Forum & Gala · 19 November 2026 · Steigenberger Icon Wiltcher’s, Brussels
Where the staffing & recruitment industry connects and celebrates.
Unique gathering designed for staffing & recruitment agencies. Connect and learn from your peers, then celebrate together the successes in our industry.
Ten breakout sessions, panel discussion & industry report, a stunning 3-course dinner, a glamorous award show and an after-party to match.
BE PART OF IT
The Forum by day. The Gala by night.
Come to learn, stay to celebrate, and belong to the room that runs this industry — the kind of day you bring your leadership team to, not just yourself.
The afternoon · CONNECT & Elevate
Sharpen your edge
The launch of the Industry Report and ten working sessions on the calls you make every day. Bring the people who run your agency and walk out with ideas you can use on Monday.
The evening · CONNECT & Celebrate
Celebrate in style
A reception, a seated dinner, the Awards and an after-party — the one night the whole industry comes together. Raise a glass with your team and the peers who get it.
All day & night · Belong
Shape the industry
Founders and leaders from across the industry, in one room. This is the community you want your leadership standing in — and the conversations you can’t have anywhere else.
Open to the whole industry
If you work in staffing or recruitment, this room is for you.
Founders, leadership teams and the people they bring with them. No shortlist and no prerequisite — just the industry in one place, for one afternoon and one evening.
One ticket covers the full afternoon and evening · Standard rate ends 18 October
Who’s been in the room
A selection of the agencies who joined us across the 2024 and 2025 editions.
This is our industry, in one room.
Don’t miss out.
Programme · 19 November 2026
From doors to after-party
Ten sessions across two rounds — you can be in two. Then a black-tie dinner, the Awards, and a night your peers will still be talking about next year.
14:30 Doors · 15:00 Plenary · for everyone
The Talent Business Industry Report 2026 — live launch & panel
Fresh research on where the industry is heading, unpacked on stage in a panel discussion.
Panel · Ann Cattelain & Juan Staes
AI screening in recruitment
What we learned rolling out AI screening for high-volume blue-collar hiring — what worked, what didn’t, and what to watch for.
Speakers · Diederik Syoen & Vincent Theeten
Your tech stack’s ROI depends on adoption, not the tooling
Technology gets bought, the project goes live, and nothing really changes. An interactive session on what to do at every phase of a digital project, across all stakeholders, to get the tool actually used.
Speakers · Pieterjan Standaert & Karel Vergauwen
The key to strong talent
More candidates doesn’t mean easier hiring. How employer branding, data and AI help you reach and convince the right people — with fresh market insights and real examples.
Speakers · Maarten Vanderstappen & Michaël Van de Meirssche
The new business models coming for recruitment agencies
We’ll look at the world’s fastest-growing AI recruiting companies: AI-native agencies, AI job platforms like Jack & Jill, and corporate AI agents working together to skip traditional agencies entirely. And how can you defend yourself?
Speakers · Lander Degrève & Manu Vanderveeren
Buy, sell or stay independent: what your agency is really worth
A closed-door, founders-only talk on valuations, consolidation and exit.
Speakers · Wim van den Nobelen & Thomas Sassi
From AI Adoption to AI Advantage
AI adoption is only the beginning. How agencies rethink the way they operate, compete and create value — and turn AI from an experiment into a lasting advantage.
Speaker · Ben Carter
Your clients are moving to outcomes. Are you still selling hours?
How the shift from time and materials to a statement of work (SoW) is reshaping agency business models — and what you can do now.
Speakers · David Muyldermans & Catherine De Caluwe
The goldmine you already own: re-activating your database
Turn the candidates you never call again into your fastest, cheapest source of placements.
Speaker · Fabian Heyse
Understanding the dynamics. Finding the balance.
Labour market dynamics translated into concrete ideas for the future of work — an invitation to challenge assumptions and decide which ones are worth taking forward.
Speaker · Jeroen Franssen
The 2027 Recruitment Agency: Can You Grow Faster Than Your Costs?
How AI, better workflows and human expertise can drive higher revenue per recruiter and stronger margins.
Speaker · Farid El Machaoud
The evening finale
And the winners are
The night closes by celebrating the best of Belgian staffing & recruitment. See who’s in the running — and who took it home last year.
In their own words
Hear it from the room
Thirty seconds each, from agency leaders, past winners and jury members who were there.
Learn from peers, not pitches
The people IN THE ROOM are the people who get it
You won’t sit through sales decks. Every session and panel is led by fellow agency leaders, past winners, jury members and recognised voices.
On stage
The people leading the sessions
Agency founders, operators and industry voices.
Ann Cattelain
CEO
Federgon
CEO of Federgon. Joins the opening panel on what the Industry Report reveals about the Belgian market.
Ben Carter
Senior Director, AI & Automation
Bullhorn
Twenty years at the sharp end of recruitment — first as a practitioner, then as a technology leader, and now one of the industry’s most recognised voices on AI and automation.
Manu Vanderveeren
Co-Founder
Spott
Co-founder of Spott, an AI-native ATS and CRM for agency recruiters, built in Leuven with offices in New York and Sydney.
Diederik Syoen
Co-Founder
Ringtime
Led marketing at Teamleader, Cheqroom and Peripass. Came to staffing from tech, and makes up for it by dropping into every staffing office he passes.
Maarten Vanderstappen
Head of Sales & Client Services
Jobat
The sparring partner for recruitment and employer branding solutions at Jobat, working with agencies and employers across Belgium.
Pieterjan Standaert
Co-Founder & Business Consultant
Digital Staffing Experts
Fifteen years in staffing and recruitment across sales, management and director roles. Now focuses on process optimisation and guiding owners through technology selection.
Wim van den Nobelen
Author
Van Recruiter naar Ondernemer
Entrepreneur, author and the face behind WimopWoensdag.nl. Advises and invests in recruitment innovation.
Thomas Sassi
M&A Manager
Vandelanotte
M&A advisor at Vandelanotte Corporate Finance, focused on staffing, recruitment and business services. Spent fifteen years in staffing, building a contract staffing firm to 220 consultants and €30M revenue before selling it in 2025.
Lander Degrève
Co-Founder & CEO
Spott
Co-founder and CEO of Spott, the AI-native ATS and CRM for recruitment and staffing agencies, founded in late 2024 and now working out of Leuven, New York and Sydney.
Vincent Theeten
CEO & Co-Founder
Ringtime
Founded Cheqroom, and is back in voice AI twenty-five years after starting out in speech technology. Leads product and engineering at Ringtime.
Karel Vergauwen
Co-Founder & Digital Architect
Digital Staffing Experts
Digital architect who has guided more than thirty staffing and recruitment organisations across the Netherlands and Belgium. Digital success starts with strategy, people and process — not the tool.
Catherine De Caluwe
Former Country Director Belux
SThree
Business leader with deep experience in STEM talent and staffing, formerly Country Director Belux at SThree. Board member at LAB-gedreven onderwijs and an advocate for inclusive, high-performing teams.
Frederik De Bosschere
Host
Computer Club
Host of Computer Club and provider of hot tech takes. A sharp voice in tech for over a decade — and, by his own admission, a loud one.
Farid El Machaoud
Founder & CEO
Wiggli
Founder and CEO of Wiggli. Previously co-founded Gentis and grew it from zero to €60 million in revenue, exiting after its acquisition by emagine in April 2026. Now helps agency leaders use AI to lift productivity and strengthen margins.
Jeroen Franssen
Strategic sparring partner & HR Tech Lead
Federgon
Labour market analyst and organisational expert. Architect of Be The Change at Agoria, now strategic advisor to Federgon, where he co-designs the Shaping Tomorrow programme and connects labour market dynamics with organisational innovation and HR technology.
Inside the night
90 seconds inside the 2024 night
90 seconds inside the 2025 night
Unedited, from the anonymous post-event survey
Don’t just take our word for it
“It was impressive to see the high level of C-suite attendance. You successfully curated a high-quality audience.”
“For me, this was the first network event in the recruitment business — and it was spot on!”
“Really interesting to network with similar companies in the same industry. One of the few events aimed at our sector — a great initiative.”
“Great event, organisation and communication — and the award was an amazing surprise. Thank you!”
“Great evening with fabulous people. What a vibe! Thank you.”
“A lot of appreciation for a great effort. Even in an economic downturn, our sector values this momentum. Well done, Jeroen and team!”
Come with your team
Bond as a team · Inspiration and celebration in one go · Be seen where the industry gathers · Start Monday on the same page
Before you book
Questions people ask us
Do I need to be nominated to come?
No. The Forum & Gala is open to anyone working in or around staffing and recruitment. Plenty of guests have never entered the Awards.
Who will be in the room?
Agency founders, owners and leadership teams, alongside HR and hiring leaders, jury members and technology partners. Belgian-focused, with international guests.
What does a ticket cost?
From €425 per seat, with tables of 4 and 8 available at a 5% saving. The standard rate ends 18 October.
Does one ticket cover both the Forum and the Gala?
Yes. One ticket covers the full afternoon programme, the reception, the dinner, the Awards and the after-party.
Can I bring my team?
Absolutely, and most agencies do. Tables of 4 and 8 are available so your team sits together.
Can a colleague take my place?
Yes. Names can be changed up to 1 November — just let us know.
Where exactly is it?
Steigenberger Icon Wiltcher’s, Avenue Louise 71, Brussels. Doors open at 14:30.
What is the Industry Report?
The first Belgian study of how recruitment and staffing agencies use AI and technology. Seven minutes, agencies only, reported in aggregate and never per agency. Results are revealed on stage on 19 November. See what it covers or start the research.
Forum & Gala · one ticket
Be in the room.
19 November 2026, Brussels. From €425 per seat, or book a table of 4 or 8 and save 5%. Seats are limited, and the standard rate ends 18 October. The afternoon and evening your peers will talk about for months. Don’t hear about it after.
Connect with peers who run staffing & recruitment firms like yours, facing the same decisions you make every day.
Elevate your thinking with fresh data and real cases from the agencies setting the pace. Walk out with ideas you can use on Monday.
Celebrate the wins, the people and the year — a black-tie night of recognition, great food and a party that earns its name.
Get in touch
A question about taking part, or partnering with us? You are one email away.
Nominations & Gala
Elina Jutelyte
Questions about your nomination or the gala dinner.
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