Thanks to our friends at HFC, the editors of the recently published Concierges Magazine - Excellence in the Belgian Hospitality", the leading publication on premium hospitality.

We transcribe here the interview they did with our director, Paola Vanden-Hole, a very nice way to know more about us!
ITV-record.Dec.15.2021- Photo Patricio Morales - Paola dress by DVF Belgium.

CM : Luxury Brussels (LB) has been inaugurated at the beginning of 2022, can you tell us about it? What is LB, the objective of this project?

PV : LB is a new creative media platform that produces content to promote Brussels and all its professional actors who, through their know-how and creativity, represent a real premium offer and a great source of ultra-quality experiences in the European capital. And yes, indeed, we inaugurated LB during a whole weekend where we presented not only the media platform and its possibilities but also our first 2 "Brussels Creative Experiences" itineraries to 10 of our Insiders and also to the managers of 10 premium hotels in Brussels that we had co-invited with Visit.brussels to try out as a preview. These were the "Senses of Art Nouveau" and "Gemstones&Jewelry" tours. As for the history of the project, it goes back quite a long way, to 10 years period, during which our clients and contacts in the premium segments of Brussels, in particular hoteliers and brands, have always been asking for a digital medium, an effective tool dedicated solely to luxury in Brussels in order to promote their establishments to a local clientele first, and then to an international clientele of CSP++. At the beginning of 2019, we decided to make our team at work to develop a complete media project and presented it, a few weeks before the beginning of the Covid health crisis, to the Brussels authorities, to the cabinet of Mr Fabian Maingain who very quickly showed his enthusiasm and proposed the support of the city to carry this project.

CM : You mentioned Insiders, who are these people, members of the project?

PV : No, there is no notion of membership at LB, the Insiders are personalities, directly linked to Brussels and experts in their activity, whom we contacted during the development of the project to explain to them the concept of community media and its objectives for Brussels. Almost all of them responded and agreed to create this first community of experts on a voluntary and above all benevolent basis and who participate for those who wish to the overall content of the platform, both editorial and experiential. Moreover, we are pleased and very proud to count among these Insiders two eminent members of the Clefs d'Or Belgium concierges! Its president Mr. Mariano Vancleve, head concierge of the Louise Brussels MGallery hotel and Mr. Marc Neuville, also head concierge of the famous Amigo Brussels hotel, we are particularly proud of it because we know how much the work of these hospitality professionals and of their hotels is important for the reputation and premium image of Brussels! With them, we are sure to provide a very high level of quality in our content related to the hotel industry and guest service.

CM : You mention the support of the city of Brussels in this project, it is important this public position in favor of this new media?

PV : Obtaining the support of public institutions was more than important, it was even the first condition to start. LB intends to promote a well-organized and strong image of this premium and above all creative offer from Brussels, like a brand and it is no small task. Above all, the city of Brussels had to understand this process of creating digital and experiential content with our creative tours. It is an offer, as I have been able to tell you, which is not insignificant, LB is a powerful platform, particularly in its digital distribution and more and more eyes will turn to LB and this premium image of the town. It is a long-term job that is built on the regularity of the quality of our editorial and the performance of the media for our advertisers.

CM : What difference between the Edito part and the Media part of Luxury Brussels platform?

PV : The two are very complementary and work in the same office! The Editorial is responsible for creating content, editorial topics, the editorial line in general. Brussels is rich in talents, whether they are experts in fashion, jewelry, gastronomy, well-being, hospitality or artistic and more, the LB platform aims to highlight and promote them through 35 editorial categories and our creative tours.Our two media experts deal exclusively with the diffusion and promotion of the platform, its content and our advertisers.
This is what makes the great strength of LB, our advertisers have, for a very attractive price, not only Editorial to help them create ultra-quality content, but also the entire media agency to optimize their digital marketing with LB, no supplement, our media rates are "all in". We created this innovative offer to sign our claim to support Brussels premium players which are not always sized to communicate with a premium level, I remind you that about 80% of luxury businesses don’t get the ressources to work with professionnal premium agency, we offer this included in our Ads. spaces to all our clients.

CM : Can you tell us about your creative tours?

PV : This is a brand new offer, our "Brussels Creative Experience - Lived Tours". From the beginning we have clearly understood the importance of creating this offer for Brussels and it also corresponded to our wish to promote and make the local artistic community work. Our tours propose to discover the city in an exclusive and creative way, on different themes and with a limousine service and artistic moments that we call LB Sparks.
The first two courses are in the process of validation and pricing, there will be more information soon on this subject, it is our "LB Experiences" unit that is currently in charge of it!