Conversation with Leen Gysen, CEO, Visit Flanders
On September 9, Visit Flanders, representing the region in Belgium, hosted an Evening Above New York at Sky Cellar, a private dining room on the 101st floor of New York City’s 30 Hudson Yards. In conjunction with the event, Gysen connected with USAE to discuss Flemish meetings facilities and developments, alleviating visitors’ concerns and can’t miss dishes.
USAE: How is Flanders positioning itself as a destination for the American meetings market?
Gysen: We see the American association meetings market as an important opportunity for Flanders, but our ambition goes beyond simply attracting more congresses. We position Flanders as a destination where meetings create meaningful connections—between people, knowledge and ideas, and between the event and the destination itself.
That is very much in line with our broader strategy at Visit Flanders, “Travel to Tomorrow.” We want tourism to create value for visitors, entrepreneurs, residents and the places they visit. For the meetings sector, that means focusing on congresses that leave something (even better: a legacy and something) behind.
Flanders has a particularly strong proposition for associations. We combine compact, highly accessible cities with world-class universities and knowledge institutions, internationally relevant industries, exceptional heritage and strong culinary and cultural offerings. We see conferences as catalysts for positive societal change. By connecting international associations with Flemish universities, research centers, and industry clusters, we create long-term impact locally and globally. At the same time, we champion sustainable innovation to build a resilient, future-proof meetings industry.
Our concept of Create Tomorrow’s Heritage captures that ambition well. We want to connect our heritage with the future—showing international meeting planners that Flanders is not only a place with a remarkable past, but also a place where knowledge, innovation and new ideas are being created today. For association executives, that creates opportunities to take their meeting beyond the convention center and connect delegates with the people, expertise and ideas that define the destination.
USAE: What is a concern Visit Flanders routinely hears from international meeting planners, and how does the bureau alleviate that specific anxiety?
Gysen: One concern we hear quite often is: “I don’t know the destination well enough. Who will help me make this work?”
That is a very understandable concern when you are organizing an international congress. Association executives are ultimately responsible for delivering a successful experience for their members, so they need confidence in the destination and in the partners supporting them.
That is exactly the role of our Flanders Convention Bureau. We are not simply promoting the destination; we are connecting planners with the destination. Our experts know the local ecosystem and can bring together venues, hotels, convention bureaux, knowledge institutions, academics and industry partners.
We can also help establish a strong Local Organizing Committee and identify the right local partners around a congress. And importantly, our support is free of charge and objective.
So, our message to an international planner is simple: you don’t have to navigate Flanders on your own. We are your local partner, helping you turn an idea for a congress into something that works in practice—and creates value for your association and its delegates.
USAE: Please share a few hospitality industry developments within Flanders you’re excited for.
Gysen: I’m particularly excited about how the Flemish meetings infrastructure is evolving. We are not simply adding capacity; we are raising the quality of the overall experience. The further development of the Flanders Heritage Venues network is a good example. These venues bring together heritage, hospitality and high-quality meeting infrastructure. With the next generation of the program, we are putting even more emphasis on sustainability, accessibility, innovation and memorable experiences.
We are also seeing investments in digital transformation and technology across the sector. That is increasingly important for international associations, which need venues capable of supporting both in-person and digital participation.
And there are significant investments in individual cities and venues that will further strengthen our international meetings proposition. By hosting conferences in iconic locations such as the Wintercircus, historic buildings, museums, or other heritage sites, delegates are immersed in a story that connects (e.g., Ghent’s rich past with the innovative future). We can tailor experiences to the content of the event and showcase the city’s unique strengths as a leading European hub for technology, biotech and innovation.
For example, a biotech conference in Ghent could include a visit to the hub of local start-ups and research centers for some meaningful encounters, or behind-the-scenes experiences that connect delegates with the city’s thriving innovation ecosystem. This creates a strong link between the conference theme and its destination.
What excites me most is that these developments allow us to offer something quite distinctive: a meeting can take place in a venue with centuries of history while providing the technology, sustainability, accessibility and professional standards expected by a modern international association.
That combination is difficult to replicate.
Looking ahead, we see several exciting developments that will further enhance the attractiveness of Flanders as a congress destination. The renewed Kursaal Oostende at the seaside, the redevelopment of ICC Ghent, and the future Leuven Performing Arts Centre will add modern, high-quality venues to our offering. These investments reflect a continued commitment to strengthening our meeting and events infrastructure and position Flanders well to attract major international congresses in the years to come.
USAE: What will surprise a first-time visitor to Flanders?
Gysen: I think visitors are often surprised by the combination of scale and diversity. Flanders is compact, but within that relatively small region you find historic cities, world-class art and heritage, leading universities and knowledge institutions, innovative companies, creative industries and an extraordinary culinary scene.
That is particularly relevant for associations. A delegate can spend the day engaging with experts in their field and, within a short distance, experience centuries of history, outstanding food, contemporary creation or one of our unique heritage venues.
Perhaps most importantly, visitors discover that our heritage is not something static. At Visit Flanders, we talk about Create Tomorrow’s Heritage because we want to show the connection between what Flanders has inherited and what Flanders is creating today. In this way, Flanders demonstrates that heritage is not just about the past; it is a living, interactive foundation for innovation, learning, and long-term societal impact.
That combination of historic character and forward-looking innovation is often what surprises first-time visitors most.
USAE:When someone is visiting Flanders, what is the one dish they must have?
Gysen: If I had to choose one, I would say our Flemish shrimp croquettes, or garnaalkroketten.
They are a real Belgian classic and a wonderful example of how we turn a local product—our North Sea grey shrimp—into something quite special.
I also like that they tell a story about Flanders: our connection to the sea, our local producers and our strong culinary traditions.
And if you order them, I would definitely have them with Belgian fries!