Brussels Girl Geek Dinner

Hello ladies,

Next Brussels Girl Geek Dinner is on Wed 15 September 18:30 in the amazing Living Tomorrow in Vilvoorde. This time you can bring a male guest if you like, with up to 50 seats available.

Sponsored by:

• Fedict (venue, catering, goodie bag)
• Anaxis (goodie bag)

Course of the evening:

• 18:00      Doors
• 18:30     Welcome drinks
• 19:00     Speaker  Peter  Strickx (CTO at FEDICT) about Fedict‘s missions and ambitions
• 19:15      Speaker Bart Gysens (@wadje12 & eGov at Anaxis) about the project Brand en Burger
• 19:30    Tour around Living Tomorrow – focus on eID applications
• 20:30      Networking, drinks and finger food (thx Fedict)
• 22:00    Grab the goodie bag and go home

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free:
http://brusselsgirlgeekdinner34.pbworks.com/

Last year, at the start of Klarafestival, we had our first BGGD night out (with Gavriel Lipkind!) in Flagey Studio, Brussels.

This year, international Brussels music festival KlaraFestival starts today 7 September, with concerts and specials until 17 September.

I’m going to the  Club K project on Wednesday 15 September 21:30-23:59 in  Club K-Nal.
Course of the evening:

• 21u30 : Concert Invisible + Visual Kitchen
• 22u30 : American classical and jazz pianist and composer Uri Caine + Visual kitchen
• 23u15 : Mauro Pawlowski + Visual kitchen
• 00u : Shameboy

Want to join me? Let me know in the comments and I’ll arrange to have your (real)names on the guest list.  Feel free to bring a guest – just make sure his/her name is mentioned below. List closes at 30 BGGD names…

See you on the 15th!

Good news: the Brussels Girl Geeks will make another trip. And it’s going to be epic!

Registration will open soon but because I know you’re all busy ladies you might want to make some practical arrangements in time.

In short:

• We leave on Tuesday 5 October 10:00 in Zellik
• We will be driving ourselves – in shiny new cars so we can test them.
• Destination: Paris (!)
• Tuesday night: stay at the Dolce Chantilly hotel
• Wednesday 6 October 16:00 back in Zellik, Belgium

And don’t worry: there’s room for 20 girl geeks!

Hello ladies,

Next Brussels Girl Geek Dinner is on Mon 12 July 18:30 in the heart of Brussels. This time it’s a female only edition, with up to 40 girl geeks this time.

Thanks to http://www.dujardinstore.com we’ll be able to indulge in:

1) For 10 of you: learn how to walk like a catwalk model, with tips from a professional fashion stylist.

2) Fashion photography workshop by fellow girl geek Monica Monté (@sart68).

There will be healthy/girly food and of course we’ll try out everything we can get our hands on from the upcoming Dujardinstore.com winter collection.

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free:
http://brusselsgirlgeekdinner33.pbworks.com/

Dujardinstore.com is the rebirth of a very famous traditional Belgian brand back in the 20th century, now relaunched through a complete new business model focusing on e-commerce.
The collections are 100% made in top-quality cashmere, targeted at male and female who like tradition with a touch of glam, and who are rapidly becoming addicted to the softness of the cashmere….
Top-quality cashmere, partially hand-made in best Italian factory at affordable prices are made possible through this new economic model, without any distributor.
Still, Dujardinstore.com has a few ambassadors boutiques in Brussels, Knokke, Spa, La Hulpe, Paris,…(and more to come) where customers can try the clothes on before ordering online via iPads made available for them in the boutiques.
At Dujardinstore.com, we strongly believe the new technologies are changing our ways of consuming and buying products and we would be very pleased to show you how it works for us while let you discover in an exclusive avant-première our fall/winter 2010 collection !

The 32nd edition of Brussels Girl Geek Dinner (co-orgnised with CaféNumerique) is centered around the topic “Infobesitas“. Thanks to Microsoft we were able to get speaker Tom Palmaerts to talk to us about information overload, and how we try to handle it.

Tom Palmaerts (@palmaerts on Twitter) is a trendwatcher, coolhunter, speaker, photographer and blogger. He works for Trendwolves and specialises in youth culture, trends and online communities.

Venue:

Claridge
Chaussée de Louvain / Leuvensesteenweg 24B
Brussel

If you come by car, best park your car here (Claridge is just around the block)

Parking Scailquin‎
Rue Scailquin 35, 1210 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, België‎ – 02 217 57 07

Grotere kaart weergeven
The programme on Tue 22 June 2010:

• 18.30 Welcome, opening walking dinner & drinks
• 19.15 Introduction by Clo Willaerts
• 19.30 Infobesitas – Tom Palmaerts
• 20.05 Discover the new Windows Live Hotmail & Messenger
• 20.20 Q&A, mingle&mix

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free!

For the curious: the results from the poll for primary e-mail address are 46% Gmail, 18% Hotmail, 12% work address, 11% Telenet, 8% other, 5% Yahoo and 1% Skynet.

Tonight Tuesday8 June, 25 Belgian Girl Geeks will challenge the attendant men to a gaming tournament, organized by Rock Star Games. They will take a stand against each other playing Red Dead Redemption, the long expected successor of the Grand Theft Auto games.
During the battle, there will be a delicious Western style BBQ at the inner court of the PR’ins showroom.

There are 2 places left!

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free!

The world of games is still considered as a man’s bastion by some.
However: the past few years lots of women started gaming.

This is why on Tuesday the 8th of June, PR’ins and Brussels Girl Geek Dinner organize an heroic ‘battle of the sexes‘ in the heart of Antwerp. 25 Girl Geeks will challenge the attendant men to a gaming tournament, organized by Rock Star Games. They will take a stand against each other playing Red Dead Redemption, the long expected successor of the Grand Theft Auto games.
During the battle, there will be a delicious Western style BBQ at the inner court of the PR’ins showroom.

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free!

Red Dead Redemption is a sandbox-style action-adventure western video game with role-playing elements developed by Rockstar and released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2010.

The game takes place in the year 1911 in the American Old West territory and follows John Marston, a former outlaw, while he tries to save his wife and son, taken by government agents, by capturing and killing his former gang members.

To get you in the right mood, here’s a Red Dead Redemption Trailer – The Women of Red Dead Redemption:

Get your hair cut for free @ Tony & Guy, help cancer survivors
Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #30 is actually a trendy haircutting evening at Toni&Guy (“the most powerful hairdressing brand on the planet”) in Antwerp, organised by Geef om Haar/Coupe d’Eclat. So if you have a healthy pony tail of at least 20 cm and want a new trendy summer look, come and have your hair cut for free at this event and donate your pony tail to help women with cancer.

But what exactly is Pantene Geef om Haar/Coupe d’Eclat?
Geef om Haar/Coupe d’Eclat is an initiative of Pantene, in cooperation with Stichting tegen Kanker/Fondation contre le Cancer, that aims to provide emotional and financial support to men and women who have lost their hair as a result of cancer. The initiative encourages Belgians to donate their hair so it can be made into a wig.

• Follow on Twitter: @geefomhaar or @coupedeclat
• Like on Facebook: www.facebook.com/geefomhaar or www.facebook.com/coupedeclat

What if your hair isn’t long enough?
No worries if you don’t want or can’t cut 20 centimeters: you can have your hair
washed, cut and brushed  for 25 euros by the Toni&Guy-team and this amount will be applied to the Geef om Haar/Coupe d’Eclat Fund.

Place: Toni&Guy – Leopoldstraat 53 – 2000 Antwerpen
Time: 18u30 – 21u
Max # of attendees: 14
Put your name on the wiki to be one of them!

Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #27 (on Wed 5 May in Antwerp) is fully booked, but no worries: there’s still room at Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #28 on Sunday afternoon 9 May in Ghent. Put your name on the wiki to be part of this unique art event!

Electrified 02 – Hacking public spaces, the second edition of  S.M.A.K. and the Vooruit ‘s biennial art project, takes up a decisive position on the crossroads of several directions in the visual arts. At the same time it will expose the friction between the areas where the two institutions operate: the S.M.A.K. in contemporary art and the Vooruit in media art, sound and performance art. In the quest for a shared ‘mentality’ in these different dynamics, the public space is taken as a common thread. In this case, the term ‘public space’ is all-embracing, without losing sight of the actual distinction between real and virtual public space.

About the artist (from Vooruit.be):

In her work, Roberta Gigante (b. 1986, Arpino, Italy) explores relationships between public space, image and sound. More specifically, she examines the resonance frequencies of various objects and how sound behaves as an ‘image’. As part of Electrified02, Gigante will be going to the harbour in Ghent. It is not so much the setting that interests her as the site, where twelve gigantic metal pipes are being stored. The pipes lie next to one another, like separate organ pipes waiting to be brought together in one instrument. Each pipe – depending on its thickness, diameter and length – has its own resonance frequency, which is recorded and then used as a keynote in a site-specific sound installation. In OrganOOn the artist ‘hacks’ the port site in Ghent with a sound installation that appeals to the imagination and will be activated just once, namely on Sunday 5 of May, 2010. This unusual organ concert also questions the classical organisation and setting in which concerts like this are held.

Programme of the day (on Sunday 9 May):

• 13:30 Attendees arrive at the S.M.A.K.’s The Factory
• 14:00 Welcome + start of the tours: electrified (2 groups) & ed templeton (1 group)
• 15:00 End of tours + cake and coffee
• 15:30 Transport to secret location in Ghent harbour – use the wiki to arrange your own transport by car
• 16:00 Arrival of Roberta Gigante
• 16:30 Cava moment
• 17:00 End  - transport back to S.M.A.K or home

Good news! The month of May is packed with interesting girl geek dinners and for the 27th, 28th and 29th edition you can finally bring male guests again. Feel free to bring your sacoche!

Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #27
Wed 5 May  18:30 (doors 18:00)-22:00
Speaker: Michaël Uyttersprot on Android applications.
Thanks to Sony Ericsson.
The Pub Agency, Antwerp

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free

Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #28
Sun 9 May 13:30 – 17:00
Speaker: Roberta Gigante  on OrganOOn, her contribution to Hacking Public Spaces.
Thanks to Vooruit
S.M.A.K. + the port site, Ghent

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free

Brussels Girl Geek Dinner #29
Wed 12 May 18:30-21:00
Speakers: Ine and Catherine (http://nomadz.nu/) on Travelling geeks.
Thanks to Telenet
Telenet, Mechelen (Wifi available)

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free

The 26th edition of Brussels Girl Geek Dinner is centered around the topic “Girls vs Video Games“. Thanks to girl geek Aleksandra Logist (@aleks2401) we’ll be able to play with a range of video game classics and new releases.

the consoles :

• One Xbox 360
• One PS3
• One Nintendo Wii
• One Nintendo Dsi (or DSi XL)
• One PSP

Venue:

Wed 21 April 18:00-21:30

Ad!dict Creative Lab  – Belgium
LAB.001 bvba
Delaunoystraat 60
1080 Brussels Belgium

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free!

The 25th edition of Brussels Girl Geek Dinner is centered around the topic “Self Confidence“. Thanks to Oral-B we were able to get speaker motivating speaker and personal coach Inge Rock to teach us a few tricks on e.g. speaking in public, or presenting your business case to possible investors.

Venue:

Procter & Gamble (Itinerary .pdf)
Temselaan 100
1853 Strombeek-Bever

The programme on Wed 31 March 2010:

• 18.00 Welcome
• 18.30 Introduction by Clo Willaerts and Inge De Backer
• 18.40 Introduction to oral care
• 19.00 What is the connection between oral care and self expression?
• 19.10 Personal coaching by Inge Rock
• 20:00 Walking dinner

Put your name on the wiki to get in for free!

A word about our sponsor:

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The 24th edtion of BGGD is planned on Wednesday 24 March from 5-7 PM at TAN, one of the best bio shops and restaurants in Brussels . And this time, it’s going to be a special, “bring a child” edition, inspired by www.atelier-alibaba.be.

Speakers:
Beatrice de Mahieu (pictured) and Fleur de Meeus.

Topic:
Cooking for kids + nutri coaching

Where and when:
Wed 24 March 17:00-19:00
TAN
Rue de l’Aqueduc, 95 (= near Place du Châtelain)
1050 Brussels

Both nutritionists will animate the evening by splitting the group of children and the group of Girl Geeks.

Best age for the child is as from 6 years old. One child per Girl Geek. But of course you’re free to come on your own if you can’t find a child  for that evening!

Want to join us? Put your name on the wiki page to get in for free. Seats are limited to 20 ladies (plus the children they bring along) so don’t wait too long!

The first BGGD of the new year will be on Wednesday 6 January at 6:30PM at the Mirano (Leuvensesteenweg 38, 1210 Brussels).
Every Wednesday night is Café Numerique (@cafenumerique) at the Mirano. But for once, the Café Numerique will be all about the Girl Geeks and what they are passionate about!

Agenda:

• 6:30PM – Welcome drinks (for those who registered at the wiki)
• 7:00PM – Introduction of BGGD by Zoltán Janosi
• 7:30 PM – Keynote by Christoph Rooms, Technical Evangelist at Adobe Systems
• 8:30 PM – Networking: drinks and snacks

Already thinking about the delicious Christmas meal your mother will prepare but dreading to stuff yourself with calories? Don’t be afraid of the end-of-the-year festivities. Weight Watchers, the leader of all weight loss methods, will show you how to cook for Christmas in a healthy but delicious way! For the 22nd edition of the Brussels Girl Geek Dinner, Weight Watchers invites you to celebrate Christmas at a cooking workshop on Wednesday 16 December from 18:00 to 22:00.

20 girl geeks are invited to the Kookeiland cooking studio in Deurne. They will follow the advice of young chef, Mitch Coldenhoff, a regular on television for “De perfecte keuken” with Piet Huysentruyt.
During this workshop, the girl geeks will get a chance to discover in avant-première the new Weight Watchers ProPoints Program, the most flexible program ever developed by Weight Watchers! To participate, write your name on the wiki.

Address:
Kookeiland
Suzanne Spanhovenstraat 2
2100 Deurne

Course of the evening:

• 18h30    Welcome drinks
• 19h00    Nicky & Cindy : A new Weight Watchers for Christmas: long life to healthy pleasure!
• 19h15    Workshop with chef Mitch Coldenhoff & Christmas celebration
• 22h00    Goodie bags from Santa Claus!

Weight Watchers will be offering 10 free entries to Weight Watchers’ meetings to 3 lucky girl geeks. More details to follow during the event and on this blog! Weight and see….

The 21st edition of Brussels Girl Geek Dinner takes place in Bièrges (Wavre) on Wed 2 December 2009 18:30-21:30. To get in for free, write your name on the wiki. Ladies only, please!

Address:

Anne Sophie Smartshopping
Rue de la Wastinne 21
1301 Bierges

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Course of the evening:

• 18:30 Welcome with drinks and catering
• 18:45: Anne-Sophie and Charles: What is Smartshopping?
• 19:00 Workshops with the Anne-Sophie experts:
  • colour analysis (for 12 ladies)
  • make-up (for 6 ladies)
  • hairstyle (for 6 ladies)
  • hair diagnostics (for 8  ladies)
• 21:30 Time to grab the goodie bag and go home.

Good news! Brussels Girl Geek Dinner has 20 free tickets for the national Avant Première of OceanWorld 3D on Mon 30 November 19:45 at Kinepolis, Liège. Want to join us? Put your name (and those of the friends you bring with you) on the wiki page.

Digital 3D film production is in full flight: 2009 is therefore the ideal year to launch a Film Festival entirely dedicated to 3D. From Bollywood to Hollywood, from Shanghai to Brussels and Liège, the 3D planet is bubbling with excitement: three 3D films were distributed in 2008, some fifteen in 2009 and to date we have counted more than 150 3D films in production (listed films).

The 3D Stereo MEDIA 2009 Film Festival offers the general public and 3D image professionals:

• A selection of the best 3D films from the digital 3D era*. This selection is composed of 15 mid- and feature-length films.
• A short film competition and a feature film competition*. Three films were selected in each category by the organisers and will be presented to the jury.

The 3D Film festival will be held both by Kinepolis Antwerp, Brussels & Liege. Kinepolis will play a selection of 3D movies every night from the 1st December till the 3rd.

*Ocean World 3D*

France/ French-English

Director: Jean-Jacques et François Mantello

Producer: 3D Entertainment

Length: 85 min

Follow Aris the sea turtle, who embarks on a journey across the oceans in search of the origin of mysterious, far away calls. Aris encounters both her friends and her predators. What she finally discovers is that the greatest threat to the fate of ocean life doesn’t lie beneath the waves, but in the hands of the people from above.
In French with the lecture of Marion Cotillard.

The 20th edition of Brussels Girl Geek Dinner takes place in Zaventem (Brussels) on Wed 25 November 2009 18:00-21:30. To get in for free, write your name on the wiki. Ladies only, please!

Address:
Big Blue
Leuvensesteenweg 390,
1932 Zaventem.
Belgium

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Course of the evening:

• 18:00 Doors open
• 19:00 – 19:10: Welcome & introduction by Philippe Borremans (@HoratioNelson)
• 19:10 Climate crisis vs sustainable design, by Serge De Gheldere (futureproofed.com, Al Gore’s Climate Project)
• 19:10 – 19:30 The Story of Big Blue by Caroline Van Marcke (@carodou)
• 19:40 – 20:00 Guided tour by 3 Big Blue Planners.
• 20:00 – 21:30 Drinks & walking dinner
• 21:30 Time to grab the goodie bag and go home.

On 14 November 2009, Van Marcke Belgium opened Big Blue, the first renovated industrial CO2 neutral building in Belgium/
Big Blue, is really an information and sales center, devoted to energy-friendly solutions for heating and water. Within this climate center, Van Marcke brings together all know-how and all stakeholders involved in energy-friendly solutions for heating and water.

The building itself is a prime example of energy-conscious renovation. The former industrial depot, covering 1,500 m 2 in surface area, was completely renovated, refurbished and converted into a CO 2 -neutral building.

The building complies with the latest passive-house standards: neither fuel oil nor natural gas are used for heating purposes. All electrical power for heating, ventilation and lighting is derived from solar energy. The water for the sanitary facilities comes from an installation that collects rainwater from the roof and filters it.

The driving force and designers of Big Blue are Van Marcke family, which consulted climate expert Serge De Gheldere, the head of FutureProofed.

Belgian consumers can make a difference.

The high levels of energy and water consumption of private homes in Belgium is weighing down heavily on the planet’s climate conditions. Our residential homes produce 31% of total carbon dioxide emissions in Belgium. They are the second largest polluter, preceded only by industry (35%) and followed by transport (18%).

Taking a closer look at the carbon dioxide emissions generated by your average Belgian family, 31% of emissions are found to derive from energy consumption and, looking even closer, the biggest culprits are heating and hot water, representing 24.6% of total CO2 emissions.

Belgians do not stint on drinking water either: 52% of the mains (drinking) water consumed by the average Belgian household could be perfectly replaced by rainwater. Here, the principal water-guzzlers are: the toilet (31%), the washing-machine (12%) and water for house cleaning and garden maintenance (9%).

Caroline Van Marcke, member of the Board of Directors of the Van Marcke Group:

“These figures make it abundantly clear that every household can actively join in working towards protecting the climate. By opting for sustainable solutions in the areas of heating and water, their individual efforts are certain to make a big difference in due course. Which is exactly why it is of vital importance for us to provide consumers with correct, concrete and easily comprehensible information and guidance.
all.”