A moment with the Confederation Manager of The “Event Confederation”

The Event Confederation was founded during the Covid-19 crisis, with the ambition of bringing together the strengths of all Belgian players in the live sector. !

We met Stijn Snaet, Confederation Manager, who tells us more about the confederation….

What is your role within the Event Confederation?
I’m the Confederation manager of Event Confederation. My role is to be the link between the member-federations and define the common topics, questions, goals. I’m the first in line representative of our industry & federation. It’s also up to me to raise awareness on the issues and point of views of our sector towards the government, diverse administrations, cabinets, etc.

What is the role of the Event Confederation?
We represent the industry and try to build a better and stronger future for this precious sector. In the first place we want and need to be more visible as an industry. Which means for us – internal stakeholders – we need to think & act more as one sector. We can change things if we all collaborate together and aim for the same common goals. 

What are your main goals for 2023?
Externally: Work on a future where we can leave or try to leave the consecutive crises behind us. Energy costs need to stabilise on a lower level if we want to avoid a severe recession. Our industry, B2B and B2C, is very sensitive on the general economical behaviour or cycle. The sooner we can leave this behind us, the better for the consumer and so for us.
Other topics: continue the path towards a more sustainable future, this in collaboration with the CommToZero Alliance where we are part of. Society is pushing us in that direction. Up to us to find a liveable combination of ecology & economy. Innovation will be a key-driver here.
And last but absolutely not least: our longtime goal to have our proper parity committee. We want to tick that box sooner rather than later. Internally: Finalise the swap for Event Confederation from corona crisis management towards a more stable existence and ensure the financing model on the long term. 

What does Event Confederation do exactly to support our venues?
Two of the main challenges of our industry in general are impacting especially the venues. Energy costs & the upcoming legislation on air quality / ventilation combined with those energy costs. Needless to say that these 2 take a big bite out of my calendar. We try to find solutions in terms of financing, having the right definitions and goals, feasable deadlines, (financial) support, … On the other hand, we are confident that clients & participants will continue to seek those experiences to enjoy remarkable events – concerts – performances – festivals – fairs –  …
Next to that, especially for Brussels we are building a network with the local actors & stakeholders, as we are developping a memorandum on Brussels with our vision how we can further develop the industry in our capital. 

How do you get input from Brussels Special Venues and vice versa?
We have a monthly call with the representatives of all the member federations where we exchange information and subjects. Next to that, Heidi Martens & myself call each other if we have items or ideas to share more on venues in particular or Brussels related. And then there is mail & phone … I’m just one phonecall away. 

If a new venue wants to become a ‘member’ of Event Confederation, what is the process?
Considering a new venue in Brussels or closeby, I can only recommend & even highly recommend to become member of BSV and the deal is done.
Individual venues (or companies) cannot become member of Event Confederation. Memberships are only open for federations such as BSV and our other members. 

We would like to thank Stijn for his time and we invite you to discover more about The Event Confederation on their website.