Phrenos
Phrenos is a Brussels-based event and communication agency serving EU institutions, international organizations, and governments with end-to-end event management, 360° communication campaigns, virtual event production, and EU award secretariat services across 17+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Phrenos does
Phrenos is a Brussels-headquartered event and communication agency founded in 2010, specializing in services for European institutions, international organizations, and governments. The firm operates across four integrated service lines: Virtual Events (with an in-house TV studio, multi-camera live streaming, branded virtual stage, and Standard/Pro/Tailor-made packaging), Communication Campaigns (360° strategy, creative content, social/digital), Events Management (forums, summits, expos, conferences), and EU Awards & Network Management (secretariat services such as European Green Capital, EU CAP Network, EU Green Leaf). Proprietary technology is limited to a branded virtual event platform supporting registration, live interaction (polls, Q&A, word clouds), networking, and replay capabilities — not a packaged software product.
The business model is professional services revenue generated through competitive tendering for EU institutions (DG ENV, DG AGRI, DG INTPA, DG COMM, European Parliament, EU agencies), long-term agreements with international organizations (UNICEF, ITC, World Bank, Climate-KIC, European Brain Council), and government contracts (EU Delegation Senegal, Enabel, Belgian ministries). Pricing is quote-based and project-driven rather than subscription-based; virtual event packages are sold via direct email inquiry. The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, leveraging a portfolio of flagship projects — European Development Days since 2015, EU Green Capital Awards, EU Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, Forum de Dakar — as social proof for tender submissions. Geographic reach spans 17+ countries across Europe, Africa, South America, and East Asia through direct operations and partner-led distribution (AG Partners DAKAR/Publicis Africa, Arcadis, CommUnity for Europe EEIG). The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and is privately held under a partner-management structure with no disclosed external investment.
Phrenos firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Phrenos
- Legal name
- Phrenos
- Website
- https://phrenos.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Phrenos is a Brussels-based event and communication agency serving EU institutions, international organizations, and governments with end-to-end event management, 360° communication campaigns, virtual event production, and EU award secretariat services across 17+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Phrenos industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Management and Communication Services
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
Keywords
Where Phrenos is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Phrenos business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- EU Institution Contracts: Phrenos generates revenue primarily through competitive tenders and framework contracts with European Commission directorates (DG ENV, DG AGRI, DG INTPA), European Parliament, and EU agencies. These contracts involve managing events, communication campaigns, and secretariat services for multi-year programmes.
- International Organizations: Long-term agreements with organizations like UNICEF, International Trade Centre, World Bank, Climate-KIC, and European Brain Council for event management and communication services.
- Government & Embassy Contracts: Contracts with national governments, EU delegations abroad (Senegal), and Belgian ministries for communication and event services.
- Virtual Event Services: Standard, Pro, and Tailor-made virtual event packages offered to clients requiring digital event capabilities. These are sold as service packages rather than software subscriptions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Standard Plan - Half-day virtual event with core services |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Pro Plan - Full-day virtual event with enhanced services |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Tailor-made - Custom virtual event solutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Phrenos product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Phrenos is a Brussels-based event and communication agency that provides end-to-end event management (forums, summits, conferences, exhibitions, public events), 360° strategic communication campaigns (creative content, social/digital strategy, stakeholder engagement), virtual and hybrid event production via an in-house TV studio with live streaming and branded digital stages, and secretariat services for EU award programmes and networks such as the European Green Capital Awards and the EU CAP Network.
Product overview
Phrenos is an Event and Communication Agency based in Brussels, Belgium, providing professional services rather than packaged software products. Their portfolio consists of integrated service offerings: Virtual Events (comprehensive digital event management with TV studio, streaming, registration, and networking capabilities available in Standard, Pro, and Tailor-made plans), Communication Campaigns (strategic 360 degree campaign development including creative content and social media), Events Management (end-to-end event delivery for forums, summits, exhibitions), and EU Awards and Network Management (secretariat services for EU programmes). These services are offered as bespoke solutions tailored to client needs, not as discrete software products or modules.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Virtual Events Comprehensive virtual and hybrid event management service offering Phrenos' branded virtual stage, registration management, live interaction (polls, Q&A, word clouds, comments), networking and replay capabilities, produced from Phrenos' in-house TV studio with multi-camera setups and live streaming for institutional clients.
- Communication Campaigns Strategic 360° communication campaign development for EU institutions, international organizations and governments, covering creative content production, social media strategy, digital marketing, stakeholder engagement and advocacy campaigns (e.g., #ThinkTwice, #SheisWe, #OnEarth, #DajeAndGagner).
- Events Management End-to-end event management services spanning concept and programme development, logistics coordination, venue management, VIP services, accreditation and on-site delivery for forums, seminars, summits, exhibitions, public events and expos such as European Development Days.
- EU Awards & Network Management Secretariat and coordination services for EU award programmes and communication networks, including the European Green Capital Awards, the European Green Leaf Awards and the EU CAP Network (since 2022), encompassing stakeholder engagement, communication strategy and award ceremony coordination.
Quantifiable outcome
- Bronze award at Pitcher Awards 2025 for 'Daje, ànd, Gagner' campaign (Corporate Image & Reputation Management)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Phrenos
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Phrenos technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Phrenos partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EnabelcorePartnership with Belgian development agency Enabel for EU Regional Business Forum West Africa Corridors. Phrenos provided communication and visibility support while Enabel organized the forum in partnership with European Commission.
- AG Partners DAKAR / AG Partners Publicis AfricacoreStrategic partnership for EU Delegation Senegal communication campaigns and EU-Regional Business Forum West Africa Corridors. Phrenos leads strategic coordination while AG Partners handles on-the-ground operations, press relations, live social media coverage, photography and video in Africa.
- CommUnity for Europe EEIGcoreAs lead partner of CommUnity for Europe EEIG, Phrenos coordinated the launch of the European CAP Network in 2022, developing visual identity, communication strategy, and organizing opening ceremony. Ongoing partnership for network operations.
- ArcadiscorePartnership with Arcadis to provide technical support on environmental topics for the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards. Arcadis brings environmental expertise complementing Phrenos' communication and event management capabilities.
- ExpansionminorCo-designing and developing EOTA's new website with partner Expansion, combining Phrenos' communication expertise with Expansion's technical web development capabilities.
- Particip GmbHcorePhrenos manages the AU-EU Youth Cooperation Hub Secretariat for Particip GmbH, handling communication strategy and private sector partnership development for this project involving 48 young experts across 30 nationalities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Phrenos competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hanover Communications: Brussels-based communications and public affairs agency; competes with Phrenos for EU institutional communication mandates and serves similar policy and association clients.
- Kreab: Brussels-headquartered consultancy specializing in EU public affairs and communication; directly competes with Phrenos for EU institutional mandates and serves similar institutional and corporate clients.
- Ecorys: Research and consulting firm with strong EU project management and communication/event delivery capabilities; comparable in bidding on DG INTPA, DG AGRI and DG ENV framework contracts.
- ICF Next: Specialist in EU-funded communication programs and events; directly competes with Phrenos for European Commission framework contracts on CAP, ENV, and INTPA-related mandates.
Broad incumbents
- Brunswick Group: Global advisory firm with strong EU and international organization practice; comparable on high-stakes institutional communication and stakeholder engagement mandates.
- FleishmanHillard: Global PR and communications agency with strong EU institutional practice and event management capabilities; competes with Phrenos for EU framework contracts on communication campaigns and high-profile events.
- Havas: Global communications group with European public affairs and event capabilities; comparable on integrated communication campaigns and large-scale event management for institutional clients.
- Burson (BCW): Large global communications network with public affairs and EU institutional practice; competes for multi-year EU framework contracts on communication campaigns and event delivery.
Others
- Publicis Africa (Publicis Groupe): Listed as a partner of Phrenos (via AG Partners Publicis Africa) for Senegal and West Africa campaigns; comparable as a peer in Africa-focused EU campaigns and represents the type of larger network Phrenos partners with to scale.
Emerging players
- Rasmussen Global: Brussels-based public affairs and EU strategy firm; overlaps with Phrenos on EU institutional advisory work and high-level stakeholder engagement for Commission clients.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Phrenos social profiles
Digital presencePhrenos compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Phrenos financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Phrenos leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Phrenos funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Phrenos M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Phrenos
What does Phrenos do?
Phrenos is a Brussels-based event and communication agency that provides end-to-end event management (forums, summits, conferences, exhibitions, public events), 360° strategic communication campaigns (creative content, social/digital strategy, stakeholder engagement), virtual and hybrid event production via an in-house TV studio with live streaming and branded digital stages, and secretariat services for EU award programmes and networks such as the European Green Capital Awards and the EU CAP Network.
Is Phrenos a public or private company?
Phrenos is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Phrenos founded?
Phrenos was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Phrenos based?
Phrenos is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Phrenos make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. EU Institution Contracts are the primary driver. The others are international Organizations, government & Embassy Contracts and virtual Event Services.
Who are Phrenos's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hanover Communications, Kreab, Ecorys and ICF Next. Broad incumbents are Brunswick Group, FleishmanHillard, Havas and Burson (BCW). Publicis Africa (Publicis Groupe) is listed as an others. Rasmussen Global is listed as an emerging player.
Does Phrenos have an API?
No public API is recorded for Phrenos.
What industry is Phrenos in?
Phrenos's product category is Event Management and Communication Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAM, Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management, with a secondary code of THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies). Its SIC code is 7311.