By September 2026, less than a year after opening, SCALA Meeting & Event Center in Ghent has already welcomed more than 10,000 guests.
With 750 m² of meeting and event space, ten multifunctional spaces and three hotels on the same site, SCALA Meeting & Event Center is building its position as a MICE destination in Flanders. That ambition ties in closely with Ghent’s growing profile as a congress city, ranked second in Belgium after Brussels according to ICCA.
A strong first year for SCALA
Since opening in October 2025, SCALA has welcomed meetings, corporate events, congresses, dinners and larger gatherings across its ten multifunctional event spaces.
Its flexible set-up and 750 m² of meeting capacity allow organisers to create a wide range of event formats, from focused business meetings to larger-scale events.
The milestone of more than 10,000 guests in less than one year marks an important first step in SCALA’s ambition to become a central meeting and event destination in Flanders.
Meetings, events and accommodation in one location
SCALA Meeting & Event Center is part of the Akkerhage site in Ghent, alongside Courtyard by Marriott Ghent, Residence Inn Ghent and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ghent.
Together, the site combines a fully equipped Meeting & Event Center with three hotel concepts in one location.
This allows organisers to combine meetings and events directly with accommodation and to create multi-day programmes without additional transfers between the event venue and the hotel. The different hotel concepts also make it possible to cater to a range of accommodation needs and budgets.
Since SCALA opened on 14 October 2025, the wider Akkerhage site has recorded more than 100,000 hotel overnight stays.
Strategically located for Flanders
SCALA’s ambitions extend beyond Ghent itself.
Thanks to its strategic location along the E17 and E40 corridors and next to Ghent University Hospital (UZ Gent), SCALA is well positioned for companies and organisations travelling from throughout Flanders and neighbouring regions.
The combination of event infrastructure, catering and three hotel concepts on one site further strengthens Akkerhage as a convenient location for both one-day and multi-day events.
Supporting Ghent’s growing MICE position
Ghent has developed into one of Belgium’s leading congress destinations and currently ranks second in the country after Brussels according to ICCA.
SCALA wants to contribute to that development by adding flexible event infrastructure, hotel capacity and an easily accessible location to Ghent’s existing MICE offering.
From Akkerhage, the aim is to help strengthen Ghent’s position as a central meeting point for companies and organisations across Flanders.
Celebrating the milestone on 24 September
On 24 September, SCALA will bring together clients, partners and professionals from the meetings and events industry to celebrate the progress made since opening and look ahead to the next phase for the site.
Guests will be invited to discover the different locations across Akkerhage, with entertainment, food and drinks throughout the evening. The programme will culminate at SCALA with a special circus performance, followed by a walking dinner and afterparty.
The evening will not only celebrate an important milestone, but also showcase the possibilities of combining meetings, events and hotel accommodation in one location.