2023-12-03 15:34:00
“It’s great,” smiles Fabienne. “I’ve been coming for years and it’s still great! The organization is great and the people are really nice. And then, it’s still more pleasant to be at inside.”And given the number of people strolling through the aisles of the Hannut covered market, she must not have been the only one to appreciate the 2023 version of the covered Christmas market. “It’s true that we meet a lot of success, explains Monique Dupont, organizer. Initially, the event was only organized inside the covered market. But we continued to expand. And this year, we installed two large marquees at the outside to accommodate more exhibitors.” Which number 225. Which quite simply makes the event the largest covered Christmas market in the Benelux.
The Hannut Wine Fair attracted 3,000 visitors this weekend
And this is not the only measure taken to meet demand. “We are also welcoming more food trucks and we have widened the aisles to allow people to move around more easily.” But we must recognize that even on Saturday, “which is normally a slow day”, the site was crowded, “even though we had already opened on Friday in order to spread out the number of visitors”.
“We’re coming by bus!”
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“We don’t realize our success”
Some came from far away. “I was talking earlier with people who come from Hoboken,” exclaims Pol Oter, also an organizer. “It’s in Antwerp!” And new, the Christmas market is now among the destinations offered by tour operators. “One bus came on Friday, another on Saturday and two on Sunday,” says Monique Dupont. “We don’t realize our success,” adds Pol Oter. “We’re going to exceed 15,000 visitors over the weekend.”
Great success during the mayor’s ball in Hannut: “Between 1,500 and 2,000 people were welcomed”
But the organizers have no intention of expanding further. “You shouldn’t have your eyes bigger than your stomach. Such an event is already very good for a small town.”
Plaza Winter in Hannut ©EDA VR
Delighted exhibitors
The exhibitors also seemed to appreciate the organization. “I must have come four or five times,” explains Christophe Materne of Bougie Dinantaise. “The atmosphere is great and the organizer is truly extraordinary. He tries to please everyone. What more might you ask for.” And it’s true, what might be better than a great event that delights the organizers, visitors and exhibitors alike?
Plaza Winter in Hannut ©EDA VRPlaza Winter in Hannut ©EDA VR
When you have such success, you sometimes face problems. “With the emergency exits we had, we might not accommodate more than 1000 or 1200 people simultaneously,” explains Pol Oter. It was therefore necessary to find a solution to transform a large sliding door at the back of the covered market into an additional emergency exit. “We either had to post a security guard who might open it at any time, or do something else.” They opted for the second option. “By discussing with the Genot company, which rents the marquees to us, we decided to install four “panic” doors, which can be used in the event of an emergency.”
Plaza Winter in Hannut ©EDA VR
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