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.

Visit Bruges, Jan Darthet

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.

Visit Bruges

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

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.

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

Program

Join us on Monday 14th October at Impact Day and get all the insights and learnings from a 2 year journey whereby VisitFLANDERS Convention Bureau shifted from ‘more’ to ‘better’

Together with the entire organisation, our partners and moderator Francis Kadaplackal we invite you to celebrate our methodology and learn more about the importance of generating impact with a congress or event in your destination. Learn from 3 best practices and interact with different international experts.

Get inspired and learn from the members of the European Academy for Childhood Disability (EACD), the European Federation for Food Science and Technology (EFFOST), and the World Breaking Championship who went beyond the economic impact with their congress and event and truly generated impact.

In the afternoon we will deep dive in a new topic: Funding of Impact. The well-know Belgian Captain of Industry Piet Colruyt will kick start the conversation and together with our partners #MEET4IMPACT and GDS-Movement we will bring you several workshops and explore further the topic of funding and investing in impact.

You will meet with well-known experts on the topic of impact e.g. Geneviève Leclerc and Beatriz Ibanez from #MEET4IMPACT and Wendy Braeken, Social Impact Coach joined by experts Guy Bigwood and Milda Salciute from GDS-Movement.

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 31st August 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.