---
title: "Touchdown in Amsterdam"
description: "On the ground for Pax8 Beyond EMEA. What I’m watching as AI and automation hit real workflows."
pubDate: 2025-10-04
canonical: "https://sjg.io/writing/touchdown-in-amsterdam/"
---

# Touchdown in Amsterdam

Just landed in Amsterdam for **Pax8 Beyond EMEA**, and before I’d even left Schiphol I’d already met another Simon heading the same way. A good omen if ever there was one.

This year’s Beyond is **sold out**, with **70+ sessions** across AI, cybersecurity, and marketplace innovation. You can feel the shift already: this isn’t about *if* AI changes MSP operations anymore; it’s about **how fast** and **how safely** we embed it.

Over the next few days I’ll be watching for:

- **Agents doing real work**, not just clever demos.
- **Platforms that coordinate**, not just marketplaces that list.
- **Governance and identity** patterns that make automation safe at scale.

I’ll post more once the dust settles, but if you see the robots, you’ll probably find me nearby.