As part of Belgium’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs awarded TMAB the contract to organize all of its ministerial, diplomatic, and official events. This assignment comprised a single, cohesive program of approximately 140 events, held between January and June 2024. TMAB was responsible for overall coordination, conceptual and operational planning, supplier management, and quality control.

The Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs established a 20-member task force that collaborated with case managers from the FPS and the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union, which also oversaw all regional and federal initiatives. The internal departments of Communications, Protocol, and Security established the common frameworks for the BeEU brand identity, accreditation, security, diplomatic protocol, and budget oversight. TMAB translated these frameworks into a practical concept for each event, ensuring a consistent participant experience and providing concrete operational solutions for venue selection, layout, communications, hospitality, logistics, and support services.

Drawing on its experience in organizing national and international events for government agencies at various policy levels, TMAB was responsible for streamlining the coordination and optimizing the budgets of the various events. In addition, TMAB ensured that catering and all other services adhered to principles of sustainability and frugality, recruited and trained the reception staff, and provided the technical equipment and ensured the application of the corporate identity at the selected venues in Brussels and beyond. TMAB selected and coordinated suppliers for catering, transportation, printing, and entertainment, among other services, and ensured on-site supervision at every event with at least two coordinators.

Over a six-month period, TMAB organized approximately 140 events, spread across various locations and policy areas. The program included, among other things:

• Ministerial conferences and gala dinners, attended by ministers and delegation members from the various European member states.
• Conferences on a variety of policy topics for specialized target audiences, typically attended by delegations of two to four representatives per member state.
• Multi-day programs and working visits, featuring a combination of substantive sessions, visits to companies and Belgian institutions, cultural activities, transportation, lodging, and hospitality.
• Breakfast sessions, receptions, business meetings, dinners, and other event formats, each tailored to the level, objective, and participants of the gathering.

A major event within this program was the multi-day Trade and Technology Council in Leuven, a high-level consultation between the European Union and the United States on transatlantic trade and technology relations. The U.S. delegation was led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. On the European side, Belgian and European policy representatives and delegations also participated. TMAB coordinated both the talks in all meeting rooms at the Faculty Club and the subsequent visit by the entire delegation to imec. The combination of these two locations required meticulous coordination of the program, setup, transportation, accreditation, security, protocol, and guidance.

After the contract was awarded in August 2023, TMAB organized one to two days each week of structured intake meetings. During these sessions, a different organizing department would present its objectives, event concept, target audience, and preparations already made every half hour, using a format developed by TMAB. Based on these intake sessions, TMAB drew up a central plan for each event, including contact persons, reverse scheduling, program structure, task allocation, and arrangements regarding catering, audiovisual equipment, printed materials, staff, transportation, security, and protocol. The application of the brand identity during activities such as family photos, press events, and official greetings, as well as accessibility, seating charts, multilingual guidance, and signage, were also documented in these scripts. All parties involved had permanent access to up-to-date information via a secure SharePoint environment.

To support the parallel preparation and execution of the event program, TMAB expanded its existing team with eight experienced project managers and twelve project assistants. They worked within a single centralized project structure and coordinated the various events with the task force, the organizing departments, and the relevant vendors. This scalable approach made it possible to prepare and execute approximately 140 diverse events within six months in accordance with the same standards regarding quality, information flow, corporate identity, protocol, and safety.

Preparations began four months before the first events and required intensive coordination with approximately 120 internal contacts with diverse roles, responsibilities, and experience in event organization. TMAB tailored its support to the needs of each organizing department and consolidated the various expectations into a single workable schedule and division of tasks. The established intake and roadmap methodology, combined with short lines of communication and regular follow-up, ensured clear agreements and a consistent image of the Belgian Presidency across the various events and locations.

Relevance of this reference

• The organization of approximately 140 ministerial, diplomatic, and civil service events over a six-month period demonstrates that TMAB is capable of simultaneously preparing and executing complex assignments within a sensitive government and policy context. At the same time, TMAB also organized dozens of diverse events with military precision on behalf of the Ministry of Defense as part of this presidency.
• TMAB brought together a central task force, approximately 120 internal contacts, and a variety of suppliers within a single, workable project structure, with clear agreements on communication, protocol, security, accreditation, accessibility, and sustainability.
• The project illustrates how TMAB translated institutional guidelines and the BeEU brand identity into customized event solutions, ensuring that each gathering retained its own target audience and content while still forming part of a single, recognizable event program.

Visual References and Testimonials

An example of these and other relevant projects, along with client testimonials, is included in the TMAB Business Events presentation brochure: Brochure

Overview of Past Events

• Visit by the Conference of Presidents to the Belgian Head of State at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on November 30, 2023.
• Visit by the College of Commissioners to the Belgian Government at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on January 5, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the EU Trade Ministers at the Palace of Fine Arts and the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on January 22 and 23, 2024.
• Informal Ministerial Meeting on Foreign Affairs – Gymnich at the Africa Museum and the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on February 2 and 3, 2024.
• Informal Foreign Affairs Council (Development Ministers) at the Magritte Museum, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on February 11 and 12, 2024.
• Conference: 7th Intersessional Meeting of UNCITRAL Working Group III on ISDS Reform at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on March 7 and 8, 2024.
• "Building an AU-EU Partnership in Global Health for Equitable Access" at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on March 20, 2024.
• EU/US Trade Technology Council (TTC), at the Faculty Club of the Abbey of Park in Leuven, on April 4 and 5, 2024.
• Strong Health Systems, Universal Health Coverage, and Social Protection: Building Blocks for Equitable Access at Lamot Centrum in Mechelen, on April 22 and 23, 2024.
• Informal General Affairs Council at the Palace of Fine Arts and the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on April 29 and 30, 2024.

• Informal meeting of the General Secretaries at the Horta Museum and Egmont Palace in Brussels on December 11 and 12, 2023.
• Extraordinary meeting of the EESC (European Economic and Social Committee) at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on November 30, 2023.
• Informal meeting of the Directors of European Affairs at the Magritte Museum, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Egmont Palace in Brussels on January 18 and 19, 2024.
• Informal meeting of CONUN Directors (United Nations Working Party) at BIP Brussels and the Coudenberg in Brussels on February 7, 2024.
• "Money Talks" Conference – The Rule of Law and the EU Budget at the Résidence Palace in Brussels, on March 8, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the Security Policy Directors at the Magritte Museum and the Egmont Palace in Brussels on March 14 and 15, 2024.
• Conference on Trade Policy and Critical Raw Materials at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on March 26, 2024.
• Informal Retreat of EU Nonproliferation and Disarmament Directors at the Africa Museum and the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on April 9 and 10, 2024.
• IDA21 EU++ Coordination Meeting at the Résidence Palace in Brussels on April 10, 2024.
• Informal COHOM (Working Party on Human Rights) at Predikheren and Dossin Barracks in Mechelen, on April 18 and 19, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the Trade Policy Committee's Full Members at the Waterloo Memorial and Ferme de Mont St. Jean in Waterloo on April 18 and 19, 2024.
• COTER Spotlight event (Committee on Territorial Cohesion and the EU Budget) at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on April 24, 2024.
• XL EUFASA (European Union Foreign Affairs Spouses, Partners, and Families Association) at the Magritte Museum and the Egmont Palace in Brussels, May 12–14, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the Export Credit Working Group at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on May 13, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the Trade Policy Committee on Services & Investments at IMEC and De Hoorn in Leuven and at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on May 16 and 17, 2024
• EUDIA / European Diplomatic Archives at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, May 15–17, 2024.
• Consular Crisis Management at the Egmont Palace in Brussels and Melsbroek, May 20–22, 2024
• Meeting of the Agents of the EU Member States before the Court of Justice of the European Union at the Egmont Palace and Horta Museum in Brussels, from May 30 through June 1, 2024.
• Political Directors' meeting at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 3 and 4, 2024.
• Civilian CSDP Summer Forum at Club Prince Albert in Brussels, on June 4 and 5, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the Working Party on Terrorism – International Aspects (COTER) at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 5, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the Working Party on Restrictive Measures to Combat Terrorism (COMET) at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 5 and 6, 2024.
• Informal meeting of Heads of Protocol at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 7, 2024.
• DG Meeting at the Africa Museum and the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 13 and 14, 2024.
• EU Law Directors meeting at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 18 and 19, 2024.
• EU Cyber Ambassadors meeting at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 20 and 21, 2024.
• COHAFA (Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid) Conference Side Event at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on June 20, 2024.
• Informal meeting of the Working Party on Latin America and the Caribbean (COLAC) and the Working Party on Transatlantic Relations (COTRA) at the Royal Museum of Art & History on June 24, 2024.
• Diplomatic Security Colloquium Conference – at the Egmont Palace and City Hall in Brussels from June 24 through 26, 2024.

• Informal Discussion on Gender and Education at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on January 31, 2024.
• Informal Discussion on Fragile Contexts at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on March 13, 2024.
• Informal discussion on the NDICI Mid-Term Evaluation at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU on May 21, 2024.

• VZP Lunch – Coreper I at De Beurs in Brussels, on January 12, 2024.
• Informal Breakfast meeting of the CivCom Working Group at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on February 2, 2024.
• COHOM Working Group breakfast workshop at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on February 13, 2024.
• Breakfast Working Group of Legal Advisors at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on March 15, 2024.
• COHOM Breakfast Workshop at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on April 26, 2024.
• Informal CivCom Breakfast at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on April 26, 2024.

• RELEX Working Group (Foreign Relations Councils) seminar at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on March 1, 2024.
• NATO–EU (COTER) Seminar at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on March 18, 2024.
• Informal Seminar on the Implementation of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy and Perspectives from Civil Society at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on May 17, 2024.
• Trade Seminar – Sustainable Development at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, on May 27, 2024.

• Press Trip – Visit by Brussels-based EU correspondents to the Belgian Presidency, traveling to Brussels, Charleroi, Rixensart, and Antwerp, from January 8 through 10, 2024.
• Coreper II trip to Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, Waver, Mont-St. Guibert, Ottignies-Louvain-La-Neuve, Leuven, Linden, and Tervuren, from April 25 through 27, 2024.
• Coreper I trip to Brussels, Antwerp, Brugelette, and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, May 16–18, 2024.
• COPS trip to Auderghem, Ostend, Zeebrugge, Liège, and Herstal, June 12–14, 2024.

• CODEV/ACP Trip Attaché (Development Cooperation and International Partnerships Group) at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Wortelkolonie, and KMSKA in Antwerp from February 28 through March 1, 2024.
• Attaché for RELEX and RELEX Sanctions at the Egmont Palace in Brussels and at the Havenhuis, the Lillo ferry, and De Munt in Antwerp from March 17 through 19, 2024.
• Attaché Trip WPUK (Working Party on the United Kingdom) in Zeebrugge, Ostend, and Wiels on April 18 and 19, 2024.
• Attaché Trip HYBRID at the Hannah Arendt Institute, Salons van Dijck, and Dossin Barracks in Mechelen from April 24 through 26, 2024.
• EUMSS (Working Party on Maritime Issues) Attaché's visit to the Zeebrugge Naval Base, NJORD, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and the Naval Academies in Zeebrugge and Ostend on May 16 and 17, 2024.
• CYBER Trip to Ghent, Jupille-sur-Ourthe, Rédu, and Brussels, May 22–24, 2024.
• COHAFA Informal Trip Attaché at the Egmont Palace in Brussels and the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, on May 28 and 29, 2024.
• PMG (Political-Military Working Group) Trip to the Citadel and Domaine de Ronchinne in Dinant, Aerospacelab in Louvain-La-Neuve, and Skeyes in Steenokkerzeel, from May 29 through May 31, 2024.
• WP GAC Attaché Trip to Brussels, Spa, and Eupen, on May 30 and 31, 2024.
• Trip as an attaché for CivCom (Committee for the Civil Aspects of Crisis Management) to the National Bank in Brussels, the Provincial Palace in Namur, and the Amay Barracks, from June 11 through June 13, 2024.

• COPS (the Political and Security Committee) Away Day at SABCA in Brussels on January 11, 2024.
• COEFTA (Working Party on the European Free Trade Association) Away Day in Liège on January 31, 2024.
• COEST (Eastern Europe and Central Asia Group) away day in The Hague on March 8, 2024.
• EPF (European Peace Facility) Away Day Committee trip to Limburg and Leuven, March 12–14, 2024.
• Relex-HQ Away Day (Foreign Relations Advisory Group) to Het Havenhuis and the MAS in Antwerp, on April 26, 2024.
• Away Day Reconstruction to DOVO, Tweebronnen, and Martin’s Klooster in Leuven on May 24, 2024.
• FREMP (Working Group on Fundamental Rights, Civil Rights, and the Free Movement of Persons) Field Trip to Breendonk and Mechelen on May 28, 2024.
• COEFTA Away Day to Liège, on May 29, 2024.
• MaMa-MOG (Middle East/Gulf Working Group) Field Trip to the Museum of Royal Art and History in Brussels on June 27, 2024.

• VZP Opening Reception at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU in Brussels, on January 3, 2024.
• CYBER Working Group Opening Reception at BeCentral in Brussels on January 10, 2024.
• Opening reception for the VZP–Cops (high-level) working group at Club des Guides in Brussels on January 10, 2024.
• Opening reception for the CODEV/ACP Working Group at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU on January 22, 2024.
• Opening reception for the EUMSS, PMG, EPF, CivCom, and RELEX working groups at the City Hall of Saint-Gilles on January 23, 2024.
• Opening reception for the COELA, COWEB, and COEST working groups at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU on January 24, 2024.
• Opening reception for the COASI, COAFR, HYBRID, and NCCN (Crisis Center) working groups at the Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels on January 29, 2024.
• Opening reception to mark the first COCON Working Party under the Belgian Presidency, held at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU on February 7, 2024.
• Opening reception for the MaMa-MOG working group at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU on February 8, 2024.
• Opening reception for the COTRA and COLAC working groups at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU on February 15, 2024.
• Opening reception for the COEFTA and WPUK working groups at La Rose Blanche in Brussels on March 19, 2024.
• Closing Reception for the Legal Advisors Working Group at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, on June 18, 2024.
• Closing reception for the COEFTA and WPUK working groups at the Brouwerhuis in Brussels on June 20, 2024.
• VZP–COPS Closing Reception (high-level) at the Palais des Académies in Brussels on June 20, 2024.
• Closing reception for the EUMSS, PMG, EPF Committee, CivCom, and RELEX working groups at De Munt in Brussels on June 20, 2024.
• VZP Closing Reception – Coreper I (Committee of Permanent Representatives) at the Wiels Museum in Brussels on June 20, 2024.
• Closing Reception for the CODEV, ACP, and COAFR Working Groups at the Museum of Art and History on June 27, 2024.