Bruges: Where Heritage Inspires World-Class Conferences

• A unique conference experience

The venues are situated in iconic buildings or locations with a rich history. This ensures that a conference is not just a business meeting, but also a memorable experience. Heritage adds emotional value that international participants will remember for longer.

• Internationally recognised quality assurance

A Flanders Heritage Venue is only included following a thorough quality audit by Tourism Flanders. This assesses not only infrastructure and service provision, but also sustainability, accessibility, digitalisation, hybrid capabilities and the visitor experience. For organisers, this means a reliable standard of quality.

• Heritage meets innovation

Bruges combines historic venues with modern conference technology. As a conference organizer you do not have to choose between character and functionality: you get both. This ties in perfectly with the international trend whereby conferences are increasingly focusing on both the experience and technological support.

• Strong international profile

Through its network, Tourism Flanders actively promotes these venues on the international conference market. This increases Bruges’ visibility amongst international associations, PCOs (Professional Congress Organisers) and companies seeking distinctive conference venues.

• Sustainability and a forward-looking approach

All venues are committed to sustainable operations, inclusivity and continuous quality improvement. This is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in international tenders for conferences.

Are you looking for a heritage venue or a venue with a unique impact? Tourism Flanders is supporting and developing a special network of venues at heritage sites under the name 'Flanders Heritage Venues 2.0'. These locations successfully passed a thorough quality audit and were evaluated on criteria such as sustainability, experience, accessibility, digitalisation and well-being.

Bruges has several accredited Flanders Heritage Venues, each with its own character and target audience:

The BMCC is the ideal location for conferences, corporate events and trade shows. This is how the city of Bruges is aiming to respond to the increasing demand for multidisciplinary and hybrid capabilities in a state-of-the-art building, designed by the famous Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura in cooperation with META architects. The design of this unique building provides all that you need: a plenary room with a retractable seating platform for 516 people, a spacious foyer, poster areas, an exhibition area of 4,423 m², 12 breakout rooms and a unique space, The View on the top floor with a beautiful view of Bruges city centre.

By the way, did you know that BMCC holds both the Green Key sustainability label and the M+ accessibility label?

Find out more about the Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre. 

The Concertgebouw best describes itself as 'The perfect scene for your event': state-of-the-art infrastructure and unique architecture also make this venue a perfect Flanders Heritage Venue. By making the link with art and its own artistic programming that is known across national borders, your conferences, corporate events or dinners get just that little bit more experience and impact. The Concert and Congress Hall can seat an audience of 1,289 and is world-renowned for its exceptional acoustics. The Concertgebouw is also a proud holder of the Green Key sustainability label.

Find out more about the Concertgebouw Brugge. 

The authentic electricity plant from the early 20^th century is now an unique industrial event and meeting location where attendees always enter full of wonder. An extraordinary setting for company events, seminars, exhibitions, trade fairs, etc. The location really stands out with its perfect accessibility for both the organisation and the guests. Very extensive technical infrastructure and a very spacious, lit car park next to the venue. Take a look at La Brugeoise in 3D.

Find out more about the corporate event possibilities in La Brugeoise. 

A Flanders Heritage Venue that breathes history. The Provincial Palace was built on the location of the former Waterhalle, where ships would load and unload their wares. Bruges grew to become one of Europe’s most significant trade centres, and the Waterhalle was one of the seven wonders of Bruges. Today, the current neogothic complex is an iconic part of Bruges’ Market Square. Its interior richly decorated with coats of arms, stained glass windows and statues.

It is the first location in Flanders to receive the M++ label, the highest accessibility label for meeting and conference venues. Following its recent restoration and refurbishment, a strong focus was placed on accessibility for everyone: from visitors to organisers and suppliers. Three new lifts, adapted sanitary facilities and a changing place (care-accessible toilet with extra space and aids) were installed.

Discover the possibilities for a seminar, reception or dinner for up to 350 guests in the Provincial Palace. 

St Magdalene’s Church (Madeleine in Brugge) is one of the earliest neo-Gothic churches in continental Europe. In this extraordinary mid-19th-century church, you can explore contemporary forms of meaning and spirituality. Madeleine in Brugge aims to be a little piece of Heaven on Earth, where everyone is welcome. Madeleine in Brugge is also a veritable 'experience church', with a 17-metre swing, a cosy coffee bar, interactive installations and quirky art. A unique location for your meeting and a concert?

Find out more about Madeleine in Bruges. 

For Bruges and conference organisers, the Flanders Heritage Venues represent a significant competitive advantage. Whilst many conference cities compete primarily on capacity and accessibility, Bruges can set itself apart through a combination of:

• UNESCO World Heritage sites and authentic heritage locations;
• modern conference infrastructure;
• a compact city where hotels, restaurants and venues are within walking distance;
• expertise in specific economic growth sectors;
• high-quality services provided by the Visit Bruges Convention Bureau;
• Return on Experience that seamlessly combines content, networking and the destination itself.

In short: the Flanders Heritage Venues not only give international conference organisers access to high-quality conference facilities, but above all to a distinctive all-round experience in which heritage, innovation, sustainability and hospitality come together. This makes Bruges an attractive destination for conferences that aim to leave a lasting impression on participants.