The second edition of the Antwerk trade fair attracted 4,500 visitors to Antwerp Expo on Nov. 4, 2026, up from just over 3,000 at last year’s inaugural event, as 126 exhibitors—all from the city of Antwerp itself—pitched services ranging from real estate and plumbing to fire safety and interior design, Gazet van Antwerpen reported, with the listing also carried by dekrantenkoppen.be.
For the many Jewish Orthodox business owners present at the venue on Jan Van Rijswijcklaan, the fair offered a structured way to build contacts outside their own community, organizers and attendees said.
Diamond Sector Decline Pushes Entrepreneurs Toward New Markets
Nico Volckeryck, regional director of the self-employed organization NSZ, which maintained a stand at the fair, said the diamond sector—long the main employer of the city’s Jewish residents—has been partly taken over by Indian firms. Many Jewish Antwerpenaars are therefore searching for new business opportunities, with NSZ supporting them in areas such as taxation and regulation, he told Gazet van Antwerpen.
Joseph Goldenberg, 33, medezaakvoerder of interior design firm Cozy Living, described the movement as relatively new within the Jewish Orthodox community. The younger generation has realized they must extend a hand to other communities, he said, adding that outsiders sometimes still believe the community is active only in diamonds.
Local-Only Rule Keeps Money in Antwerp
Co-organizer Morris Gallitzky, 25, refused applications from exhibitors outside Belgium for the second edition, he told Gazet van Antwerpen. Too many people hire entrepreneurs from outside Belgium, causing money to leave the local economy, he said. The fair aims to demonstrate that capable entrepreneurs can be found locally—a building manager, for example, could hire a locksmith around the corner instead.
Startups Open Showrooms Outside the Jewish Quarter
Among the predominantly Jewish Orthodox exhibitors were startups such as Vilooni, a two-person window decoration company founded by Dani Hoffman, 27, and Michael Cristal, 34. They chose to open their showroom in Lange Nieuwstraat in the city center rather than the Jewish quarter to become known among other communities in Belgium, Hoffman said.
Ollech Mordechai, 26, who has run Multi Check since 2022 producing EPC and asbestos certificates, estimated that about 40 percent of his clients come from outside the Jewish community. He aims to expand that share, noting that an entrepreneur cannot survive on the Jewish community alone.
Visitors Find Open Networking Despite Police Presence
Birthe Melis, 32, and Bram Van Meulebroeck, 45, of the surveying firm Plan² in Herentals, attended to contact Antwerp entrepreneurs. They found it strange that police security was present for a trade fair, only to learn that most exhibitors were Jewish. They observed that the exhibitors were very open to networking.
Jesse Priem, 25, of the recruitment firm Plus One HR in Lier, said he was warmly welcomed everywhere despite initial surprise at cooperating with the Jewish Orthodox community. Everyone at the fair was there to do business, he said.
Next Edition Planned
Gallitzky said the organizers were very satisfied with the turnout and that a next edition will follow, larger than the second. People from outside the Jewish community remain welcome, he said, because everyone forms part of the same economy.
Antwerk Trade Fair Questions Answered
How many exhibitors participated in the 2026 edition of Antwerp? The fair hosted 126 exhibitors, all from Antwerp itself. Co-organizer Morris Gallitzky rejected applications from foreign exhibitors to keep the focus on local enterprise, Gazet van Antwerpen reported.
Why was there police security at the trade fair? Visitors Birthe Melis and Bram Van Meulebroeck found the police presence surprising until they learned most exhibitors were from the Jewish Orthodox community, according to Gazet van Antwerpen.
What types of businesses were represented at Antwerk? Exhibitors included a real estate office, a plumber, a fire safety company, window decoration firm Vilooni, EPC certificate provider Multi Check, interior design store Cozy Living, an architecture firm, and recruitment agency Plus One HR, among others, Gazet van Antwerpen reported.
Worth a look