Brussels

17 cities gathered in Brussels for the first Délice meeting of the year that took place from February 7 to 9 2018.

Needless to say that Brussels had a lot to showcase in terms of gastronomy. The Délice partners of visit.brussels chose to focus the meeting on food concepts and how consumers are looking today for experiences when it comes to restaurants & street food.

During the 3-day program, delegates were invited to learn and share experiences on what concepts consumers are looking for and how chefs and event organizers are proposing more and more of these experiences. These discussions allowed them to position their own city within the global context, on the move.

In addition, Brussels hosted the first Political Gathering of Délice Network. Elected officials of 9 cities met on Friday 9th at the Brussels City Hall, under the invitation of the Mayor Philippe Close and the Deputy-Mayor Karine Lalieux, to discuss about the future of food & gastronomy in urban development but also how international networks such as Délice can make a difference for the cities involved.

The representatives took the floor one by one, focusing on each city’s strategies in terms of food and gastronomy. They:

• Explained how important for each of them food&gastronomy is
• Brought concrete examples of initiatives implemented by the city to enhance its food&gastronomy (events, studies, collaborations, markets…)
• Focused on opportunities for working together and helping each other via Délice Network.

Some of them pointed out also the expectations they have towards the Network: exchange, development through connection with other cities, sharing and learning from each other’s success and failures.

Everybody underlined the importance to belong to such a network and their will to adhere to the values upheld by the network.

In the press: Brussels celebrates its place on the global gastronomic stage.