Hi ##firstname##,

I hope you're well! A personal message here from me, Kristof.

As I'll be on Summer leave as from next week, I wanted to let you know a few things regarding the event, just as an update so you know how are things going:

• we're on track with preparing for the event & registrations started to come in, so that's nice
• the program is 95% complete now, we'll update the online version soon
• I'd like to prepare each session well so to make sure that everybody's time is optimally used (meaning we can work towards tangible outcomes as much as possible).

As you may know already, these are the formats we'll use:

• (some) keynotes
• co-creation sessions: 4 on each day, we'll send an email and set up a meeting per panel in August to prepare further
• 1 on 1 matchmaking: you'll receive a 'Conversation Starter' link some weeks before the event to create a profile and invite people for a chat during the event
• startup pitches: focused on innovation ambitions and what is needed to make these a reality
• roundtables: these will need a bit more preparation time as I haven't focused in this too much yet. But good to know: we'll have a meeting room available throughout the 2 days which you'll be able to book (in advance) to invite people for (closed doors) group discussions
• social activities in the evening before the event and after day 1
• a VIP dinner at the end of day 2 

IMPORTANT: you can register for an online session with all speakers on August 22 (4pm CEST) HERE. Please do if you can! The goal is to go through the program and make sure we're all aligned in terms of scope, format, etc.

It will also be a good moment to discuss any questions you might have. As said, seperate meetings will be set up for the co-creation sessions as well. Also, I realize this will not work for all of you, so we'll record and make it available afterwards. 

Finally, two reminders:

1. The quality of this type event is mainly determined by the type of people attending it. So please continue to make your network aware of it, ideally through some personal messages. Imagine we all inform 1-3 very interesting people... We're still offering a 20% discount code that you can share if you like: SUMMITREFERRAL20.

2. If you'd prefer some more broader communication (now or closer to the event), we created a communication package in which you'll find 2 ready-to-use copy suggestions for a social media post, and 3 visuals that you can choose from to add to the post. You can find the package here.

So, thanks so much for your enthusiasm and support so far! We're up again for a unique experience that we might remember and experience the benefits from for a long time.

For me personally, next Monday will be my last day before spending some quality time with my family. I'll be back at work August 12th.

Cheers.
Kristof