Organising your perfect event in Brussels

ORGANISING YOUR PERFECT EVENT IN BRUSSELS with visit.brussels Convention & Association Bureau

Organising an event in Brussels is all about making connections.

Connecting with the right suppliers, sponsors and speakers … connecting with experts who understand your field of activity … and connecting with all the advantages that the capital of Europe can offer you.

We are visit.brussels, the official Brussels Convention & Association Bureau.

Our team of experts will work with you right through the process, from planning and bidding to funding and welcoming your delegates.

This brochure sets out why we believe Brussels is the best place to hold your convention and how we can help you organise it flawlessly.

Our mission is to ensure that your event here is a total success.

Patrick Bontinck

Elisabeth Van Ingelgem

CEO visit.brussels

Director, Convention & Association Bureau, CMP

We recently opened the Association Bureau – a one-stop shop and specific point of contact for international associations. This new office helps guide associations to the right resources, training and contacts to help them reach their professional objectives successfully.

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N R 1 A S S O C I AT I O N C I T Y Brussels is the natural home for international associations.

With its highly-skilled multilingual workforce and depth of support services, Brussels is the best spot for building membership and getting up close to European decision-makers.

With 2,250 headquarters, Brussels is home to more international associations than any other city.

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SPECIALIST IN LIFE SCIENCES

Surprised to know that Belgium has the world’s highest concentration of life science professionals? And that it is the second largest pharma exporter in the world? With its world-famous university hospitals and concentration of international hi-tech and healthcare companies, Brussels is a pivotal centre in life sciences.

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DY N A M I C I CT S E CTO R

In Brussels you can tap into a diverse and sophisticated ICT sector.

Thanks to close collaboration between academia, R&D and businesses, with proactive support from regional authorities, the ICT sector is growing fast and earning Brussels worldwide recognition for its capacity to innovate.

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GREENER AND CLEANER

Visit.brussels will work with you to make your meeting greener.

Brussels itself has made great progress towards becoming a more eco-friendly destination and was recently voted Nr 1 sustainable city in Europe for environmental policy. Join the Annual Carbon Capture & 2 8 M 2 O F G R E E N S PA C E / H A B I TA N T

Storage Summit, Sustainable Energy Week and many other clean-tech events that choose to meet in Brussels.

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C R E AT I V I T Y

Your delegates will have plenty of options after work. Admired for its Art Nouveau and today also for its fashion and textile design, Brussels is emerging as an exciting contemporary creative hub.

The local film industry is booming, museums and art galleries flourish, and 18,000 cultural events take place every year.

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CORRIDORS OF POWER

You can’t get any nearer to Europe’s policy makers than Brussels.

The city hosts all the major EU institutions and is home to a huge diplomatic corps, journalist community and lobby group.

But Brussels is also about business: 1,700 international corporations operate Europe-wide from their base here, spawning a diverse business services sector.

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WORLD CITY

Your delegates will feel at home in Brussels.

It is a cosmopolitan city ( 183 nationalities live here ) and a magnetic centre for economic migration.

On the professional side, Brussels offers you translators and interpreters in all 24 official EU languages.

You won’t easily find that in other cities.

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ART DE VIVRE

Visitors appreciate the quality of life in Brussels, not least 1500 BELGIAN BEER BRANDS

the great food. You can choose from 2,000 restaurants and enjoy top quality on-site catering. The city has also preserved its local culture, so you’ll find street life, traditional markets and folklore, all in a colourful ambience full of good humour.

Enjoy !

AMSTERDAM 00:45

BERLIN 01:20

LONDON 01:10 KO H L N 0 1 : 5 0

FRANKFURT 01:00

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S T R AT E G I C L O C AT I O N

Brussels is easy to reach by air, road and rail, but also easy to move around in. In this compact city, many places are within walking distance, or a short ride away by tram, bus or metro. And if you’re staying near the

PA R I S 0 0 : 4 5

city centre, walking is a wonderful way to discover historical Brussels.

MILANO 01:20

LY O N 0 1 : 2 5

MADRID 02:20

ROMA 02:10

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nr 1 country in Europe in terms of clinical trials per capita and nr 2 worldwide

3 main universities, 7 university hospitals and 24 healthcare centers

BRUSSELS IN NUMBERS

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nr 1 city for headquarters of international associations

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+ 183 nationalities, 108 different languages spoken, 3 official languages

+ 1,237,400 m² Convention Center Space

+ 200 Hotels with 20,000 bedrooms

+ Strong innovator: nr 10 city worldwide with capacity for innovation

nr 1 sustainable city in Europe in terms of environmental policy

+ nr 1 destination for congresses and meetings worldwide (UIA rankings)

Around 210 venues for events from 10 till 10,000 persons

+ 478 media represented incl.99 television stations and 191 newspapers and magazines

18.000 cultural events every year

H OW W E CA N H E L P YO U

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BIDDING visit.brussels has the experience to help you prepare a winning bid:

> By clearly understanding your objectives and strategy; > Obtaining support letters from key players (regional authorities, mayor, airline, institutions); > Organising a site visit for your top decision-makers; > Preparing pitch presentations and videos when shortlisted.

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CONNECTING YOU visit.brussels has the local expertise to put you in contact with the right resources:

> Connect you with a pool of experts in your field (sponsors, speakers); > Introduce you to suppliers experienced in your field (venues, PCOs, DMCs, AMCs, event organisers, caterers,…); > Assist you in obtaining permits, group airline tariffs…; > Help you secure room blocks and obtain the best hotel rates via Brussels Booking Desk; > Plan and advise on social activities (theatre, museums, events, …).

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MARKETING YOUR EVENT

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We aim to promote your event and maximise delegate attendance via:

FINANCIAL SUPPORT visit.brussels helps your organisation with financial support:

> Foreign market targeting through our attachĂŠs and social media;

> We can connect you with financing bodies and support-providing institutions;

> Personalised videos for your organisation;

> Provide financial support to help local ambassadors and international associations based in Brussels

> Promotion during previous events;

attract international events, and offer support for new recurring international events;*

> Communications via our Meeting Calendar, website, newsletters and press releases.

Support can include: international and local promotion of events, invitation of international keynote speakers, activities to enhance attendees experience, social and green initiatives. *Conditions upon request

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WELCOMING YOUR DELEGATES visit.brussels will help make your delegates feel at home in Brussels:

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LEAVE YOUR LEGACY LEA visit.brussels is committed to sustainable development in the meeting sector:

> Welcome desks at the airport and train stations;

> This includes assistance for organising greener meetings as well as the social dimension;

> Welcome reception at the prestigious town hall in the Grand-Place;

> Helping you leaving a long-lasting legacy in the city.

> Concierge service at your event with tourist info; > In-hotel TV welcome messages.

BRUSSELS, A PIVOTAL CENTRE IN LIFE SCIENCES

JOURNÉES FRANCOPHONES DE NUTRITION 2014 FRENCH-SPEAKING NUTRITION CONGRESS 2014

The organization and management of the French-speaking nutrition congress held in December 2014 in The Square has been a challenge transformed in a genuine pleasure and achievement. Getting 2,300 attendees happy and pleased to stay in hotels located at walking distance from the congress centre, the Grand-Place, the beautiful museums and the warm and friendly bars and restaurants has been a very rewarding feeling. Remarkably, several attendees came back to Brussels after the congress to

Organised n Brussels every June, GEEW (Gastroenterology and Endotherapy European Workshop) features live

discover more aspects of the city, as a result of their feeling of well-being and the ease to reach Brussels by train or by plane.

broadcast from endoscopy suites in Erasmus Hospital to conference delegates in Auditorium 2000 at Brussels Expo.

Brussels is definitely an open and multicultural city, dedicated and sized to welcome international events and to provide happiness and pleasure to its visitors.

“It was the first congress of its kind in Europe” says Nancy Beauprez, GEEW Course Coordinator. “Now around 800 gastroenterologists from more than 60 countries are able to comment endoscopic procedures performed by international experts.

But despite these advanced video techniques, we want people to meet each other personally, talk and exchange new ideas.

“Brussels as a meeting-point has always found solutions for our logistics needs. Our co-operation with visit.brussels is excellent and their presence onsite with their hospitality desk is undoubtedly of great value for participants who wish to enjoy the city after long days of scientific sessions.”

Jean-Charles Preiser, M.D., Ph.D.

visit.brussels CONVENTION BUREAU

visit.brussels Rue Royale 2-4 1000 Brussels +32 2 549 50 35 meetings@visit.brussels