Nekkerhal, Large event venue in Mechelen, Belgium
Nekkerhal is a large event venue in Mechelen designed for exhibitions, trade fairs, and conferences across multiple interconnected halls. The facility can be configured in different ways to accommodate various types of events and different group sizes.
Nekkerhal was built in 1981 as a vegetable hall for storing and trading produce from nearby horticultural areas, replacing the Mechelen vegetable hall at Zandpoortvest. When the auction hall at Sint-Katelijne-Waver expanded, that need fell away and the building threatened to become a financial fiasco for the city. Mayor Jos Vanroy found a new purpose: the hall was quickly converted into an event venue. The city remained owner, and from 2015 Artexis took over operations under the commercial name Nekkerhal-Brussels North.
Throughout the calendar year, Nekkerhal hosts numerous regional events that bring together communities, from educational technology fairs to equestrian competitions.
The venue provides ample parking and dedicated truck access for efficient setup and breakdown of large events. Visitors should plan their arrival according to the specific event layout, as configurations vary widely.
The hall is split by a movable wall of ten inflatable tubes, each 6 metres wide, which can be placed in six positions to divide the space into two parts. Because keeping the tubes inflated uses a lot of energy, the wall is only used when both halves are rented out; otherwise fences separate them.
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