(Brussels) “Cultural heritage in Europe: linking past and future”: it is the title of an international conference organised in Brussels on June 26th by the European Parliament “to celebrate the diversity of European culture” and “promote European cultural heritage”. “There are about 300 thousand people working directly in the cultural industry, in the European Union – a release explains –, and 7.8 million jobs indirectly depend on it”. The purpose of the conference “is to spread the message of the social and economic importance of culture and European cultural heritage”; the event is part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, when thousands of initiatives will be organised all over Europe. “The purpose is to make citizens understand cultural heritage better, from the local to the European level”. The conference will be split into three themes, which will involve debates on the industry’s challenges with political leaders, EU’s prominent figures, special interest groups, as well as artists and experts in the European cultural world, coming from many different member countries. The three themes are called: Cultural heritage and European-ness; Preserving and promoting cultural heritage; Innovation and economic potential of cultural heritage. Two live concerts and a tour of a videogame exhibition will take place during the conference.