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Can you share insights into the current priorities and initiatives of the France/Benelux chapter of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½?

The France Benelux Chapter is a well-established chapter with over 90 members in five countries. Our members look for business engagement and new opportunities, best practices, and meaningful connections. For many members, sustainable practices and the long-term impacts of events are important, and they seek expertise from members both in the France Benelux Chapter and other chapters.

Our role as chapter leaders is to facilitate educational and networking opportunities where members have a platform to exchange ideas, share insights, and seek potential partnerships. The Annual Chapter Meeting is perfect for this. For the last three years, we have joined forces with the Mediterranean, Central European, and Iberian Chapters to hold joint Chapter Meetings. In post-event surveys, delegates acknowledged that such joint meetings provided them with the opportunity to learn more about projects and initiatives and even find partnerships within other European chapters.

Our current priority is to deliver a successful annual Chapter Meeting. In 2026, we are collaborating with the Mediterranean Chapter, and the Joint Chapter Meeting will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, from 17–19 June. We are open to suggestions for hosting the France–Benelux Chapter Meeting in 2027 and beyond.

What do you perceive as the most significant challenges and opportunities for the European meetings and events industry in the coming year?

In recent years, the meetings industry has been facing the challenges of increased costs for venue rentals, catering, technology, travel, etc. This is a challenge for those who have already confirmed events and for those who are planning meetings and conferences for the years to come. In this circumstance, organizers look for the added value of live meetings to justify the costs of participation and travel for delegates. Our industry can stay relevant by nurturing sustainability, legacy, and DEI. Live events need to be top of mind for event planners; our industry is an important link for the construction of communities.

The opportunity for European meetings lies in the rapid development of technologies and innovations. We can no longer underestimate the power of AI. The meetings industry lags behind, but technology will inevitably become a crucial part of any meaningful meeting and of our own lives. Technology will influence how we plan, execute, and experience meetings and events. The digitalization of the meeting industry will allow us to keep meetings cost-efficient while ensuring delegates are more engaged and have a personalized experience.

How do you plan to enhance collaboration and engagement among members within the chapter?

Currently, we are reviewing the activities of the Chapter and its Educational Committee. We aim to have all five countries and all sectors represented in the Education Committee. With new people and ideas in place, we will develop an action plan for the Chapter.

There are many opportunities for France Benelux Chapter members to stay engaged or become more involved within the Chapter. There are a series of networking events at major shows like IMEX, IBTM, and the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Congress. A great way to collaborate with members is to visit or host the Annual Chapter Meeting. By the way, the call to host the France Benelux Annual Chapter meeting is open, and we are looking forward to candidates.

What strategies do you have in mind to attract new members to the France/Benelux chapter?

First of all, we are planning to meet up with every current member during the upcoming events. It’s important for us to hear and understand what our Chapter members want and expect. Our next goal will be to engage all the France Benelux Chapter members during an ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Chapter get-together. Finally, we also hope to meet new potential members. We will enthusiastically share our experiences, advantages, and the relevance of being part of France Benelux Chapter.

On a more personal note, what motivates you to volunteer in your role as a Chapter leader for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½? What fuels your dedication to this position?

INGE: I owe my personal growth within the industry to being an active member of the Educational Committee of the France Benelux Chapter. Five years ago, I applied for the Committee because I’m a constant learner who likes to share ideas and connect with others. I have learned so much from my colleagues, and we have become a real family.

It is a real pleasure to work with all these passionate people and create ideas together. I like to see my Chapter as my home base. These are the people that I’ve known the longest and where I feel at home, no matter where we are in the world. It is a wonderful feeling to know that your work and efforts are appreciated by many. Therefore, I decided that it was time to step up and take my place in the driver’s seat of our Chapter. A new adventure that I’m looking forward to embarking on with great ambition, enthusiasm, and passion. I see it as a great honor to represent my Chapter and contribute to the growth of all the members by encouraging the sharing of experience and knowledge.

LINA: I joined ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ ten years ago when the newly created Lviv Convention Bureau was established. Starting from my first ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Congress in Turkey in 2014, I felt that the meetings industry was truly my industry. Since then, I have been an active member of the Central European Chapter, and in 2017, Lviv hosted the Annual Central European Chapter Meeting. It was a memorable meeting, with most of the delegates visiting Ukraine for the first time. Besides, I was personally inspired by the leadership of Anna Gorska and Jutta Heinrich, the chairpersons of the Central European Chapter at the time.

When I joined the Luxembourg Convention Bureau, I discovered the France Benelux Chapter more closely. It also has a great pool of meetings professionals and some destination leaders. So, on one side, being a Chairperson of the France Benelux Chapter is a great networking opportunity, and on the other side, it’s my contribution to volunteer for the community to which I owe my professional growth. All the previous leaders of the France Benelux Chapter, together with the Educational Committee, laid a great foundation to have the Chapter well established, and I am excited to have a chance to lead it further.

Olivier Vallariello , ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ France-Benelux Chapter Chair 

1. Stepping into your role as Deputy Chair, what are your immediate priorities for strengthening collaboration across the France–Benelux Chapter, and how do you envision enhancing member engagement? 

I would like to strengthen the Educational Committee by ensuring that each country is represented and by encouraging greater participation from Convention Bureau representatives. 

I also believe we should establish smaller, agile working committees focused on specific priorities. This would improve the organisation of our annual event, increase member involvement, and strengthen our presence across digital and social media channels.  

Naturally, any such changes would be discussed and agreed upon collectively within the Chapter. 

2. Given your position at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, how do you see convention centres and destinations in the France–Benelux region evolving to meet the changing expectations of international association meetings? 

Our region is well positioned to lead this transition, particularly thanks to Belgium’s strong association ecosystem, which provides valuable insight into evolving client expectations and a solid foundation for continued innovation. 

This evolution will be driven by three key factors: flexibility, sustainability, and experience. Venues must be able to accommodate hybrid formats, offer advanced technological capabilities, and provide adaptable spaces that respond to changing event designs. 

Beyond the venue itself, destinations must enrich the overall delegate experience by integrating local culture, accessibility, sustainability, and meaningful networking opportunities throughout the event journey. 

3. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ places strong emphasis on knowledge sharing—what initiatives would you like to introduce or expand within the chapter to support professional development and peer-to-peer exchange? 

Artificial Intelligence offers new opportunities that our Chapter should embrace. Plenary sessions and meetings could be automatically transcribed, summarised, and organised around key takeaways before being made available through the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ knowledge platform. 

Over time, this would create a valuable knowledge library covering a broad range of topics, preserving discussions, lessons learned, and practical experiences for both current and future members. 

4. The France–Benelux region is highly diverse in terms of destinations and market maturity. How can the chapter better leverage this diversity to strengthen its global competitiveness in attracting association congresses? 

Each destination brings unique strengths: Belgium with its established association community, France with its scale and infrastructure, and smaller destinations with their agility and capacity for innovation.  

By structuring the exchange of best practices, market intelligence, and expertise more effectively, we can raise the competitiveness of the Chapter as a whole. 

Our role is to transform this diversity into a collective strength by promoting collaboration rather than competition. This means sharing successful case studies, encouraging cross-border initiatives, and presenting the France–Benelux Chapter as a complementary ecosystem capable of meeting a wide range of association needs. 

5. Looking ahead, what opportunities and challenges do you foresee for the region within the global meetings landscape, and how can ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ members position themselves to respond proactively? 

I see sustainability, particularly the response to climate change, as both the greatest challenge and the greatest opportunity facing our industry. 

We must proactively reduce our environmental impact by sharing practical solutions, promoting best practices, and supporting our members as they adapt their event strategies. Achieving this will require collective intelligence and a strong commitment across the Chapter. 

At the same time, this transformation represents a unique opportunity. By positioning ourselves as leaders in sustainable meetings, we can turn constraints into a lasting competitive advantage and further enhance the global attractiveness of our region. 

17-19 June 2026 — Thessaloniki, Greece (joint meeting with Mediterranean Chapter)

16-18 March 2025 — Eindhoven, Netherlands

6-8 March 2024 — Sitges (Barcelona), Spain (joint meeting with Iberian Chapter)

23-25 April 2023 — Strasbourg, France (joint meeting with the Central European Chapter)

10-12 July 2022 — Rome, Italy (joint meeting with Mediterranean Chapter)

6-7 September 2021 — Hasselt, Belgium

18-19 March 2019 — Rennes, France

19-20 March 2018 — Utrecht, Netherlands

13-14 March 2017 — Toulouse, France

16-17 March 2015 — Luxembourg, Luxembourg