Sommerfest und Mitgliederversammlung 2026

AHK debelux Summer Celebration 2026

To mark this year’s Annual General Meeting, AHK debelux hosted a summer celebration at the Town Hall of the municipality of Saint-Gilles in Brussels-Capital.

AHK debelux summer celebration

As guests in the art-filled surroundings of the Saint-Gilles Town Hall, we celebrated with around 80 guests in the heart of a city that, like few other places, stands for openness, encounter and European solidarity.

A big thank you to everyone who attended our very first Summer Celebration. The evening began with a warm welcome from our President Daniela Theisinger, followed by inspiring words from our host, the Mayor of Saint-Gilles, Jean Spinette.

What a celebration!

Beyond the excellent programme, the summer event offered members, partners and friends a wonderful opportunity to network, exchange ideas and strengthen relationships in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Your enthusiasm, commitment and presence made this first edition a real success and an unforgettable evening.

Here’s to many more opportunities to network, collaborate and grow together!

Speaches and Audience

Keynote on German-Belgian cooperation in the energy sector

The programme was rounded off by an extremely insightful keynote from Bernard Gustin, CEO of the Elia Group, who offered valuable insights into the energy transition in Belgium and Germany, as well as the upcoming opportunities and challenges for businesses.

Key takeaways on the energy transition:

• Energy is closely linked to current issues such as security, resilience, prices and competitiveness
• Therefore, energy is no longer a matter for nation states or national markets; there is a need for more cross-border cooperation and interconnected infrastructure
• greater synchronisation of markets, infrastructure and investments is required
• With the North Sea and Baltic Sea as its powerhouses, Europe can free itself from crises such as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – renewable energy is available in abundance
• The energy transition is a financial challenge: investments of nearly five billion euros per year are required – the public sector cannot manage this alone – private investors are needed – and they, in turn, require stability, harmonisation, efficiency and security

Working against the trend – thanks to international chambers of commerce

During his welcome address the German Ambassador to Belgium Martin Kotthaus highlighted the close partnership between Belgium and Germany. Especially in these times of geopolitical crises and a return to trade barriers, the work of cross-border organisations such as the AHK debelux is important. They stand for free trade and exchange.

We were delighted by the participation of Jean-Louis Thill, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to Belgium. His presence underscored the close partnership between Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as our shared commitment to fostering economic and business relations between our countries.

Programme

16:00 General Meeting

17:30 Welcome drink

18:30 Summer Party

Welcome

• Daniela Theisinger, President of AHK debelux
• Jean Spinette, Mayor of the municipality of Saint-Gilles
• H.E. Martin Kotthaus, German Ambassador to Belgium

Keynote on energy supply in Belgium and Germany:

• Bernard Gustin, CEO of Elia Group SA

19:00 Networking dinner