On March 31st, 2026, the fourth edition of AI5050 once again welcomed a strong community of AI professionals, business experts, innovators, and decision-makers to Hi!Site in Brussels. With a compelling program of keynotes, workshops, practical sessions, and inspiring use cases, the event offered a full day of learning, exchange, and new connections.

From emerging trends to concrete business applications, AI5050 provided attendees with fresh inspiration and actionable insights to help them understand, explore, and apply AI in their own organizations.

the 2026
edition

These were the speakers in 2026 /

Ai5050 2026

Atreyam (Leo) Sharma

Co-Founder and VP Technology @ Workshop4Me

Ai5050 2026

Avanti Sharma

Head of AI and Growth @ Workshop4me / Brand Ambassador @ Girls in Tech Luxembourg

Ai5050 2026

Bob Ballings

Author & Trainer

Ai5050 2026

Bryan Cassady

Professor @ EDHEC / Entrepreneur / Author of CYCLES

Ai5050 2026

Clo Willaerts

Keynote Speaker & Corporate Trainer

Ai5050 2026

Dado Van Peteghem

Co-Founder @ Imagin3 Studio

Ai5050 2026

Danny Devriendt

Managing Director @ IPG Dynamic Brussels

Ai5050 2026

Deepak Mehta

Ecosystem Developer // Idea Expander @ HACK Belgium Labs

Ai5050 2026

Evert Van Cauwenberg

Founder @ ENDPoint / AI Expert & Data Consultant @ Keyrus

Ai5050 2026

Florent Diverchy

Data & AI Ethics Expert @ Azerion

Ai5050 2026

Frédéric Martin

Senior Advisor & Execution Partner

Ai5050 2026

Gilles Christiaens

AI Solutions Engineer @ Keyrus

Ai5050 2026

Gus Vanherf

Co-Founder @ Inku

Ai5050 2026

Jaap Koelewijn

Serial Founder & CEO @ Helpr.ai

Ai5050 2026

Jan Mol

Media Entrepreneur / Co-Founder @ Knackpunkt AI Content Agency

Ai5050 2026

Jan Willem Alphenaar

AI-driven Growth & B2B Marketing Strategist

Ai5050 2026

Jens Scheerlinck

Co-Founder @ Humans In The Loop

Ai5050 2026

Joris Pieters

Data Scientist @ Keyrus

Ai5050 2026

Koen Dils

Managing Director @ Keyrus

Ai5050 2026

Laurens Van de Perre

AI Researcher & Lecturer @ Odisee University of Applied Sciences

Ai5050 2026

Leo Exter

Chief Energizer @ HACK Belgium Labs

Ai5050 2026

Maarten Verstraeten

Tech-driven veterinarian & Co-Founder @ Faunos

Ai5050 2026

Maissa Larbi

Manager Digital Customer Solutions @ Keyrus

Ai5050 2026

Major K Ceulemans

Innovation Officer @ Belgian Land Force

Ai5050 2026

Maria Yolanda Bilé Nlang

Founder @ BriseAI

Ai5050 2026

Mark Vandevelde

Creative Director @ Inku

Ai5050 2026

Max Acke

Manager @ Sevendays

Ai5050 2026

Nathan Bijnens

CEO @ Scrydon

Ai5050 2026

Nico Decock

Partner & Research Director @ BLOOR Research Int. // CHRO @ aiDEAL // AI Governance Advisor @ United Nations // Author

Ai5050 2026

Niels Chabot

Expert tech & AI-driven business transformation

Ai5050 2026

Niko Nelissen

CEO @ Peliqan.io

Ai5050 2026

Oscar Gutierrez

Data Scientist & Interim-CTO @ FutureCraft

Ai5050 2026

Peter Hoogland

Neuro-Strategist & Founder @ BrainWolves

Ai5050 2026

Peter Van Hees

Innovation Manager & Author of "AI Agents - They act, you orchestrate"

Ai5050 2026

Robbe Seghers

Co-Founder @ [Habitat] // Campus Leader @ Lovable

Ai5050 2026

Saskia Vanden Eede

Researcher @ Odisee

Ai5050 2026

Tamara Gielen

AI Transformation Advisor // GenAI Adoption & Enablement Lead @ materialise

Ai5050 2026

Tom Vanderbauwhede

Founder & CEO @ ReplyFabric.ai

Ai5050 2026

Ulrich Seldeslachts

CEO @ LSEC.eu

Ai5050 2026

Vince Buyssens

Creative Technologist @ Loop Earplugs // Founder @ Thoughtform

Ai5050 2026

Vincent Nys

Head of AI & Innovation @ Keyrus

Ai5050 2026

Werner Mathijs

Director Unit Digital Customer Solutions & Marketing @ Keyrus

Ai5050 2026

Xaviera Ringeling

AI Content Strategy Lead GenAI

Schedule 2026 // Schedule 2026 //

@Marktplein

Welcome & registration
09:00 - 09:30
Continuous availability of coffee, tea, soft drinks + partner visit & networking
09:30 - 12:20
Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein
12:25 - 13:30
Continuous availability of coffee, tea, soft drinks + partner visit & networking
13:30 - 16:20
Networking drink
16:20 - 17:30

@The theater

Welcome & registration
09:00 - 09:30
AI in defence: the good, the bad and the food for thought
09:30 - 10:00

by Leo Exter, Deepak Mehta and Major Koen Ceulemans, Innovation Officer for the Land Force
The Rise of the Second Self. AI Agents will rewrite Work, Markets, Careers and You!
10:05 - 10:35

by Peter Van Hees
What did we lose when we gained ChatGPT?
10:40 - 11:10

by Florent Diverchy
Briljante strategische plannen sterven in de gang. Niet door de technologie, maar omdat niemand eerlijk is.
11:15 - 11:45

by Peter Hoogland
From cyber readiness to compliance: AI's role in the new EU reality
11:50 - 12:20

by Ulrich Seldeslachts
Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein
12:25 - 13:30
Navigating Intelligence
13:30 - 14:00

by Vince Buyssens
Het einde van de human-only workforce
14:05 - 14:35

by Nico Decock
Curiosity is the new competitive advantage
14:40 - 15:10

by Niels Chabot
Armageddon
15:15 - 15:45

by Danny Devriendt
Closing thoughts: The rise of the robots
15:50 - 16:20

by Dado Van Peteghem
Networking drink
16:20 - 17:30

@Collab 3

Welcome & registration
09:00 - 09:30
AI in defence: the good, the bad and the food for thought
09:30 - 10:00

by Leo Exter, Deepak Mehta and Major Koen Ceulemans, Innovation Officer for the Land Force
Every message, every channel: AI that works the way your team does
10:05 - 10:35

by Max Acke
From AI Weekend to AI Agency: The Knackpunkt Story
10:40 - 11:10

by Jan Willem Alphenaar & Jan Mol
I taught AI how I work. Now it works for me.
11:15 - 11:45

by Tamara Gielen
How to ensure AI delivers proven ROI
11:50 - 12:20

by Koen Dils
Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein
12:25 - 13:30
From Hype to Hands-on: Using GenAI without losing control
13:30 - 14:00

by Saskia Vanden Eede & Laurens Van de Perre
ADAPT & FLY: 5 AI Levers to Turn Strategy into Commercial Results
14:05 - 14:35

by Frédéric Martin
AI as oracle or muse? Start working with AI using SPARKS
14:40 - 15:10

by Bryan Cassady
Empowering marketing with GenAI: From first steps to scalable personalization
15:15 - 15:45

by Maissa Larbi & Werner Mathijs
Closing thoughts: The rise of the robots
15:50 - 16:20

by Dado Van Peteghem
Networking drink
16:20 - 17:30

@Collab 9

Welcome & registration
09:00 - 09:30
AI in defence: the good, the bad and the food for thought
09:30 - 10:00

by Leo Exter, Deepak Mehta and Major Koen Ceulemans, Innovation Officer for the Land Force
AI that works: From hype to operational impact
10:05 - 10:35

by Joris Pieters & Gilles Christiaens
Build AI Chatbots & Agents that work with your company data
10:40 - 11:10

by Niko Nelissen
MLOps in practice: tracking, observability & evaluation for modern AI systems
11:15 - 11:45

by Evert Van Cauwenberg
Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein
12:25 - 13:30
In 30 Minutes I’ll Turn You Into a Neuromarketer (Using AI)
13:30 - 14:00

by Bob Ballings
AI for productivity: The pendulum swings!
14:40 - 15:10

by Atreyam (Leo) Sharma
AI5050 - Now, And in 5050
15:15 - 15:45

by Avanti Sharma
Closing thoughts: The rise of the robots
15:50 - 16:20

by Dado Van Peteghem
Networking drink
16:20 - 17:30

@Brainstorm

Welcome & registration
09:00 - 09:30
AI in defence: the good, the bad and the food for thought
09:30 - 10:00

by Leo Exter, Deepak Mehta and Major Koen Ceulemans, Innovation Officer for the Land Force
WORKSHOP: Making a custom GPT for any challenge
10:05 - 11:10

by Bryan Cassady & Frédéric Martin

WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP: Personal Branding in times of AI
11:15 - 12:20

by Clo Willaerts

WORKSHOP
Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein
12:25 - 13:30
WORKSHOP: Prompt up the Jam
13:30 - 14:35

by Xaviera Ringeling

WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP: Build a startup with [Habitat]
14:40 - 15:45

by Robbe Seghers
Closing thoughts: The rise of the robots
15:50 - 16:20

by Dado Van Peteghem
Networking drink
16:20 - 17:30

@Collab 10

Welcome & registration
09:00 - 09:30
AI in defence: the good, the bad and the food for thought
09:30 - 10:00

by Leo Exter, Deepak Mehta and Major Koen Ceulemans, Innovation Officer for the Land Force
Stop playing, start scaling: AI didn't break marketing. Your workflows did.
10:05 - 10:35

by Gus Vanherf & Mark Vandevelde
Lessons learned deploying AI Agents as virtual coworkers for SMEs
10:40 - 11:10

by Jens Scheerlinck
Building AI where nothing is digital
11:15 - 11:45

by Maarten Verstraeten
To Talk to AI is Cheap, Knowledge is Gold: Why the future of data extracting is a high quality conversation.
11:50 - 12:20

by Jaap Koelewijn
Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein
12:25 - 13:30
Why the $13 trillion construction industry has no choice but to go AI. And who's leading the charge.
13:30 - 14:00

by Oscar Gutierrez
Agentic AI & Sovereignty: Your AI, Your Control
14:05 - 14:35

by Nathan Bijnens
The Startup Playbook vs. Reality: Building AI the Hard Way
14:40 - 15:10

by Tom Vanderbauwhede
Beyond Red Teaming: Building a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework for conversational AI
15:15 - 15:45

by Maria Yolanda Bile Nlang
Closing thoughts: The rise of the robots
15:50 - 16:20

by Dado Van Peteghem
Networking drink
16:20 - 17:30

	@Marktplein	@The theater	@Collab 3	@Collab 9	@Brainstorm	@Collab 10
09:00	Welcome & registration 09:00 - 09:30
09:15
09:30	Continuous availability of coffee, tea, soft drinks + partner visit & networking 09:30 - 12:20	AI in defence: the good, the bad and the food for thought 09:30 - 10:00 by Leo Exter, Deepak Mehta and Major Koen Ceulemans, Innovation Officer for the Land Force
09:45
10:00		The Rise of the Second Self. AI Agents will rewrite Work, Markets, Careers and You! 10:05 - 10:35 by Peter Van Hees	Every message, every channel: AI that works the way your team does 10:05 - 10:35 by Max Acke	AI that works: From hype to operational impact 10:05 - 10:35 by Joris Pieters & Gilles Christiaens	WORKSHOP: Making a custom GPT for any challenge 10:05 - 11:10 by Bryan Cassady & Frédéric Martin WORKSHOP	Stop playing, start scaling: AI didn't break marketing. Your workflows did. 10:05 - 10:35 by Gus Vanherf & Mark Vandevelde
10:15
10:30		What did we lose when we gained ChatGPT? 10:40 - 11:10 by Florent Diverchy	From AI Weekend to AI Agency: The Knackpunkt Story 10:40 - 11:10 by Jan Willem Alphenaar & Jan Mol	Build AI Chatbots & Agents that work with your company data 10:40 - 11:10 by Niko Nelissen		Lessons learned deploying AI Agents as virtual coworkers for SMEs 10:40 - 11:10 by Jens Scheerlinck
10:45
11:00
11:15		Briljante strategische plannen sterven in de gang. Niet door de technologie, maar omdat niemand eerlijk is. 11:15 - 11:45 by Peter Hoogland	I taught AI how I work. Now it works for me. 11:15 - 11:45 by Tamara Gielen	MLOps in practice: tracking, observability & evaluation for modern AI systems 11:15 - 11:45 by Evert Van Cauwenberg	WORKSHOP: Personal Branding in times of AI 11:15 - 12:20 by Clo Willaerts WORKSHOP	Building AI where nothing is digital 11:15 - 11:45 by Maarten Verstraeten
11:30
11:45		From cyber readiness to compliance: AI's role in the new EU reality 11:50 - 12:20 by Ulrich Seldeslachts	How to ensure AI delivers proven ROI 11:50 - 12:20 by Koen Dils			To Talk to AI is Cheap, Knowledge is Gold: Why the future of data extracting is a high quality conversation. 11:50 - 12:20 by Jaap Koelewijn
12:00
12:15	Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein 12:25 - 13:30
12:30
12:45
13:00
13:15
13:30	Continuous availability of coffee, tea, soft drinks + partner visit & networking 13:30 - 16:20	Navigating Intelligence 13:30 - 14:00 by Vince Buyssens	From Hype to Hands-on: Using GenAI without losing control 13:30 - 14:00 by Saskia Vanden Eede & Laurens Van de Perre	In 30 Minutes I’ll Turn You Into a Neuromarketer (Using AI) 13:30 - 14:00 by Bob Ballings	WORKSHOP: Prompt up the Jam 13:30 - 14:35 by Xaviera Ringeling WORKSHOP	Why the $13 trillion construction industry has no choice but to go AI. And who's leading the charge. 13:30 - 14:00 by Oscar Gutierrez
13:45
14:00		Het einde van de human-only workforce 14:05 - 14:35 by Nico Decock	ADAPT & FLY: 5 AI Levers to Turn Strategy into Commercial Results 14:05 - 14:35 by Frédéric Martin			Agentic AI & Sovereignty: Your AI, Your Control 14:05 - 14:35 by Nathan Bijnens
14:15
14:30		Curiosity is the new competitive advantage 14:40 - 15:10 by Niels Chabot	AI as oracle or muse? Start working with AI using SPARKS 14:40 - 15:10 by Bryan Cassady	AI for productivity: The pendulum swings! 14:40 - 15:10 by Atreyam (Leo) Sharma	WORKSHOP: Build a startup with [Habitat] 14:40 - 15:45 by Robbe Seghers	The Startup Playbook vs. Reality: Building AI the Hard Way 14:40 - 15:10 by Tom Vanderbauwhede
14:45
15:00
15:15		Armageddon 15:15 - 15:45 by Danny Devriendt	Empowering marketing with GenAI: From first steps to scalable personalization 15:15 - 15:45 by Maissa Larbi & Werner Mathijs	AI5050 - Now, And in 5050 15:15 - 15:45 by Avanti Sharma		Beyond Red Teaming: Building a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework for conversational AI 15:15 - 15:45 by Maria Yolanda Bile Nlang
15:30
15:45		Closing thoughts: The rise of the robots 15:50 - 16:20 by Dado Van Peteghem
16:00
16:15	Networking drink 16:20 - 17:30
16:30
16:45
17:00
17:15

	@Marktplein	@The theater	@Collab 3	@Collab 9	@Brainstorm	@Collab 10
09:30	Continuous availability of coffee, tea, soft drinks + partner visit & networking 09:30 - 12:20
09:45
10:00
10:15
10:30
10:45
11:00
11:15
11:30
11:45
12:00
12:15

	@Marktplein	@The theater	@Collab 3	@Collab 9	@Brainstorm	@Collab 10
12:15	Lunch time, networking & partner visit @ marktplein 12:25 - 13:30
12:30
12:45
13:00
13:15

	@Marktplein	@The theater	@Collab 3	@Collab 9	@Brainstorm	@Collab 10
13:30	Continuous availability of coffee, tea, soft drinks + partner visit & networking 13:30 - 16:20
13:45
14:00
14:15
14:30
14:45
15:00
15:15
15:30
15:45
16:00
16:15

the 2026edition

Atreyam (Leo) Sharma

Avanti Sharma

Bob Ballings

Bryan Cassady

Clo Willaerts

Dado Van Peteghem

Danny Devriendt

Deepak Mehta

Evert Van Cauwenberg

Florent Diverchy

Frédéric Martin

Gilles Christiaens

Gus Vanherf

Jaap Koelewijn

Jan Mol

Jan Willem Alphenaar

Jens Scheerlinck

Joris Pieters

Koen Dils

Laurens Van de Perre

Leo Exter

Maarten Verstraeten

Maissa Larbi

Major K Ceulemans

Maria Yolanda Bilé Nlang

Mark Vandevelde

Max Acke

Nathan Bijnens

Nico Decock

Niels Chabot

Niko Nelissen

Oscar Gutierrez

Peter Hoogland

Peter Van Hees

Robbe Seghers

Saskia Vanden Eede

Tamara Gielen

Tom Vanderbauwhede

Ulrich Seldeslachts

Vince Buyssens

Vincent Nys

Werner Mathijs

Xaviera Ringeling

@Marktplein

@The theater

@Collab 3

@Collab 9

@Brainstorm

@Collab 10

Our partners from this year’s event

the 2026
edition