Once the three finalists in each category have been selected by the public, a jury of professionals from the Brussels tourist scene will select the overall winners of the 2019 awards. In choosing the winners, the jury will pay particular attention to the following criteria: the impact made by the nominees on tourism in Brussels, their international promotion, their originality, their sustainability as well as their accessibility to persons of limited mobility.

The winners will be announced and the awards made at the visit.brussels Awards & Networking Night, on 4 April 2019.

The eight categories that will be put to the public vote are:

• EVENING EXPERIENCE 2018
  A concept that has contributed to the richness of evenings in Brussels.
• MOST NOTED EXHIBITION 2018
  A major exhibition that has enhanced the cultural and tourist prestige of Brussels.

• INTERNATIONAL EVENT 2018
  A major event or international show organised in Brussels for the general public.
• BEST GASTRONOMIC CONCEPT 2018
  Gastronomic activity, event or concept that has enriched the Brussels’ tourist offering. (HORECA establishments will be judged in the vote on their concept and not on the quality of their food or service)
• NEW EVENT & TOURIST LOCATION 2018
  Opening or renovation of a location that is vital for Brussels’ image as a place for tourism and events.

• HOTEL NEWCOMER 2018
  New concept, innovation or renovation in the Brussels hotel world.
• PUBLIC INITIATIVE 2018:
  Initiative by a public entity or similar (parastatal organisations, any of the 19 communes, regional agencies, etc.) that has contributed to the promotion of tourism in the Brussels-Capital Region.

• UNEXPECTED & ORIGINAL CONCEPT 2018
  Innovative, original project contributing to the tourist image of Brussels, with the concept not fitting into any other category.

A separate category to be voted on by the jury only:

• INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS & FAIR 2018:
  A congress or major international event organised in Brussels for professionals.

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Since 2008, experience.brussels has been showing visitors the capital of Europe as they have never seen it before. The exhibition presents Brussels, its districts and its communities in an innovative, playful and original manner. With a quiz, an interactive model of the Brussels-Capital Region, a photo exhibit and even sound umbrellas, visitors can discover the modern, cosmopolitan and multifaceted city that is Brussels.

The Time Capsule: A photo and a wish for Brussels in 2028

Experience.brussels aims to be a modern exhibition that keeps pace with the times. This is why it is constantly changing both its technology and its content. The latest new feature is its Time Capsule, which will be unveiled on 6 December 2018. Local inhabitants and visitors will be invited to take a selfie in one of their favourite places in Brussels and upload it to the site. They will then get free entry to the exhibition, where they will be able to access the Time Capsule and leave their wish for Brussels 10 years from now. Since the photos will not be unveiled for another 10 years, the Time Capsule will keep the ones exhibited online blurred for the next 10 years. The capsule will be sealed during the Iris Festival and on the 30th anniversary of the Brussels-Capital Region in 2019 and reopened in 2028.

A contest with a chance to win a gourmet meal

To coincide with the creation of the Time Capsule, visit.brussels is launching a contest. The first 500 participants to place their wish in the Time Capsule will get the chance to win a free gourmet trip on Tram Experience. The two winners will each win a meal for two on Tram Experience.

Renovations and the opening of a new exhibition hall

In addition to the Time Capsule and the campaign, the exhibition will be changing over the long term as four of its halls undergo renovation. And in 2021-2022, a new exhibition hall will open devoted to the culture and gastronomy of Brussels.

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To be eligible, the proposals must have a link with the history of Tour & Taxis, pay tribute to the heroes of the neighborhood or refer to customs at and around Tour & Taxis, Brussels or Belgium.

On the website, participants will learn more about the heritage of Tour & Taxis. They can select the different streets, squares and paths of the site and motivate their proposal for a name:

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The World Happiness Report 2018 ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, and with migration being the focus of this year, 117 of those countries were pooled for the happiness of their immigrants as well.

This index draws on a variety of factors to determine happiness; The most important are income, healthy life expectancy, lack of corruption, social support, freedom and trust and generosity. This year they pool the results of a Gallup World Poll surveys from 2015-2017 to determine the positioning of each nation.

Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland (in that order) topped the list. Usually, there is some movement at the top, but mostly from countries already in the high bracket –  Scandinavian nations regularly finish in the top five –  and the differences between them are so marginal that slight change can tip the balance, and so, Finland overtook Norway to be 2018’s happiest nation.

Strikingly, the top countries overall happiness was parallel to the happiness of their immigrant population. With data being taken from 2005 to 2017, it showed that the 10 happiest countries in the overall rankings were also in the top 11 spots in the ranking of immigrant happiness.

So in this grand scheme of things, how does Belgium, a country of up to 12.9% foreign-born residents, fare? The nation of 11 million scores pretty well. Belgium is 16th on this list, one place behind Germany and one above Luxembourg. Although the Netherlands is ten places above at number six, Belgium can take pride in the fact it ranked fairly levelled with its neighbouring countries; even being two and three places above the US and the UK, respectively, and seven levels above France.

Belgium ranked almost identically with Germany in 2017, with its social support and GDP being the main factors, as Belgian per capita GDP ranks among the world’s highest.

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In Brussels I’ve had that feeling, many times. The bookshop is called Nijinski and is housed in 15, Rue de Page, in Ixelles. A few meters in from the entrance stands the owner, Louis Castel, who behind piles of books and magazines smiles at me despite the news.

“We’re moving out,” he says. “By June 30^th we have to be out.” Someone has bought the whole building, he explains. Renovations will take place and the rent will increase. “It doesn’t make sense for me to keep the bookshop here,” Louis says. “I want to stay but it’s just not possible. I simply cannot afford the rent that they’re asking.”

Known as Mr. Nijinski, Louis is an affable, cordial man who’s been the owner of the shop since January 2006. Before him there was Philip Panier, the founder of the bookshop as we know it. “I used to come here since I was a little boy,” says Louis, who grew up in the neighborhood. “This is the only bookshop my parents could afford. Used but wonderful books, I read and read, and Mr. Panier got used to my being here. About 200 Belgian Francs, that’s how much I could spend.” Later he even worked here, from 2004 until 2006, before being offered to take on full responsibility.

The Nijinksi secondhand bookshop was founded and opened for business in 1992. At the time, Panier acquired a shop called Charabia, where one could buy all sorts of trinkets, secondhand clothes, and transformed it into a bookshop. Like Vaslav Nijinski, Panier was also of Polish origin and enjoyed dance; one of Panier’s sons eventually became a professional dancer. Those were some of the reasons why he chose the name. Set on the ground level of the building, the shop has two large beautiful window displays, and is spacious with two main halls and long corridors with high ceilings and wooden floors. Light pours in from both front and back windows, and soft classical music fills the atmosphere with tranquility. The building, Louis tells me, is about a hundred years old.

“I live near Flagey and one day a lady I met on a street near my apartment asked me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ After I explained she said, ‘I grew up in that building!’ She told me about her family and her childhood. She used to play in the yard. After the war, her father became a photographer and he used to develop the pictures in the room over there. It’s funny how life gives you these amazing surprises. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known.”

When Louis speaks he does so in a rapid-fire-like way. He’s excited to tell the story before the bookshop, at least as it’s been known for more than twenty years, ceases to exist. “Last year, when I received the notification, I panicked. I really did. ‘My world is crumbling,’ I thought. But now I see it in a different way. I’ve begun to see the perspectives of building something from scratch. And that can be exciting too.”

Versed in old Greek, Latin, Philosophy and History of Religion, Louis seems determined to bring the magic of this bookshop with him. “It’s a pleasure to talk to you about this process,” he says, then runs a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “I’m not super rich but I can survive, make a decent living. I’m healthy, live with a person I love, I feel so grateful. And every day I say to myself, ‘You’re doing what you love.’ To tell you the truth, I don’t even have the impression that this is work.”

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Yesterday, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels welcomed friends and colleagues to celebrate the beginning of the year of the Dog. 

Legend says that before the Lord Buddha left this Earth, he summoned all the animals to come to him. Only twelve came. First was the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Drog and Pig. In appreciation of their loyalty, the names of the twelve animals were given to the years of the Chinese calendar. More importantly, their spirits were allowed to live in the heart of those born in their particular years. In ancient Chineses cosmology, the Universe and everything within it is composed of five basic elements – Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth – associated with the animal signs. 2018 is an Earth Dog Year, which occurs once every 60 years.

The Dog – 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 20130

People born in the Year of the Dog are honest, loyal, fair, hard-working and sincere, with a strong sense of justice and duty. Friendly and warm with a great sense of humor, they treat everyone equally. The love peace and quiet, and good food. Dogs are deeply devoted to their home. They are most compatible with Tigers, Horses and Rabbits, and least with compatible with Dragons. Carrers best suited to Dogs are artists, business-person, judge, lawyer, trade unionist, politician, secret agent and entrepreneur.

Belgians born in the Year of the Dog

• Bart de Wever, Mayor of Antwerp
• Tome Lanoye, Writer
• Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs
• Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Government of Brussels-Capital Region

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The highlight of the celebrations in Brussels is a reception hosted by the  Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels on Monday 20th February. 

In Hong Kong, the festivities are to be muted in deference to public sympathy for the victims of a serious road accident that occurred on Saturday 9th February. The city’s famous firework display has been canceled as a mark of respect.

So the Year of the Dog is getting under way quietly in Hong Kong, which is one of the few cultural centres in the world where confucianism and respect for traditional Chinese customs and beliefs are still preserved by society.

This is due in part to the unique history of Hong Kong, and the fact that when the British leased the New Territories of Hong Kong from China in 1899, a key condition in the treaty signed between the two countries was that Britain would respect the laws and customs of the indigenous inhabitants.

This provision effectively meant that the region escaped the upheaval of China’s civil war, the Communist Government take over of control in 1949, and the huge societal changes that followed including the Chinese cultural revolution of 1967.

As a young District Officer in the Yuen Long District of Hong Kong in the 1980s, part of my responsibilities still included jurisdiction on clan land matters and disputes relating to estate and inheritance issues which were administered in accordance with Chinese law and tradition. The Tang clan in Kam Tin, Yuen Long, one of the largest in Hong Kong, traced their ancestry back to the 10th century AD, and had a particularly strong cultural heritage with roots in the Sung Dynasty.

Britain and China signed a joint declaration on the future of Hong Kong in 1984 which led to the adoption of a “Basic Law” for Hong Kong, and the handover of sovereignty to China in 1997. A key element in this law related to the protection of rights and freedoms, including those of the person, of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of travel, of movement, of correspondence, of strike, of choice of occupation, of academic research and of religious belief.

The unknown question for the “Year of the Dog” is whether these freedoms may be eroded under a resurgent China that will not tolerate any challenge to its authority.

Last month protesters marched through the streets of Hong Kong to express concerns about China’s politicisation of legal cases, such as the jailing of activist Joshua Wong. Complaining of an assault on Hong Kong’s autonomy, the protesters held up banners and chanted « Protect Hong Kong”. A particular thorn of contention to them is a decision taken by the government to allocate a new high-speed rail terminal under construction in Hong Kong as Chinese territory governed by Chinese law.

Astrologists describe 2018 as a “Brown Earth Dog” year, and their predictions for this year are – as for many horoscopes – opaque and shrouded in obscurity, but one common theme is that they suggest that conservatism and the respect of convention are recommended for 2018.

Hong Kong’s highly regarded “fung shui” masters even visited the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, suggesting that their advice is taken seriously by the world’s business and political elite. They have stopped short of making predictions about what may transpire in respect of political demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2018, but the international community needs to remain aware of the need to protect the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, and the cultural heritage of the people of Hong Kong.

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2018 is the year in which we will see a major increase in the engagement of CEOs with social issues.  The conditions are ripe for this.  We have a millennial workforce that is very socially conscious.  CEOs know they need to boost public trust in the corporate world.  Some people are calling this trend “CEO Statesmanship”.  Essentially this is activism and philanthropy being harnessed to achieve business goals.  We are no longer talking about mere corporate social responsibility as a sort of obligatory internal sideshow within a company.  This trend goes far beyond that.  It’s a much deeper social engagement on the part of CEOs that we will be seeing this year and beyond.

Cryptocurrency embraced by major players

2017 might have been the year that we all marvelled at the price of Bitcoin exceeding all expectations.  2018 will be the year that we see major players embracing cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.  There is still a sense that they feel they missed the boat on social media and they won’t want to miss it again with cryptocurrency.   We saw Accenture appoint Iliana Oris Valiente as managing director and global blockchain innovation lead for the company’s emerging technology group.  Big players like Accenture are clearly developing blockchain practices.  We also see that IBM announced a blockchain collaboration with food giants including Nestle, Unilever and Walmart, explaining that blockchain would enable food businesses to trace the source of contaminated produce in mere seconds.  Blockchain technology will no longer be something on the fringe that we marvel at.

The spark between Generation Z and the Millennials

Generation Z, as we call young people born in 1995 or later, will be entering the workforce or higher education.  In the workforce they will encounter that other “generation”, the Millennials.  The Millennials are reaching their mid-thirties  and could even be in management positions supervising their new Generation Z colleagues.  It will be fascinating to watch what this dynamic between the two generations brings to the business world.  

Positive change for women in the workplace

2017 was the year of #MeToo, a wave of women speaking up about abuse and discrimination, not least in the workplace.  I hope and believe that 2018 will be the year that the business world in particular responds to that campaign with real and tangible positive change in the workplace.  We have begun the year with a high profile dispute between the BBC’s China Editor Carrie Gracie who resigned over unequal pay in comparison with her male BBC colleagues.  As Marianna Fotaki, professor of business ethics at Warwick Business School said to the New York Times: “She’s a competent woman, she’s highly qualified.  It gives courage to other, less prominent women to come forward.” As the battle moves from hashtags on social media to specific, high profile cases such as this one, there is a strong hope that the benefits will filter down into society and the business world.  Unfortunately, as Ms Gracie’s case shows, this positive change will still be hard-won.

A more challenging year for the financial markets?

It could be said that investors had it pretty good in 2017.  Strong growth and low inflation meant that 2017 was something of a bumper year and global stocks gave their best yearly performance since the post-crisis recovery.  The question many people are asking is whether 2018 can possibly be such a good year for investors? The truth is that is does look more challenging.  We could see a change in the investment cycle.  There are concerns about global growth.  We hear worries about rising US valuations.  Key players say they will be closely monitoring China in 2018, with particular concerns about how the Chinese government will keep up growth while dealing with a large debt.

The rise of open banking?

In the UK, ‘open banking’ services launched on 13 January.  Open banking will force UK banks to open up their data.  This is accomplished by a set of secure “application programming interfaces” (APIs). This will transform personal banking and banking for small businesses.  No longer will the bank be the exclusive platform for their financial services.  Instead we will start to see open platforms where consumers can take a modular approach to banking.  This is because open banking will allow verified third-parties direct access to their data.  I predict we will see a period of great innovation, with secure apps being developed meaning banking customers can get personalised services.  All their financial requirements will be in one place, and make it easy for people to find out what bank account is best for them.  It will be fascinating to see the apps that are developed and the impact on the sector.

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In Brussels, the police confirmed that tonight’s festivities will indeed happen at Heysel.

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