Submitted on Thu, 04/12/2025 - 11:52
Maastricht has long held a reputation as one of Europe’s most welcoming and intellectually charged meeting destinations. But from 2025 onward, its role has expanded well beyond city boundaries. The Maastricht Convention Bureau now operates as a regional bureau for the whole province of Limburg, which internationally positions itself under the name Brightlands Limburg, the innovative, cross-border and open knowledge region of the Netherlands - moving towards a unified approach to attracting international, knowledge-based conferences.
This expansion (forged through a four-year partnership between the Province of Limburg, the municipalities of Maastricht, Venlo, Sittard-Geleen and Heerlen, and the four Brightlands campuses) shows a fundamental evolution in how the region positions itself on the global meetings map. Maastricht Convention Bureau, with more than forty years of expertise, now coordinates a network of sixty suppliers, acting as the foundation in a structure that connects the region’s economic strengths with the ambitions of associations worldwide.
According to Jurgen Moors, CEO of Maastricht Convention Bureau and architect of this strategic reorientation shift: “By putting Limburg’s knowledge economy even more prominent on the international map and attracting conferences that tie in with our knowledge clusters, we are giving a huge boost to our innovative strengths and our business climate, creating broad employment and new investment opportunities”
The regional scaling-up allows Maastricht Convention Bureau to select and secure conferences that bring measurable value to Limburg economically, academically and socially. Limburg’s central position on the European map (proximity to Belgium and Germany, and its strong concentration of knowledge clusters) translates into accessibility, cross-border collaboration, and the ability to draw from diverse professional communities within a two-hour radius.
A Model of Regional Collaboration
The new structure draws together institutions that were once partners in name but are now partners in practice. Maastricht UMC+, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, and the Brightlands campuses form a network that gives associations direct access to research excellence and innovation pipelines. Venues such as MECC Maastricht remain central, but are now complemented by an extended portfolio across Limburg, from academic auditoria to industrial innovation campuses, offering the flexibility and diversity expected by modern associations.
This integration also ensures that meetings taking place in the province are meaningfully connected to the local knowledge ecosystem, transforming every event into an opportunity for collaboration between science, business and government. Associations can now naturally connect with stakeholders who mirror their own values: evidence-based thinking, community impact, and sustainable development.
Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo
The regional bureau’s expanded role places particular emphasis on four key sectors that define Limburg’s economy: health, circular chemistry, artificial intelligence, and plant-based food. Each has a dedicated Brightlands campus anchoring research and enterprise. The Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Sittard-Geleen drives innovation in sustainable materials and green chemistry; Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen connects AI and data science to practical applications; Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo focuses on agri-food and nutrition; and Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus anchors the life sciences cluster.
ESO 2026: A Case Study
Perhaps the most visible proof of this new regional approach is the successful bid for the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC), which will take place at MECC Maastricht in May 2026, welcoming around 5,000 participants from across the world. The path to this achievement was long and deliberate. “MECC Maastricht and the Maastricht Convention Bureau spent no less than eight years preparing to host the European Stroke Organisation Conference,” recalls Moors when talking to the Brightlands website.
The conference’s scientific ambassador is Professor Wim van Zwam, an interventional radiologist at Maastricht UMC+ and one of Europe’s foremost authorities on stroke prevention and treatment. Van Zwam was among the initiators of the groundbreaking MR CLEAN study, which redefined stroke intervention worldwide. He committed himself to Maastricht Convention Bureau’s efforts at an early stage and indicated that he wanted to take the lead. “This is how you get the entire medical community moving until it sinks in at the top of the conference organisation that Maastricht is a serious candidate,” says Moors.
When ESOC convenes in Maastricht, it will bring together the full breadth of the global stroke community – clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders such as Siemens, Johnson & Johnson and Bayer – in a setting that merges scientific excellence with European accessibility. The total economic spin-off for the region is estimated at €5.5 million, but the long-term legacy will be far greater.
For the Province of Limburg, the regional bureau’s creation is part of a wider ambition. As Deputy Stephan Satijn noted: “Limburg has everything organisers need for international conferences. 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).”
Such recognition showcases the region’s mindset. Maastricht and Brightlands Limburg demonstrate how a region’s scientific capital, political will, and collaborative culture can combine into a compelling offer for associations.
Discover more about how Maastricht and Brightlands Limburgcan elevate your next conference at the new www.maastrichtconventionbureau.com.