In 2024, visit.brussels continued its commitment to consolidate Brussels' role as a key hub for international associations and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) activities. Through local and international strategic partnerships, the aim has been to promote Brussels as a destination of choice for associations, while actively supporting their development in the area.

Since February 2024, the Association Place, which opened in November 2023, has become increasingly important with the launch of the Association Connect programme. This is a series of monthly interactive workshops designed to meet the specific needs of international associations, with very positive feedback on the relevance of the topics addressed and the quality of the speakers.

Efforts to promote The Association Place include social networking campaigns, "open house" sessions and "welcome days" to familiarise Brussels-based international associations with the services offered by the Convention & Association Bureau.

Partnerships with associations, supported by the European Quarter brands and collaborations with organisations such as the Press Club and the CEOI, have helped to raise Brussels' international profile. Through these actions, visit.brussels has consolidated its relations with local and international associations. It has also positioned Brussels as a strategic centre for exchanges and events with associations.

In 2024, the Press Club Brussels Europe continued to play a central role as a key platform for international journalists, representatives of European institutions and international organisations. With over 500 events, including press conferences, debates, seminars, exhibitions and workshops, the Press Club confirmed its position as Europe's leading communications hub. In November, a record was set with over 50 events in a single month, despite a pre-election period in May and June which slowed down some European Parliament-related activities.

With an average daily attendance of 80 people in the workspaces and lounge and 4,800 monthly visitors to the "Discover Brussels" section of the website (50% of whom are from outside Belgium), the Press Club has improved its reach. Its role in the EU Visitors Programme led it to welcome some thirty international journalists in 2024, consolidating its status as a dynamic platform for discussion and communication. Thanks to these numerous initiatives, the Press Club continues to promote Brussels as a nerve centre for the international press and cultural diplomacy.

In 2024 as part of its Europe Direct Brussels mission with the European Union, visit.brussels established itself as an key information centre on the European Union (EU) in the Region, bringing Europe closer to Brussels' residents. The initiative raised awareness among a wide range of audiences about the EU, how it works and what it does, through a website, dynamic social media accounts and information via visit.brussels offices. A communication campaign on social networks with filmed portraits of European civil servants gave the institutions a human face.

At the same time, a number of events have strengthened the dialogue with citizens. An interactive roadshow reached out to young people directly on the topic of the European elections, attracting 455 participants. The Iris Festival, the SIEP trade fair, local community events and the Pop-Up Europe programme all featured debates and fun activities.  Education was one of the major focuses, with a special Teachers' Day, the distribution of teaching materials and classroom activities for 415 pupils.

This communication plan had a significant impact for Europe Direct: 50 presentations, 830 event participants, strong social media growth (71,100 people reached on Instagram, 43,552 on Facebook) and a good engagement rate on newsletters.

In 2024, visit.brussels continued its commitment to welcoming and integrating the international community in Brussels, through personalised support and by facilitating their daily immersion in local and cultural life.

The Destination Brussels event brought together several thousand newcomers within the European institutions and NATO, offering them digital Welcome Packs containing free Villo subscriptions and a Volume Pass to discover the city. A total of 170 Volume Passes and 132 Villo Passes have been used (excluding data for the last quarter).

Nine welcome sessions attracted 400 participants in-person while 600 attended online. A stand at NATO extended the reach of our actions to international communities.

A monthly newsletter, with 8,000 subscribers and an open rate of 30 to 37%, has helped maintain a regular link with this community.

These initiatives have benefited around 2,500 new expatriates every six months, as well as the 8,000 already settled here, actively contributing to their integration and discovery of Brussels.