Speak to our team about event security in Ghent
Ghent’s event calendar spans two quite different settings: Flanders Expo, one of Belgium’s principal trade and exhibition venues in Sint-Denijs-Westrem, and the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal industrial zone, home to ArcelorMittal’s steel operations, Volvo Cars Belgium, and pharmaceutical firms including UCB and the Ablynx and Sanofi site. The exhibition venue needs conventional, multi-day crowd and access management; the industrial visits typically sit inside a host site’s own security arrangements, with our teams coordinating delegate movement and close protection alongside site security rather than building an independent perimeter.
Belgian private security runs under the 2017 law on private and particular security, with companies holding an authorisation from SPF Interieur and individual officers carrying a Ministry of Interior badge. Ghent has no major airport, so most international delegates route through Brussels Airport, around 55km and 45 to 60 minutes away, or arrive by train into Ghent-Sint-Pieters from Brussels Midi. The city’s historic waterfront around Graslei and Korenmarkt is busy year-round, and Federale Politie data shows opportunistic crime concentrated there and around the Overpoort student area, a pattern that intensifies notably during the Gentse Feesten and shapes how we plan any event scheduled during the festival.
For the wider risk picture, see the Ghent city page. For ground transport for a delegation moving between the centre and the Terneuzen industrial zone, see security drivers in Ghent.
What does event security in Ghent cover?
Venue Security at Flanders Expo
Flanders Expo, in Sint-Denijs-Westrem on the city's southern edge, is one of Belgium's principal trade and consumer exhibition venues, hosting multi-day events that need sustained cover rather than a single-day presence. Our advance survey maps hall entrances, exhibitor loading areas, and vehicle staging before the event opens, and credential lanes are kept separate for trade visitors, press, and general admission where the show format mixes them. Corporate receptions closer to the centre, around Graslei and Korenmarkt, are handled with a lighter static presence suited to a historic waterfront setting.
Industrial and Pharma-Sector Event Security
The Ghent-Terneuzen Canal industrial zone hosts a concentration of major employers, including ArcelorMittal's steel operations and Volvo Cars Belgium, alongside pharmaceutical and biotech firms such as UCB and the Ablynx and Sanofi site. Corporate visits and site events here typically combine a factory or facility tour with a briefing session, sitting inside the host site's existing industrial security arrangements. Our role is to coordinate delegate movement and close protection within that framework, working alongside site security rather than establishing an independent perimeter.
Delegate Movement and Transfers
Ghent has no major airport of its own. Brussels Airport (BRU), around 55km away, is the primary gateway with a transfer of 45 to 60 minutes, while Antwerp Airport (ANR), roughly 40km distant, serves as a secondary option for some routes. Ghent-Sint-Pieters station receives frequent services from Brussels Midi, a journey of about 30 minutes, with onward Eurostar or Thalys connections for international delegates; we meet these arrivals at platform level for a tracked handover to a confirmed vehicle.
Close Protection for Keynote Speakers and VIP Delegates
Industrial executives, pharmaceutical-sector principals, and civic figures attending Ghent events typically receive a two-officer detail, one on advance and site liaison, one providing close cover during public sessions. Briefings run 72 hours ahead of arrival and are refreshed on the morning of the event. Officers hold current first aid certification and carry direct contact details for UZ Gent and the relevant Belgian emergency services, so nothing depends on a search for a number mid-incident.
Crowd Management and Perimeter Security
Graslei, Korenmarkt, and the wider historic waterfront draw dense foot traffic year-round, and Federale Politie data shows a concentration of opportunistic crime in this area and around the Overpoort student district, worsening notably during festival periods such as the Gentse Feesten. Any event scheduled during the Feesten gets an adjusted perimeter plan that accounts for the far higher baseline crowd density across the city centre. At Flanders Expo, perimeter management follows a more conventional trade-show model: an outer, generally managed approach road and an inner, credential-checked zone at each hall.
Security Briefings and Pre-Event Intelligence
Every Ghent engagement opens with a briefing 72 hours before the first arrival, covering the current general threat picture for Belgium, any Federale Politie notices relevant to the event area, and confirmed medical and consular contacts. Emergency numbers briefed to the team: 112 general emergency, 101 Police Federale, 100 Ambulance and Fire. UZ Gent (+32 9 332 21 11) is the principal hospital reference for the city. British Embassy Brussels (+32 2 287 62 11) and US Embassy Brussels (+32 2 811 4000) are logged for consular contingencies, with events during the Gentse Feesten receiving daily intelligence refreshes given the higher crowd density.
Vetted operators. Local knowledge. Proven protocols.
Sources for this page
Licensing, firearms and foreign-operator rules for Ghent, checked : FPS Interior (BeSafe), Autorisations et activités; FPS Interior (BeSafe), Législation sécurité privée; FPS Interior (BeSafe), Agent de gardiennage brochure; Belgian Chamber of Representatives, bill 52K0474 amending the Law of 8 June 2006 on weapons. The full rules are on our Ghent security overview.