Case study
The 6th Annual European Space Forum
30 June–1 July 2026 Brussels, Belgium
Key Speakers Included
Henna Virkkunen
Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, European Commission
Lorena Boix Alonso
Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), European Commission
Rodrigo Da Costa
Executive Director, European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
Aarti Holla-Maini
Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Jean-Luc Trullemans
Incoming Director of Strategy, Legal and External Matters, European Space Agency (ESA)
Adel Al-Saleh
Vice-Chair, GSOA, CEO, SES Satellites
Juan Carlos Cortés Pulido
Director, Spanish Space Agency (AEE)
Isabelle Mauro
Director General, GSOA
Elena Donazzan
Member, European Parliament
Christophe Grudler
Member, European Parliament
Maria Fernández Molinero
Head of Unit, Space Policy (DG DEFIS), European Commission
Alex Soucek
Head of External Relations, European Space Agency (ESA)
Job titles correct at the time of the event
Event Partners
Event Sponsors
About
Brussels hosted the 6th Annual European Space Forum on 30 June and 1 July 2026. In a new, larger venue, the event brought together more than 400 policymakers, legislators, industry leaders and experts from across the sector to exchange perspectives and explore the diversity of Europe’s space ecosystem.
Held under the theme ‘Urgency and Ambition: Europe at a Crossroads’, the 2026 Forum examined how Europe can translate political intent into operational capability. As competition intensifies, technologies accelerate, and space becomes ever more central to security, sovereignty and economic growth, discussions spanned the full value chain.
For the first time, the European Space Forum was accompanied by the specialised European Space Security and Defence Forum, offering a focused examination of the increasingly important relationship between space, security and defence. Together, the two events provided three days of expertly curated discussion, debate and exploration.
You can read more about the European Space Forum here and the European Space Security and Defence Forum here.
What we did:
- Research & Curation: Developed the agenda, identified key themes and secured high-calibre speakers and contributors.
- Institutional & Stakeholder Relations: Managed senior relationships across the sector, including the European Commission, European Parliament, ESA, EEAS, EUSPA and UNOOSA, while facilitating high-level B2B and G2G introductions and bilateral meetings.
- Client & Partner Management: Coordinated up to 30 corporate partners, ensuring seamless participation, strong engagement and clear value from event involvement.
- Networking: Delivered an open-access networking cocktail reception and structured 8+ hours of curated networking across the conference programme, maximising attendee engagement and connection opportunities.
- Executive Engagement: Curated and hosted an exclusive 80-person pre-conference dinner debate and invite-only executive luncheon, securing senior participants and creating targeted opportunities for high-level relationship building.
- Media Partnerships: Leveraged established media relationships to extend the Forum’s reach and visibility.
- Venue & On-site Delivery: Led the transition to a new venue, overseeing planning, logistics, delegate navigation and on-site execution.
- Branding & Marketing: Developed a cohesive event identity and delivered targeted campaigns across physical and digital channels to drive awareness and attendance.
- Delegate & Digital Management: Managed in-person and virtual attendees through bespoke registration and event-management systems, alongside digital delegate packs and supporting materials.
- AV & Production: Oversaw stage design, AV, live production and session recording in collaboration with specialist suppliers.
- Photography & Content: Delivered in-house photography and a post-event highlights video capturing key speakers, moments and atmosphere.
- Branded Materials: Produced partner-branded event collateral, including lanyards, badges and on-site materials, incorporating sponsor visibility and ROI opportunities.
Event Gallery
Testimonials
“These kinds of forums are very helpful. You hear different opinions, try to reconcile them, and engage in dialogue.”
Adel Al Saleh, Vice Chair, GSOA
“The key benefit of conferences like this is bringing together people from government, intergovernmental organisations, and the private sector. It is too easy to operate in an echo chamber at a transnational or intergovernmental level, but it is essential to hear the perspectives of industry, private-sector operators, financiers and banks, and to work together to build a space ecosystem that is successful, resilient and profitable.”
Mark Leverkus, Partner, Gibson Dunn
“The European Space Forum provided a valuable opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of Europe's strengths and priorities in the space domain at this critical moment. It was also a meaningful occasion to engage with leading global experts in the field.”
Hwang Jun-shik, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea
“The European Space Forum has become a key meeting point for shaping the future of Europe’s space sector. The discussion on next-generation satellite networks highlighted the importance of collaboration between industry and policymakers to accelerate innovation, strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and unlock the full potential of hybrid connectivity. It was a pleasure to be part of the discussion.”
Jaume Sanpere, CEO & Co-founder, Sateliot
“It is a very big challenge to put people together from different positions like we have here. We have people making policy, we have people from space agencies, we have people from the EU, those from Member States and industry. These are the people making space for tomorrow.”
Jean-Luc Trullemans, Incoming Director of Strategy, Legal and External Matters, European Space Agency (ESA)
Highlights Video
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