Many events in our country rely on volunteers. Often, they represent the backbone of numerous public events. However, as many organisers and suppliers have observed, volunteer participation is declining significantly. How can we motivate volunteers in the long term? What legal requirements must they meet? Volunteers also help to reduce costs. Is this sustainable in the long term? An interesting debate, hosted by Valerie Thijs, with panel members: Luc Petit, Jan Van Esbroeck, Lorenzo Serra, Steven Latré and Lolita Becker.

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Impactful sport events can build communities, connect stakeholders and act as catalysts for social change. In this debate, we explore how both large-scale and small-scale events - from the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels to local initiatives such as the Dodentocht in Bornem - realise their social and economic ambitions. Together with our panel members Stijn Van Bever, Michel Francken, Steven Van Beylen, Mohamed Ridouani and Brent Suykens, Valerie Thijs and Geert Bruynseels will delf into topics topics such as inclusion in professional football, the active involvement of the audience, and recent developments in stakeholder management, media, and sponsorship in the organisation and experience of sport events.

The Belgian Event Awards are more than just an award ceremony. They serve as a platform for meeting, recognition, and collaboration within the Belgian event sector. Jean-Paul Talbot and Emmanuel Paul will explain how these awards contribute to building and strengthening a professional community focused on innovation and joint growth.

People often talk about the social impact of events, yet what that truly means, and how to measure it, remains less clear. This panel discussion aims to unpack the concept, explore how events can act as catalysts for social change, and consider ways to measure this. Three leading experts (Jessy Siongers, Richard Naylor, Yana Avramova) will share insights from recent studies and give concrete take-aways to event organisers while also addressing ongoing challenges and open questions.

Environmental sustainability is already a critical consideration in event management, and its significance will only increase in the years ahead. This session will examine practical approaches to making events more sustainable, drawing on the example of the European Cycling Championships in 2024. The event was evaluated by A Greener Future. While being interviewed by Kevin McMullan, Claire O’Neil and Maja Leye will reflect on the innovative measures implemented, the event’s performance across different sustainability dimensions, areas for improvement, and the challenges organisers face. The discussion will conclude with concrete recommendations to support more sustainable event planning and delivery.

Impactful congresses and events are the smart choice: they make a real difference for participants, clients, or patients - and for the location where they take place. The Theory of Change helps you clearly understand which activities lead to that positive transformation. In this interactive workshop - led by Tuya Beyers, Dominique Jansen and Nora Weytjens - you’ll build this model step by step together with others. It’s not just about listening. You’ll be actively puzzling things out and exchanging ideas. You’ll leave with concrete insights and fresh inspiration to organize your events more consciously and effectively.

Sustainability doesn’t have to be a headache – and it certainly doesn’t have to limit creativity. But how do you truly integrate it into your event format, and how do you bring partners and participants along on that journey? Together with our partners, Maarten De Brauwere will share the choices we made, why we made them, and the impact they’ve had. We’ll talk about challenges, results, and even some surprises along the way. In other words: did sustainability kill creativity – or can it make your congress or event stand out?

Digital connectivity and services should be as normal as running water and electricity. They are essential for us to function in the modern world. How can you connect the creative world of music with a succesful digital transformation? In this keynote, Geert Van Mol - author of the book REBEL REBEL - offers practical advice on how to make your company future-proof. 

Our Belgian event sector is world-class and internationally renowned. Not only our event organisers, also many of our suppliers are highly regarded and respected both at home and abroad. Hans Cromheecke will shine a light on who they are, what they do and what makes them our (inter)national heroes. 

How to deal with Gen Z's 8-second attention span? Festivals, just like many other events, are nowadays also competing with an endless stream of online stimuli. TikTok, Instagram and other platforms are increasingly determining what is 'worthwile'. Not to mention ever-shorter attentian spans. In this keynote of Jean-Yves Reumont, you will learn how les Ardentes festival has adapted to the TikTok generation, the impact of social media and - above all - how you can make good use of it. Can organisers remain relevant to Gen Z in an era of ever-shorter attention spans? 

In times of economic uncertainty and under pressure to cut costs, many organisations choose to reduce their marketing, events, and communication budgets. However, according to Bert Knuts, that is exactly the wrong reflex.