Our Brussels eNews is now in its 4th year and we have decided to make it shorter & more frequent but it will still have meat (good information & ideas) …as well as the traditional Brussels recipe. It will now come out every 2 months and keep you in closer touch with everything going on in this great city.

On 1 May BITC/Brussels Convention Bureau is moving to new offices at Rue Royale 2, next to the Musical Instruments Museum and in the heart of Artistic Brussels (Mont des Arts).
We will be close to Square, Brussels’ renovated conference centre (opening in 2009), and will also have a new Visitor Centre at the same address.

SPOTLIGHT: Star Wars, the Exhibition, February – June, Tour & Taxis
Hot from London, Star Wars has landed in Brussels as part of its European tour. Already over 1 million people have visited the exhibition and relived the adventures of Darth Vador, Luke Skywalker, Yoda & Princess Leia.
Visit the worlds of Tatooine, Naboo, Endor, Hoth, Coruscant, Kamino, Geonosis, Kashyyyk, Utapau & Mustafar. The exhibition gives visitors, movie lovers & Star Wars fans a unique opportunity to learn & discover some of the secrets behind the making of this epic Saga.
Open 7 days a week and tickets are much cheaper than in London.
www.starwars-theexhibition.com

COMING SOON: Smurf for All, All for Smurf (Expo Schtroumpf),
10 June – 16 November, CBBD (Belgian Comic Strip Museum)
Amazingly the Smurfs are celebrating their 50th Birthday this year and remain the most popular characters created by a Belgian comic strip artist. Peyo’s work will be on display at the Comic Strip Museum, while the Smurfs are on a year long European Tour.
www.cbbd.be - www.schtroumpfanniversaire.com

REMINDER: 50th Anniversary of the World Fair ‘58
www.brussels-expo58.be

LAST CALL for Alechinsky from A to Y, until 30 March, Royal Museums of Fine Arts - www.fine-arts-museum.be

for Leonardo Da Vinci, the European Genius, lasting until 6 April, Koekelberg Basilica www.expo-davinci.eu

The 3rd edition of the award-winning Brussels Meetings Week begins on 14 March. Its objective is once again to raise awareness of the economic importance of the meetings industry among public & private sector decision-makers; politicians at national, regional & local level; the media & the local community in Brussels.

The programme is looking good. And here’s an update.

For all the latest details & timings, keep an eye on:
www.brusselsmeetingsweek.com

The Conference Centre is a new venue within the World Customs Organisation complex in the Rogier Convention District. It’s within easy walking distance of almost everything - public transport, car parks, major hotels, shops & the historic centre. It’s a modern, fully equipped centre with five different venues under one roof for up to 450 delegates.
For more info, consult Let’s Meet 2008 online.
www.brusselsinternational.be

Indigo Studios is a brand new kind of art gallery, managed by a team with a strong events background, which responds to the growing demand for art combined with entertainment. This former 650m² metal-works in the Brussels ‘village’ of Saint-Gilles is now fully equipped to welcome all types of events; from product launches to fashion shows, from corporate events to exhibitions…
www.indigostudios.be

Brussels Airport Authority announced a growth of 1.2 million passengers using the airport in 2007. That’s up by 7% on 2006 – a handsome increase!

In 2007, for the second year in a row, Brussels Airport has been rated the most punctual airport in Europe. This emerged from a report by the Association of European Airlines (AEA), which unites the major airlines in Europe. Read the article on: www.brusselsairport.be/en/news/newsItems/punctuality

From Estoril with empathy.

“I recently organised a conference in Brussels and am very happy to say that it ran totally seamlessly. The local suppliers from hotel to professionals were well-organised, professional, great problem-solvers and extremely warm & welcoming. I love to be able to say nice things about destinations.”

Linda Pereira, Executive Director, CPL Events, Portugal

Let’s Meet 2008
Let’s Meet 2008 is out. To put you in the mood, there are some great pictures of Brussels by night and from the rooftops. There’s also more emphasis on ‘green meetings’ and venues & hotels with Eco-labels.

You’ll find a special new section on Welcome Services in Brussels – before, around & after the convention, as well as a helpful guide to the city’s different Convention Districts. Plus a wealth of information on the MICE Card; on material available to help you...

In short, Let’s Meet 2008 is more colourful & even more practical.
e-brochure

For Trade Fair & Exhibition organisers, a new edition of ‘Your Showcase in the Capital of Europe’ has just been published and highlights venues with 300m2 + of exhibition space.
e-brochure

Talking Museums!
Whether you speak Swedish, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Russian, Arab, Chinese or simply English, French or Dutch, you will be able to discover Brussels Museums in your own language. Launched during Museum Night Fever on 1 March, MuseumTalks allows you to download on your mp3 or mobile short, personal & spontaneous comments on works of art in the main collections in Brussels. The comments come from both well-known people & normal visitors, and are available in 25 languages. A clever idea!
www.museumtalks.be

Another tasty dish from Brussels:
Eggs ‘à la Meulemeester’
This recipe comes from a famous Brussels stage play. You have to be a real ‘Brusseleer’ to be able to know & dream about this delicious mix of eggs with marinated grey shrimps.
And it’s so easy to make…

What you need:

4 eggs
125g peeled grey shrimps
10cl sour cream
25g grated cheese (Emmenthal ou Gruyère)
20g butter
25cl bottle of Hoegaarden white beer
1tbs French mustard
1tbs chervil
Salt & pepper

• Butter 2 small oven dishes
• Heat the beer in a small pan so the alcohol evaporates
• Take it off the heat and put in the shrimps to marinate for one hour. At the end separate the beer & shrimps and set them aside for later use
• Separate one egg yolk & beat it into an omelette
• Boil the other 3 eggs for 7 minutes, put them under the cold tap & peel them
• Then cut them into thin slices without breaking the yolks
• Melt the butter in a small pan, add the beer, bring to the boil and simmer to reduce the sauce before adding the cream & egg yolk, and mixing thoroughly
• Pre-heat the grill (at maximum)
• Place the shrimps covered with the slices of egg in the two oven dishes
• Cover with the sauce, the grated cheese and small knobs of butter
• Grill gently for 10 minutes and serve very hot.
  
  

@ EMIF, 19-20 March 2008, you will find us in the Brussels village alongside a wide range of our commercial partners.

• In Frankfurt @ IMEX, 22-24 April 2008
• In Berlin @ Brussels Day, Autumn 2008
• In Barcelona @ EIBTM, 2-4 December 2008
  
  

We are here to convince you to hold your next meeting or event in Brussels… naturally!

We have up-to-the-minute information on www.brusselsinternational.be, as well as a wide range of attractive and practical printed material for you & your clients.

We are also completely neutral. We offer independent advice and can put you in contact with DMCs, PCOs, hotels, venues & other suppliers - according to your own particular needs
– all free of charge.

Brussels International – Tourism & Congress
(As from 1 May)
Rue Royale 2
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 549 50 50
Fax: +32 2 549 50 59
mice@brusselsinternational.be
www.brusselsinternational.be