Faced with the current crisis, the MICE industry has got its thinking cap on. From anticipating changes and the implementation of new technologies in their events, to choosing a location that is closer to home – there are many paths that lead to new, innovative solutions. To help the sector, the Brussels-Capital Region, European destination leader for organising international associations’ conferences for the seventh year running, has just launched a fund of 2 million euros to encourage organisers to choose Brussels as their destination for future events. A fantastic way for Brussels to give its firm support to the sector.
Since March 2020, the cancellation or, at best, the postponement of thousands of events has meant that the global MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) industry has faced difficulties on a large scale. Having only gone completely digital a few weeks ago, events have had to turn themselves into remotely-held meetings or courses.
However, the key features of a conference or professional event (networking, informal exchanges, etc.) do not work well in online meetings, no matter how many participants there are. That is why today, Brussels, in its capacity as leader of organising conferences and international events, is supporting new initiatives and giving its firm support to organising real-live events.
Meet brUSsels
Brussels has many strong points. From its ideal geographical location and its vast network of associations, to the European institutions that are based there and its multilingualism, the capital has numerous advantages for the organisers of conferences and B2B events. And these organisers understand it well. The European capital features in many top events destinations. For the seventh year running, Brussels has achieved first place in Europe and second in the world, according to the annual report published by the Union of International Associations (UIA), with an increase of 30% in conferences organised there compared to the previous year.
