Impact Day

Q: Location

Saint Magdalene’s ChurchStalijzerstraat 19, 8000 BrugesSaint Magdalene’s Church is not St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The number of places is therefore limited. Be quick and you will definitely get your seat.

Welcome to Impact Day
Monday 14 October from 9.30am to 6pm
Saint Magdalene’s Church Bruges, Flanders (Belgium)

>> Register here

The conference and events sector is at a crossroads. To shape a brighter future, we need to shift our focus from "more" to "better." A new and resilient business model is essential for staying relevant.

Social impact is crucial in this transition. Consider the long-term positive effects your conference or event can have on the host location and its residents.

To address this key question, VISITFLANDERS Convention Bureau has co-developed a new methodology. This stakeholder-focused approach helps organizers identify and maximize their positive impact, making conferences and events milestones not only for the sector but also for society.

On Monday, October 14, we will unveil this methodology—developed over two years—during Impact Day in Bruges. As a sector expert, we invite you to join us for this premiere.

Together with partners #MEET4IMPACT and GDS-Movement, we have designed an engaging afternoon program.

Why attend?

Impact Day offers you 5 reasons to join this unique opportunity:

Learn from industry leaders. Hear from associations like like The European Academy of Childhood-onset Disability (EACD), (Incredible Impact Award 2024 Finalist), The European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST), EASL | The Home of Hepatology, and The World Breaking Championship how they created positive outcomes for members, communities, stakeholders.
Unlock Funding for Impact. Explore how to access funding to support impactful initiatives and get inspired by famous Belgian Captain of Industry and Founder of the Impact House Piet Colruyt.
Insights intosustainable practices. Explore the latest trends in sustainable practices that can make your events more impactful. Get a great introduction from Jan Beyne, Sustainability Expert and Professor at the Antwerp Management School on what Impact is all about.
Strengthen your global network. Connect with over 100 international stakeholders from the Quadruple and Quintuple Innovation Helix Framework to expand your influence and collaboration opportunities.
Drive meaningful change through impactful initiatives.

Impact Day is part of the BEFuture project, which aims to shape the future of Business Events in Europe by promoting sustainability, resilience, and digital innovation.

This event will be organized with sustainability at its core. Located in the heart of Bruges, it is easily accessible by public transport and surrounded by hotels with The Green Key certification. Additionally, we will measure our CO2 emissions to ensure environmental responsibility.

We Care For Water at the Impact Day

Urgent action is needed to overcome the global challenges to water and sanitation. Business events have the power to focus attention on SDG6 and to create a significant impact on sustainable water management.

Let us collectively demonstrate our support for SDG6 during the conference! How?

The Crowne Plaza Bruges monitors water use in real time before, during and post conference. We visualize the results during the conference days.

You can contribute to the campaign by using water more consciously.

Maybe you want to

Take shorter and less frequent showers?
Close the tap while you wash hands?
Use the water glass when brushing teeth?
Rethink if towels need to be changed and room to be cleaned daily?

VISITFLANDERS Convention Bureau developed the new methodology in collaboration with #MEET4IMPACT and the cities of Bruges, Leuven, Antwerp and Ghent.

Program

Drive Meaningful Change

9h30: Start - Welcome

9h45 - 10h15: Jan Beyne on Impact

10h15 - 10h30: CEO Peter De Wilde on Visit Flanders' vision

10h30 - 10h45: Gemmeke De Jongh on Impact methodology

10h45 - 11h15: Coffee break

11h15 - 12h30: The journey towards creating the methodology: 4 steps towards impact

Elegast Monballiu (EACD)
Filip Vandemaele (City of Leuven)
Kathy Van Wambeke (Convention Bureau Bruges)
Tuya Beyers (Visit Flanders Convention Bureau)
Milo Vergucht (Visit Flanders Convention Bureau)

12h30 - 14h00: Health Lunch & Guided tour

14h00 - 15h30:

Introduction to the topic by Geneviève Leclerc and Guy Bigwood (15 minutes)
Keynote: ABCs of the impact investment world and introduction to the "impact ecosystem" (Plenary) - Piet Colruyt (30 minutes)
Session - case study of an association who forged impactful partnerships to scale its impact (30 minutes)
Speakers:
- Ben Hainsworth, Executive Director, EASL
- Maraika Geisterfer-Black, Advocacy, Policy, and Public Health Coordinator, EASL
- Frédéric Ghewy, Sales Director, France and Benelux, Echosense
- Solange Cleutjens, Account Manager Life Sciences & Health, Amsterdam Convention Bureau
- Moderator: Geneviève Leclerc, CEO, #Meet4Impact

15h30 - 16h00: Coffee break

16h00 - 17h00: 2 Breakout sessions

Session 1:

Kickoff to Change: Leveraging Subventions for Sustainable Impact in the Events Industry

Objective: launch the market study on subventions and sustainability by engaging key stakeholders, gathering insights, and setting the stage for impactful research outcomes.

Best practices of leveraging subvention funds to catalyse social and environmental change in cities

Session 2:

How do we fund for impact? A landscape of external funding sources.

A group of experts will introduce different funding sources that traditionally support projects around community impact and environmental transition, such as:

Available EU funding programs for tourism and events and mechanisms to propose projects.
Venture philantropy, looking at greater use of impact investing by the philantropic and association sector.
Corporate sponsorship and micro-giving initiatives to support impact projects

An interactive session will follow, where workshop participants will be invited to go around the room and engage in short but future-focused discussions around these topics.

Key take-aways will be brought back into the closing session.

Interactive format facilitated by Bregje Frens, Conferli with presenters from GDS-M and M4I.

17h00 - 18h00: Closing Session followed by a reception

Location

Saint Magdalene’s Church
Stalijzerstraat 19, 8000 Bruges

Saint Magdalene’s Church is not St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The number of places is therefore limited. Be quick and you will definitely get your seat.

Accommodation

If you would you like to book a hotel for Sunday night you can consult our special deal on the Impact Congress booking platform. (To be booked before 15th September 2024).

Registration

You participate for the price of €150 (VAT included)

Cancellation policy

If you need to cancel your registration, please inform us by emailing hilde.vandepoel@toerismevlaanderen.be before September 30, 2024. This allows us to finalize catering arrangements and adhere to our commitment to sustainability by minimizing food waste. Additionally, your timely notice will enable us to offer your spot to someone else.

If we receive your cancellation after September 30, 2024, the following fees will apply:

- Up to 2 weeks before the event: 50% cancellation fee
- Within 2 weeks of the event: 100% cancellation fee

>> Register

A location to remember: welcome to Saint Magdalene’s Church

Saint Magdalene’s Church is an atypical venue that will instantly steal your heart. The church not only provides space for conferences such as the Impact Day, but also for contemporary art, an excellent coffee bar and even a giant swing. This "eco-church" - heated with green energy - was awarded the "Flanders Heritage Venue" quality label, thus belonging to a network of architecturally high-class conference venues with state-of-the-art conference facilities.