Meet The Team

Marianne Rygaerts

Founder & Strategic Advisor

Marianne is Belgian with Mediterranean roots. Born under the large African sky, she knows no limits when it comes to understanding multicultural audiences. She studied languages and journalism in Belgium and created the company in 1991.  After more than 31 years as Managing Director of Downtown Europe, Marianne  remains a pillar of the company. Marianne will assume the role of Strategic Advisor to the company management team. She speaks English, French, Spanish and Greek.

Benoît Dubuisson

Managing Director

Benoît joined Downtown Europe early 2022. He has 15 years of expertise in Business Development, Marketing and Event Management. Dynamic, passionate and committed, Benoît is undoubtedly the person capable of developing your events, your congresses, your conferences to exceed your objectives. Benoît is Belgian who graduated from Hospitality Management and prior to joigning Downtown Europe, he held several management positions in the meetings & hospitality industry. Benoit has two sons and a daughter with his life partner Nathalie. He speaks English, French and Dutch.

Elena Ciudad

Project Manager

Elena is Spanish who graduated in Belgium. She studied languages in Spain, and her interest for the European Union brought her to Brussels to do a Master degree in international relations. Passionate about events, she has built her experience organizing international congresses. Committed and meticulous, she will take care of the logistical aspects and communication of your event from A to Z. She is fluent in Spanish, French and English.

Chloé Drèze

Project Manager

Chloé is Belgian who studied event management and got passionate about the job since the start. She has the sound management of any pre-and post-event tasks. She can face any unforeseen circumstances with ease and wisdom. Reliable and dedicated, she will go hand in hand with you through all steps from registrations to event evaluation in close contact with your event partners and attendees. She speaks French, English and Dutch.

Marie Rouyet

Assistant Project Manager

Marie is French and recently graduated with a master degree in Business Management. What she loves the most about event management is getting out of the routine. She will pay attention to every details of your event, from the biggest to the smallest. Musician and passionate about travel, she loves to discover various cultural specialties! She speaks French, English and Spanish.

Rémi Gonda

Assistant Project Manager

Rémi is Belgian and is finishing his bachelor's degree in Tourism Management. He adapts quickly and meticulously completes all the tasks entrusted to him. Passionate about technology and digital transition, he is on the lookout for the best digital innovations in order to perfectly manage the digital aspects of your event and meet your expectations. He speaks French, English, Dutch and Spanish.