An Amazing Evening: Insights from Evelien Schepers and Jan Van den Broeck on Event Masters' Victory at the MICE Agency of the Year Award

An Amazing Evening: Insights from Evelien Schepers and Jan Van den Broeck on Event Masters’ Victory at the MICE Agency of the Year Award

In the Skyhall of Brussels, Event Masters celebrated a night of victory. During an evening filled with excitement and revelry, the team received the MICE Agency of the Year Award. This honour recognises Event Masters’ all-encompassing expertise in the realm of MICE, particularly in organising Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events.

In a captivating discussion, Evelien Schepers, Head of International Events, and Jan Van den Broeck, Head of PCO at Event Masters, divulge their perspectives on winning this accolade. They discuss how their roles and knowledge contribute to Event Masters’ broad MICE offerings, which was pivotal for their success. The interview will highlight the unique attributes that distinguish Event Masters in the Belgian MICE sector.

Interview with Evelien Schepers, Head of International Events and Jan Van den Broeck, Head of PCO

Evelien, Jan, as Head of International Events and Head of PCO at Event Masters, how do your roles contribute to the MICE expertise of the company, which has led to winning the “Mice Agency of the Year” award?

• Evelien: Event Masters has existed for 28 years, and if you add up Jan’s and my expertise, you get another 35 years of experience. I am involved in the world of incentives and tailor-made events outside Belgian borders, and Jan’s expertise is in the world of congresses. This way, our two departments cover the entire MICE spectrum. Cross-departmental collaborations ensure that clients can come to us for all their questions regarding meetings – incentives – congresses, and events.

• Jan: As Evelien mentioned, our great strength lies in the specialisation of each department. By focusing on what you do best, you also deliver the strongest prestations. Each project becomes an ‘experience’ organised and supported by your team.

Can you tell us more about how Event Masters encompasses the full meaning of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) and how this contributed to your success in winning the award?

• Evelien: Event Masters has been an all-around service partner for years, with various departments supporting the MICE sector. Each department has its own expertise, giving project managers the space to specialise in their field. When we receive a briefing from a client where we need to combine the different elements of the MICE acronym, we look for the perfect internal match to organise the event. We inspire each other and assign the right tasks to the right experts. We then bring this all together into one successful whole.
  
  In the case of the submitted case, the specific request from the client was to create a fully customised incentive with attention to a meeting between the different departments of their company (the Belgian delegation visited their Spanish colleagues).
  
  Additionally, the goal was also to create buzz before the event and start the incentive even before they boarded the plane. Our team-building department, in turn, wrote a client-tailored activity that was successful well before the trip..

• Jan:  As one of the few event offices in Belgium, we can offer the full range of MICE experiences. Due to this strong presence, we have become almost indispensable when looking for the right partner for your MICE event.

What do you think are the unique aspects of Event Masters that distinguish it from other agencies in Belgium in the field of MICE?

• Evelien: Even though Event Masters is one of the larger offices in Belgium, we remain a very flexible and dynamic enterprise with our various departments. We like to build a long-term relationship with our clients and act as real advisors. We see an event not just as a one-off but as an experience that should leave a lasting impression. That’s why we attach great importance to achieving the client’s goals. From briefing to debriefing, you will always be in contact with the same dedicated team. We become, in a way, colleagues of our clients. With more than 28 years of experience and about 600 events per year, there is a lot of expertise under our roof.
  
• Jan: The congress department has specialised in offering solutions in the Belgian congress market for organising world congresses that take place in Belgium (and also abroad). By keeping an open mind rather than focusing on certain sectors, local organising committees find their way to Event Masters to assist them as a partner.

To what extent has innovation played a role in affirming Event Masters as ‘Mice Agency of the Year’?

• Evelien: Although we like to rely on our knowledge and expertise, no event at Event Masters is copy-paste. We always work entirely customised to the client and constantly develop something new. For our case, we wrote a completely new team-building activity based on the scenario of an existing concept. Various technologies were used to make it a dynamic whole.

• Jan: I also think that innovation played a role in this award. The fact is that we continually search for and implement new ways to give our events innovative touches.

What is your vision for future developments in MICE events, and how will Event Masters adapt to these changes?

• Evelien: In a world where sustainability rightly occupies a very prominent place, it will be necessary for agencies like ours to make conscious choices. Which destinations do we offer, which technologies and means of transport do we use, and how can we transform our impact into an exclusively positive aspect for our participants, the local population, and the environment in which we organise our MICE events.
  
  Our critical view of trends and developments must be maintained, and our knowledge of sustainable entrepreneurship shared with every link in the chain. 2020 showed us that people have a great need for live experiences, but it also taught us many new techniques that we need to include in the overall mix. It is very important for an agency to continue to support our people with training, to inspire them, and to immerse them in what the MICE world has to offer.

• Jan: After COVID-19, everyone in the congress world thought we would continue on the digital and/or hybrid path. Yet, it is now clear that live networking or exhibition supporting the congress presentations are almost irreplaceable by a digital format. The evidence lies in the higher numbers of delegates that we receive at the various congresses. We definitely use hybrid technical possibilities for support but still see a further growth in live congresses.

Finally, what does winning the “Mice Agency of the Year” award mean for Event Masters, and how do you see its impact on your future projects and client relationships?

• Evelien: Winning this award is the icing on the cake for our various departments within the company. It is an appreciation for the hard work and a confirmation that the united forces of Event Masters lead to a brilliant result. The positive debriefing from the client was a first recognition; but this is an appreciation from the sector that completes the picture.

• Jan: This award is certainly the recognition of many successful projects of the past year that were realised with the team. It also gives us the opportunity to experience this edition of the Travel Awards with some pride!