As the year slowly comes to an end, there is a natural urge to pause. To take a breath after months of intense work, overlapping priorities, and constant delivery. At Trust-IT Services and COMMpla, we believe that this pause is not a luxury, but a necessity. It is a deliberate act of care towards the organisation and the people who make it work every day.
This is why, every year, alongside our annual social dinner, we organise an internal moment that has become a defining element of our company culture: our Annual Unconference.
The Unconference format deliberately breaks with the conventions of traditional corporate events. There is no fixed agenda prepared in advance, no hierarchy of speakers, and no passive audience. Instead, the content is created collaboratively by the participants themselves. Everyone is invited to propose a session, lead a discussion, or simply contribute with questions, ideas, and experience. It is a space where curiosity is valued as much as expertise, and where learning is understood as a shared responsibility.
For one full afternoon, we made a symbolic and very concrete choice: we closed our laptops.
We stepped away from emails, tasks, and project timelines, and reorganised our agendas so that we could be fully present for the company and for one another. Productivity, for once, was not measured in outputs or metrics, but in quality of attention, depth of conversation, and willingness to listen. It was time intentionally dedicated to reflection: on where we are today, how we work together, and how we want to evolve in the future.
At the heart of the Unconference lies a core principle that guides much of our internal thinking: breaking silos.
Unconference 2025 at Trust-IT Services and COMMpla
Trust-IT Services and COMMpla represent two distinct yet deeply interconnected identities. One is strongly anchored in research support, European projects, policy-driven initiatives, and community engagement. The other is rooted in digital innovation, experimentation, data, artificial intelligence, and new technological paradigms. The Unconference is the moment where these two souls intentionally meet, not because a project requires it, but because growth depends on mutual understanding and shared learning.
The sessions proposed by colleagues naturally reflected this convergence. A significant part of the discussions revolved around artificial intelligence, not as a buzzword, but as a practical and cultural transformation already influencing how we work. Conversations explored how AI is reshaping writing, research, analysis, communication, and software development, while also raising important questions around responsibility, quality, critical thinking, and the human role in increasingly automated processes. The focus was not on blind adoption, but on conscious experimentation and informed use.
Closely linked to these reflections were discussions around vibe coding and agentic approaches to development. These sessions questioned long-established assumptions about coding as the only entry point to building digital products. Participants explored scenarios where no-code and low-code tools, AI-assisted development, and rapid prototyping can coexist with more traditional engineering practices. This opened up broader reflections on collaboration between technical and non-technical roles, on inclusivity in innovation, and on how teams can move faster without sacrificing quality or understanding.
Beyond technology, there was strong attention to continuous improvement initiatives within the organisation. Several sessions focused on how bottom-up approaches, communities of practice, and informal knowledge-sharing mechanisms can lead to tangible improvements in workflows, communication, and organisational resilience. These discussions reinforced a shared belief: meaningful improvement rarely comes from rigid top-down processes alone. It often emerges when people are given the space to reflect on their daily work, share pain points openly, and propose solutions collaboratively.
One of the most powerful aspects of the Unconference was the level of cross-contamination it enabled. Roles and departments that do not usually interact on a daily basis found themselves in the same conversations. Marketers crossed the bridge into technical topics; developers engaged with communication, strategy, and organisational dynamics; project-focused colleagues explored creative and experimental approaches. This deliberate mixing of perspectives fostered empathy, broke down assumptions, and strengthened the collective understanding of how diverse skills contribute to a shared mission.
The Unconference is also, fundamentally, a human moment. Taking place alongside our social dinner, it is one of the few occasions in the year when colleagues who usually work remotely can join us in person. Sharing the same physical space – talking, debating, laughing, and reflecting together – reinforces relationships in ways that digital interactions alone cannot fully replicate. It strengthens trust, builds informal connections, and reminds us that behind every role and task there is a person.
As we approach the end of the year, this experience resonates deeply with our shared message and guiding principle: "We have each other's back".
Unconference 2025 at Trust-IT Services and COMMpla
The Unconference is a concrete expression of this mindset. Making time to listen to one another, to share knowledge generously, and to support collective growth is how that slogan becomes reality. It is a reminder that collaboration is not only about efficiency, but about care, trust, and mutual responsibility.
We left the Unconference energised, inspired, and more aligned. Not because we reached definitive answers or final decisions, but because we created the conditions for better questions, deeper understanding, and shared learning. It reminded us that growth is not only about adopting new tools or methodologies, but also about nurturing relationships, encouraging curiosity, and building a culture where people feel safe to explore, challenge, and improve.
This is why the Unconference continues to be a vital part of our company life. It is the moment when Trust-IT Services and COMMpla come together as one community, embracing their differences as strengths and reaffirming their commitment to learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
As we look ahead, we do so with the awareness that the future is not something we wait for – it is something we actively build. And we build it best by breaking silos, embracing cross-contamination, and standing by one another as we grow.
Unconference 2025 at Trust-IT Services and COMMpla
