Today CIDAE brings nearly 900 participants to the Belgian capital every two years, gathering experts from across Europe and beyond. But what keeps coming back, edition after edition, is not just scientific excellence, it’s the culture and experience Perceval has built around it. “From the beginning, I wanted to create an event rooted in rigour, but also in warmth,” he explains. “The global experience counts just as much as the scientific one.” The result is a congress that feels both exacting and human, where world-class speakers share the stage with emerging talent, and where conversations during coffee breaks often carry as much weight as those taking place under the spotlights.
An Event with a Mission… and a Community
CIDAE’s purpose has not wavered since its inception: offering clinicians a demanding, independent platform where innovation meets practical application.
What has evolved, however, is its role as a community-builder within the field. In recent editions, a dedicated session for young practitioners has emerged as a highlight – four rising talents presenting dynamic, hands-on clinical cases. For Perceval, it’s a deliberate investment: “The future of the discipline depends on the next generation. Giving them visibility and confidence is essential.”
CIDAE is intentionally inspirational. Not every idea is meant to be applied the next morning in the clinic. Instead, attendees are invited to “dream a little,” to step outside their comfort zone, to reimagine what their discipline could become. It’s this blend of scientific rigor, creativity and conviviality that defines the congress, a balance that is harder to achieve than it looks, and one that has contributed to its distinctive identity.
A Tangible Impact on Brussels
Every edition of CIDAE has left a visible mark on Brussels. Scientifically, the congress reinforces the city’s reputation as a hub for high-level medical and academic meetings. Hundreds of experts gather for two days of concentrated learning, raising Brussels’ profile within a specialised discipline that has grown steadily in global relevance.
The congress also opens doors (quite literally) for the local academic community. From the very first edition, students from Brussels universities have been invited to attend for free, providing them early access to world-class speakers. For many, it is their first encounter with leading international figures in the profession. “It’s a concrete way of supporting the next generation,” Perceval says. “They leave inspired, ambitious, and more connected to the global landscape.”
Economically, CIDAE is a textbook example of how niche congresses generate broad impact. Held in late autumn, often overlapping with Brussels’ Plaisirs d’Hiver, the event creates a noticeable uptick for hotels, restaurants and local services. But the impact goes deeper: multilingual interpretation in French, English and Italian reflects, and reinforces, the city’s global identity, while the congress itself becomes part of Brussels’ cultural rhythm.
A Business Event Ambassador from the First Hour
Perceval’s role as a Business Event Ambassador for visit.brussels began in 2017, though the spirit of the role was already present long before. Helping Brussels shine on the international stage is, for him, part expertise, part conviction. “I love the idea that someone comes for a congress and leaves having discovered a city that is welcoming, creative and perfectly equipped,” he reflects.
The ambassador network is where he finds the most value: a diverse group of professionals who exchange insights, learn from one another and inspire future organisers. During the annual visit.brussels Night and other meet-ups, Perceval often advises newcomers on everything from venue selection to potential pitfalls. “Contributing to other organisers’ success, even modestly, is incredibly rewarding,” he says.
The role has also expanded CIDAE’s visibility beyond the dental world, connecting it to broader academic and professional networks. It’s a virtuous circle: the more Brussels strengthens its conference ecosystem, the more individual congresses like CIDAE flourish.
What Brussels Convention & Association Bureau Can Do For You
In Brussels, associations don’t walk alone. The Convention & Association Bureau offers the steady hand behind the scenes – a team that absorbs the little problems so organisers can stay focused on their mission. With a trusted network, a sense of stability and the assurance that someone will react when it matters, associations know they’re in safe hands. And beyond logistics, Brussels invites them to shape something that lasts: a legacy defined not by the destination, but by the impact they choose to make on the destination.
Contact the team at meetings@visit.brussels
A Whole Range Support Services
If CIDAE has grown into what it is today, Perceval is unequivocal: the Convention & Association team of visit.brussels has been a critical partner. Over the years, the congress has benefited from a suite of support services, each one playing a role at key moments of its development.
Promotional tools from the Brussels’ Support Program have strengthened the participant experience while integrating the city into the event’s DNA. These resources have enabled thoughtful touches, such as street displays, public-transport tickets, local chocolates for speakers, onsite beer tastings or food trucks, which boost the overall success of the conference.
Perhaps less visible but equally essential is the operational support: connecting CIDAE with reliable partners for registration, sponsorship management, logistics and on-site flow management. “These aspects are invisible to participants but absolutely crucial,” Perceval notes. “Their guidance helped us professionalise the congress in ways we could not have achieved alone.”
Finally, the institutional endorsement provided by visit.brussels brings credibility, reassuring international speakers and reinforcing the event’s status. In a discipline where excellence is non-negotiable, that confidence matters.
Why Brussels Fits
For Perceval, Brussels remains the obvious home for CIDAE. Its accessibility is a key advantage – a central position in Europe, a multilingual environment, and a city where global congress culture is simply part of the landscape. It is also a unique international stage, at the heart of European democracy, offering direct access to decision-makers and amplifying message and impact.
The city offers the right mix of infrastructure, character and convenience. Venues are adaptable and well-equipped; hotels, restaurants and cultural spaces sit just around the corner; and everything is infused with a warmth that resonates with CIDAE’s ethos. “It’s not just a scientific congress,” he says. “It’s a human meeting. And Brussels offers the perfect setting for that.”
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