Open Belgium Conference 2015

Open Belgium Conference 2015

Open Belgium is the conference in Belgium for Open Data pioneers, practiioners, thinkers, researchers and entrepreneurs to learn and discuss the next steps.

After having local and regional authorities focus on open data and making progress we now see the federal coalition agreement mentioning open data multiple times. This to us shows that the field of open data is maturing and it is time for us all to discuss and learn how to use open data and open knowledge to its full potential.

That’s why we are inviting all the important stakeholders on a federal and regional level to discuss on how we will use open data for good. And to show us some best practices we’ve invited an international thought leader on open data in government as well.

The afternoon consists of exciting new workshops. Open Tourism will announce the first steps into opening up tourism data. Packed vzw will present a session on the opening up of Cultural data, Open Access will discuss open science and the benefits, Open street map wil bring a 101 workshop giving an answer to the how’s and why a community generated map is beneficial for all. And we’ll have Open Transport, Open Tools and other sessions. Keep checking the website for updates on this matter.

FAQs

What does the ticket price include?

We’ve worked hard to keep the price of the tickets as low as possible. The price includes admission to the conference, free tea, coffee and water during the breaks, a sandwich lunch in the afternoon and an open bar during the networking event at end of the workshops as well as access to WiFi throughout the venue.

The Open Belgium 2015 Conference event is organised by Open Knowledge Belgium, a non-profit organisation running on a break-even basis: this means that what you pay for the ticket allows us to run the event.

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

There is an underground parking right in front of Palais de Congrès and multiple parking facilities around the conference location. For attendees traveling by train we are 10 minutes away by foot from the main station in Namur. More pratical information can be found on the conference website.

What can I bring 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.

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

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

You're 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. For those who forgot to bring a ticket we will have a printed guestlist to make sure if you have registered properly.

What is the refund policy?

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

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 festival is on a very tight budget. If you feel able to make an additional donation on top of the regular ticket price, your support of the festival community will be very much appreciated. 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.