Why large event venues are essential

Why large event venues are essential

To the great surprise of operator Easyfairs - and by extension the entire events sector - the Mechelen (B) city council announced in a press release last week that the Nekkerhal will be demolished in 2032.


The event location is being repurposed as a residential area, just a day after the city council declared its city the ideal location for conferences, trade fairs and other types of events during an impressive networking day for the event sector.



Impact added value Nekkerhal

On June 6, mayor Bart Somers called during his keynote at Mechelen Matcht to organize massive events in Mechelen. The city has also done everything to be included in the Entertainment Valley plan in and around Boom, especially because they recognize that events not only have a social but also an economic impact added value for the region.


Square meters that disappear do not come back. This means a net loss of opportunities for the sector. Calling for events to be organized on day one and the location to be completely demolished on day two is not the best policy choice. Investing in infrastructure is.


The closure of Nekkerhal Mechelen is therefore a hard blow. As one of the busiest multi-format event halls in Belgium, the number of events has more than tripled since Easyfairs took over. Today, the Nekkerhal is a well-functioning infrastructure with a high occupancy rate, strong customer loyalty and demonstrable economic added value for the city and the region.



Belgium as an event country

The repurposing of this large event hall will not only affect the Mechelen region, but also the international image of the Belgian event sector. Belgium wants to position itself as the event location par excellence. The image in the field of city marketing and tourism cannot be underestimated. Our Belgian events and expertise are world-class and internationally renowned.


But our country lacks the capacity and locations to also host large indoor events, such as international congresses and trade fairs. In contrast to other countries, insufficient investment is made in the development of future-proof infrastructures. This sore point was mentioned several times during the past election year, including in the memorandum of Event Confederation, the umbrella organisation that represents the interests of all Belgian event organisers and suppliers.



Investing in large event locations

"The removal of the Nekkerhal hits the event sector deep in the heart," says Christine Merckx. The spokesperson for the Belgian event sector regrets not only the lack of communication with the sector about this symbolic dossier and the lack of correct motivations to turn it into an additional residential area, but especially the unwillingness to invest further in the development of large event locations.


The absence of large and adapted infrastructure, also in our capital, is clearly a bottleneck to allow the events sector to develop more strongly. Large event locations are necessary for the future of the sector, our country and its internationalization ambitions.


It is the task of local governments to invest in infrastructure and support so that events can flourish in our country. It is the task of Event Confederation to continue to promote Nekkerhal and other large event locations together with its event professionals. Only by working together can we contribute to a flourishing event sector and to Belgium as an event country par excellence.

Source: Event Confederation

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