12 new meeting and conference locations have joined the ‘Flanders Heritage Venues’ network of Tourism Flanders. These are inspiring and unique meeting locations with which we present Flanders internationally as a high-quality conference destination where experience prevails. The ‘Flanders Heritage Venues’ network now comprises 31 heritage meeting venues all over Flanders.
Now that conference tourism is back in full swing, we are also putting these 12 new venues on the international map to strengthen Flanders’ innovative capacity as a conference destination. – Zuhal Demir (Flemish Minister of Tourism)
The 12 new meeting venues are all heritage sites or offer an exceptional context. They successfully passed a thorough quality audit so that they make a lasting impression on international congress organisers and participants. Sustainability and Tourism Flanders’ ‘Reizen Naar Morgen‘ strategy were also important criteria during the selection of these venues.
The pandemic also hit our meeting and convention halls hard. Fortunately, that period is now behind us and we are once again ready to host international congresses. And within that specific world, Flanders has two trump cards: its strategic location and the wealth of expertise available here. Congress organisers know this all too well and want more than ever to receive their participants physically. To persuade them to come to Flanders, we are investing heavily with Tourism Flanders in this network that guarantees top-class international quality and experiences. – Zuhal Demir (Flemish Minister of Tourism)
The 12 new Flanders Heritage Venues
In Bruges
The Exhibition, Meeting and Congress Centre in Bruges (BMCC) is the ideal location for special events, congresses and trade fairs. Besides the impressive ground floor with an area of 4,500m² – perfect for trade fairs, larger public events and concerts – there is the conference area on the upper floors.
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 linking it to art and its own artistic programming, which is known across the country, congresses, meetings, seminars, meetings, corporate events or parties get just that little bit more experience and impact.
La Brugeoise: a unique early 20th-century industrial event and meeting location where attendees always come in full of wonder, can participate in indoor or outdoor activities and usually end the event with a closing party and culinary experience.
In Lier
The brand new Constant. This old city brewery and former city office ‘t Schaeckberd was converted into a beautiful base for regional activities and with the ideal infrastructure for meetings and conferences. With this high-end location, Lier will undoubtedly be more on the international map.
In Leuven
Heritage site Park Abbey guarantees an aesthetic and sensual overall experience. This beautiful venue draws inspiration from age-old traditions and connects in the here and now, focusing on a sustainable future. The motto here: tradition in renewal, renewal in tradition.
In Ostend
De Grote Post offers extensive and professional support and facilities for MICE activities, including meeting rooms, conference rooms, event spaces and catering facilities. In 2012, the former P.T.T. building was opened as the new cultural beacon of the city of Ostend. Meanwhile, the Grote Post has grown into a vibrant place where audiences, conference visitors and artists meet.
In Ghent
HA Concerts: once Gildenhuis, then Posthotel, but above all Handelbeurs, eventually this location became a concert hall in 2002. Seminars, fairs, congresses, concerts, theatre and film performances, music recordings, press conferences, lectures, receptions, workshops,… It’s all possible at Ha Concerts.
De Oude Vismijn: a unique, historic venue (one of the oldest markets in Ghent, originally located on the Groentenmarkt but relocated to the Sint-Veerleplein at the end of the 17th century) with 4 interconnected halls in the medieval city centre. Entrance opposite the historic Castle of the Counts with a view of the Leie, the Graslei and Ghent’s three towers.
The Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK) is the oldest museum in Belgium. Its core collection dates back to 1798 and the museum has been housed in its current monumental building since 1904. The MSK is a welcoming place for a wide and diverse audience, in a unique architectural setting, where visual arts permanently connect people, where admiration and wonder, reflection and debate are central.
Zebrastraat is a vibrant place. You can live there, experience culture and organise events. Once still the site of the zoo (until 1902) and with typical working-class houses of the time still intact (Charles Van Rysselberghe). Today you can come to Zebrastraat for all your meetings, conferences, training courses, seminars, … or for a tailor-made event.
In Antwerp
Horta Grand Café: opened in 2000 and decorated with the iron rafters of the demolished Maison Du Peuple by renowned Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta, in the bustling heart of Antwerp. This venue consists of a modern Grand Café and an awe-inspiring Art Nouveau Hall. Located between the theatre district, the busy Meir and the trendy Schuttershofstraat, it is the perfect place for your next event or congress.
In Kortrijk
Schouwburg Kortrijk will be the cultural hotspot of the city of Kortrijk and region of West Flanders from 2025 onwards. It is a unique venue that combines the heritage of a more than 100-year-old Schouwburg with the facilities of a modern, sustainable and accessible building, ready to provide the international value-added conference-goer with a more than unique experience.
More information on the 31 Flanders Heritage Venues
