Batibouw, Belgium’s leading construction fair, is seeing a gradual recovery after the Covid-19 crisis, with its 67th edition scheduled from 7 to 15 February at Brussels Expo.
The organisation is expecting increased attendance compared to the 203,685 visitors in 2025.
Visitor numbers are steadily rising, though still far from past records of 350,000 attendees during the fair’s ten-day format in earlier years.
Despite challenges, Batibouw CEO Johan Condijts expressed optimism for growth during a press conference on Thursday.
Condijts noted that over half of Belgians have visited Batibouw at least once, emphasising the fair’s unique scale in Belgium and the commitment to boosting its audience further in the coming years.
The construction sector itself faces significant difficulties, with Embuild, the Federation of Construction, reporting a record number of bankruptcies and the loss of 2,500 jobs in the past year.
New housing is forecast to decline by 5.5% in 2023, continuing last year’s trend, with only a modest rebound of 1% expected by 2028.
Batibouw. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Factors such as rising construction costs, cautious consumer behaviour, and complicated permit procedures have created uncertainty in the industry, according to Embuild’s spokesperson.
Jean-Pierre Waeytens, CEO of Bouwunie, the federation representing Flemish construction SMEs, highlighted the paradoxical situation in the sector.
Although bankruptcies and reduced order books persist, housing prices have seen only moderate increases, barely exceeding inflation (+3.5%). He added that stable VAT rates have provided favourable conditions for consumers to invest in housing projects.
Niko Demeester, CEO of Embuild, described Belgium’s current construction needs as the most pressing challenge since the Second World War, citing demands for new housing, renovations, and infrastructure upgrades.
Embuild will host three workshops on 13 February, featuring guest speaker Georges-Louis Bouchez, leader of the MR.
Batibouw’s concept remains largely unchanged from last year, with a strong focus on professional networking. Business Insights, on 11 February, will include four paid conferences centred on building new homes in Belgium today. An industry-exclusive evening event will follow on 12 February.
The same evening, the Belgian Architecture Excellence Awards (BAEXA) will celebrate architectural achievements, with six awards, including regional, national, and international honours.
This year, French architects Elisabeth and Christian de Portzamparc will receive the international prize. The couple is renowned for their work, with Christian notably designing the Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve, inaugurated in 2009.
Batibouw’s 300 exhibitors will occupy Palaces 5, 6, 7, 9, and the Patio at Brussels Expo. Standard admission is priced at €15.
