Face of Flanders – Jan Vereecke and Jan Van Esbroeck

“The initial idea was not to make big bucks,” says Jan Vereecke. “We wanted to do it just for the love of the music.”

Vereecke had just completed his Applied Economics degree; his fellow student Jan Van Esbroeck was in his final year. They dreamed up the Night of the Proms model, and Van Esbroeck used it as a case study for his thesis.

The students took on the organisation of their first Night of the Proms in 1985, convincing Belgium’s own Toots Thielemans and English vocalist John Miles to perform before an audience of 13,500. Since then, the event has continually attracted big names in pop, combining classical music with artists as varied as Christopher Cross, Roger Daltrey, Meat Loaf and Sinead O’Conner.

The entrepreneurs implemented a central ticketing system whereby tickets were sent by mail after bank payment – revolutionary for Belgium at the time. This system resulted in a database of potential clients for the next edition. “The re-purchase rate was overwhelming,” says Vereecke. Today, the Proms’ spin-off, Tele Ticket Service, is considered both an innovative pioneer and reliable partner for all kinds of events.

John Miles and a dedicated crew have been the omnipresent elements throughout the 25 editions of Night of the Proms in Antwerp – and now in the Netherlands (20 editions), Germany (16), France, Switzerland and Spain. “Our 200-strong team make the artists feel comfortable in their core business: performing their greatest hits,” says Jan Vereecke. “And the audience embraces the atmosphere. Night of the Proms is a unique opportunity to listen to music like you’ve never heard it.”

Night of the Proms runs from 23 October to 10 November; tickets to shows featuring Roxette, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Sharon den Adel will sell fast. See the 14 October issue of Flanders Today for a full programme preview

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