Post by BELWEST - Chamber of Commerce

✨#BEmissionUSA - Friday Highlights (1/2) ✨ The final day in Los Angeles started strong with two inspiring morning sessions presented by Cooley LLP and organized by #TeamBelwest. #1 – From Fail to Win: Behind every success story are the setbacks we rarely hear about. In this energizing conversation, Katrien Herdewyn, Guillaume Bourcy, and Bill Fisher shared candid lessons on how failures shaped their journeys and opened new opportunities. 👉Key takeaways: 💡 Mentors matter 💡 Value your incubator peers 💡 Trust: people you trust — and people who trust you 💡 Family and pets keep you grounded! #2 – California: A Global Economic Powerhouse California, the world’s 4th largest economy, stands at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and global influence. We had the pleasure of welcoming William Powles from World Trade Center Los Angeles, London Kemp Boykin, Sr. Vice Chair of the Board at Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and Matthew Cacciato, President & CEO at Los Angeles Sports Council, who explored the forces shaping the state’s economic trajectory, from U.S. policy shifts to local challenges and opportunities. 👏 A huge thank-you to our Board Member Martine Bolsens-Peetermans for her outstanding moderation. 👌 Later in the day, #TeamBelwest joined the official opening of the Spiegeltent at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, a 55-meter-long marvel and the largest of its kind in the world. Built by Het Spiegelpaleis, a family business from Westmalle, this tent, operated by CineVita in Los Angeles, and officially inaugurated by HRH Princess Astrid, now hosts a musical inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s iconic scenes and soundtracks. Meanwhile, our member Patrick Hollenfeltz, expert in #logistics, joined a tour of the Port of Los Angeles, and Port of Long Beach, organized by Agoria, POAB, Elia and Flanders Investment & Trade - USA. The Port of Los Angeles remains the #1 container port in the U.S. and the busiest in North America for 25 years running! 🙌 The day concluded with the Flanders Reception in Hollywood, organized by Flanders USA and attended by Minister-President Matthias Diependaele. A wonderful way to close an intense and successful week with #TeamBelwest attending, including Geert Criel, Leentje De Leeuw, Jeroen Hallaert, and Alain Charbonnier, celebrating BEM’s achievements in a relaxed atmosphere. Stay tuned for Part 2 with more highlights and reflections! 🇧🇪✨ Thank you to our other supporters for the morning events: CALYSTA NV, Beeyou.tv, CommandoVision, FIT - Flanders Investment & Trade, Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) and hub.brussels. Belgian Foreign Trade Agency (BFTA) Photos©️Dan Miller, Belga & #TeamBelwest