- Maxim Trio -

Born in Knokke-Heist, Maxim was raised on the beach.
Not just geographically, but in spirit. The sea, the sand, the rhythm of seasons.. it shaped who he became.
A true Knokke native, in heart and soul.

From an early age, Maxim lived with movement and curiosity. He played football with the youth teams of Knokke and Cercle Brugge and later won several cycling races. Sport was always present, not only as competition, but as a way to connect, to motivate, to bring people together.

That same instinct showed itself elsewhere.
At just sixteen, Maxim began organizing parties for his friends. Informal, spontaneous, full of energy. What started as Maxim’s beer parties grew into something bigger: the Rozee Festival, hosted both on the beach of Knokke and high up in the mountains of Alpe d’Huez. Wherever he went, moments followed.

After studying in Málaga, his hunger for the world only grew. Travel became second nature. Morocco, Japan, New York, Hawaii, Colombia, South Africa, Dubai, Costa Rica, Panama,.. every place left its mark. Maxim absorbed cultures, atmospheres, music, and people, and brought that inspiration home with him.

All of it flowed naturally into what would become Collins Club.
A place, and later, a universe, built on feeling rather than rules. Maxim was often called “the Mayor of Youth” in Knokke-Heist, not because he tried to lead, but because people gravitated toward him. As a DJ, he lit up nights at Collins Garden, always aiming to “blow the roof off,” as he liked to say.

Music followed him everywhere. He gave new life to the iconic “Love Is in the Air song” , helping it find its way back into holiday playlists across Europe. Light, joyful, and unifying. Much like himself.

Sunflowers were his favorite flowers. Bright, open, always turned toward the sun.

Maxim lived intensely, generously, and with ambition.
His life came to an abrupt end far too soon when he passed away in his sleep from cardiac arrest on November 16, 2024, in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

What remains is everything he set in motion.
The people he brought together.
The places filled with memories.
The moments that still echo.

Maxim is — and always will be — the beating heart of Collins
Maxim Trio 10/01/1998 - 16/11/2024.