View the full programme and speaker list on OpenBelgium.be

Let's make Belgium knowledge open, usable, used and useful

Open Belgium is an annual conference gathering industry, research, government and citizen stakeholders concerning Open Knowledge. Experience this one-day community driven conference with talks, discussions, panels, workshops and become part of the open community.

This year, we're talking local open knowledge

Local governments and organisations have been the forerunners for years in opening up data and content in Belgium. How does that influence the lives of its citizens and how can we learn from their experiences? That is one of the many questions we ask during this year's conference. A mix of cases and workshops will help you gain more insight into the benefits of local open efforts.

FAQ

What does the ticket price include?

We’ve worked hard to keep the price of the tickets as low as possible for you. The price includes admission to the conference, free tea, food and beverages during the breaks, a walk-in lunch in the afternoon and an open bar during the networking event at end of the conference at the city hall of Antwerp. There's free WiFi throughout the conference venue.

When is the conference taking place?

We open our doors for attendees at 08:30, the conference starts at 09:00. We have a 30 minute break in the morning and afternoon and a one hour lunchbreak in between. The final session ends at 17:30 and afterwards we will all walk towards the city hall of Antwerp where we are invited by the city council for a closing networkdrink.

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

If you're coming by car, there are several underground parking spaces nearby, such as Eiermarkt, Meir and Lombardenvest. Check Carambla (yes, they use open data) for more detailed and realtime information.

If you're coming by train, we're only a fifteen-minute walk away from the Antwerp Central railway station.

Do I need to bring something to the event?

You can bring everything you need to take notes or participate but we do not have requirements on what you need to bring. For people with smartphones, tablets and laptops we will have a charging station available in the foyer.

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

Your ticket is tranferrable but do let us know when you are giving the ticket to someone else. Otherwise, we have no way to confirm this person is registered to the event.

Can I update my registration information?

You can if you have a Eventbrite account.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

You can bring a printed ticket or digital ticket on your smartphone. If you forget to bring your ticket, there will be printed guestlist to make sure if you have registered properly.

What is the refund policy?

No, unfortunately, we're unable to offer refunds.

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

You can contact the organiser directly through:

Email: pieter-jan.pauwels@okfn.org
Mobile: 0032 476 66 27 77

Why are you providing a support ticket that is more expensive than a normal or early bird ticket?

Open Belgium is a community event which aims to bring together anyone interested in the open movement.

To allow as many people as possible to attend, we’ve kept ticket prices low and created a financial aid programme but this means that the conference is on a very tight budget. If you feel able to make an additional donation on top of the regular ticket price, we will appreciate your support of the community conference very much! Because we run on a break-even basis, any unexpected surplus made will be directly reinvested to make sure the event can happen again in the future.