Impact is emotion, not a mathematical formula

4 examples that make people happy

Smiling child eating a slice of bread with chocolate spread at an outdoor table with another person nearby.
When we talk about the impact of conferences, it seems as if we are talking about a mathematical formula. Too often, we overlook the fact that this is about the effect on people. In other words: about a very emotional result. After all, your conference improves something concrete in the lives of members of society. Your impact contributes to making others happy. The examples in this article prove this beyond doubt.

Elegast Monbaliu: the wheelchair that gives independence

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This proverb nicely sums up Elegast Monbaliu's approach. According to the professor of Rehabilitation Sciences at KU Leuven, a conference is the perfect place to “go together.”

The partnerships Monbaliu forged at scientific meetings enabled him to develop a wheelchair that automatically adapts to users with complex motor disorders. These people make constant involuntary movements, which makes it difficult to operate a wheelchair. The AI software in the wheelchair filters out these irregularities, resulting in smooth movement.

The impact of this cannot be overstated, according to Monbaliu. “The difference between having to be pushed constantly and being able to go from point A to point B independently is enormous.”

 

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Ignace Schops: nature is the best bank in the world

A conference also shaped Ignace Schops' career. At a nature conference, he met Edward Osborne Wilson, founder of sociobiology and one of the world's greatest scientists since Darwin. That meeting inspired Schops to create his impact: the foundation of Hoge Kempen National Park.

Schops developed a method to calculate the economic impact of nature. His conclusion: for every euro invested in nature, society gets ten times that amount back. That makes a nature park the best bank in the world.

Talk about an impressive impact: Schops' method is now being adopted worldwide. It earned the scientist the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the Green Nobel Prize.

Man holding a basket of purple heather flowers in a misty meadow at sunrise.

Julius Persoone: chocolate that makes people cry with happiness

A chocolatier who creates impact? Meet Julius Persoone. His praline allows people with throat cancer to taste chocolate again. The idea was born during a nutrition conference, where Julius encountered Dr. Thomas Moors.

People who have undergone chemotherapy produce less saliva and therefore lose their sense of taste. That is why the chocolatier developed a praline with an artificial gel that takes over the function of saliva. When patients bite into the praline, the gel enters their mouth and they can taste the chocolate.

The impact was heartwarming. “People cried with happiness because they could enjoy chocolate again,” said Julius Persoone.

Chef in a commercial kitchen holds a mixing bowl and spatula dripping chocolate, staring at the camera.

Jasper Van Hoorick: impact for our friends, the animals

It's not just people who can reap the benefits of your impact. That's also true for our friends, the animals. For example, through the work of Jasper Van Hoorick and his company BIO INX, which develops materials for 3D bioprinting that can be used as an alternative to animal testing.

Jasper Van Hoorick has always been driven by the desire to make a real difference. At conferences, he meets the right people to collaborate with to achieve this goal. Without those crucial encounters, his company BIO INX would never have got off the ground. The company's participation in various scientific projects is often the result of the contacts he makes at these events.

Scientist in a lab coat examines a small test tube in a modern laboratory with equipment and monitors.

Do you want your conference to make an impact?

As you can see, impact is not a mathematical formula. It is a positive effect on society that makes people - and sometimes animals - happy. Flanders is happy to roll out the red carpet for your conference that pursues this goal. Want to know more? Tuya Beyers will be happy to tell you all about our service, which includes a free “Impact Track” and financial support through the Impact Support Package.

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