RTE & Scrum Master Summit 2026

Connect. Learn. Grow together.

This year the RTE & Scrum Master Summit 2026 brings together experienced Release Train Engineers and Scrum Masters for an inspiring evening and day of learning, connection, and meaningful exchange on October 28th and 29th.

This renewed edition of the former RTE Summit reflects the evolving Agile landscape. Today’s RTEs and advanced Scrum Masters operate in increasingly complex environments and are expected to bring depth, leadership, and advanced facilitation skills. This summit is designed to meet that reality with content that challenges, inspires, and supports professionals who want to keep growing their craft.

What to expect

Across the summit, you’ll engage with peers, practitioners, and thought leaders who understand the realities of working in large-scale Agile and SAFe environments. Expect high-quality sessions, real-world stories, and plenty of opportunities to learn from one another.

The Magic of Organizing Intelligence

A tale of roles, systems, alignment and human interaction

When AI researchers are asked about their biggest concern, they often return to the story of the Genie in the bottle.

Once released, the Genie grants three wishes. The holder of the lamp might say something like “I want to be the richest person on the planet.” And in a split second everyone else on Earth loses their money, making the holder technically the richest person alive.

Clearly that was not what was meant.This is what AI researchers call misalignment. The system does exactly what was asked, but not what was intended.

Now if you take that thought experiment and bring it into the world of organizations, things become even more interesting.

Organizations are also systems of intelligence, except that instead of a single artificial brain they contain hundreds of human ones, each interpreting signals, priorities and responsibilities slightly differently.

The real question then becomes how such a system manages to stay aligned at all.

At the RTE & Scrum Master Summit we explore that question by looking at three aspects that quietly determine whether intelligence inside organizations actually works together: alignment, systems and interaction.

And perhaps the most interesting realization is that the “magic” of such systems rarely comes from structures, frameworks or tools. It usually appears when people inside the system start helping the intelligence around them align.

Which means that by the end of the summit, you might discover that you don’t actually need a magic wand to make these systems work a little better.

You might already be one.

Program overview

Wednesday, 28 October 2026 – Networking Dinner

The summit kicks off with an informal and welcoming networking dinner, exclusively for participants.

Reception starts at 18:00
Followed by a shared dinner and networking
A relaxed setting to connect with peers before the conference day

Thursday, 29 October 2026 – Conference Day

A full day dedicated to learning, inspiration, and exchange where 3 tracks are central around this years theme of organizing intelligence:

Developing continuous alignment (1)
Systems and how to organise (2)
Interaction and how to facilitate (3)

1. The alignment track explores how organizations continuously reconnect people, teams and technology around purpose and priorities, because alignment in complex systems is rarely achieved once and then maintained. It has to be recreated again and again as the environment changes.

2. The systems track explores what happens when organizations stop trying to force intelligence into rigid functional structures and instead create environments where roles can emerge according to what the system actually needs.

3. The interaction track explores how those human dynamics shape the intelligence of the system itself, and how the quality of interaction can determine whether alignment actually emerges or slowly disappears.

We will organize sessions around these 3 tracks with:

Keynotes, talks, and in-depth sessions
Practical insights from experienced RTEs and Scrum Masters
Space for discussion, reflection, and peer learning
The day concludes with a networking drink to continue the conversations

See the Program table below for more details about the sessions and keynote speakers on October 29th!

Early bird available now!

Get your ticket now and enjoy a discount of 100 euros with the Early bird price! But be quick, as this offer only stands until May 31st.

Early bird price: € 449,- (until May 31st, also includes dinner on Oct. 28th)
Regular Price: € 549,- (this includes the dinner on Oct. 28th)

* Prices excluding VAT

Group Discount

For RTEs by RTEs, For Scrum Masters by Scrum Masters the RTE & Scrum Master Summit is your event. Feel free to bring along your peers to share the knowledge at this unique, annual event. Contact us for any questions or if you’d like to learn about group discount rates.

The event team
+31 (0)20-2402244
events@gladwellacademy.com

Registration and Networking Breakfast

Start the day out right. Get your badge and connect with peers & partners over a cup of coffee or tea!

Opening of RTE & Scrum Master Summit 2026

Here comes the theme: 'The magic of organising intelligence: A tale of roles, systems, alignment and « human » interaction'

Lina de Meyer • Gladwell Academy

Eelco Rustenburg • Highberg

Opening Keynote: Announcing soon!

Keep an eye out for the revealing of our opening keynote speaker!

Coffee & Connect

Fuel the magic of organizing intelligence; connect, align, and spark new thinking over coffee (or another refreshment, your choice).

Break-out: Round 1

Case study 1: The Org Chart Lied to You- How roles, interactions & a 300+ person transformation revealed what actually makes intelligent systems work.

Track: Developing Continuous Alignment. Description: We use our lived experience at Fresenius Medical Care - a real, complex, high-stakes environment (healthcare, regulated, global, 300+ people) - to surface a single uncomfortable truth: organizations are not what they look like on paper, and the intelligence inside them only works when the humans facilitating it are honest about that gap.

Lasse Brüggemann • Fresenius Medical Care

Armin Heber • Fresenius Medical Care

Case study 2: Stop Controlling, Start Safeguarding: The DoD as Guardrails for the AI-ready ART

Track: Systems and How to Organise. Description: Why traditional control fails in the face of AI acceleration, and how a relentless focus on your Definition of Done is the only way to prevent chaos.

Guus Prick • Mercedes-Benz AG

Case study 3: In a world filled with AI, we value the human above the systematic standardization

Track: Interaction and How to Facilitate. Description: When team dynamics evolve, we at Achmea try to facilitate cooperation, a safe space for a conversation about what really matters. Deeply rooted in the Agile manifesto is something that must not be forgotten. We value humans and their interactions above all else.

Felix Poldermans • Achmea

Surprise Keynote

To be announced soon!

Networking lunch

Feed the flow of organising intelligence—recharge, connect, and let bold ideas simmer over lunch.

Break-out: Interactive workshops

Sign up for a hands-on workshop packed with bold insights and outcome-driven tools to level up your game as an RTE or seasoned Scrum Master. Facilitated by Higberg experts and clients.

Track 1: Developing Continuous Alignment

The alignment track explores how organizations continuously reconnect people, teams and technology around purpose and priorities, because alignment in complex systems is rarely achieved once and then maintained. It has to be recreated again and again as the environment changes.

Track 2: Systems and how to Organise

Interactive workshop on Systems and how to organise. The systems track explores what happens when organizations stop trying to force intelligence into rigid functional structures and instead create environments where roles can emerge according to what the system actually needs.

Track 3: Interaction and how to Facilitate

Two teams can operate within the same organisation using identical frameworks, roles, and processes – yet function very differently. One moves with ease, builds on each other’s thinking, and adapts quickly. The other follows the same structure but struggles to gain momentum. The difference lies not in the system on paper, but in how the system is lived. Psychological safety is a systemic phenomenon – emerging from patterns of interaction within and between teams. It shapes how people navigate uncertainty, complexity, and change. This interactive workshop explores how to recognise, influence, and intentionally design for those patterns.

Break-out: Choose your session around Organising Intelligence

Choose your 90-minute deep dive across all tracks—explore Organising Intelligence through systems thinking, alignment, and human interaction with Eelco Rustenburg, or join bold peer roundtables led by Marijt Weerts and her highberg colleagues, where real stories, hard lessons, and even the biggest alignment fails spark meaningful connection and fresh insight between peers.

Break-out 1: Organising intelligence through Organisational Constellations and a fresh Systemic Perspective

Explore Organising Intelligence through systems thinking, alignment, and human interaction with Eelco Rustenburg in this 90-minute session.

Eelco Rustenburg • Highberg

Break-out 2: Peer Connect Roundtables - Common Fuck-Ups on Organising Intelligence

Join 3 - 30 min. peer connect roundtables to connect with peers to connect on the most common fuck-ups of alignment, systems thinking and facilitation; By RTEs and Experienced SMs and for RTEs and Experienced SMs everyday practice on the job.

Marijt Weerts • Gladwell Academy

Coffee & Connect

Fuel the magic of organizing intelligence—connect, align, and spark new thinking over coffee.

Closing Keynote: 'Ground Truth - I asked +30 RTEs across Airbus 1 question: Where does it hurt?'

Organising intelligence through AI-native RTEs at Airbus.

Jörg Christoffers • Airbus

Closing the RTE & Scrum Master Summit 2026

Eelco Rustenburg • Highberg

Lina de Meyer • Gladwell Academy

Happy Hour!

Let's close of this 12th edition of the RTE & Scrum master Summit with some well deserved drinks and bites and grab your last chance to exchanges thoughts, expand your network and have fun!

RTE & Scrum Master Summit 2026

2026