Brussels: Home of international associations

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 world’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 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 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 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 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.