The rather contentious Administrative Council meeting at the Lujblijana OIDFA Congress highlighted fundamental disconnects both within the Belgian Congress Organizing Committee (BCOC) and between the BCOC and the OIDFA sponsors. To make a very long story short, a reorganization of the BCOC was done, and a deadline of August 22 set for the BCOC to decide whether or not to hold the 2018 Bruges congress.
On July 29th a letter was sent to the OIDFA EC by the BCOC indicating that the committee has decided not to proceed with OIDFA to cooperate in the organization of a lace congress in Bruges in 2018. Instead, an independent world lace congress will be organized by the Belgians to be held in Bruges in 2018. One primary reason cited for the cancellation is Belgian law which prohibits non-profit organizations to work for foreign organizations. As such, the financial help that OIDFA could give is in question.
In 1998 the OIDFA Congress was held in Gent, Belgium, and one could presume that working relationships for non-profits and foreign sponsors were somehow accommodated. We may never know the whole story, but the cancellation of an OIDFA Congress is a serious blow to the organization. It will inevitably cause some rethinking on the part of people considering future OIDFA Congress proposals, some of whom are connected with this blog.
LaceNews 
Bad luck for us all, and I hope OIDFA will get their money (our money!!) back from Belgium!!!! I wonder whether they’ll find a new regulation that says that Belgian non-profit organizations cannot send money to foreign non-profit organizations…. I was going to Europe specially next year to go to Belgium and to the OIDFA congress, now I’ll have to find out where else I could go…Any big lace festivals anywhere else during the summer???? Helene
As far as I know, no money is currently at stake. The event that will be held is known as “Bruges 2018”, and has a broader scope than just lace (apparently the relationships with the OIDFA event and Bruges 2018 was also part of the problem). Much work has already been done on the lace event, which will now be held as part of Bruges 2018, and looks to be well worth a visit.
All the expenses are paid by the organizing committee, not by OIDFA! The world Lace congress takes place on 17-18 -19 August 2018.
Workshops: 13-14 -15 -16 August 2018
Lacetour from 20 to 25 August 2018
as a Belgian lace maker and Oidfa member I will Not attend this promotion for Bruges held around the usual annuel lace days. The statutes of this vzw are a good reason for not attending.
Belgian oidfa members have been betrayed by Veerle and the gruop as a meeting to sort things out was planned in Sepetember. While the two other AC members were in Canada,this was all decided !
Very trustworthy.
AC Belgium decided in Ljubljana to hold an additional meeting. The meeting on September 24 was prepared, the three AC members together, before the two other AC members went to Canada. I informed them of the decision of Bruges 2018 vzw during the preparation of the meeting. The two other AC members are informed!
Come to the September 24 meeting, you will be fully informed. Stop giving comments about things you are not aware.
Will look forward to hearing more. l plan to come whether it is on or not. Have family living both in Nederlands and England who l hope to see while there.