Jean-Philippe Mergen presents opportunities between Tunisia and Belgium during the Tunisian delegation's visit to Beci.
Hosting foreign trade delegations is an integral part of Beci's ‘connect’ mission. After a challenging post-Covid period, missions are regaining momentum.
Some may have forgotten, but it was a close call for princely missions abroad to disappear from the Belgian entrepreneurial landscape. Although Flanders Investment & Trade, AWEX and Hub.brussels are responsible for organising the programmes, they are coordinated by the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, whose future was seriously questioned during the federal government negotiations last winter.
In an era of universally accessible online commercial information, digital prospecting, and digital business relations, some questioned the need to continue organising such projects. This was particularly true since the pandemic, which further accelerated the digitalisation of trade. ‘There was a before and an after the Covid crisis, which brought the momentum to an abrupt halt,’ confirms Jean-Philippe Mergen, International Community Manager at Beci, responsible for coordinating incoming missions by foreign companies to Brussels. He notes that their number has declined somewhat since 2020. However, a new pace has gradually been established. He is regularly contacted by foreign chambers of commerce and embassies to welcome companies that have made Brussels a priority destination for prospecting.
In recent months, Beci has welcomed a delegation from Quebec, which was particularly interested in our ESG regulatory framework and in meeting with specialised regtech companies. More recently, delegations from Kazakhstan and Normandy have also visited. And then there was the French Tech Tour 2025 organised by BusinessFrance, which focused on cybersecurity and FinTechs and covered the entire Benelux region. ‘In order to optimise efforts, the trend is to group several destinations into a single mission. This is particularly the case for delegations from distant countries,’ confirms Jean-Philippe Mergen.
Reasons for renewed popularity
At the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, princely missions have also regained their former glory and the popularity they had before Covid. In 2022, no fewer than 459 businesswomen and businessmen accompanied Princess Astrid on a mission to the United States – a record number. A few weeks ago, nearly 500 of them – from 221 companies, including 37 from Brussels – travelled to California to meet with key players in Silicon Valley. In March this year, 330 decision-makers, a third of whom were from Brussels, flew to India to explore new business opportunities.
In a recent LinkedIn post following his first participation, Frédéric Panier, CEO of AKT for Wallonia, did not hide his enthusiasm for these missions, which he admitted to having viewed with a certain scepticism until then. In practice, these missions have proven to be powerful catalysts for positive energy. By bringing together ambitious exporters for a few days of seminars, company visits and prestigious gala evenings, they enable participants to establish contacts with local prospects and customers in a particularly promising environment.
But that's not all. For many participants, these few days also provide an opportunity to promote their services internationally to other Belgian companies that would otherwise be more difficult to approach in everyday circumstances. ‘This is particularly true of banks and law firms,’ notes Jean-Philippe Mergen, who has participated in several missions himself in the past.
Essential preparation
The success of a trade mission depends above all on good preparation. Firstly, as mentioned above, it is important to assess the extent to which the mission brings together other players from your own ecosystem, enabling you to exchange useful impressions and feedback on the market visited, and even to establish joint approaches or initiatives with a view to securing contracts there. Whether you are a foreign company looking to expand in Brussels or a Brussels-based company seeking opportunities beyond its borders, it's best to avoid joining a delegation without doing your homework first.
Trust and human interaction
Assuming that
preliminary contacts have been successfully established, the mission can prove
extremely beneficial. ‘Digital tools enable you to prepare for your visit and
establish initial contacts. But a commercial relationship remains above all
based on trust and human interaction,’ Jean-Philippe Mergen points out.
For those who are well prepared, a mission will sometimes be the culmination of negotiations that began several months or years earlier. The programme for princely missions regularly includes the official signing of commercial or investment contracts in the presence of senior political authorities. ‘This is a key aspect of the missions we host,’ insists Jean-Philippe Mergen. ‘These companies hope to develop their business in Belgium. For our part, we see it as an opportunity for Brussels if they open an office here or become customers of Brussels-based companies.’
One final point: it is important to establish a lasting relationship by regularly following up on the contacts made during a mission. This ensures that the mission is a starting point rather than an end point.