RENOVATION PALAIS DES CONGRÈS IN BRUSSELS GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD
Palais des Congrès will reopen on September 20th 2009

The renovation of the Palais des Congrès at the Mont de Arts in Brussels is set to commence in April 2007. Marc Van den Broeke, director-general of the Palais des Congrès plc, explains: "We have optimized the building plans based on thorough market research. Now that the financing of the works is certain, we are able to announce a timetable: The international meeting centre will reopen on 20 September 2009, with twice its old room capacity and a contemporary design".

The Palais des Congrès at the Mont des Arts will be rebuilt to create the international meeting centre of the European capital, Brussels. The large-scale renovation project is led by the Palais des Congrès plc, who took over the management of the Palais des Congrès from the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office late 2004, and who will also run the new meeting centre.

Yet the renovation of the Palais des Congrès comprises more than renovating and extending its infrastructure. The Palais des Congrès plc will also optimize the exploitation of the meeting centre and will announce the specialized private partners that will take on the management and the catering/restaurants by the spring.

In addition, the Palais des Congrès plc hopes to help pep up the Mont des Arts area by opening the meeting centre to the public. For instance, a public restaurant will be fit up: One brasserie with a terrace by the Albertina Park. By night the stairway leading up to the glass entry in the Albertina Park can serve as an open-air auditorium for concerts, parties and film screenings.

It will also be possible to circulate comfortably and easily between the international meeting centre, the Palais des Beaux Arts (BOZAR) and the Albertina car park via a walkway. The Palais des Congrès plc is looking to cooperate closely with the main cultural players in the area to allow international conference participants to explore the Mont des Arts' rich cultural offer.

The Palais des Congrès is one of the few conference centres that are located so uniquely in the historic and cultural heart of a capital. The out-of-date infrastructure was closed due to asbestos problems. After its thorough renovation and expansion the Palais des Congrès will be able to reopen in September 2009 as the international meeting centre in Belgium, able to compete with the newest infrastructures on the European and worldwide conference markets. By attracting international conference participants - who will make use of hotels, shops, catering, and services - to Brussels, the new Palais des Congrès will mean an economic boost for the Brussels-Capital Region.

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