Benelux Defence Industry Day 2026
Practical information
The Benelux Defence Industry Day 2026 takes place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 24 June 2026.
⚠ Strike alert — Dutch public transport, 24 June 2026
The FNV union has announced a nationwide strike across the Netherlands on the day of the event. There will be no Dutch train, bus, tram or metro services before 08:00, and services may stay disrupted and delayed afterwards as the network recovers.
Even the earliest trains after 08:00 will not reach NATO HQ in time for the 10:00 opening. International trains (Eurostar / Thalys) routed through the Netherlands may also be delayed. Belgian public transport is not affected: the Brussels metro, STIB buses and SNCB trains within Belgium all run as normal.
Travelling from the Netherlands? Consider driving (park at the Justitia site, a short walk from NATO HQ) or staying overnight in Brussels on 23 June. Check ns.nl for live updates.
Getting to NATO HQ
By car & parking
There is no participant parking at NATO Headquarters. All participants park at the Justitia site, a short walk away. Please do not drive to NATO HQ itself.
- From the motorway: take the A201 toward Brussels/Evere, continue onto the N22 (RN 22), and at the first traffic lights after the NATO tunnel, turn left.
- In Google Maps, search for “Justitia”.
At the Justitia site
Justitia is a high-security site - please follow these steps:
- Follow the instructions of the security guard at the barrier; after the barrier, keep left for the visitors' car park.
- If you arrive later in the day and there is no guard, please use the intercom.
- Keep the email with transport instructions for BDID 2026 (sent on 18/06 and a reminder on 23/06) to hand to show to security.
- Please note that the car park will be open from 6.30 to 21.00. Please make sure you have left before closing time.
Walk to NATO HQ
From Justitia it is a short walk to the NATO Security entrance: walking route.
Venue | NATO Headquarters - Public Square
NATO HQ Pass Office / Visitor Centre, Leopold III laan 1110, 1130 Bruxelles, Belgium
- In Google Maps, search for “NATO HQ Pass Office / Visitor Centre”.
Security & accreditation
- All participants must be registered and validated on the B2Match platform in advance. On-site registration is not available for unregistered visitors.
- Bring a valid government-issued photo ID - the passport or national ID card used for your online registration - to show at the security checkpoint. Electronic devices may be inspected.
- The event takes place inside NATO Headquarters. Wear your NATO visitor badge at all times once issued.
- Walk-in registration opens at 08:30. Upon arrival, and after the security check at the NATO HQ Pass Office / Visitor Centre, you will be escorted to the NATO Public Square.
- We strongly advise arriving early, as the security check may take some time. We also advise against bringing large items of luggage, as these are restricted under NATO security regulations.
- After entering, name badges will be provided at the registration desk in front of the Press Briefing Room.
Programme
- The plenary opening runs 10:00–11:00 in the Press Briefing Room. Overflow seating is streamed live to the Trans-Atlantic Room.
- Five parallel break-out tracks - Maritime, (C-)UAS, Space4Defence, Land and NATO - run in three blocks: 11:00–12:00, 13:15–14:15 and 14:15–15:15.
- B2B matchmaking runs 15:15–17:35 in seven 20-minute slots (each slot includes time to move to the next meeting).
- Your matchmaking schedule is available through this platform; you can also book your own meetings with other delegates.
- Stewards are on hand throughout the day to guide you between the plenary, break-out rooms, lunch and matchmaking.
Food & Drinks
Refreshments are provided throughout the day in The Compass Room: coffee on arrival, a standing network lunch (12:00–13:15), an afternoon coffee buffet, and a networking reception to close the day (17:30–18:30).
Photography
Professional photographers cover the full event, and imagery is made available afterwards. Please observe NATO photography restrictions in any areas marked as restricted.
Map and Meeting Areas
The plenary takes place in the Press Briefing Room on Level 0 (Public Square), with a live stream to the Trans-Atlantic Room on Level 1. The five break-out tracks are spread across Level 0 and Level 1, B2B matchmaking is held in the Cafeteria (B2B Space) on Level 0, and all catering is in The Compass Room on Level 0. Your specific track room is shown below.
Room allocation
Function | Room | Level |
Coffee check-in (08:30-10:00) | The Compass Room | Level 0 |
Plenary opening (10:00–11:00) | Press Briefing Room stream to Trans-Atlantic Room | Level 0 |
Maritime track | Blue Room | Level 1 |
(C-)UAS track | Trans-Atlantic Room | Level 1 |
Space4Defence track | Executive Dining Room | Level 0 |
Land track | Press Briefing Room | Level 0 |
NATO track | Green Room | Level 1 |
Network lunch (12:00–13:10) | The Compass Room | Level 0 |
B2B matchmaking (15:15–17:30) | Cafeteria (B2B Space) | Level 0 |
Coffee buffet (15:15–16:30) | The Compass Room | Level 0 |
Networking reception (17:30–18:30) | The Compass Room | Level 0 |
Download the B2match app
Want all event details at your fingertips? Install the b2match app for direct access to your personal agenda, your matchmaking schedule, communication with fellow participants, floor plans and more.