Where to meet other business travellers in Brussels, Luxembourg and Amsterdam

A relatively new phenomenon, social media for business travellers facilitate contact between professional folk who happen to be in the same city (Invitly), the same hotel (Wombee, Hotelub), or even on the same plane or train (Zatseat- link in French)! Their purpose is twofold: to beat the boredom and share friendly moments, while at the same time boosting your business network. In a nutshell, it’s about combining practicality with fun…

The trio of Benelux capitals welcomes a sizeable number of new residents every year and there are various websites and associations designed to aid their integration. How does that help you? You can draw on their local knowledge in order to find a restaurant, gym, cultural centre or any other location appreciated by expats from your homeland. How do you do that? By logging on to websites such as EasyExpat, Expatica or, more specifically, Expats in Brussels (for the Belgian capital only), I am Expat (for Amsterdam) and Just Arrived (for Luxembourg). It’s also worth checking out Meetup, the online network for expats based in the same region, where you can find info on the different activities and events being organised.

Whether you’re in Brussels, Luxembourg City or Amsterdam, there are cosmopolitan districts towards which business travellers tend to gravitate, day and night. In these international hotspots, meeting compatriots or other business travellers is a piece of cake.

   -In Brussels, for instance, the Place du Luxembourg on Thursday evenings is the place to be for dynamic young executives, EU staff, etc.

   -In Luxembourg, the liveliest spots of an evening – where every language imaginable can be heard – are the Rives de Clausen, the Grund district and the Rue de Hollerich.

   -In Amsterdam, meanwhile, the greatest concentration of business travellers can be found around Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein.