13 reasons to choose Ghent for your conference

1. Easily accessible city

• Centrally located in Belgium, the heart of Europe
• Less than 1 hour by direct train from Brussels Airport
• Close to other famous historic cities like Bruges & Antwerp

2. Authentic (Conference) destination

• Rising star in City Tourism: Popular tourist destination due to its unique authentic character
• “Europe’s best kept secret” – Lonely Planet
• “Most authentic historical city” – National Geographic Traveler Magazine
• “The surprise European city-break sensation of 2017” –  Condé Nast
• “Authentic” inhabitants: multilingual, open “quirky” locals with a long tradition of hospitality.
• Gaining popularity as a conference destination (see Annual ICCA Conference Listing)

3. Ghent is a city with a small-town feel

• The city of Ghent boasts the largest pedestrianised zone of Belgium
• Most venues, hotels, restaurants & shops are within walking distance from one another.
• Gives the participants the opportunity to network outside the conference venue as well

4. Vibrant city

• Due to large student population (> 71,000 students)
• Event-wise:  1,000 public events a year

5. Sustainable city

Climate Plan:

• First Belgian City with 40% less CO2 by 2030
• Climate-neutral by 2050

Ghent Mobility Plan:

• Ghent is the city with the largest pedestrianised zone of Flanders
• Focus on public transport, pedestrians and cyclists
• No transfer costs and unnecessary transfer times

6. University of Ghent

• Largest University of Flanders (over 71,000 students)
• World-renowned:
  • “Most Innovative University of Europe in Internationalization” – Award for Innovation of the European Association for International Education
  • “Ghent University is the highest-placed Belgian University in the Academic Ranking of World Universities
• University Ghent Veterinary Department ranked best in the world in the ShanghaiRanking’s Global  Ranking of Academic Subjects
• The University Hospital UZ Gent is also world-famous for its specialists
• Potential partner for conferences

7. City of water

• Confluence of the rivers Schelde and Leie
• Water always brings a holiday feeling to visitors
• Possibility of using the canals for transfers by boat (to dining venues, receptions,…)
• North Sea Port:
  • Largest Dry Bulk Port of Belgium
  • One of Europe’s ten largest sea ports

8. City of Light

• Magical play of light and shadow with award-winning lighting plan, giving an extra dimension to the city when conference participants go into town in the evening

9. Medical destination

• Throughout Ghent’s history, medical sciences have always been closely connected to the city. This presence can still be felt today with conference venues which used to be hospitals (like Het Pand) and today’s Ghent University Hospital.

10. The good life

• Famous for its beers, artisanal chocolatiers, its excellent cuisine (with over 500 restaurants), abundance of pubs (over 600)
• Veggie Capital of Europe

11. Wide range of accommodation for conference participants

• 2,400 hotel rooms in all categories ( mostly 4*) of which 90% in historic city centre
• 50 B&Bs (300 rooms)
• Youth hostels:  > 300 beds
• 600 Airbnb accommodations

12. Safe city

Situated in a country rated

• 15th (out of 176 nations) in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception  Index
• 35th (out of 167 nations) in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index

13. Support offered by the city & the local convention bureau

• Free of charge services of our convention bureau: we help you find hotels for the participants, conference venues, venues for social events, organise transfers, establish contacts with authorities, contacts with our University, …
• Planning and organisation of site inspections for your organising committee
• Welcome Tour for all participants offered by the city (guided tour of 1.5 hour during which, besides receiving tourist information, participants are also given practical information about bus stops, taxi stops, restaurants,…)
• Free use of the welcome lounge at Brussels Airport
• Restaurant Flyer with tips on good restaurants where the participants get a free welcome cocktail 
• Video clip on how to get from the airport to Ghent quickly and easily
• Delegate boosting:
  • flyers for distribution at preceding conferences
  • if necessary personal presentation at preceding conference
  • social media support