On October 9th, 2025, Belnet hosted its Belnet Community Day — a long-awaited event, as the previous edition had taken place back in 2018 under the name Belnet Networking Conference. Needless to say, many participants were eager to reconnect!
For me personally, it was a vibrant and memorable day. Having joined Belnet only a month earlier, I had the opportunity to discover not only the Belnet community, but also several key themes at the heart of our activities — and to get a glimpse behind the scenes of organising such a large-scale event.
A community coming to life
When I first heard about the Belnet Community Day upon my arrival, three things were immediately clear.
First and foremost, this event is designed to encourage exchanges and connections between participants and Belnet partners. And I could see that right from the start! Over coffee in the lobby of the Hilton hotel, where the event took place, conversations quickly filled the room. Soon, the sound of hotel trolleys gave way to the engaged and inspiring discussions of our guests. The idea of a Belnet community truly came to life.
Inspiring and insightful presentations
My second takeaway: the programme of presentations and talks was another highlight of the day. It had been carefully curated well before I arrived, and I must admit I would have loved a second day just to attend all the sessions!
If I had to choose one that stood out, it would be Davina Luyten’s presentation on the importance of preparing for a cyber crisis. This topic has become particularly tangible for Belnet since the internal security incident last April — a situation our team successfully managed thanks to thorough preparation.
That experience further strengthened Belnet’s commitment to helping its participants get ready for similar situations, notably through the crisis management training offered this year to higher education institutions.
Our partners in the spotlight
Finally, the Belnet Community Day was also an opportunity to highlight our partners.
I’m thinking in particular of our OCRE partners, who rose to the challenge of presenting their offers in just two minutes! The discussions that followed in the hotel foyer provided even more opportunities to exchange ideas and build new connections.
Being this bridge between our participants and our partners is one of Belnet’s key missions — something I’ve come to appreciate deeply since joining. It’s a vital role in supporting the development and innovation of internet networks in Belgium, and I’m proud to contribute to it.
A final word
In short, I hope this Belnet Community Day marks the beginning of a new series of editions — just as rich and inspiring as this one. I’m looking forward to seeing our community continue to grow, exchange ideas, and stay engaged with Belnet’s activities.
And I think I can speak for all my colleagues when I say: thank you!
See you soon for another Belnet Community Day!
