What do experts say about their conference experience in Bruges?
As a UNESCO World Heritage City, combined with a world port, a healthcare sector with 800 years of history and complemented by great expertise in ICT and mechatronics, Bruges is a popular home for many sectors. These economic growth sectors are the holy grail of the Bruges economy. They are the perfect breeding ground for attracting exciting national and international residential (association) conferences. Bruges is also strongly committed to sustainability and collaborates with Green Key hotels and venues. Our ambassadors testify.
EACD 2024 Conference
The European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD) won the ICCA & BestCities Global Alliance Incredible Impacts Programme Award for the EACD2024 conference in Bruges. The conference took place in the complementary venues Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre and Concertgebouw Brugge. The EACD+ programme created a long-lasting impact on the local community of Bruges and beyond.
In the video, we interviewed Prof. Elegast Monbaliu, the President of EACD.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges
Centuries ago, Bruges was the beating heart of European maritime trade. Ships from all corners of the globe brought knowledge, innovation and ambition together here. Today, the city continues that tradition — as a gateway to the future of the Green Economy.
Just fifteen minutes apart, Bruges and Zeebrugge form a unique tandem: a high-tech port region where sustainable energy and maritime innovation are developed, and a UNESCO World Heritage city where conference attendees can immerse themselves in culture, gastronomy and inspiration.
In the interview, Tom Hautekiet, Chief Business Development & Transition, explains the complementarity between Zeebrugge and Bruges.
IUCN Regional Conservation Forum
The IUCN Regional Conservation Forum for Europe, North and Central Asia was held in the state-of-the art Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre. The conference offered a vibrant and creative space for the exchange of ideas, views and thoughts on the transition needed to address the environmental challenge our society faces today, globally and locally.
The Regional Conservation Forum for Europe, North and Central Asia 2024 was a collaborative effort by the Government of Flanders, the city of Bruges, the IUCN Belgian Focal Point, local partners and IUCN.
Davija Jata, Coordinator of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, explains in the video the walkability of Bruges.
REMA’s First Early Music Summit
The First Early Music Summit took place in the Concertgebouw Brugge. It is an atypical venue within REMA. As a medium-to-large concert venue, it invests in a significant series of early music concerts and has built an international reputation through events such as the Bach Academy and the GOLD festival. Concertgebouw Brugge combines excellent acoustics with the practical advantages for organising a European conference.
REMA aims at being the leading voice of the sector in Europe, by stimulating awareness for early music, by promoting the rediscovery of European heritage and repertoire in terms of historically informed performance, while boosting the creativity of artists and encouraging their professional integration.
Veerle Declerck works as an Artistic Coordinator Early Music in Concertgebouw Brugge.
The 33rd international conference of IAMA
The 33rd international conference of the International Artist Managers' Association (IAMA) took place from April 29 to May 1, 2024, at the Concertgebouw Brugge. More than 550 music professionals from the classical music sector gathered there for lectures and debates. During the closing dinner held on stage, the wind quintet of the resident orchestra Anima Eterna Brugge provided a major surprise from the Concert Hall balcony.
Anima Eterna Brugge is an international project orchestra and an associate artist of Concertgebouw Brugge. It was founded in 1987 by conductor and keyboard player Jos Van Immerseel. It performs repertoire written between 1750 and 1945, and the size of the orchestra varies - depending on the repertoire- from seven to eighty musicians.
CityDNA Autumn Conference & GDS Forum
City Destinations Alliance is the European association of city tourism organisations and convention bureaus. The CityDNA conference was linked to the GDS Forum. The purpose of the GDS-Forum was to bring together and unite the sustainability champions of the GDS-Movement, with a goal to share sustainable destination strategies and best practices The conference took place in the Green Key hotel Crowne Plaza Brugge. No less than 200 delegates were introduced to Bruges’ sustainable advantages. The event also hosted the prestigious GDS-Awards together with the CityDNA Gala Dinner in the magnificent neo-Renaissance Royal City Theatre.
Barbara Jamison Woods, the president of CityDNA, explains the innovative touristic approach of Bruges in the video.
At a conference in Bruges: Bio€quity 2025
'Return on Experience' is one of the MICE trends. The 25th edition of Bio€quity perfectly reflects this unique experience in Bruges - before, during and after the conference. A trade fair was organised in the Expo Hall at the BMCC, where investors could learn about the life sciences sector in Europe. The conference began with an official reception at the Town Hall, followed by a plenary session and a reception at the Provincial Court. On Tuesday evening, the guests were invited to a walking dinner at La Brugeoise, a building of industrial heritage.
Want to find out more? Watch the after movie with Ann Van Gysel's (CEO Biovia) testimonial.