Last Wednesday it was that time again: our annual Digital Agency Partner Day! Over 80 partners gathered for an inspiring afternoon that was not only educational but also full of connection and new insights. The program was varied, featuring a range of technical and non-technical presentations by Shock Media, the cybercrime division of the East Netherlands Police, and as keynote speaker, Olympic champion Maarten van der Weijden!
The Location: Burgers’ Zoo
This year, the partner day took place at the beautiful location of Burgers’ Zoo. The weather was perfect with a lovely sun and pleasant temperature. In the morning, attendees had the opportunity to explore the park at their own pace. The wide variety of animals and their impressive enclosures created a relaxed atmosphere and gave the day a special start.
Safari-Style Welcome
Participants gathered around noon in the Safari Center, the heart of the park, where an extensive lunch was waiting. After lunch, the group was welcomed in the Kilimanjaro Lodge, with a beautiful view over the safari area. From the lodge, we could see exotic animals such as giraffes, zebras, and rhinos. Our Partner Manager, Justin aan de Stegge, gave a warm welcome and explained the day’s program, the developments within Shock Media, and our partner program.
Inspiring Keynote by Maarten van der Weijden
After the introduction, it was time for the keynote speaker: none other than former Olympic champion Maarten van der Weijden! In his motivational, inspiring, and humorous talk, he shared both the highs and lows of his life. How he reached the top, was suddenly diagnosed with cancer, overcame it, and against all odds managed to reach the top again. He challenged us to think about how we personally and professionally deal with obstacles. Do we dare to fail, adjust our goals, and start over again and again to ultimately reach the top?
After a short break, it was time for the deep-dive presentation rounds, with each round offering a choice of a technical or a non-technical presentation.
Presentations Round 1
In the Kilimanjaro Lodge, Hanko van Giessen, Cybercrime Investigator at the East Netherlands Police, spoke about the fight against cybercrime. Hanko took us into the world of digital threats and gave us insight into the methods used by cybercriminals, as well as the actions the police take to combat these threats. He shared some impressive cases and gave valuable tips for companies that fall victim to cybercrime.
At the same time, Dave Fortuijn, Lead System Engineer at Shock Media, gave an in-depth look into the security of our systems in the Canopy Lodge. Drawing on his years of experience, he shared technical insights into the many types of attacks that we as a Managed Hosting provider encounter daily. Dave also showed how open-source software like Wazuh plays a key role in securing our infrastructure and how, with our state-of-the-art security platform, we monitor suspicious patterns and can fend off numerous attacks.
Presentations Round 2
In the second round, it was Timo Feenstra’s turn, our Information Security Officer, who spoke in the Kilimanjaro Lodge about Security & Compliance, focusing on NIS2. In recent years, various European and national laws have been introduced in the field of Security and Privacy—legislation that affects almost every organization. Timo explained to the attending partners what the consequences are, how they can handle these, and in what ways Shock Media can help comply with these strict regulations.
At the same time in the Canopy Lodge, our CTO, Sven Mollinga, shared his insights into the challenges of hosting AI chatbots on Kubernetes—a topic that interests many of our partners. With the rise of AI, a pressing question emerges: how do I manage costs when using these AI techniques, how do you connect the right data to make AI truly smart, where is this data stored, and what happens to it? By taking AIs out of the Cloud, we can answer many questions, but this also brings many challenges. In this presentation, we discussed solutions for reliably and qualitatively hosting an LLM. With a live demo as the finale, it was clear how all the integrations work together and what results you can expect.
Closing & Networking
After the final presentations, it was time to close the day with an extensive drinks reception featuring a variety of snacks. This was an excellent opportunity to network in an informal setting and reflect on the various presentations.
During the reception, our Platinum Partner Award was also presented to our new Platinum Partners. This award is our way of solidifying the partnership and showing appreciation for the special collaborations.
And of course, no one went home empty-handed—our partners received a box of luxury Shock Media-style bonbons as a memento of this special and inspiring day.
A Successful Day
We look back on a very successful Partner Day! The many positive responses from participants confirm that we achieved our goal: to offer an inspiring and educational afternoon that fosters connection and collaboration.
We would like to thank everyone who attended, and of course our partners with whom we work every day to realize great projects. Here’s to many more years of successful partnership! We are already looking forward to the Shock Media Digital Agency Partner Day of 2026!
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