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PRESS KIT 13.09.13

www.palais12.com NEO LIFE AND CITY PROJECT IS MATERIALISING

Palais 12 is the foundation stone for the NEO project, which aims to refurbish the into a new, modern, multipurpose neighbourhood in northern .

With the official opening of one of the main foreseen by the NEO project, the latter now comes into its concrete delivery phase.

The NEO project concept first emerged 5 years ago through the international development plan focusing on the attractiveness and international vocation of the Heysel site and the importance of valorising such exceptional qualities through the implementation of international scope facilities.

The potential of the Heysel plateau is unique in for at least 5 reasons :

• Every year, the site already welcomes more than 5 million visitors ; • The contributes to make it an exceptional tourist site ; • The intense economic activity encompasses the Palais des Expositions, National Stadium, Trade Mart and other existing activities ; • The exceptional accessibility to the site through unparalleled public transportation means in the surroundings. This accessibility will further be reinforced with more metros, trams and buses, which will allow to detour car traffic from neighbouring areas, thus liberating them from cars ; • Existing and future activities represent many thousand jobs.

The Heysel Plateau enjoys stupendous potential. Together, the and Brussels Capital steer the NEO project, which aims to optimise this potential to prepare the international, national and regional future of Brussels.

There are currently several on-going public procurement contracts for the project, which foresees :

• Building a new multipurpose neighbourhood meeting today’s most ambitious standards and fulfilling the site’s specificities while rehabilitating its prestigious history ; • Cutting edge realisations in terms of environment, quality of life and sustainable development ; • Creating 750 new dwellings, new leisure activities and new, high-quality sporting facilities to make this neighbourhood into a cosmopolitan area attractive to tourists and that offers genuine social and cultural diversity ; • More green spaces (+30%) along with a harmonisation and densification of leisure and sporting areas ; • Making the Heysel Plateau into a place of well-being, encounters and conviviality while creating a link with existing neighbourhoods.

www.neobrussels.com BRUSSELS, CAPITAL OF MUSIC

Rare fact in Belgium, the opening of will give the capital a large capacity venue, which was sorely lacking in Brussels.

Situated on the Heysel Plateau, Palais 12 will host major events, such as big concerts, conferences, shows and major sporting events for a maximum capacity of 18 000 people.

Brussels enjoys an important heritage testifying of its appeal in terms of concerts and amplified music. The Brussels boasts several high-quality halls welcoming up to 2000 spectators, such as the , the or still, the Halles de .

As for National, the latter boasts a maximum capacity of around 8000 persons.

For more uncommon events of over 40 000 people, the Stade Roi Baudoin thus remains the sole alternative.

Brussels needed to take back its place on the international tour map and lacked a venue that would offer the intermediate, extremely important volume of 8 000 to 18 000 people. Thus, Palais 12 was born from a need expressed by promoters and the entire music industry.

With a seating capacity ranging from 2 500 to 18 000 persons, Palais 12 sets the tone and lays its hat at the very heart of Brussels Expo, which allows it to enjoy a vast set of infrastructures.

The hall does not hide its ambition. Its simple, and flexible design makes it usable for many types of events. Around 100 days per year, the hall will welcome 1,5 million visitors. Concerts of national and international artists, family entertainment, trade fairs, sporting events… Palais 12 is already an essential stop for concert and events organisers.

PALAIS 12 AGENDA

DAVID GUETTA GYMGALA CHRISTOPHE MAE • 19.10.2013 • 21.12.2013 • 14.03.2014 • 15.03.2014 Promoter: The Legendz Organiser: Fédération Promoter: C-Live Francophone de Gymnastique MYLÈNE FARMER (French-speaking gymnastics federation) RIVERDANCE • 13.11.2013 • 15.11.2013 • 26.04.2014 • 27.04.2014 • 16.11.2013 PIANO PLAGE Promoter: Promoter: C-Live Fire-Starter / Live Nation • 27.12.2013 • 28.12.2013 DES RÊVES ET Organiser: Dreamgest ROBIN HOOD DES ÉTOILES • 09.05.2014 • 10.05.2014 • 13.12.2013 CAR SHOW Promoter: C-Live Organisation: Make a wish • 16.01.2014 > 26.01.2014 Organiser: Febiac BALLET - BÉJART ELTON JOHN • 16.05.2014 • 17.05.2014 • 16.12.2013 BATIBOUW Promoter: Ballet.be Promoter: Live Nation • 20.02.2014 > 02.03.2014 Organiser: Fisa THE SPANISH RIDING STARS ‘80 SCHOOL OF • 19.12.2013 INDOCHINE • 22.11.2014 • 23.11.2014 Promoter: C-Live • 12.03.2014 Promoter: Fire-Starter Promoter: Live Nation NATIONAL VENUE

As the many large events organised at Brussels Expo demonstrate and thanks to its central position and accessibility, Palais 12 is the only venue in Belgium capable of welcoming spectators from all across the country, the equivalent of an attractiveness potential of more than 11 million people. This is a huge asset for Palais 12, Belgium’s only venue to boast such a high prospect of spectators.

Indeed, the Heysel Plateau is the unavoidable place for great national events as it welcomes all the linguistic communities of the country for such key events as the Auto Show ( de l’Auto), Batibouw, exhibitions such as “Tutankhamun” or still, national football matches.

Visitors of the Heysel Plateau truly reflect Belgium’s population as a whole. Indeed, Brussels Expo has always been a second home to . The national vocation of Palais 12 is not a marketing argument, but a reality substantiated by the most important history of major events in Belgium. But the ambition of the venue does not end there. Optimal connections link such cities as , , or to Brussels in under two hours. Proximity to the national airport will also attract a wider European audience in search of a large, welcoming venue offering a perfect acoustic.

A VERITABLE CONCERT HALL

Designing such a versatile tool requires compromises and prioritizing. Priority was placed on amplified music. The entire project was developed in the aim that artists, technicians and – above all – concert audiences should experience an unforgettable moment. The main challenge consisted in transforming a trade fair hall into a hall specifically designed for concerts where trade shows would occasionally take place rather than the opposite. Indeed, in and Belgium, too many former gymnasiums were reconverted into concert halls without specific refurbishing … Palais 12 has managed to successfully take up this challenge. Joe O’Herlihy, veritable reference in the music industry and U2’s Audio Director states : « My first Impressions upon entering the The New Brussels Arena were that this facility is certainly an Entertainment Industry Design Specific Venue. The speaking voice and the general vocal speak was totally intelligible without any hint of nasty reflections (echoes) or reverberant decay times normally associated with such large venues. The purpose built Acoustic Treatment features are abundant, and define this venue as THE entertainment industry venue of choice both sonically & aesthetically for both Artists and Promoters alike. The Sonic value I experienced while testing the Arena’s Production Sound System to its maximum was truly complementary, to the great acoustic atmosphere and sonic quality achieved in the acoustic Design of this building. I look to having the opportunity myself in the near future to work in this ready made facility. » EXCEPTIONAL ACOUSTIC

When will Belgium boast a large-capacity venue with good acoustic?

The Palais 12 has the perfect answer and overtly displays its ambition for all those who experience a concert as the occasion to fill their ears with music…

« Offering the best acoustic for this type of concert venue in Belgium and being perceived as a European reference ». Denis Delforge, general manager member of the board, BRUSSELS EXPO.

The main preoccupation of sound engineers for large venues is reverberation time. Thus, from the beginning, Palais 12 focused all its efforts to reduce reverberation time as much as possible both for high and low frequencies.

Several renowned professionals completed many specific tailor-made acoustic treatments based on a precise review of the location.

Including :

• 300 acoustic baffles placed all around the venue ; • 2 bass traps (low frequency absorbent) of over 60m each, situated under the telescopic gallery and above the fixed stage ; • Treatment of 11 500 square meters roof with absorbent acoustic foam ; • More than 1500 square meters of wall surface specifically treated with acoustic materials ; • Acoustic treatment of all ventilation and extraction ducts ;

The result is at the scale of the means deployed and ambition displayed. Reverberation time is exceptionally low and the sound totally intelligible, guaranteeing an exceptional listening, unparalleled listening quality for this type of venue in Belgium. The acoustic performance is comparable to that of London’s O2, the top concert venue worldwide.

Once the sound checks carried out in June 2013 were completed, all professionals – promoters, sound engineers, technicians and artists alike – present on-site unanimously emphasized the exceptional sound quality of Palais 12. WITH A STRONG IDENTITY AND OFFERING VISUAL QUALITY

At first glance, the Palais 12’s singular aesthetic and industrial appearance strikes the eye, all the time revealing a classy, intimate and warm character with its head-on facing stage, imposing technical platform and arched roof that subtly blends natural wood and black steel.

This strong identity reflects the intent of its designers and immediately seduced the few promoters and artists who visited the venue. The venue guarantees a warm, intimate atmosphere and will no doubt be prove an ideal setting to emotionally transport the fans of the artists who will play on stage.

Although Palais 12 will always be subject to the quality of the performances and concerts of artists, the latter will have all the necessary tools to deliver unforgettable shows.

During preliminary studies, it was found that, too often, the artist must literally “fight” the venue if the latter was not structurally designed to the end of a performance. This will not be the case at Palais 12, where artists will be able to concentrate all their energies on the shows and their own performance.

The spectators will be able to appreciate these performances thanks to view angles specifically designed to guarantee an optimal visual quality. Indeed, despite the imposing size of the venue, the room exudes a sense of proximity, which is appreciable in the rapport with the artist. At the furthest points from the stage, the visibility of the show remains excellent through:

• Slightly parabolic shaped galleries ; • The row to row positioning of some sections of the galleries, allowing to improve on visual quality ; • The seats placed facing head on the stage. WITH UNIQUE ACCESSIBILITY

Palais 12 boasts a unique geographic situation and access. At the heart of Europe, the venue is close to the Ring and the main motorways and can easily be accessed from the airport and from the Midi and Central train stations.

The public transportation offer to the venue is considerable: 4 tram lines, 3 metro lines and 3 bus lines. A large bicycle park is also available.

Palais 12 is the only venue in Europe to boast more than 12 000 parking spaces, a huge asset for car drivers… With 1 100 in the immediate vicinity and car park C with a 10 000-vehicles capacity, Palais 12 actually has too many parking spaces for its size! Concerned with the comfort and safety of its visitors, Palais 12 has built a private path for the sole use of its guests, which links car park C directly to the venue.

The designers of the venue focused on the access of persons with reduced mobility. Palais 12 offers the same quality of welcoming and safety to all potential spectators and visitors.

IN COMPLETE SAFETY

This point was at the very core of reflection from the early stages of the venue’s conception.

Having worked in close partnership with the region’s emergency services and through the use of a specific simulator (Service d’Incendie et d’Aide Médicale Urgente de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale – SIAMU), Palais 12 boasts exceptional performances in terms of evacuation time.

Even in the event of a full house (18 000 visitors), the evacuation time remains at under 5 minutes, after detection and alert.

This achievement was made possible by the many emergency exits placed all around the venue, which is voluntarily limited to 18 000 persons despite emergency exits provided for more than 20 000 people.

Furthermore, the private path to parking C allows visitors to access the venue without having to use public roads. UNPARALLELED OVERALL EXPERIENCE

The venue is determined to define new benchmarks on the concert hall market, both for artists and technicians and the audience. Palais 12 is resolute to continuously innovate – down to the most seemingly insignificant detail – in the aim of providing an unparalleled overall experience, before, during and after the show.

Before the show, specific attention was brought to orienting visitors, ticket purchase, accessibility and welcome facilities. The technical platform makes assembling much easier and the safety of stagehands was subject to particular attention. The backstage offers optimally comfortable working conditions and relaxation facilities to the production teams, artists and technicians.

During the concert, the first impression, food and drinks offer, acoustic and visual quality and comfort of spectators were all subject to the most careful consideration of our teams, which constantly strive to create a diversified, innovating offer. For example, the venue offers a wide range of “health” foods and drinks.

A brand new Artist Village with 5 fully-equipped dressing rooms, 10 production offices (dressing rooms), 2 catering areas, one large “green room”, toilets, showers and changing room allow for an optimal comfort for all productions on show.

After the show, the venue was designed to prolong the experience, allowing visitors to eat and drink in order to share their experience while dismantling is already taking place on stage. This logic naturally continues in the provision of dedicated services in the venue, where the various welcoming facilities and food and drinks area are managed by the venue, not the promoters. The venue is and will always prove attentive to its audience, but did not cut corners to welcome VIPs or corporate clients. We developed the AVENUE for B2B, VIPs and sponsors. These 2 bars at the very heart of the ambience are immediately accessible from all 500 seats reserved for our special guests.

This is yet another significant innovation of the venue, which deliberately took the gamble of an open, convivial space rather than closed boxes. The Avenue is linked to a space of more than 1 500 square meters, which is completely dedicated and reserved for our B2B clients. This functional space also offers a large terrace offering spectacular views on the surrounding area. PROFESSIONAL TEAMS

In addition to the teams already in place at Brussels Expo, Palais 12 worked with specialists in the areas of programming, ticketing and corporate. In March 2013, Palais 12 signed a partnership agreement with AEG. According to this contract, AEG Facilities will provide a range of services including the exclusive sale of sponsoring and premium tickets, concert and events programming as well as assistance and expertise in all other operational activities of the venue.

AEG Facilities is a 100% subsidiary of the The Anschutz Company, world leader in operating stadiums, arenas and entertainment venues. A stand-alone division of AEG, AEG facilities owns operates and consults with more than 100 of the industry’s preeminent venues worldwide.

THEY WORKED ON PALAIS 12

Client : Denis Delforge for Brussels Expo With the precious participation of - Daniel Bei & Emin Luka

Architects : Olivier Hendoux & Stéphane George for Alliage

Design and control offices : Aster Consulting, Audio Corporation, Delta GC, Detang Engineering, Enesta, JZH & Partners, Kamar, Socotec, Vanguardia Consulting, Weinand

General contractor : Verelst SA

Separate lots : Café des Halles, EIB insulation, Engepar, Inytium, Seda Seating, Stacco

Consultants and others : Toegankelijkheidsbureau VZW and Intro Events, Scéno Plus, Professor André Preumont, Didier Gaume, Philippe Lengelé Productions, Full Productions, MBA Solvay School. INFORMATION AND PRESSINFO

Marina BRESCIANI - [email protected] - +32/478/22.61.59

OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS

We are proud to announce our partnerships with companies that share our values and would like to thank :

Soft drinks and fruit juices : Alcohol : Diageo

Beer :

Champagne : Water : Spadel

Brewer : Wines : Health drinks :

LET THE SHOWS BEGIN!

ANNEXE

Texte original de Joe O’Herlihy