I joined three learning moments that really stood out: a talk with Daniel Stroes, a webinar by Elvin Usidame, and a seminar at Nieuwe Nor Night Academy. Each one gave a fresh perspective on artist booking, programming, label work, and event planning. These sessions were super inspiring. Hearing directly from people who are active in the industry made everything feel real and useful. What stuck with me most was their honest advice about networking, self-promotion, and the idea of starting small with what you can actually pull off.

Daniel Stroes helped me see why personal branding matters and how important the roles of managers, agents, and labels are. Elvin Usidame broke down how to build strong lineups and explained how regional strategy plays into planning. At Nieuwe Nor, I picked up smart tips on how agencies talk to artists and how to reach the right crowd.These moments helped me connect the dots between what I’ve studied and how it works out in real life. Things like brand identity, entrepreneurship, and even network theory suddenly made sense in a practical way. It also showed me how much planning and communication shape the success of an event.

I get it more now—how the theory links to what actually happens when people plan and run events. I feel more ready to face challenges in programming and booking, and this all fits with the goals I’ve set for myself.I want to keep learning from people in the field. I’ll use what I picked up here when I’m working on events or talking to artists and agencies. And I’ll keep practicing how to turn theory into something real and useful in my work.