Brussels – world capital of associations | Association Meetings International

Brussels welcomed back large events with a successful NATO Summit in June and continues to go from strength to strength

Starting with the International Association of Hydrogeologists in early September, Brussels is looking forward to the arrival of many congresses this autumn.

The world capital of associations, Brussels will continue to promote opportunities to organise meetings in Brussels with a particular focus on the EU’s Green Deal climate and sustainability aspects, health, education, architecture and urbanism, artificial intelligence and technological evolution. Now in its fifth year, the city’s Ambassadors programme has assisted more than 70 congresses thanks to local representatives of the business, scientific and association sector.

Belgium’s capital hosts more than 2,200 international association headquarters and each year several dozen choose Brussels as their seat, thanks to the favourable local ecosystem. Of the various events held in the city helping to create a strong peer community, one highlight is the European Association Summit, which celebrates its 10^th edition next year.

With its excellent global connections, Brussels is an exciting and diverse capital and important hub of research, networking, business and culture. Easy to reach by plane, rail and road, the city has a well-developed telecoms infrastructure. Moving around the city is also easy thanks to short distances, an excellent public transport network and constant investment.

As an international capital and a great place to live, Brussels is uniquely positioned on the European and world tourism map. The presence of the European institutions, NATO and so many international associations means that the city has a particularly important and professional conference and meetings industry for a city of 1.2 million inhabitants.

With 183 nationalities, Brussels is the most cosmopolitan city in Europe and second in the world. This cultural diversity means it has also become a hub of contemporary art, a hot spot for freelance workers and after work meetings.

Safety above all:

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A health safety label has been launched by the Brussels-Capital Region and visit.brussels certifying venues.

^{Digital move}

^{With a large ecosystem of technology and audio-visual services, the meetings sector now offers new opportunities for digital or hybrid meetings.

At SQUARE Brussels, for instance, a virtual platform allows events to happen in an entirely digital way. A diverse range of venues with in-house equipment offering hybrid events can be found across Brussels – business centres such as Bluepoint, Brussels44Center and Birmingham Event Center; the Lotto Park football stadium; event venues in industrial sites such as The Egg and SILO Brussels, and whole new districts like Tour&Taxis.}

^{Sustainability}

^{With dedicated clusters, ecological building and re-using and recycling supply chains, the number of enterprises that hold the ‘eco-dynamic company' label has been rising. Creating sustainable districts in former industrial areas has also been a priority for urban development.

Sustainability is also reflected in the hospitality sector with an ever-increasing number of accommodation and venues obtaining the Green Key Label, as well as ISO standards. The city’s sustainability policy has been recognised as in the top ten within the GDS-index.}

For further information click here https://visit.brussels/en/lists/association-bureau