Ambassadors for Brussels

AMBASSADORS

FOR BRUSSELS with visit.brussels Convention & Association Bureau

Brussels has developed strongly as a meeting destination in the last few years and is today the undisputed number one city in the World for association congresses. Our challenge now is to strengthen this leadership and continue developing our position. We have some big advantages on our side and we believe we can do it with your help.

One important advantage we want to develop is our network of ambassadors. These people, like you, are experts in their field and influencers in their sector – doctors, university professors, researchers, academics, association professionals – all passionate about their activities. And enthusiastic about Brussels, capital of Europe.

With their expertise and dynamism, our ambassadors help to attract and organise major international congresses in our city, which also raises the reputation and standing of Brussels in the world.

The following pages describe what ambassadors do for Brussels, the benefits they gain, and how our teams help them organise international meetings with our range of unique services.

This brochure is also an invitation for experts in all fields to step forward and contact visit.brussels. On behalf of Brussels-Capital Region, we invite you to join a growing group of experts and become an Ambassador for Brussels!

Patrick Bontinck

Elisabeth Van Ingelgem

CEO visit.brussels

Director, Convention & Association Bureau, CMP

W H AT I S T H E A M B A S S A D O R P R O G R A M M E ?

An Ambassador is an expert, Belgian or foreign, who has made a significant contribution to attracting major international meetings to the Brussels-Capital Region.

The visit.brussels Ambassador Programme aims to continue building this expert network through recruitment and support of existing Ambassadors, helping to increase the success rate of our bids and attract further international events to the capital of Europe.

WHY SHOULD I BECOME AN AMBASSADOR? Becoming an ambassador for Brussels not only helps attract international congresses, it also helps you and your sector in many ways. A real win-win move: > For you personally, it will help you be recognised even more as an expert in your field; > And help you gain access to a network of senior professionals and academics; > For your organisation, it gives you the opportunity to showcase your institution or association;

As at the beginning of 2017, our Ambassadors have organised more than 60 annual trade fairs, conventions

> It helps you gain the attention of politicians and funding bodies;

and events in Brussels, all with over 800 participants. In total, these events have welcomed more than 500,000

> It encourages future developments and synergies between your organisation and others;

delegates and 9,000 speakers in the last three years.

> With support from visit.brussels, it helps you develop knowledge in organising large international events, destination promotion and presentation skills.

BACKED BY OUR AMBASSADOR SUPPORT PROGRAMME

1.

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

Ambassadors for Brussels can count on the resources and professional expertise of the visit.brussels team whenever you need it – right through the whole process from bidding to leaving a social legacy after your event.

> 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.

2.

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, …).

3.

MARKETING YOUR EVENT

5.

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

4.

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

6.

LEAVE YOUR LEGACY 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.

*conditions upon request

WHY MEET IN BRUSSELS?

2 Specialist in life sciences Surprised to know that Belgium has the world’s highest

1 N° 1 association city

concentration of life science professionals?

And that it is the second largest pharma exporter in the

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

world? With its world-famous university hospitals and concentration of international hi-tech and healthcare companies, Brussels is a pivotal centre in life sciences.

European decision-makers.

With 2,250 headquarters, Brussels is home to more international associations

3 Dynamic ICT sector

than any other city.

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.

4 Greener and cleaner

6 Corridors of power

Visit.brussels will work with you to make your meeting

You can’t get any nearer to Europe’s policy makers than Brussels. The city hosts all the major EU institutions and is home

greener. Brussels itself has made great progress

to a huge diplomatic corps, journalist community and lobby group. But Brussels is also about business: 1,700 international

towards becoming a more eco-friendly destination

corporations operate Europe-wide from their base here, spawning a diverse business services sector.

and was recently voted No. 1 sustainable city in Europe for environmental policy. Join the Annual Carbon Capture & Storage Summit, Sustainable Energy Week and many other clean-tech events that choose to meet in Brussels.

5 Creativity 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.

7 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

AMSTERDAM 00:45

BERLIN 01:20

and interpreters in all 24 official EU languages – and you won’t easily find that in other cities.

LONDON 01:10

KO H L N 0 1 : 5 0

8 Art de vivre

FRANKFURT 01:00

Visitors appreciate the quality of life in Brussels, not least the great food.

You can choose from 2,000 restaurants and enjoy top quality on-site

PA R I S 0 0 : 4 5

catering. The city has also preserved its local culture, so you’ll find street life, traditional markets and folklore, all in a colourful ambience MILANO 01:20

full of good humour. Enjoy!

LY O N 0 1 : 2 5

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

MADRID 02:20

ROMA 02:10

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nr 1 country in Europe in terms of

3 main universities, 7 university hospitals and 24 healthcare centers

clinical trials per capita and nr 2 worldwide

GREEN WEEK CHOOSES BRUSSELS

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

“Brussels is the perfect place for a conference. It has amazing hotels and great conference centres, with easy access everywhere via the excellent public transport system. Visit.brussels is a great source of useful information

n 1 sustainable city in Europe in terms of environmental policy r

when you are organising events; they make finding the correct venue very easy. When organising Green Week, most of our visitors come from outside of Brussels, so it is always very useful to have visit.

+

+

nr 1 city for headquarters of international associations

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

brussels on board to help in providing general information on Brussels,

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

and on accommodation, restaurants and things to do.”

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

Pamela Weir, Green Week Coordinator, DG Environment, European Commission. EU Green Week is the annual opportunity to debate and discuss European environmental policy. Organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for

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+ 1,237,400 m² Convention Center Space

+ 200 Hotels with 20,000 bedrooms

Environment, this key event in the environment policy calendar attracts policymakers, leading environmentalists,

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

stakeholders and other interested parties from across Europe and the globe.

18.000 cultural events every year

… A C I T Y T H AT K N OW S H OW TO B R I N G P E O P L E TO G E T H E R “The Breast International Group (BIG) and its IMPAKT Conference are about bringing people from many cultures together to push the boundaries of breast cancer research, and believing that much more can be achieved together than alone.

With its 180 different nationalities, Brussels embodies the multicultural diversity and richness of the world, despite the challenges that this brings. What is unique is that Brussels remains down-to-earth, friendly and accessible, offering something for everyone: centuries of European history reflected in its architecture and diverse museums; epicurean pleasures ranging from moules-frites and Belgian beer to divine chocolates and haute cuisine; a rich contemporary musical heritage; and humor mixing playfulness with satire and surrealism, from Tintin to Magritte.

Supported by a professional conference and multilingual hospitality infrastructure, Brussels is a charming and creative partner that will guarantee success for all kinds of meetings and social events.”

Dr Martine Piccart, professor of oncology - Doctor of Medicine at the ULB (Free University of Brussels) is founder and president of BIG (Breast International Group) and TRANSBIG (consortium of Translational BIG research).

You like Brussels? Invite your colleagues from around the world to come and discover it! We need your talents, commitment and knowledge to help our city grow and radiate both intellectually and economically ... So join the Ambassador Programme !

Visit.brussels CONVENTION BUREAU

visit.brussels Rue Royale 2-4 1000 Brussels +32 2 549 53 91 b.ambassadors@visit.brussels