ADM Reception 2018

20th ADM Reception: A trip on a 20 year rollercoaster

Don't feel like reading? Scroll down to relive the session with the full videoreport & our InstaStory

What a rollercoaster the past twenty years have been. This year’s annual ADM reception, organized around our twentieth anniversary and hosted by VRT’s ravishing presenter Ihsane Chioua Lekhli, was an opportunity for our network to look back and forward.

Ihsane kicked off the evening with our founding father Christian Leysen (founding father ADM), who explained how ‘Antwerp Digital Mainport’ was created after a business information trip to New York, back in 1998. What was believed to exist a mere six to seven years became one of the most valued business networks in Belgium. “We were able to inject the American mentality into ADM, that we can achieve more together. We are a learning network of people, and it pays off.”

For Jan De Schepper, who celebrated his 10^th anniversary as chairman of ADM too, the strength of ADM is reflected by our tagline ‘Share & Connect’. “ADM makes people grow stronger so that they avoid stress in their jobs.” This is also why youngsters still easily find their way to ADM, said Tessy Martens, ambassador for Y(oung)-ADM): “Networking helps us to secure our future.”

Data Gold Rush

Ihsane discussed that very same future with Jonathan Berte, CEO of Robovision, and Tom De Muynck of Jasna Rok. Jonathan advised the audience to embrace data and innovation through new tech like deep learning. The data tsunami has reached Flanders and Jonathan expects an artificial intelligence gold rush. His neighbour Tom demoed a few of their fashion tech dresses and technologies that connect with brainwaves to for instance show how focused one is at his or her desk. Which made the sceptical audience frown a little!

Memory Lane

Finally, ADM pioneers Marc Wauters and Ludo Wijckmans - who put the ideas for ADM into practice according to Christian Leysen - took a trip down their ADM memory lane, starting before the dotcom crash one should say! Both encouraged the audience to keep on collecting ideas to innovate their organizations. “Go out, visit, taste. Virtually or physically. But stimulate innovation”, said Ludo. That is why Wendy Vermoesen, one of our most active youngsters and Young ICT Lady 2014, feels part of the family: “ADM is not only Share & Connect. In the end you also “Do”.

A wonderful evening was concluded by a walking dinner on the grand terrace of Docks Dome, a 20 year-cake and excellent music by the Wednesday Night Jams Band.

Relive the evening

Be sure to head over to the Pictures tab to get a good impression of the evening.

Don't feel like reading? Scroll down for the full video report on this session!

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