FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2003 : "The Future of History"

6-9th September 2003, Hôtel Métropole, Brussels

• Welcome to Brussels
• Conference draft programme
• Registration forms
• Time machine Demo
• Call for clips
• Brussels tourist information : www.brussels-city-tours.com

Welcome to Brussels

Dear fellow members of FIAT/IFTA,

On behalf of RTBF and VRT, the national public broadcasters of the French and Flemish communities in Belgium, and of the FIAT/IFTA Board, we are pleased to invite you to the FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2003 that will be taking place in Brussels from the 6th to the 9th of September.

That VRT and RTBF are co-organising this conference is by no means coincidental. On the contrary, VRT and RTBF have been patiently awaiting this moment of celebration : their common 50th anniversary as a television broadcaster.

In the beginning of the fifties, numerous countries throughout the world witnessed the birth of their own national television broadcasters. That's why the conference organisers thought it fit to proclaim 'The History of Television" to be one of the central themes of the conference. How much is left of the pioneering days ? What about the numerous tests that were carried out to bring technical standards up to an acceptable level ? How well documented is this period ? And will the relics of that time survive the digital era ? Will students and scholars of the social and political sciences continue to be able to consult the necessary sources? What challenges do programme makers meet when they want to tell the fascinating history of their own trade ?

On the other hand, let's be honest : are all these documents easily available to them now ? Or might it be the case that digitisation is in fact the only way of making them all readily available to the academic world and to the general public ?

Come to Brussels, learn about other people's views, share your experiences with colleagues from all over the world !

If you do that, we guarantee you an excellent stay in one of the two hotels we have chosen for you in the centre of Brussels. All meetings will take place in the historic Hotel Metropole. The second hotel, the Ustel Hotel, is only three stops away from the conference venue if you use the underground. A walk in the September sun will take you no more than 20 minutes.

For more details, please have a look at the programme schedule.

Every evening of this conference, from Saturday to Tuesday, RTBF and VRT invite you to a social event : a welcoming reception in the superb Town Hall on Brussels' Great Market Square, a remarkable presentation of unique, splendidly restored films in the Royal Film Archive, a visit to the European Parliament and an Award Ceremony in a setting that matches the historical importance of the participating programmes.

For one or two of these events, we need to know in advance if we you will be joining us. Don't forget to tick the appropriate boxes to let us know.

Alain Goosens (RTBF) & Erik de Groef (VRT)

Registration and booking forms

You are invited to fill in and send the FIAT/IFTA Conference Registration Form as well as one of the Hotels Booking forms, before July 15th, at the latest.

• FIAT/IFTA Conference registration form
  You need to register for the conference and for the social events. Fill in the registration form and click on the send button. Details are provided in the form.
• Hotel Metropole Booking Form
  Fill in the booking form and sent it by fax directly to the Hotel Métropole.
  Visit the Hotel Metropole web site : http://www.metropolehotel.be
• Hotel Ustel Booking Form
  Fill in the booking form and sent it by fax directly to the Hotel Ustel.

Should you have any problems opening, sending or printing one of these forms, don't hesitate to contact Katrien at the conference office in Brussels.
Phone: 32 2 741 3932 - FAX 32 2 741 4656 - fiat2003@vrt.be

Registration and booking forms à hosted by : http://www.vrt.be

Call for clips ... Reminder

Participate in the celebration of television history. 

Time is running out on the Time Machine ! So please get busy selecting 2 or 3 clips and send them to Eric de Groef as soon as possible before the deadline of June 30th, 2003. It is a great opportunity to promote your archive !
See the Time Machine Demo. See the Call for clips details.