

2017 European Joint Meeting on Obstetric Anesthesia

18 - 19 May

Square Meeting Centre

Brussels

14th Spring Symposium of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV)

25 - 28 May

Square Meeting Centre

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1736

14th International Conference on the Durability of Building Materials and Components (14 DBMC)

29 - 31 May

N/A

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1737

3rd EWG-DSS 2017 International Conference on Decision Support System Technology (ICDSST)

29 - 31 May

University of Namur

Namur

http://bit.ly/CB1738

17th European Science Events Association Annual Meeting (EUSEA)

29 - 30 May

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1739

48th Annual Meeting of the International Research Group on Wood Protection (IRG)

04 - 08 June

Het Pand Convention Centre

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1740

International CTEPH Conference (ICC)

09 - 10 June

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1741

Jan Tinbergen European Peace Science Conference

26 - 28 June

University of Antwerp

Antwerp

http://bit.ly/CB1742

RAMDA Research and Development Management Conference (R&D Management Conference)

02 - 05 July

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1743

International Council for Education and Rehabilitation of People with Visual Impairment, European Region (ICEVI-Europe)

02 - 07 July

Sint-Lodewijkscollege

Bruges

http://bit.ly/CB1744

7th European & African Conference on Wind Engineering (EACWE)

03 - 06 July

Palais des congrès

Liege

http://bit.ly/CB1654

6th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise

03 - 06 July

Université catholique de Louvain

Louvain-la-Neuve

http://bit.ly/CB1745

21st World Conference of the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS)

05 - 08 July

University of Antwerp Stadscampus

Antwerp

http://bit.ly/CB1746

12th SCAR International Biology Symposium

10 - 14 July

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1747

Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM)

31 July - 04 August

Campus Blandijnberg

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1748

World Humanities Conference

06 - 12 August

N/A

Liege

http://bit.ly/CB1749

26 International Congress of the Societas Liturgica

07 - 12 August

N/A

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1750

11th International Conference on Clifford Algebras and Their Applications in Mathematical Physics

07 - 11 August

Joseph Plateau building

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1751

13th International Conference on Gas-Liquid and Gas-Liquid-Solid Reactor Engineering (GLS)

20 - 23 August

Crowne Plaza

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1752

12th Pan European Voice Conference (PEVOC)

30 August 01 September

Kask, School of Arts

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1655

19th International Workshop on Glasses, Ceramics, Hybrids and Nanocomposites from Gels (SOL-GEL)

03 - 08 September

Palais des Congrès de Liège

Liege

http://bit.ly/CB1753

6th EUGEO Congress 2017 Association of Geographical Societies in Europe

04 - 06 September

Palais des Academies

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1754

19th Conference of the European Union of School and University Health and Medicine (EUSUHM)

06 - 08 September

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1755

28th Congreso de la Asociación Latina para el Análisis de los Sistemas de Salud (CALASS)

07 - 09 September

Palais des Congrès de Liège

Liege

http://bit.ly/CB1756

3rd biennial conference of the European Rural History Organisation (EURHO)

11 - 14 September

Erasmusbuilding - Faculty of Arts

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1757

World Global Warming Summit

11 - 13 September

N/A

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1758

18th Congress of the European Society of Endodontology (ESE)

14 - 16 September

N/A

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1657

IOFOS International Conference on Forensic Odontology

14 - 15 September

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1759

15th Congress of the European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR)

18 - 21 September

Catholic University of Leuven

Leuven

http://bit.ly/CB1760

7th International Conference on Advanced COmputational Methods in ENgineering (ACOMEN)

18 - 22 September

Congress Center Het Pand

Ghent

http://bit.ly/CB1761

19th International Leadership Association Annual Conference (ILA)

12 - 15 October

N/A

Brussels

http://bit.ly/CB1660

10th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health (ECTMIH)

16 - 20 October

Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp

Antwerp

http://bit.ly/CB1762

Busworld Europe

20 - 25 October

Kortrijk Xpo

Kortrijk

http://bit.ly/CB1763

Liège International Salsa Congress (LISA)

03 - 04 November

Palais de Congrés

Liege

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UIA Associations Round Table Europe

10 - 11 November

Marriott Brussels Grand

Brussels

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6th International Fluid Academy Days (IFAD)

23 - 25 November

Hilton Antwerp Old Town Hotel

Antwerp

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Petroleum, Refining & Environmental Monitoring Technologies (PEFTEC)

29 - 30 November

Antwerp Expo

Antwerp

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