Last week I had the privilege of joining the very first European PKM Summit in Utrecht — and wow, what an experience!
I’ve been to many conferences before, but rarely have I felt such a unique blend of energy, curiosity, and openness. It wasn’t just about tools or methods — it was about people coming together around personal knowledge management, productivity, writing, learning, diversity, and growth.
What struck me most was the atmosphere: teachers became learners, and learners became teachers. Everyone shared, experimented, and reflected together. Whether you were completely new or already deep into PKM, there was space for all perspectives.
I came home with a vault full of insights, but here are a few that stuck with me:
- Learning is not confirming your beliefs, it is evolving them — Peter Joosten, via Adam Grant
- We are standing on the shoulders of others, not of giants — Chris Aldrich
- Everything you allow to happen in your teams becomes the new standard — David Allen (live!)
The summit showed me how powerful it is to be part of an open learning community. As was said in the opening: we are all amateurs in this fast-moving field — but amateurs in the best sense of the word: people driven by passion.
At the same time, there was a very real drive to become better, to experiment, and to grow together. That combination — passion and professionalism — felt like the essence of the event.
Thanks to everyone I met and learned from. I left inspired, with new ideas to explore, and with a stronger belief that PKM is not just about notes and systems, but about people and shared learning.