Belgium Chamber debuts new logo as part of rebranding effort

As part of its effort to rebrand the village, the Belgium Area Chamber of Commerce has developed a new logo.

The new design features an image of an industrial gear, businesses, a home — representing community — and trees that are reminiscent of the “Luxembourg American Family Tree” that greets visitors when they enter the Luxembourg American Cultural Center, said Chamber Marketing Director Tara Williams.

The trees also represent the area’s outdoor recreational areas, including the Interurban Trail and Harrington Beach State Park.

The fluid “swoosh” at the bottom hints toward Belgium’s proximity to Lake Michigan and the Chamber moving the area’s economic development forward, Williams said.

The colors of the logo — red, white and light blue — are the same as the Luxembourg flag, representing the area’s heritage.

The Chamber Board and members, village and Belgium Tourism Committee provided input to Sherry Smies of Smies Design to create the logo.

“We reflected on recent branding exercises, where we determined that Belgium exudes values such as approachability, comfort, optimism, compassion, charm, and integrity,” Williams said. “Faith, family, recreation and heritage are also important to our community.”

The rebranding effort began last March when village leaders, businesspeople and residents participated in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s Connect Communities program that is designed to help revitalize communities. About 20 people brainstormed events that would attract people to the area, which led to the development of Summer Nights LIVE events that featured music, food and activities at Community Park and Splash Pad Sunday.

The effort also included the village approving a similarly designed logo on March 11. It goes with a tagline the Village Board approved last fall that reads, “Building our future, honoring our past” that was recommended by the Tourism Committee.

The Chamber had also planned on launching a new website this month that will include the new logo, Williams said.