First European Brussels Chapter

Genesis of the FIrst SPEA European Chapter (1956-1957)

Paul Genton

Being at that time director of development of an international company based in Brussels, Paul Genton saw in Advertising Age an article devoted to SPEA, in the shape of an interview of its president, James Brown, chairman of "Plywood" in Chicago. Paul Genton immediately wrote him to congratulate him but also to regret a "new example of traditional American isolationism…!!!", explaining the interest and the success to be excepted for such an association in Europe.

By return the answer cam explaining that the SPEA board was on the contrary very open to international and, since Paul Genton seemed so interested, was asking him to found "the First SPEA European Chapter".

It was in fact "the answer of shepherd to the shepherdess" at once.

Taking the ball with the jump, early September 1956, Paul Genton gathered ten people.

Among them: two industrialists, two advertising executives, two tradesmen, two distributors, consultants and even a Dominican Father ! At the beginning, the members of the European SPEA met twice per month in the discrete corner of a restaurant to exchange ideas during a quick lunch.

At each meeting, one of us was animating the debate by presenting a problem to which he was, or had been, confronted in its professional environment. The others were listening attentively, giving him some advises and suggestions in a very friendly way. In 1957, after a few informal meetings, the small group, recognized as a privileged place for professional contacts, was receiving pressing requests from potential members who were wishing to join the group, creating inevitably the need to enter into a niminal legal structure.

On December 8, 1957 the "First SPEA European Brussels Chapter" was founded in the legal form of a non-profit-making association according to the Belgian law.

Pretty soon, our meetings and the climate of cordiality of our debates were known in the economic field. In spite of our initial decision not to exceed a small score of members, it has not been possible to strictly stick to a very limited number.

HRH Prince Albert

Carefully, the SPEA European Brussels Chapter opened doors to some other colleagues who "wanted to be part of it"! In a couple of weeks, we received forty requests and tried to manage the demand while keeping and welcoming ideas and suggestions from the audience.

We were already more than one hundred active members when we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the club. On this occasion, HRH Prince Albert, the current King Albert II, chaired our lunch deveoted to promotion of the foreign trade of Belgium.