Sirus Connects 2026: one day, many perspectives

Connecting people, data and ideas: a look back at Sirus Connects 2026

October 19, 2026

Zebrastraat in Ghent

On Friday October 9th, more than 150 professionals from different sectors gathered at Zebrastraat in Ghent for the very first edition of Sirus Connects. A day to share knowledge and connect around software, data and AI with more than 15 speakers.

We asked organisers, guests and speakers how they experienced the day.

The organisers: why Sirus Connects and preparation

The idea for Sirus Connects was born on a sunny afternoon (over a well-deserved drink 😉), when Justien and Hannes came up with the idea of showcasing some of our practical use cases and our work to a wider audience. A few months later, the invitations for Sirus Connects went out.

An event of this scale takes a lot of preparation. We put together a programme of relevant sessions, chose the right venue and made sure enough people signed up. We also helped our speakers prepare by giving them enough feedback: each of them first did a dry run for a small internal audience. In the run-up to the event, there was definitely some healthy stress as well. No matter how well you plan, you always wonder whether you might have forgotten something. And some things are simply out of your hands on the day itself, like whether all the technology will cooperate.

The speakers: sharing what they know

With more than 15 speakers, the programme covered everything from hands-on use cases to broader strategy. One thing came up in almost every conversation with our speakers afterwards: the interaction with the audience.

“There was a relaxed atmosphere at Sirus Connects. It was the perfect opportunity to meet people and to learn something new, and the audience often came up with interesting questions. After my own session, I helped a client think about how they could save even more on their cloud infrastructure. All in all, a successful first edition!”

Thomas Devriese smiling in grey Sirus t-shirt against dark tiled wall background

Thomas Devriese Data Engineer at Sirus

“As the last speaker before the keynote, you never know if your topic will stick with people. It did: the questions even went beyond what I was able to show. Luckily, the reception gave us time to dig deeper. The best talks are the ones where the speaker learns something too.”

Timothy Callemein Data Consultant, Sirus

“The interaction with the audience was excellent, and that’s what gave me the most satisfaction. Some of the questions went beyond the scope of our project, which shows that what we do is relevant across organisations. After the session, someone told me they had learned new things and that this alone had made their visit worthwhile. Presenting was also very enjoyable because it was a team effort with colleagues: you learn from each other’s work too.”

Brecht Van de Vyvere Linked Data Expert, ABB/VMM

The guests: what they took home

During and after the event, we received some lovely reactions from our guests. Many of them described the sessions as inspiring, interesting and educational, and several thanked us for the warm welcome and the well-organised day. For some guests, Sirus Connects was their first real introduction to Sirus. Others mainly appreciated finally meeting us in person. Reactions like these show that a day of sharing knowledge and connecting with each other was exactly what people were looking for.

Sirus Connects in pictures

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