Miguel is Skift Meetings’ Editor-in-Chief and likes to describe himself as a “curious creator and caring curator of computerized content and a conscious connector of charismatic characters.” He lives and breathes the meetings and events sector and is deeply engaged in the global community of meeting professionals. Miguel is a Portuguese soul who built a career in the UK and is now raising a young family in southern Denmark.

Anouk Hakkers is an Event Gamification Specialist with a background in Leisure and Events Management. At UP Digital, she helps event organizers enhance attendee engagement through interactive game concepts. With her experience in events, she has a good sense of what an event needs to be successful. Whether it’s networking, team building, or boosting interaction, Anouk shows how event gamification makes events more dynamic, engaging, and memorable.

Katja Pahnke graduated in Chemical Engineering in Germany and started working in the Netherlands in 1999. She is and worked as managing director in various public-private organisations and fulfills various supervisory roles in the high-tech industry, automotive and financial sector. Katja is driven by making the difference in complex environments by professional leadership, setting up successful cooperations and develop ecosystems.

Beatrix Bos is a key player at Carbyon, focused on making Direct Air Capture (DAC) of CO₂ affordable and scalable. Together with Bert-Jan, she is hosting the Gerard & Anton Awards where they connect and spotlight the startup community. Previously, Beatrix studied Sustainable Energy Technology at the TU Eindhoven, where she was part of a team building a solar-powered family car.

Bert-Jan Woertman is a social innovator with a strong track record in building international innovation ecosystems. In different managerial roles, he contributed to High Tech Campus Eindhoven, co-founded HighTechXL and HighTech Plaza, and collaborated on TU/e innovation Space and Brainport Industries Campus. As the initiator of Demos, Pitches & Drinks, and now Managing Director of StartLife, an agrifoodtech accelerator, he helps startups grow and thrive in Wageningen and Eindhoven.

Thomas is a Leisure & Events Management student, specializing in Events for Business. He also works at Efteling, where he is part of Raveleijn and Junior Park Entertainment.

Maarten is the founder of creative agency RAUWcc, founder of gallery and concept store BLAUWcc, speaker, guest lecturer and super connector. His vision on technology and communication inspires and innovates. He is a creative, practical thinker who continuously pushes the boundaries of the communications profession.

Mark is a part-time event management lecturer at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas). He specializes in event-driven social impact, strategic event management, and networking. With experience in industry partnerships, branding, and fundraising, he integrates real-world case studies into education. 

Amber Herrewijn teaches and coordinates Event Management in the master's program International Leisure, Tourism & Events Management at NHL Stenden University. She is a capacity builder at the European Tourism Futures Institute (ETFI) and co-work package leader of the EU co-funded project  BEFuture that supports change-makers in the Business Event industry to transit towards a sustainable and digital future.

Johanna is an experienced association and events professional & event team, leader, coach, and former yoga business owner. She reimagines conferences with mental health-focused solutions like yoga, breathing exercises, and innovative event designs such as 'unconferencing'. A mental health first aider and consultant, she helps associations create happier, people-centered workplaces, driving positive change through heart-centered collaboration.

Lars Crama is a key player in Europe’s innovation landscape, building ecosystems that empower purpose-driven startups and scale-ups. As founder of BlueCity, Arches Capital, Up!Rotterdam, and Upstream Festival, he accelerates transitions in energy, circularity, digitalization, and well-being. A renowned superconnector, he unites founders, investors, and policymakers to drive meaningful change.

Teresa de la Hera is an associate professor in persuasive gaming at Erasmus University
Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, where she is a member of the Virtual Environments, Games and Society Research Cluster. Her expertise is in the study of the use of games and play to positively change players’ attitudes and behaviors. She is the author of the book Digital Gaming and the Advertising Landscape (2019) and the main editor of the volume Persuasive Gaming in Context (2020), both published by Amsterdam University Press. She is a member of the Pan European Game Information Expert Group and vice‐chair of the Digital Games Research Section of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA).

With over 15 years of experience in the Meetings Industry, Gemmeke is now leading ICCA's efforts to help its members become more sustainable, resilient, and competitive. She is dedicated to developing and shaping lifelong learning opportunities for ICCA members and beyond, co-creating impactful educational events that enhance and strengthen the skills of future meeting professionals.