In June 2022, two (West) Flemish Junior Chamber International (JCI) chapters – Bruges and Houtland – will organize the JCI European Conference in Bruges. Therefore, they cooperate with the City of Bruges, the ‘Concertgebouw Brugge’ and the brand new ‘Bruges, Meeting & Convention Centre’ (BMCC). The conference will – with their main theme ‘Food for Generations’ - tackle the global food problem and also focus on the gastronomic delacies in Belgium.
The current world population of 7.8 billion people is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and even 11.2 billion in 2100, according to a United Nations report (2017).
As a consequence the food production should increase with 50% to meet the demand of the world’s growing population. The contemporary challenges concerning hunger, food waste and diseases -such as overweight/diabetes - seriously affect the limits of our current system.
Production, sustainability, consumption and waste are the main challenges for future generations.
The vision of JCI can be summarized in one punch line: to inspire people to evolve towards a true food experience in which all its facets are represented.
The following four pillars are part of this theme:
- Sustainable food system
- Nutrition
- Gastronomy
- Food heritage
JCI uses this topic to inspire other countries and to initiate in this way effective change.
Food for Generations
From 8 till 11 June 2022, two (West) Flemish Junior Chamber International (JCI) chapters – Bruges and Houtland – will organize the JCI European Conference in Bruges. Therefore, they cooperate with the City of Bruges, the ‘Concertgebouw Brugge’ and the brand new BMCC. The conference will – with their main theme ‘Food for Generations’ - tackle the global food problem and also focus on the gastronomic delacies in Belgium.
More than 2000 participants from all over Europe will be expected in the BMCC. The conference participants will discover the beautiful historical Bruges and its attractive touristic spots. JCI has chosen the historical city of Bruges as base of its conference. This city is equipped with a marvellous conference infrastructure and is widely praised for its heritage, culture and gastronomy.
The European Conference will start with the theme ‘Food for Generations’. Dominique Persoone (the famous Bruges chocolatier) will contribute to a successful opening evening in the Concertgebouw.
During the week there will be a lot of workshops, trainings and company visits, in combination with different parties in the evening. On Thursday and on Friday,the conference also organises Business Days where the participants will meet different companies.
Jonas Maes, COC director of JCI EC Bruges 2022: “This year JCI members from all over Europe will visit Bruges. This conference will be the climax of more than two years of preparatory work by our hard working JCI members. We are happy that we can bring - in close cooperation with the City of Bruges - a European key event to the most beautiful city of Europe. This will be also one of the first big conferences in 2022, that will take place in the Concertgebouw and the BMCC. So, it will be a beautiful opportunity to attract future initiatives and accentuate the perfect mix between the two venues.”
Councillor for Tourism Mieke Hoste: “I am very proud that we can welcome the European Conference of JCI in our city. The timing – shortly after the opening of the BMCC and just before the busy summer break – is ideal. The conference will attract many visitors to our city. They will see and experience a splendid part of Bruges. Many participants will return to Bruges later with their friends and families. Furthermore, this conference will allow the city to highlight itself once more on an international level and confirm our strong reputation as an outstanding meeting and conference destination.”
Information and tickets are available on: www.ecbruges.com
What is JCI?
Junior Chamber International (JCI) is (since 1915) an international organization of young leaders and entrepreneurs between 18 and 40 years old.
The story of JCI starts in 1915 when the American Henry Giessenbier founded the organization ‘The Young Men’s Progressive Civic Association’ in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
JCI has become one of the largest international youth organizations and with more than 200.000 members and millions of past members around the globe. The aim is still to encourage young people to contribute to social and economic developments and international partnerships.
Contact Visit Bruges Convention Bureau: Jasmine Kestens, Sales Manager
