News from Bruges for a successful conference
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Hopefully, you have enjoyed your holidays in the form of a staycation, a foreign trip or perhaps a city break to Bruges?
The autumn in Bruges kicks off with the 2nd International Conference on High-Speed Vehicle Science & Technology from September 11 to 15 at the Old St John Congress and Event Centre and the PHPCI 2022 conference from September 20 to 23 at the Bruges Meeting and Convention Centre (BMCC), and the 'Node Festival' throughout the city.
Jasmine Kestens, Sales Manager
Bruges, the perfect destination for your conference
With the arrival of the Bruges Meeting and Convention Centre, our UNESCO World Heritage city is one conference centre richer. Together with the Concertgebouw Brugge and the Old St John Congress and Event Centre, our city can welcome several thousand conference guests at once.
Our conference venues in figures:
- The BMCC houses a 4,500 m2 exhibition hall that is perfect for trade shows or large plenary sessions. The auditorium has a capacity of 514 people.
- The Concert and Conference Hall at Concertgebouw Brugge seats 1,289 people and is renowned worldwide for its extraordinary acoustics.
- The unique 19th-century hospital has now become the contemporary Old St John Congress and Event Centre. The auditorium can accommodate 500 conference guests.
These locations are located in the historic city centre, are perfectly complementary and within walking distance of each other. Add to that the 3,707 stylish hotel rooms, culinary delights, and knowledge institutions focused on our economic growth sectors, and you have countless reasons to choose Bruges.
Convinced of the assets that Bruges has to offer? Check out our conference calendar to see which events Bruges is hosting this year.
The PHPCI 2022 conference comes to Bruges
From 20 to 23 September, the Public Health Palliative Care International Conference (PHPCI) will take place in Bruges. Death, suffering and grieving are often taboo subjects in our society. This conference will seek a solution to this issue: how can compassionate communities, such as Compassionate Bruges, help to break
through this taboo? Not only the BMCC, but the entire historic city centre area serves as the setting for various activities. For example, during 'The Great Crossing', thousands of floating lanterns will be launched in memory of the people from Bruges who died during the coronavirus pandemic.
This event prompted City of Bruges, as a compassionate city, to pair the conference with its public event, the 'Node Festival'.
Professor Joachim Cohen from the End-of-Life Care Research Group: "Creating compassionate communities is an excellent opportunity for our society to become more connected and to democratise our care. When you realise that, at the end of their life, a dying person spends only 5% of their time in the presence of a professional caregiver and the remaining 95% alone or with family, friends, neighbours and/or colleagues, it makes a lot of sense to give those people the tools they need to take on that task in a meaningful and qualitative way by means of compassionate communities."
Novelties in the spotlight
College of Europe in Bruges to host pilot programme of 'European Diplomatic Academy'
From September 2022 to May 2023, the College of Europe in Bruges will provide more than 40 diplomats from EU member states and officials from EU institutions with hands-on training to give them all the necessary knowledge and skills in EU diplomacy.
The project, managed by the European External Action Service (EEAS), will be implemented by the College of Europe in Bruges, in collaboration with the College of Europe in Natolin (Warsaw). This pilot programme will lay the groundwork for the establishment of a full-fledged European Diplomatic Academy.
For more info: European Diplomatic Academy
Musea Brugge designated as new cultural heritage institution
Musea Brugge has received this prestigious recognition from the Flemish Government because of its collection and operation on an international level. The museums of Bruges excel with their world-renowned art collection, phenomenal historic buildings, and visitors from all over the world. Musea Brugge has ambitious future plans, such as BRUSK and the new Heritage Factory.
BRUSK will host meetings, conference dinners, nocturnes, receptions and guided group tours.
Contact Visit Bruges Convention Bureau for further information.
Looking back at the City DNA Summer School in Turin
As a new Mice Consultant at the Visit Bruges Convention Bureau, our colleague Isabelle was among the lucky few who participated in the Summer School. Over four days, she was immersed in the knowledge and expertise of the CityDNA experts, met colleagues from the international meeting industry, shared inspiration and learned from their experiences. CityDNA is an association of European DMMOs (city destination management marketing organisations), of which Visit Bruges has been a member for many years. It was an unforgettable experience!
Need inspiration? Take a look at our social media
