News
BELGIUM – Two Decades of Fast Forward: “We Still See Ourselves as a Challenger”
The Ghent-based event agency Fast Forward Events is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. What began as a passion for extreme sports has grown into a solid player in the Belgian corporate event landscape. Experience Magazine spoke with Managing Director and Creative Director Pascal Cauwelier about the agency’s key milestones.
Fast Forward Events was founded 20 years ago by Pascal Cauwelier and Mathias Kerckhof. “At the time, I was working as a sports and event manager at Red Bull,” Pascal recalls. “One of the first events I sponsored was a snowboarding competition in ’t Kuipke in Ghent, organized by Mathias and Bruno Schaubroeck on behalf of Nokia. It was a great experience. A bit later, Red Bull had plans to organize a Rail Battle in Brussels, at Mont des Arts, where snowboarders would ride down stairs and railings in an urban setting. I contacted Mathias again to produce the event and cover Mont des Arts with a layer of snow.”
Focus on Extreme Sports
The successful collaboration left them wanting more. “Mathias and I really clicked, especially because I had spent almost ten years in the world of snowboarding and surfing myself. That was our shared habitat. Slowly, the idea formed to start an event agency together, focused on extreme sports. Because we worked well together, the idea became more concrete. At some point, we said: let’s go for it. I quit my job at Red Bull, and Fast Forward Events was born.”
Indoor Windsurfing at Flanders Expo
Fast Forward’s first project was nothing short of ambitious. “At the time, indoor windsurfing competitions were still being organized in places like London and Paris. We decided to do one in Belgium too. Our event at Flanders Expo was even added to the Professional Windsurf Association calendar. It was a massive production, with an 80-by-40-meter pool and 30 huge fans along the water. It was a success in terms of turnout and media attention, and the partners were very pleased.”
An Expensive Business Card
But there was also a downside. “The event left us with a financial hangover. We already saw during the preparation that it would be a tough budget to balance, but contracts were signed. We made it a point to pay everyone properly. This event definitely put us on the map in the Belgian event scene—but we carried the consequences for years. A very expensive business card. We also realized that the extreme sports niche was perhaps too limited in Belgium. So we decided to broaden our scope and focus on other types of events. We soon started working for brands like Samsung, Studio Brussel, Alken-Maes, and Gillette, often at festivals. That’s how we shifted toward brand activations and events.”
Mount Everest in Louvain-la-Neuve
In 2011, Fast Forward was invited to pitch for an event for Carglass—a milestone project. “Carglass held an annual staff event, where the executives and CEO each gave a speech. The challenge was to keep the 700 attendees engaged throughout. We proposed staging a Mount Everest climb, linking each company department to a part of the expedition: logistics was basecamp, marketing was the weather station, etc. The venue, Aula Magna in Louvain-la-Neuve, was transformed with ice floes, climbing ropes, and even the AC turned to the coldest setting. The CEO planted the flag at the summit as the grand finale.”
Creative Corporate Events
That “Carglass Expedition” marked a big step forward. “We were outsiders, but we showed our creative strength. Mathias still had dreadlocks, I had long hair—and there we were pitching to a panel of 15 people. But they were thrilled by our concept. That was when we entered the world of creative corporate events. Projects with storytelling, full staging, video, entertainment… We stood out with innovative use of technology, lighting, and sound. Suddenly, we were being invited to more pitches and competing with the traditional agencies in Belgium.”
Still a Challenger
The shift proved successful. “Year after year, we’ve continued to deliver strong creative events. As an agency, we’ve grown—with more staff and larger projects. For example, producing the Ghent Floralies or the 100th Brussels Motor Show. We’ve become a fixture in the industry, yet still see ourselves as challengers. That mindset is still part of who we are: creativity, thinking outside the box, bringing something new. We sometimes say we’re an agency ‘with a twist.’ But of course, that creativity has to be combined with flawless execution. As we say: When logic meets magic.”
A Next Step
The past five years have been turbulent for the event industry. “From the depths of the pandemic, to the post-COVID boom, and now back to a more stable, yet uncertain, reality with economic and geopolitical threats. As a company, you evolve. Mathias and I started at a kitchen table and grew into a proper agency. Even before COVID, we asked ourselves: What’s next? Where do we go from here? That wasn’t an easy question. The pandemic actually accelerated that reflection. We noticed that other agencies were asking the same questions. That’s when we explored potential partnerships and what that could mean for Fast Forward in the long run.”
Maintaining Identity Within a Strong Group
That reflection led to a partnership and joining the Brandbloxx group. “We found the right partner and sold part of Fast Forward. Partly to monetize what we had built, and partly to become part of a strong group with room to grow. The group provides solid investment and shares our vision, which opens new possibilities. Each company in the group is independent and runs its own operations, but things like HR and finance are handled centrally, which brings advantages. But Fast Forward remains Fast Forward. We’re still based in Ghent, with our own team and operations. I personally want to continue pushing Fast Forward forward, which is why I’ve kept shares in the company.”
Stimulating All the Senses
What was the one event that stood out most for Pascal in 20 years of Fast Forward? “That’s a tough question… There are so many we look back on with pride. For example, the projects that won us BEA Awards and even BEA World prizes. We’ve done very diverse events. For me personally, one highlight is our first BMW launch in 2017. We completely transformed the BMW warehouse in Bornem into a 360-degree arena where we drove in 20 cars. ‘The Reveal’ was a 4D show that stimulated all the senses—video, light, sound, even scent, wind, and raindrops. Each car had its own unique setting. In terms of production and content, it was one of the best things we’ve ever done. And it perfectly shows what Fast Forward is capable of.”
Creating Ambassadors for Life
Pascal Cauwelier and Fast Forward strongly believe in the future of live events. “With my marketing background, I see events and activations as a powerful part of the marketing mix. How do you translate a product, service, or company into an event? Whether it’s a team-building activity, an internal event, a launch, or a family day—how do you engage your client’s audience in the best possible way? That’s why we do what we do. You can hand out Come a Casa lasagna at a stand in a supermarket—or you can invite 200 people a day to a pop-up restaurant in a wheat field. That’s how you create ambassadors for life. That’s the power of live. You can capture people’s hearts and enthusiasm for a product or brand. That’s what makes our job so special,” concludes Pascal Cauwelier.