Hello, I am Jo Mortier. Grab your coat and walk with me through Brussels, where it all happens.
The Belgian energy market, I know it like my own back pocket …
Whether you want to talk, negotiate, or walk; allow me to help you convey your story. It is my passion …
Nuts about Expo 58
“I find the history of Belgium and the 58 World Fair to be endlessly fascinating. It is no coincidence that for the Walk the Talk logo, we chose the Optima font, designed by Hermann Zapf in the period 1952-1955. It was one of the most popular fonts in 1958. Thus, the Walk the Talk logo also carries this history and meaning.”
Nuts about Expo 58
"“I find the history of Belgium and the 58 World Fair to be endlessly fascinating. It is no coincidence that for the Walk the Talk logo, we chose the Optima font, designed by Hermann Zapf in the period 1952-1955. It was one of the most popular fonts in 1958. Thus, the Walk the Talk logo also carries this history and meaning.”
When I think of Brussels, I immediately think of the 58 World Fair and the Atomium. In this age of optimism, Belgium managed to take advantage of its role as a small and peaceful nation to bring the major powers closer together again following the second world war, all neatly beside one another at the 58 World Fair. This edition following World War II was entirely devoted to the belief in freedom and technological progress. The 58 World Fair was inaugurated by king Baldwin with a call to peace and social and economic progress.
The Atomium, a steel construction composed of nine gigantic spheres in the form of an enlarged iron crystal was meant to promote the Belgian steel industry. Originally, the Atomium was only intended to remain upright for the duration of the World Fair, but proved so popular that it was never torn down. It was meanwhile thoroughly restored, and was opened to the public once again in February of 2006.
'Public Affairs Brussels'
Public Affairs… to meet, to connect …
The Warande park is not just any park in the middle of Brussels. The large fountain symbolizes the separation of powers, the Parliament (legislative), the Royal Palace (executive), and the Palace of Justice (judicial). This is the place where Prince Frederic, after 4 days of heavy urban fighting, withdrew; eventually resulting in the independence of Belgium sparked by riots that arose on 25 August 1830 after the song “Amour sacré de la patrie” during the opera “La muette de Portici”. Today, this 13-hectare park is mainly a meeting place where you may literally bump into a great deal of stakeholders sporting running shoes and a matching outfit, without having to make an appointment.
Public Affairs in the purview of energy transition, it really gets me going.
The Ravenstein Gallery, built in the 1950s following the establishment of the North-South connection in Brussels. To about 17,000 visitors each day, it is mainly a crossing from the Central Station to the Wetstraat or the European quarter. To me, it is the ideal haven for calmly making final preparations in between different appointments, discussing meetings in advance with clients, or simply having a quiet breakfast before the start of a busy day.
Number 16 Wetstraat.
16 Wetstraat, or the ‘16’ for short, is home to the cabinet of the prime minister. At ‘16’ is where the meetings of the inner cabinet and the ministerial councils take place. Key decisions are made during these meetings. Any Public Affairs Expert worth his salt is therefore always aware of the schedule of the inner cabinet and the ministerial council. Often, a decision by the inner cabinet or the ministerial council provides an indication of a successful or unsuccessful Public Affairs campaign.
Public Affairs is an art, like politics. Public Affairs is an art, like politics. It is the art of gaining prior insight in a structured and methodical manner into the drives and interests of your stakeholders, for instance during policy-making and legislative activities.
Walk the Talk applies various types of leverage such as stakeholder mapping, stakeholder outreach, storytelling, coalition building, government relations in order to blend interests and needs. Walk the Talk sets out in search of a potential match between your corporate interests and the interests of society at large, and in this way aims to make a difference in the realization of your project.
Public Affairs, a true craft that is typified by a methodical and structured approach towards maintaining relations with all manner of stakeholders, where professional ethics come first.
Come have a seat. How can I be of service?
