We can say that Jan Briers is synonymous with the "Festival van Vlaanderen". Jan’s life is exemplary for our festival since he became one with it throughout the years. To him this festival was not just a cultural and artistic event, he considered it as a chance for Flanders to emancipate culturally. Through the "Festival van Vlaanderen" he stimulated a large number of Flemish and Walloon artists to pursue an international career. Thanks to him we can admire them on international stages. He generously hosted hundreds of ensembles, groups and artists and offered them a cultural platform in Belgium. Slowly but surely the festival expanded and through cooperation with various partners it became a festival not solely for Flanders but for Belgium in general. Jan Briers is also one of the cornerstones of the European Festival Association, the "Association Européenne des Festivals". For years he was not only member, but Board-member and Vice-President of the so-called Executive Committee, "Comité Executive". In this function he was at the one hand a monument of stability but at the other hand he also acted as a pioneer with respect to the content of various debates, he was always striving for cooperation, co-production and co-financement of projects. As a "member" of the Association he brought important artistic, cultural, social topics up for discussion, although these were not always applauded or understood since many members were more eager to discuss management, marketing, public relations, etc. instead of artistic, cultural, themes. Jan Briers has always been a dreamer who wanted to realize his dreams. In a very proficient way he communicated with the media, press, radio and television. He preferred a mutual relationship based on friendly terms which made it easier for him to invite them to focus their attention on the activities of the "Festival van Vlaanderen". Jan Briers showed us and many others outside the cultural circuits that art and culture do matter. Art and culture are important; for them, for us, for our society and therefore we need governmental support. Thanks to his global, comprehensive approach, Jan Briers was and remains a "facilitator". He gave artists the chance to realize their ambitions, dreams. To reward Jan Briers for all his efforts, for his coordinating and creative power, which resulted in the prosperity of the "Association Européenne des Festivals" the General Assembly unanimously decided, in Dubrovnik in October 1999, to nominate Jan Briers as an "honorary member". At this very moment the Association counts only two honorary members, which shows clearly that Jan Briers is internationally highly esteemed. Frans de Ruiter President of the European Festivals Association