Discover Live ’25, it’s a wrap

The official opening of Discover Live was in the hands of Roy de Brouwer, Director Marketing at ISPnext and chairman of the event.During the opening show, Roy warmly welcomed all guests, looked back on 25 years of ISPnext and highlighted how technological developments, such as artificial intelligence, are influencing the future of Business Spend Management.

Our CEO Gustaf Tanate reflected on where ISPnext stands today as an organisation. He took the audience on the journey ISPnext has taken in recent years and the direction in which we want to develop in the coming years. Cooperation is essential in this: with our customers, partners and our community. Gustaf emphasised the importance of working together, sharing experiences and strengthening each other.

A key part of the morning was the Product Roadmap, presented by John Schouten, Director Product Management. He gave an overview of the technological developments ISPnext is working on, such as AI applications, enhanced integrations and support for compliance issues.

"We are constantly working on improvements that really help organisations move forward. Think of more efficient invoice processing with AI, automatic alerts on risk factors or integrations with ESG and compliance platforms," said John Schouten, Director Product Management at ISPnext.

The presentation also focused on customer input and how those requirements were taken into account in product development.

After the plenary presentations, it was time for choice sessions where customers and partners shared their experiences. These included: 

• Contract management.
• AI challenges and applications.
• DORA compliance and cybersecurity.
• Sustainability and ESG policies.
• Procurement trends in the public sector.

Organisations such as Koninklijke Jaarbeurs, The Sting, Van Wijhe Verf and Daelmans Group gave an insight into their way of working. There was room for questions, discussion and reflection.

"We don't want to organise an event where people just listen. It's about inspiration, reflection and learning from each other," says Roy.

Besides the content, there was plenty of time for networking. During the breaks, lunch and closing drinks, many conversations took place between peers and partners. 

"What strikes me is that many organisations are facing the same challenges. By sharing experiences, you often reach practical solutions faster," says Maarten de Ru, Director Partner and Alliances at ISPnext.

During the AI panel discussion, Eric Theunisse (Bilfinger), Achraf Talhaoui (Qando), Johan Deddens (U Digital) and our CTO Koert Hordijk discussed how organisations can already apply AI in finance and procurement today. Themes such as data quality, security and the right time to start were discussed. 

Also during the afternoon programme, the NEXT Awards were presented: recognising customers who are working with the BSM platform in an innovative way or have taken an extraordinary step in their digital transformation. The winners: 

• Talpa Network
• The Sting Companies 
• Heemskerk Fresh & Easy 
• Daelmans Group

At the end of the day, Prof Dr Frank Rozemeijer spoke about the role of procurement in organisations. He shared his views on supplier strategies, the changing market and how procurement can position itself more as a strategic part of the organisation.

Discover Live '25 showed that many organisations are actively improving their processes. Not only by deploying technology, but also by learning from each other. There was a lot of recognition in the sessions and room for new ideas.

New speakers, topical themes and another chance to get inspired. Would you like to be there (again)? Then register now and be the first to receive updates about the next edition.