With a regional convention bureau, Limburg aims to elevate its profile as an attractive destination for researchers and conference organisations from the Netherlands and abroad. To this end, a four-year partnership has been agreed between the Province of Limburg, the municipalities of Maastricht, Venlo, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen and the four Brightlands campuses. Research shows that the international convention market is growing and that proactively drawing conferences to cities yields results. This applies in particular to local businesses. Conference visitors spend an average of nearly 400 euros per day during their stay in Limburg.

Province of Limburg Deputy Stephan Satijn: ‘Limburg has everything organisers need for international conferences. We offer outstanding locations in Venlo, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen and Maastricht as well as the Brightlands campuses, where knowledge and innovation come together. By joining forces to produce well-organised events, we will bring more conferences to our region, building knowledge, creating jobs and generating sales. In doing so, we continue to work on achieving our ambition: To make Limburg one of the most innovative regions in the world – one that has received recognition from the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).’

Regional scaling-up of proven approach

The regional convention bureau is the result of the ongoing development of the Maastricht Convention Bureau (MCB), an organisation with more than 40 years of experience in attracting conferences. Together with MCB, the Municipality of Maastricht laid the groundwork for the focused acquisition of multi-day scientific conferences. By targeting conferences that align with the Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus, (international) event organisers are made aware of venues such as MECC Maastricht. MCB is expanding this approach for conferences with themes in which Limburg also plays a pioneering role, such as chemistry, artificial intelligence, nutrition and agriculture.
MCB takes charge when it comes to the selection of conferences in Limburg and acts as a linchpin in a network of 60 Limburg suppliers in the conference and event sector.

Jurgen Moors, director of MCB and architect of the regional scaling-up: ‘By putting Limburg’s knowledge economy even more firmly on the international map and attracting multi-day conferences that tie in with our knowledge clusters, we are giving a huge boost to our innovative strength and our business climate, creating broad employment that also benefits our SMEs.’

Boost for Limburg’s international exposure

Starting in July 2025, the renewed convention bureau will actively promote Limburg as an attractive place for conferences, targeting organisations in Europe and the United States in particular. These efforts include participating in international trade fairs, organising city visits for conference organisers and building a strong network. This new direction means a new brand identity for MCB to match the broader target region. A new Board of Supervisors will also be created and the number of employees will double.

Economic value for the region

Limburg is an ideal location for many conferences thanks to its central location in Europe, proximity to Belgium and Germany and strong knowledge clusters. Conferences generate additional spending in the region, particularly on weekdays, and increase the visibility of Limburg scientists and research facilities. These activities also attract new talent and businesses. In cooperation with the Brightlands campuses, the regional convention bureau is committed to realising content-rich conferences that can be combined with company visits, matchmaking and other activities to connect knowledge and the economy.