European PKM Summit 2025 (Part 1)
On March 14-15, 2025, the second edition of the PKM Summit Europe will take place in Utrecht, Netherlands. Attend it through this publication's viewfinder.
Almost exactly a year ago, I was sitting in a similar writer-friendly café in Baguio, Philippines, covering the upcoming edition of the first European PKM Summit in Utrecht, Netherlands. At that time, personal knowledge management (PKM) was swallowing me whole, so much that taking a deep dive into a local, niche event from the opposite side of the globe didn’t feel like a waste of time. I knew attending it in person wasn’t an option, but salivating about it from a distance was something I was fine settling for. Little did I know that numerous good things would happen because of this spontaneous independent write-up.
It brought me closer to brilliant contributors to this ecosystem, the Gods of the PKM Olympus, and fellow knowledge engineers like you. It also incited many who didn’t know about the event to attend, making this publication more popular, a welcome side effect. It also earned me a VIP invitation for the 2025 edition, which I’ll be thrilled to attend now that I’m back in Europe.
But what kind of knowledge engineer would I be if I weren’t to research, take and share unbiased, non-sponsored notes on it? It only feels natural, and this issue is the first in a series I’d like to kickstart.
Being directly connected to the organisers and participants, I’d like to go the extra mile this time and immerse you in the event even more, regardless of whether you decide to go. I’ll do it to the best of my abilities and availability—that much, I can promise. I don’t know how the summit will turn out, and I hope you’ll be comfortable with a free-form coverage style, for no amount of preliminary research will ensure what exactly to expect.
However, one thing I do anticipate is that the delivery style will change from the previous review. Indeed, I don’t think or feel about PKM the same way today as I did a year ago. Anything you’d do uninterruptedly for a year is guaranteed to morph you into somebody else, hopefully, someone better and more experienced, though probably also more cynical and blasé. Only so many times can one read about Zettelkasten without rolling his eyes. Once the novelty of frameworks and tools wears off, you’re back to square one, feeling as stuck as before you accidentally downloaded Obsidian.
This is both a blessing and a curse for those learning and sharing knowledge, and most certainly, organising events that are supposed to please everybody. The summits I’ve attended try to solve this by splitting their programmes into either themed—or experience-specific paths. As we find ourselves at different stages of our intrinsic PKM evolution tacks, we attend those gatherings for radically different reasons. Sessions dedicated to hard skills, such as software or framework workshops, are revelatory to rookies; more advanced folks love tips and tricks that build on the foundational understanding of those tools and frameworks, and seniors attend talks that might not even feel like they’re related to the theme of the event, but provide tons of value to those who ascended high in their PKM development and now think holistically.
Despite the challenges mentioned above, friends from the Digital Fitness collective did a fantastic job, leaving a positive impression on all those with whom I discussed the summit post-factum. Something tells me they, too, will be approaching it through the PKM lens that’s a year older and, therefore, a year more experienced.
It remains a niche event with only 200 available spots that start from an awkward €209,83 price point. However, those I know who decided to fork out the hard-earned cash never regretted the decision. Confirmation bias? I hardly think so, considering the kinds of faces you’ll see there. Call me a fanboy, but shaking a hand and asking an individual question of someone I’ve, so far, only glimpsed at through the boundary of a small YouTube player is worth every penny.
The website’s information section remains outdated at the time of writing, but a similar timetable is anticipated: the doors will open at 9 a.m. on Friday, and the final bell will ring at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The venue will be conveniently situated near Utrecht CS central train station for those, like myself, travelling from abroad. Accommodations around the venue are not cheap, but neither are they excessive, depending on your comfort requirements. Even when factoring in the cost of your hotel or hostel, the total expense will still be less than attending an average European summit, however small.
I wonder what sort of encounters one can expect beyond the official roster. Last year, participants were fortunate enough to have an impromptu visit from the God of productivity, Mr David Allen, the author of the renowned Getting Things Done (GTD) framework. I hope he’ll pop by again. I’d be curious to find out what he smells like, and perhaps I'd bore him with a few productivity questions he’s undoubtedly been asked a million times before.
So far, the following fellows confirmed their attendance: Bianca Pereira, Julien Quintard, Bob Doto, Nick Milo, Zslot Viczián, and Bart Verheijen. Martijn Aslander and the gang keep teasing us with exciting new names being released drop by drop as the date of the event approaches, and we hate and love them for doing it to us.
If you’re interested in joining the fun, please do not hesitate to contact me. I’d be delighted to shake your hand. Furthermore, if you’re on a tight budget or too far away, you can enjoy this newsletter's upcoming issues as a substitute.
Thanks Malik! And also nice that we finally met in person