by There are conferences you attend… and then there are conferences you remember.
The kind that stays with you, not because of the slides or the schedules, but because of a conversation you didn’t expect, a speaker who challenged your thinking, or a city that somehow became part of your professional story.
For many of us, the PECB Conference is exactly that.
And like any good story, it began quietly. Inside the Palais des congrès de Montréal, people gathered, not fully aware they were stepping into the first chapter of something that would last nearly a decade.
Almost a year later, the conference crossed the Atlantic and found its rhythm in Paris. The energy was different, but the essence remained, connection, curiosity, and conversation. It was here that the conference began to feel less like an event and more like a growing international community.
By 2019, that community had found its voice, panels expanded and conversations deepened. Topics like AI, blockchain, and privacy weren’t just buzzwords anymore, they were the center of debate. With over 150 participants and dozens of expert speakers, the conference matured into a true platform of leadership. And then there were the moments in between, the gala dinners, the conversations, the laughter between sessions, that made this conference a place where people returned to.
Then the world stopped, travel paused, rooms emptied but somehow the conversations didn’t.
Moving online during 2020 and 2021 changed everything and yet, it revealed something deeper. The PECB Conference was never about the venue. It was about the willingness to show up, to share, to keep learning, even when the world felt uncertain.
It was Brussels during 2022 when everyone gathered again. There was a sense of appreciation in the air, for the discussions, for the connections, for simply being in the same room again. Topics like digital transformation and crisis management weren’t theoretical anymore; they were lived experiences. You could hear it in every conversation, from debates about the need for ethical hacking and the impact of Facebook’s Meta-Verse on privacy, to discussions on GDPR versus U.S. data privacy laws, blockchain security, cloud API management, AI’s role in preventing cyber-attacks, and the evolving trends in the Internet of Things.
By 2023, the conference had become more focused on real challenges. It wasn’t just about new trends, it was about what matters in the world of cybersecurity, compliance, and leadership. Conversations were practical and relevant: improving cybersecurity posture with AI, navigating the EU’s NIS2 directive and CMMC, managing third-party risks, and understanding the implications of the Cyber Resilience Act for IoT. Attendees explored ethical hacking and crowdsourced security testing, digital operational resilience under DORA, and the evolving role of the CISO from technical expert to business leader. Sessions also covered privacy and accountability in AI, the rise of chatbots, digital identity in Europe, and strategies to stand out as a cybersecurity professional.
Then came 2024 in Amsterdam, a year that felt like a culmination of everything built so far.
Roundtables turned into dynamic debates. Workshops became hands-on experiences. The launch of the PECB Skills platform marked a shift toward continuous learning, extending the conference beyond just two days into an ongoing journey.
If you had to describe 2025 in one word, it might be alive. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Barcelona, the conference felt more alive than ever. AI wasn’t just a topic, it was everywhere. In discussions, in debates, even in the playful tension of “AI vs AI” panels.
There was something different about this year. Maybe it was the laughter during workshops, the intensity of the discussions, or the cultural touches woven into the experience. Maybe it was the feeling that everyone in the room knew they were part of something bigger.
You could see it in the sessions, in the spontaneous conversations, in the way people stayed just a little longer after everything ended, and maybe that’s how you know it mattered.
Every year brought new voices, and a few that stayed with us. There were legends like Kevin Mitnick, whose presence alone carried decades of stories and insight. Speakers like Robert Mazur and Joseph D. Pistone reminded us that behind every framework is a real-world story, often far more complex than theory. And then there are the familiar names who return year after year, the ones you start to associate with the conference itself. You don’t just listen to them, you look forward to them.
The rooms were also filled with people from organizations that shape industries: Deloitte, KPMG, Abilene Academy, BDO, TÜV Rheinland, SGS and many more.
Almost ten years in, it’s tempting to measure the PECB Conference by numbers, cities, speakers, sessions. But that wouldn’t capture the full story. This isn’t a conference you attend just once, it’s one you come back to. From Montreal to Paris, Brussels to Amsterdam, from virtual rooms to Barcelona, and now Rome, the PECB Conference has become a living, evolving story.
Ready to be part of the story? Join us in Rome, and let’s continue the journey together.