Magritte - coming soon to the “Mont des Arts”, Brussels Arts Scene
Work has started on the Magritte Museum which opens in June 2009. The beautiful building on the Place Royale is under artistic wraps with a decorative 3-D canvas cover which is worth a visit in its own right.

Thanks to an original partnership between the SUEZ Group, the Belgian State, the Magritte Foundation & the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, visitors will be able to discover the largest collection of works by René Magritte anywhere in the world, here in its rightful home… in Brussels.
www.fine-arts-museum.be
Watch out the video

Comic Strip Year 2009
That other great Belgian icon, the comic strip features as the major tourism theme for 2009. Under the banner of ‘Brussels 2009 BD Comic Strips’, it’ll be a year of events, exhibitions, cinema…
One highlight is a big exhibition at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, 27 March–30 June, which looks at 100 years of international comics through the eyes of some 20 Belgian artists…

And the Brussels Comic Strip Centre will also be celebrating its 20th Birthday. There’s a dedicated website with detailed info & dates for those who want to plan now.
www.brusselscomics.com

Heading to a new Convention District?
With the return of Square and the arrival of Magritte in 2009, the "Mont des Arts" district smoothly becomes a link between downtown and uppertown. The 200 meeting rooms and accommodation for thousands of attendees within walking distance are re-profiling Brussels and its current Convention Districts Rogier, Grand'Place, Louise and Europe.

It already has some excellent venues - BELvue, BOZAR, Espace Culturel ING, Musical Instruments Museum, Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the new BIP (Brussels Info Place)… it is close to the Central Station & Metro, the Royal Palace & Park and accessible to the major institutions. It is turning into a real Museum Meetings Quarter.

Brussels Summer Festival, 10-19 August
Over 150 concerts, theatre & street shows… including rock, world music, jazz, hip hop, folk, reggae & electronic music in the city’s most attractive squares & numerous bars.
www.infofestival.be

Brussels Flower Carpet, 14-17 August
Every 2 years Brussels Grand’Place is carpeted with over 700.000 begonias, laid out in amazing geometrical shapes. A must-see…
www.flowercarpet.be







And back in Brussels by popular demand
- Body Worlds 4 @ the Cureghem Cellars, 29 August – 11 January 2009
The world’s most successful travelling exhibition has attracted over 25 million visitors since it was first staged in Japan in 1995. Gunther von Hagen’s original exhibition of real human bodies was in Brussels in 2001 and Körperwelten, as it was known then, attracted over 500.000 people to The Cureghem Cellars.
This brand new blockbuster edition comes straight from its spring launch in Manchester, back to The Cureghem Cellars for over 4 months. Tickets go on sale this month.
www.bodyworlds.com

Un Eté Belle Epoque, until 31 August @ Musée d’Ixelles
Organised in co-operation with the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, this wonderful & varied summer exhibition includes the complete collection of Toulouse-Lautrec Belle Époque posters…
www.etebelleepoque.be

Art & Finance in Europe, until 5 October 2008
A joint initiative between the European Association of Public Banks (EAPB) & the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, this exhibition concentrates on the 15th century and it comprises some 20 major works from the latter’s permanent collection – a genuine combination of business & pleasure…!
www.fine-arts-museum.be

Reminders:
Ommegang Historical Pageant, 1 & 3 July
www.ommegang.be
Paintings from the British Royal Collection - From Brueghel to Rubens, until 21 September
www.expo-royalcollection.be
www.fine-arts-museum.be

Smurf for All, All for Smurf, until 16 November
www.cbbd.be

So many things to see & do in Brussels this summer…
For a complete overview, click here

Arne Quinze decorates the Square
Square-Brussels Meetings Centre has joined forces with Arne Quinze, the international design talent from Belgium whose Cityscape creation in wood still adorns up-town Brussels.

Arne Quinze will decorate two public spaces at Square: a brasserie with an open air terrace overlooking the loveliest park in the city centre, as well as a panoramic event hall with a breath-taking panorama of the capital. This will be his first permanent creation in Brussels.
www.square-brussels.com
www.arnequinze.tv

Events at Horta
Hôtel Max Hallet, Art Nouveau jewel on the Avenue Louise built by Victor Horta in 1903 & meticulously restored over 2 years by owner, Michel Gilbert is now available for prestigious events – receptions, gala dinners, small meetings, exhibitions & presentations. Space: 125m² to 300 m². Ideal acoustics for musical events.
www.events-at-horta.be

Maison du Bois – a new venue
The Belgian WOODFORUM has set up its HQ & shop window for the industry at the Arsenal in Etterbeek. They have 1.700 m² of space for temporary exhibitions & product presentations, as well as a multimedia conference room for meetings & seminars.
www.bois.be

Now for something different – Corporate ‘Perfume Nosing’
InFine is a new shop in the centre of Brussels dedicated to personalised perfumes. The concept was created 20 years ago by perfume expert, Jean Patout (not to be confused with Jean Patou, the famous French fashion designer) who has studied carefully the link between the personality of perfume & the person who chooses it.

Perfume ‘tasting’ sessions last around one & a half hours. They take place in 3 parts during which each participant’s choice is narrowed down to their own personalised perfume(s). Groups of up to 50 are divided into smaller workshop groups, each of 10-15 participants.
www.infine-brussels.be

And now for something completely different – Brussels by Segway
Brussels International has just launched a new way of discovering Brussels on 2 wheels, and it’s not by bike but by Segway…a small ‘self-balancing electrical vehicle’ which you drive standing-up.
It’s not just environmentally friendly, it’s fun!

Ideal for small incentive groups of up to 15, or larger if they are doing it back to back with another activity. What about combining perfume nosing & a Segway discovery? If you’re 30, one group of 15 ‘noses’ while the other ‘Segways’…

Try it out as an individual – there are 3 organised tours a day. After a short training session, you set out on an escorted tour from Place de l’Espagne (next to the Central Station) taking in the Grand’Place, the Sablon, the Palais de Justice, the Royal Palace & the Monnaie Opera
For more info, click here

Whether you’re having an evening off or staying on over the weekend, Brussels always has plenty of suggestions & surprises for you…

Museum Bus on the road again
The Museum Bus is back every weekend until end October. It links the historic centre to the museums at the Cinquantenaire. It saves you finding parking… Look out for cartoonist Johan de Moors’ funny Brussels characters onboard.
www.brusselsmuseums.be
www.trammuseumbrussels.be

Visit the Royal Palace, 25 July - 7 September
Don’t miss the Jan Fabré ceiling in the hall of mirrors, decorated with magical reflections from the shells of 1.5 million Thai scarab beetles…
www.monarchie.be

Brussels-on-Sea, 18 July - 17 August
Lining the Brussels canal …over a kilometre of beach, water sports & bars serving up speciality food & drink from all over the world. Bruxelles-les-Bains is also about sport, music & activities for the kids.
www.bruxelleslesbains.be

Walk in Green Brussels
It’s not commonly known, but Brussels has one of the highest ratios of green space per inhabitant of any city in Europe. Take a relaxing after-work jog or stroll in one of the many parks & gardens – from the lovely Brussels Park opposite the Royal Palace to the Leopold Park hidden in the heart of the European Quarter.

If you have a bit more time, go out & discover the ‘Forêt de Soignes’, a 4,000 hectare/10,000 acre beech forest right on the city’s doorstep… Brussels green lungs. For short descriptions of all the main parks, click here

REMINDER - publications for you & your delegates
Brussels International produces an excellent range of useful guides. Among them:
• Let’s Meet in Brussels, the meeting organiser’s bible
• Your Showcase in the Capital of Europe for exhibition & trade fair organisers, highlighting venues with over 300m2 of exhibition space
• After Hours, with lots of tips on how to combine pleasure with your business
• Probook, creative ideas for the Professionals of the press & TO world
• Brussels, your European village, THE touristic guide for you & your friends
• Best of Summer, selected tips for the special events

Download PDF versions

Shopping partnership
Brussels International & the Brussels Hotels Association are working together to produce 2 new shopping guides for distribution in guest rooms:
• Brussels Exclusive Labels will be available in 5-star hotels
• Shopping in Brussels covering the different shopping areas is for general distribution will be available in 2, 3 and 4-star hotels.

A shrimp incentive for the summer
One of Belgium’s favourite summer delicacies is the laconically named ‘Tomates crevettes’.
No mysteries here and so easy to prepare. But the shrimps must be grey & you have to be generous with them.

Recipe as a starter for 4 or as a main course for 2:
What you need:
• 4 big red tomatoes
• 350g of peeled grey shrimps
• 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• Juice from a quarter of a lemon
• 4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
• Salt & pepper

What you do:
• Chop the parsley
• Cut the tops off the tomatoes & keep the covers for decoration
• Empty out the insides, turn the tomatoes upside down & allow to drain for 15 minutes. Save part of the juice
• For the stuffing, pour the lemon juice & the mayonnaise into a bowl
• Add the chopped parsley & 1 tablespoon of the tomato juice, and mix thoroughly
• Put in the shrimps, season with salt & pepper and mix
• Fill the tomatoes to overflowing with the shrimp mixture
• Put their hats back on and keep in the fridge until serving

And the ideal accompaniment – a big plate of Belgian ‘frites’…delicious!

• In Berlin @ Brussels Day, 15 October 2008
• In Brussels @ ESAE Masterclass, 16 October 2008
• In London @ WTM-World Travel Market, 10-13 November 2008
• In London again! @ ETOA Workshop, 7 November 2008
• In Barcelona @ EIBTM, 2-4 December 2008
• In Palm Springs @ USTOA Workshop, 3-5 December 2008

We are the official Brussels Convention & Visitors Bureau - here to help you bring your meetings, events & tours to Brussels.
We work closely with Agencies & Tour Operators; Associations & Corporates; EU & International Institutions; the Brussels Incoming Industry & Hotels; and the Media.

We have up-to-the-minute information for you & your clients: www.brusselsinternational.be
as well as a wide range of attractive & practical printed material to help you sell our city.

We are completely neutral & offer independent advice. We can put you in contact with DMCs, PCOs, hotels, venues & other suppliers, according to your own particular needs.
We look forward to welcoming you here in Brussels.

Who can I talk to?
Are you organising a meeting, an incentive, a site inspection or a group tour?
Are you an agency, an association, a company, a tour operator…?
Click here to find out who you need to talk to…

Brussels International – Tourism & Congress
Rue Royale 2
B- 1000 Brussels

Tel: +32 2 549 50 50
Fax: +32 2 549 50 59
mice@brusselsinternational.be
www.brusselsinternational.be