It’s 10 a.m. in Amsterdam, and the Tobacco Theater is buzzing. The lights dim, the cameras roll, and CPaaS Acceleration Alliance founder Rob Kurver steps onto the stage. “Wow. Good morning, everybody,” he begins. “Welcome to Amsterdam. It’s so amazing that after a couple of years of building this alliance, we have this group here together — telcos, CPaaS players, analysts, technologists, investors… and then some.”

The room, a mix of deep industry veterans and new innovators, breaks into smiles. This is CASA25 — the third edition of an event that’s fast become the gathering place for those shaping the future of communications.

From Swamp to Innovation

Rob kicks things off with a bit of history about the venue. The Nes, the old Amsterdam street where the theater sits, was once a swamp, reclaimed in 1342. Over centuries it evolved — first home to churches, then to traders, and later to a tobacco auction house. “You can turn anything into a hype cycle,” he jokes. “We went from the swamp — the innovation trigger — to the peak of expectation with the churches, to the trough of disillusionment with tobacco, and now the plateau of productivity.”

Then comes the punchline: “If you think about it, instead of five churches, we now have five big LLM guys — Mark, Sam, and the others. The role of the church centuries ago has been replaced by the role of Big Tech today.”

Three Years, Three Days, Three Big Moves

There’s a running theme in Rob’s welcome: the power of three.

• Year 1: Connect — bringing telcos and CPaaS together.
• Year 2: Grow — exploring real use cases.
• Year 3: Accelerate — creating impact.

“Kevin and I started this thing three years ago,” Rob recalls. “The idea was to bridge the gap between telcos and CPaaS. Those early conversations were… interesting. ‘You’ll be our first member!’ doesn’t always sell.”

Today, with 120+ active members and partners representing roughly half a trillion dollars in market cap, the Alliance is no longer an experiment — it’s an ecosystem.

And CASA25 marks a milestone with three announcements:

• The State of CPaaS 2025 Report, written by Andrew Collinson, examining how the industry moves from $30B toward $100B — not in theory, but in practice.
• A new investment partnership — “putting our money where our mouth is” to accelerate growth across the ecosystem.
• The Case Directory, expanding last year’s Playbook into a living repository of use cases and business outcomes.

“We Want to Make a Difference”

This, Rob emphasizes, isn’t about yet another conference. “We don’t just want to have an event and some dinners. We really want to make an impact. This alliance was built to change something — to move the industry forward together.”

Kevin Joins the Stage: “The Moment We’ve Been Building Toward”

Enter Kevin Nethercott, co-founder and master evangelist. He laughs as he takes the stage — “I might be the oldest guy in the room now, but I’ve never been more excited.”

Kevin draws a parallel to the early days of VoIP: “When we moved from TDM to IP, the world changed. SIP alone enabled nearly a trillion dollars of new business. What’s coming next — AI, vCons, and agentic automation — is that level of transformation all over again.”

He teases what’s ahead: the launch of a new working group focused on vCons, and an afternoon exploring AI’s disruption of the communications stack. “When I first saw Netscape, I knew the world would never be the same. That’s where we are now with AI.”

The Road Ahead: Two Days of Doing, Not Talking

The rest of Day 1 dives into Intelligent Engagement — starting with Vonage’s Neelam Sandhu, followed by the unveiling of the State of CPaaS report and a debate among analysts about the market’s future.

The afternoon shifts gears to AI disruption and vCons, followed by a preview of the new investment partnership. “And then,” Rob smiles, “there’s only one thing to do — get drunk.” Attendees laugh as he announces the evening party at the Chin Chin Club — a speakeasy-style celebration complete with Amsterdam’s famous bitterballen.

Day 2: The Fight Club Rule

Kevin sets the tone for the next morning. “We start at 10 a.m. with Fight Club. And the first rule of Fight Club? You can’t say CPaaS.” The audience chuckles. “Tomorrow is all about customers, use cases, and monetization. We’ve talked enough tech. Let’s focus on what drives value.”

The day features a keynote from Gamma, a showcase of real-world enterprise use cases, and sessions on Network APIs and Open Telcos. It ends with the CPaaS Showcase Challenge — “where American Idol meets CPaaS,” as Kevin puts it — before everyone gathers again for drinks.

Workshops and Day 3: Rolling Up Sleeves

New this year are hands-on workshops, hosted by sponsors like Radisys, Crexendo/NetSapiens, GSMA and the vCon Foundation. With limited seats (“and the right to strike competitors from the list,” Rob jokes), these small sessions dive deeper into the how.

Day 3 caps off the week with the GSMA Open Gateway Analyst Summit, a focused, invite-only deep dive into the future of network APIs — and the next step in bridging telecom and innovation.

From Connection to Impact

As Rob wraps up, he gestures to the crowd. “Three years ago, we set out to connect telcos and CPaaS. Now we’re ready to create impact. Let’s make these three days count.”

The lights fade, applause fills the theater, and CASA25 officially begins — not as another conference, but as a movement built on collaboration, curiosity, and a shared determination to shape what comes next.

At CASA25, Boris Maric, Commercial Excellence Officer at Infobip, took the stage with a bold statement: “Conversations are becoming the operating system of customer experience.”

Not the interface. Not the channel. The operating system.

It’s a radical reframing—but one that cuts straight to the heart of what Intelligent Engagement really means in this next era.

And Infobip isn’t just theorizing. They’re building. Testing. Scaling. Pivoting. Because for Boris and the team, it’s clear: if we don’t evolve from messaging to orchestration, someone else will.

From Channels to Conversations to Orchestration

Infobip’s journey is grounded in a simple but powerful insight: conversations are now the homepage of CX.

What used to be done across websites, apps, and disconnected touchpoints is now collapsing into a single thread—literally. One WhatsApp conversation. One RCS flow. One smart agent that knows what you need before you ask.

It’s the convergence of three forces:

• Conversational Messaging Boom – Already embedded in our daily lives.
• Messaging Channels Becoming Super Apps – Seamless, in-channel discovery, action, and support.
• The Rise of Agentic AI – Moving from assistive to autonomous engagement.

This shift means the interface shrinks and the backend complexity explodes. If you’re doing it right, the customer sees a single, simple thread. Behind it: orchestration, personalization, security, failover, and real-time data—powered by a blend of CPaaS infrastructure and generative AI.

Trust. Guide. Act.

Boris introduced a simple but compelling model: Trust, Guide, Act.

It’s not about “blasting messages.” It’s about embedding value inside a conversation.

• Trust is the entry point—built through verification, branding, and secure network APIs.
• Guidance comes through rich UI elements: suggested replies, contextual content, personalized flows.
• Action is the goal: a purchase, a booking, a service interaction, all within one seamless journey.

And when all three align? “The interface shrinks.” One thread. One customer. One intelligent engagement.

From Use Cases to Agentic Workflows

Infobip’s current focus includes:

• Smart chatbots and AI assistants
• AI-supported call center flows
• Fraud detection and prevention (leveraging network APIs)
• End-to-end campaign orchestration

But Boris emphasized a critical next step: evolving from isolated use cases to agentic workflows.

This means AI doesn’t just support the flow—it becomes the flow. Taking action, triggering transactions, orchestrating across systems.

In a world where AI eats SaaS, that shift becomes existential.

The Hard Truth: CPaaS Must Change

Boris didn’t shy away from the elephant in the room. Growth is slowing. Margins are under pressure. AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a disruptor.

AI is disintermediating SaaS, allowing enterprises to build more in-house.

Ecosystems are gaining power, simplifying procurement and increasing stickiness.

Messaging is commoditizing, and unless CPaaS evolves, it risks being relegated to the plumbing.

To lead in this new landscape, CPaaS providers must:

• Control the omnichannel orchestration layer
• Extract and leverage the value of first-party and contextual data
• Accelerate Network API adoption with telcos
• Build AI-native, agentic solutions that drive outcomes

In Boris’s words: “We need to take the orchestration part and lead the entire industry.”

Redefining CPaaS: Three Layers of Intelligent Engagement

Infobip’s framework to navigate this shift breaks CPaaS into three interconnected layers:

• Trust Layer – Network APIs and telco-grade infrastructure
• Omnichannel Layer – Preferred channels, failover scenarios, and real-time adaptability
• Action Layer – AI and agentic systems that execute, decide, and perform tasks autonomously

The future? Not just richer conversations, but conversational operating systems—fully integrated, intelligent, and outcome-driven.

What’s Holding Us Back?

Despite the vision, there are friction points. Boris didn’t sugarcoat them:

• Slower telco alignment on Network APIs
• Regional fragmentation in operator models
• Lack of orchestration maturity across the stack
• CPaaS industry inertia: stuck in “messaging” while others build full-stack solutions

But there’s a path forward.

Start with use cases that work.

Build them with startups and risk-takers, not just enterprises.

Orchestrate across channels, data, and AI—and make it seamless.

Final Word: This Is the AI Opportunity

Infobip sees two key accelerants ahead:

Agentic AI – to drive real-time, autonomous action CPaaS as the orchestrator – leading enterprise and telco transformation

And Boris left us with this clear call to action:

“We sit on a ton of data. We already have the infrastructure. The next battle is orchestration. If we win that, we win the future.”

Watch this space. The future of customer experience is being rebuilt—one intelligent conversation at a time.

Amsterdam on a Sunday is a dream: the city feels both relaxed and buzzing, with art, food, and canals waiting around every corner. Whether you’re into museums, wandering hidden streets, or simply soaking up the atmosphere, here’s the ultimate itinerary for Sunday, September 21.

🌟 Morning: Art & Inspiration

📍 Stedelijk Museum

Kick off your day with bold colors and big ideas. The Stedelijk is home to modern and contemporary art legends like Mondriaan, Picasso, and Warhol. Perfect for sparking creativity.

📍 Foam (Museum of Photography)

Prefer images that tell a story? Head to Foam, where exhibitions range from documentary projects to avant-garde experiments.

📸 Photo idea: The striking bathtub-shaped façade of the Stedelijk makes a fun architectural shot.

💡 Insider tip: Before or after your museum fix, grab a specialty coffee at Back to Black (near Museumplein).

🚶‍♀️ Late Morning: A Walk Through History

Amsterdam is best explored on foot. Take a guided walking tour to uncover the city’s crooked houses, hidden courtyards, and quirky stories.

Prefer a DIY option? Stroll through the Jordaan district, with its narrow alleys, art galleries, and cozy canals.

📸 Photo idea: Snap the canals framed by bicycles on Brouwersgracht — one of the prettiest spots in the city.

🍴 Lunch: Tasty Pause at Watergang

Recharge with a meal at Restaurant Watergang, loved for its hearty plates and warm vibe.

👉 Foodie alternative: Try Foodhallen, a lively indoor market offering bites from sushi to gourmet tacos — perfect if you’re traveling with friends who all want different things.

📸 Photo idea: Capture the buzzing atmosphere of Foodhallen, with stalls glowing under string lights.

✨ Afternoon: Canal Life & Shopping

You’ve got two tempting paths here:

Cruise the canals with Leemstar.nl – Small, intimate boats, friendly skippers, and plenty of stories along the way. A glass of wine in hand makes it magic. Explore De Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets) – Boutique shops, vintage gems, and cozy cafés in one of Amsterdam’s prettiest areas.

📸 Photo idea: From the boat, catch a shot of the iconic Skinny Bridge (Magere Brug) at golden hour.

🌳 Late Afternoon: Green Escape in Vondelpark

After shopping or cruising, slip into Vondelpark for some fresh air. The city’s favorite green oasis is alive with joggers, kids, musicians, and picnickers.

💡 Insider moment: Bring along a pastry or a bottle of wine — locals love to sprawl on the grass for impromptu picnics.

📸 Photo idea: Capture the park’s tree-lined paths with cyclists streaming past.

🍷 Evening: Dinner with Atmosphere

Round out your Sunday with a memorable dinner:

Restaurant Amsterdam – Housed in a former pumping station, it’s spacious, lively, and delicious. Watergang (if you saved it for dinner) – Cozy and laid-back, ideal if you prefer a quieter vibe.

👉 Nightcap suggestion: End the day at Café de Prins, right on Prinsengracht canal — candles, wooden interiors, and the hum of happy locals.

📸 Photo idea: Snap the canal reflections outside Café de Prins at night.

✨ Bonus Ideas if You’ve Got More Energy

Visit the Anne Frank House (book well ahead!). Explore Westerpark, a cultural hotspot with bars, galleries, and green spaces. Catch live jazz at Café Alto, a legendary music bar.

💭 Final Thoughts

Amsterdam on a Sunday is best enjoyed slowly: mix a little art, a little wandering, and plenty of good food. Whether you’re gliding along the canals, treasure-hunting in the Nine Streets, or sipping wine under the trees in Vondelpark, September 21 promises to be unforgettable.

👉 Travel tip for CASA25 guests: All of these spots are easily reachable by bike, tram, or even on foot if you’re up for it. Amsterdam rewards curiosity — so take your time and let the city surprise you.

Amsterdam is buzzing, my inbox is buzzing louder, and somewhere between the ‘what’s for dinner tonight’, toddler snuggles, and planning the event of the year — I’m just trying to remember where I put my coffee.

Yes, friends, CASA25 is coming. And with it: the elegant dance of coordinating venues, menus, mystery guests, and my own sanity.

🏡 CASA25: More Than an Event, It’s a Vibe

If you haven’t heard of CASA25, let me catch you up: imagine a space where creativity meets community, in the heart of Amsterdam. A gathering of minds, hearts, ideas, and maybe—just maybe—a pirate or a masseuse (we’ll get to that).

It started as a great idea. Then it became a spreadsheet. Now it’s a full-blown operation involving:

• 3 venues (each with pros, cons, and one mysterious smell),
• Menus ranging from elegant bites to “will this fill a teenager?”
• A bar debate that may start a war: wine & beer only, or do we unleash the hard liquor?
• And guest logistics that make quantum physics look chill.

🍼 Family Life, but Make It a Sitcom

Planning CASA25 while raising adolescents is like hosting a philosophy panel during a TikTok dance-off. Add a grandchild to the mix, and suddenly I’m toggling between `Maisy Mouse and Google Docs. My to-do list reads: “Confirm lighting rig. Order diapers. Check on AV tech. Explain TikTok slang.”

There is no line between work and life anymore. Only snack breaks and wifi dead zones.

🧾 Invoices, Invitations & the Great Unknown

Let’s talk finances. About 30% of our invoices are still in limbo — unpaid, floating, or misdirected (I might’ve sent one to my kid’s piano teacher). And we don’t even know exactly who’s coming yet.

Do I plan food for 80? 180? Will they be hungry, or too mesmerized by the surroundings to chew? Can I estimate average canapé consumption (read ‘Bitterballs’) while mentally calculating if the teens at home are secretly ordering Uber Eats?

No one tells you this is what event planning really is.

🧘‍♀️ Pirates vs. Pampering

My current existential question: Jack Sparrow or a masseuse?

I could hire a pirate to liven up the vibes. Or offer shoulder massages to soothe the overstimulated creatives. Either way, someone’s leaving CASA25 saying “well that was unexpected.”

Budget says I can’t have both. My heart says otherwise.

🎤 Meanwhile, The Speakers Haven’t Been Invited

Yep. The line-up? Spectacular in my head and program. Just… not in their inboxes yet. I keep rewriting the perfect invite, toggling between “polished professional” and “come to our party, there might be a pirate.”

It’s all part of the process.

🎈 Amsterdam Is Turning 750 (So Good Luck Booking a Hotel)

Fun fact: the city is also throwing itself a massive birthday bash. 750 years of Amsterdam this year! So my guests may need to bunk together, pitch tents, or claim canal boats. If you’re attending CASA25: book your stay yesterday. Seriously.

💃 Life Is Full — And That’s the Point

CASA25 is about connection, energy, and realness. So it only makes sense that planning it feels like real life: vibrant, messy, layered, loud, joyful.

Between adolescence, grandmothering, creativity, invoices, birthday parties, and menu tastings — this event isn’t something I’m producing. It’s something I’m living.

And if all else fails… I’ll blame Jack Sparrow.

At CASA, we’re always looking for ways to make the experience deeper, more personal, and more valuable for our members and partners. This year, we’re introducing something brand new—and we think it’s going to be one of the most impactful additions yet: invite-only sponsor workshops.

These aren’t your typical conference sessions. They’re intimate, closed-door conversations where our key sponsors get to connect with the people who matter most to them—partners, prospects, thought leaders, and innovators—in a room with 12 to max 24 seats, and no distractions.

Eight Spots. High Trust. Big Opportunity.

Across Monday and Tuesday, we’ll host eight of these workshop sessions. Each one is led or sponsored by a Gold or Silver CASA25 sponsor. Some may be product deep dives. Others will be expert-led roundtables or strategy-focused conversations. What they all have in common? They go deeper than a keynote ever could.

Four spots are already claimed by sponsors who saw the value right away. That means there are just four more workshop slots available.

If you’re a sponsor and you want to:

Create a private space for discussion with select invitees Explore a topic in-depth, with expert moderation Build real relationships that go beyond badge scans

…this is your moment.

What Makes It Special?

Unlike big-stage presentations, these workshops are quiet, curated, and built for quality interaction. They’re held in private rooms onsite at CASA25, with top-level attendees who are invited for a reason.

You get an hour to host a focused, high-trust conversation. No mics, no panels, no pressure—just smart people talking about what matters.

If you’re planning your sponsorship and looking for a way to make a meaningful impression, this is it.

Let’s build something memorable together!

At CASA, we’re known for more than just great speakers and smart panels. We’re known for creating experiences—the kind you remember long after the stage lights go down. And this year, we’re doubling down on that magic.

Because here’s the truth: the best conversations rarely happen on stage. They happen over cocktails, in a corner booth, on a rooftop with the city lights in the background. They happen when we’re relaxed, open, and out of our usual context. And that’s why the social side of CASA25 is just as important as the program itself.

Monday: The Chin Chin Club — Where the Night Begins

After an action-packed first day, we’re heading to one of Amsterdam’s most iconic nightlife spots: Chin Chin Club. This isn’t your typical conference mixer. It’s an actual club—playful, edgy, and stylish, just like our community. We’ll kick things off with drinks and bites, and then… who knows? The night’s yours.

We’ll give you a little time to freshen up after the conference wraps, then we gather, toast, and connect. You’ll catch up with old friends and meet new ones. This is how we build community—with a little music, a few stories, and plenty of laughs.

Tuesday: Beer, Bold Ideas, and the Beer Factory

On Tuesday, we’ll wrap the day with something a little more grounded (but no less fun): a long, lively reception at the Beer Factory, a classic Amsterdam venue where the drinks are cold, the conversations are warm, and the vibe is all about togetherness.

Expect a few surprises, and come ready to unwind. This isn’t just about wrapping up the day—it’s about opening new connections before the event ends.

Sunday (Yes, Sunday): The CAVE Dinner for Accelerate Members

If you’re one of our Accelerate members, your CASA25 journey starts a little earlier. On Sunday evening, we host our invite-only CAVE dinner—an intimate gathering of leaders and insiders shaping the future of CPaaS. It’s not about panels or slides. It’s about alignment, insight, and deeper relationships.

If you know, you know.

Amsterdam: A City in Celebration

This year, we’re back in Amsterdam, and the timing couldn’t be better. The city is celebrating its 750th anniversary, with festivities all summer long. And right when we’re in town, one of the most spectacular events hits: Sail Amsterdam. Imagine 50–100 of the world’s largest tall ships sailing in a grand parade from the North Sea right into the heart of the city. It’s breathtaking—and it sets the tone for a week of celebration.

So yes, CASA25 is serious business—but it’s also fun. It’s community. It’s connection. It’s food that fuels your brain, drinks that open the conversation, and spaces that spark serendipity.

If you’re thinking of bringing your partner, family, or even your dog—do it. Amsterdam in late September is glorious, and CASA25 will be the perfect finale to a summer of celebration.

We can’t wait to host you!

We’re doing it differently this year. Not just because we can—but because the industry needs it.

The CPaaS space is moving fast. AI is rewriting the rules. Network APIs are breaking silos. Security and trust are front and center. And the convergence of telcos, platforms, and intelligence means one thing: we need less talk, more action.

Welcome to CASA25: the impact-first experience.

Member-Only = Higher Signal, No Noise

This year, we’ve made a bold call: CASA25 is for members only. Why? Because the magic happens when people don’t have to pitch, prove, or posture. When they’re in a room of equals, peers, challengers. When they can say what’s really going on—and ask the questions that matter.

If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. At CASA25, you’re in the right room.

With 180 curated attendees, this is where CPaaS insiders connect, create, and collide.

The Right Vibe: Tobacco Theater

Our new venue—the iconic Tobacco Theater in Amsterdam—matches our energy. Intimate, edgy, and full of character. No expo halls. No plastic booths. Just conversations that matter.

Picture this: deep dives in the main track, real-world use cases on stage, workshops happening in the shadows—tucked away in breakout spaces where alliances are forged and deals are born.

The Format: One Track. Many Sparks.

We’re keeping the main track tight. No filler. Just a curated sequence of keynotes, panels, and rapid-fire sessions designed to inspire action. You’ll hear from industry pioneers, startup rebels, and global telcos shaping the future—live and unfiltered.

Alongside: invite-only workshops and roundtables. Small rooms. Big energy. From AI frameworks to API monetization to trust-building in a fragmented ecosystem—this is where the real work gets done.

What You’ll Leave With

A dozen real ideas to take back and implement Fresh connections with people who actually matter A fire in your belly and a notebook full of notes And maybe—just maybe—a new venture, product, or partnership

Why We’re Doing This

Because in Year 3 of CPaaSAA, we’re not chasing volume—we’re chasing impact. CASA isn’t just an event. It’s our annual moment to shape what’s next for this industry. Together.

See you in September. Bring your brain. Bring your edge. Bring your full self.

Because this isn’t a conference. This is CASA.

We’re thrilled to announce that CASA25 will take place at the historic Tobacco Theater in Amsterdam on September 22nd. This 19th-century former tobacco warehouse in the vibrant cultural district offers an intimate setting that perfectly aligns with our evolving vision.

This year, we’re embracing a “Less Talk, More Impact” theme. Expect compelling themes like the transition from messaging to rich messaging, Network APIs intertwined with CPaaS, and a special focus on AI & Data. We’ll delve into the shift from the web and app economy to the conversation economy, highlighting the huge opportunities driven by AI. This transformative track will underscore why AI is more crucial than ever in shaping our industry.

Diversity and inclusivity have always been at the core of our events. We’re committed to featuring a global lineup of speakers and sponsors, ensuring fair representation from all backgrounds. Whether you’re a potential sponsor or a speaker with a groundbreaking idea, we invite you to be part of this exciting journey!

Join us in Amsterdam for an unforgettable experience filled with impactful insights, networking opportunities, and a touch of Amsterdam’s charm. Secure your spot early—spaces are limited!

For more details, visit the event site. We can’t wait to see you there!