The museum as an inspiring event venue
Since its festive reopening in 2022, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) has become much more than just a place where visitors can discover seven centuries of art. Behind the scenes, a four-person events team organizes around 250 events every year. It may be intense at times, but it also defines what the museum has become today: a place where milestones are celebrated, and a house that is constantly in motion.
An ambitious challenge
Events at the KMSKA often consist of in-house programming such as evening openings, exhibition launches, or themed days. Just as often, exclusive receptions are organized for sponsors and partners, or companies rent a hall for a product launch, networking dinner, or even a film shoot. This diversity creates a dynamic rhythm in which no week looks the same. That kind of pace demands structure, because a museum is not a conventional event venue. The museological mission always comes first. Within those parameters, the aim is to deliver the best possible event for all involved.
The events team operates at a crossroads within the museum, coordinating continuously with internal departments: visitor engagement, logistics, curators, communications, security. This internal cooperation is essential. Organizing a beautiful event in such a monumental setting is not the challenge. The real focus is ensuring the core activities of the museum remain undisturbed, while still creating memorable experiences.
A creative puzzle
Externally, the events team serves as the main point of contact. Clients are guided from the very first request through to execution. There is no standard approach: some are familiar with working in a museum context, others not at all. Time is taken to explain what is possible and what is not, since a museum has its own specific rules. Some restrictions may not seem obvious, but they are essential. Within those limits, the goal is always to shape a creative and tailored event.
An exceptional experience
It’s not only about limitations, though. Every commercial client who rents a space also has the opportunity to visit the museum. This often becomes the highlight of the evening: walking through the galleries in peace, with a small group. The responses are always enthusiastic. For many guests, it is their first encounter with the museum, and often the start of something more. These moments show what events can mean for a museum: they spark encounters between worlds that might otherwise never connect, and they build relationships with partners, companies, and organizations. Such relationships are valuable not only for financial reasons, but above all because they root the museum more firmly in society. The goal is to be a cultural haven open to collaboration and shared use, a place where all kinds of moments can be celebrated.
