Bruges |
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The‘ Venice of the North’, Bruges is a medieval, UNESCO city that’ s been partially converted into a conference centre. One of the main pulls of the city is that delegates will want to explore it. With a network of medieval canals, cobblestone streets and old Gothic buildings, Bruges is one of the most picturesque towns in central Europe. Not to mention that fans of the movie will be able to say they’ ve been“ In Bruges”.
Hospitality-wise, the city is also a high performer – Bruges has more Michelinstarred restaurants per capita than Paris.
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Practically, what does Bruges offer to organisers? Oud Sint-Jan One of Europe’ s oldest hospitals, the 12th century Oud Sint-Jan site has been converted into a conference venue. It has kept its medieval interiors, yet now offers modern facilities that host medical and scientific conferences. Concertgebouw Completed in 2002, the Concertgebouw Brugge is one of the city’ s most contemporary structures. Located near the historic centre, the concert hall is built to host world-class performances, including conferences. Its state-of-theart acoustics make it ideal for scientific congresses, panel discussions and multimedia presentations. BMCC The‘ hyper-modern’ label can also be attached to Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre( BMCC), the city’ s main venue. It was built to an extremely high sustainability standard. BMCC has geothermal heating and cooling, solar energy, bio-insulated roofing and sustainable carpeting.
Walkable conference experience Bruges’ greatest logistical advantage is that it’ s entirely walkable. From the moment delegates arrive, everything is within reach:
• No shuttle buses or taxis needed –
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Gotische Zaal museum in Bruges
venues, hotels and restaurants are within minutes on foot
• More than 50 hotels within walking distance of conference venues
• Sustainable by default – low emissions, minimal transport impact and reduced event footprints
A history of‘ legacy conferencing’ The impact of the EACD 2024 conference in Bruges, hosted by KU Leuven, went beyond the boardroom. The EACD + programme partnered with local organisations and public sectors, which led to the establishment of a task force advocating across Europe. The
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Above: Rosary Quay, Bruges |
conference was recognised by ICCA and BestCities with the 2024 Incredible Impacts Programme grant for this lasting effect.
Odd facts:
• Bruges hosted the first European hydrogen-powered tour boat – In December 2023, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges introduced the Hydrotug 1, the world’ s first hydrogen-powered tugboat. The Hydrotug 1 is part of the port’ s initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
• Bruges pioneered‘ silent nights’ for sustainable tourism – Since 2023, the city enforces noise-free evenings in certain areas, ensuring that events can host evening receptions without excessive urban noise.
• Best for: high-impact, lowdisruption conferences. Bruges isn’ t a city for large-scale trade expos or high-capacity arenas.
But for knowledge-sharing events, the city’ s UNESCO medieval beauty, sustainability and efficiency make it an impressive conference location. n
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