For the thousands of people who move to Brussels every year, the greatest challenge isn't the rainy weather or the complex politics; it’s the loneliness of a sometimes transient culture.
To many, moving to Brussels can lead to long periods of isolation and a general feeling of disconnection from the city. It sometimes feels like you make friends one day, and the next, they take off back to their home country.
This is precisely why Gabriele Mogni, an Italian who was born in Rome but moved to Brussels at the age of three, started EuroMeet, a Facebook group dedicated to organising events in Brussels. The group allows both the admins and regular members to advertise events, which could be anything from techno parties to rock climbing.
Gabriele Mogni photographed at his weekly meetup in between greeting guests. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
Mogni told The Brussels Times that one of his motivations for starting the group was that, as someone who works in the EU bubble, he understands the transient nature of Brussels, which, in a broader sense, is deeply rooted in the city's culture.
Since he grew up in the city and attended an international school, he had seen many of his friends leave Brussels, and for a time, he did as well, living in both France and the UK.
“Some subtle and mysterious spell always pulled me to coming back to Brussels, so here I am settling down again in this city long term this time since 2019,” Mogni said.
“I created the EuroMeet Facebook group in early 2021, at the height of Covid-related restrictions on social interactions and mobility. In fact, I still have a picture from that year of the first time that I had met some new people in Brussels, via my first simple social media announcement, which read: 'Who wants to hang out with me today?'
"A group of us ended up meeting and walking around Parc Cinquantennaire, all while still wearing our facemasks! Since that original event, I have completely lost count of the interesting people that I’ve met and social events that I’ve attended here in Brussels," said Mogni.
He continued hosting events while allowing other members to advertise events of their own creation on the page, which now has nearly 9,000 members.
Attendees share drinks and conversations at the weekly meetup. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
“The main objective behind this concept is really to extrapolate on the many interactions and the long hours spent by Brussels residents on various online social media platforms, and turn them into meaningful and long-lasting social experiences in the real world," said Mogni.
One of the main events advertised on the page and organised by Mogni is a weekly after-work meetup that takes place at Quartier Leopold Brasserie, right next to the European Parliament.
The event is completely free to join (aside from the drinks/food that you buy) and starts at 18:30, typically lasting until 23:00 at the venue – though attendees often continue to other nightlife venues in the centre after the main event.
Attendees conversing at the weekly meetup. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
"Think of it as a bar where all the people present, by definition of the event, consent to being approached by strangers looking to make new connections and friendship in this city, as opposed to staying closed within their own group around their private table, as is usually the case in public venues," Mogni explained.
Although the group is marketed towards expats, it is open for anyone to join, including, of course, people from Belgium.
