APENHEUL
Most conferences happen in a hotel basement next to a motorway. Ours happens in a monkey park in the middle of the Veluwe forest. Dierenpark Apenheul in Apeldoorn is world-famous as the first zoo where monkeys roam freely between visitors — and tucked inside it is a conference centre that turns out to be very good at hosting 300 engineers for a day.
We have been here before. XXL 2025 filled the same rooms, and the photos below are all from that day. Less than an hour from Amsterdam, with forest outside every window.
Five rooms, one corridor
Three parallel breakout rooms, one workshop room and the foyer. Nothing is more than a minute's walk apart, so switching tracks between sessions is easy.
Keynote and the biggest breakouts. Raked seating, a proper stage and a screen everyone can read from the back row.
Breakout room. Close quarters, good for the deep technical sessions where people ask questions halfway through.
Breakout room. Same idea, other end of the corridor — no long walks between sessions.
Two rooms opened into one for the hands-on workshop. Tables, power, and room to actually build something all day.
The social heart: reception, coffee, the buffet dinner and the borrel. Every shared moment of the day happens here.
The place in action
Photos from XXL 2025 — same venue, same rooms.
“Such a treat to be at the Apenheul… an inspiring place to learn about Azure and AI.
Apeldoorn is signposted from the A1 and A50, and Apenheul is signposted once you are in town. Park at the Berg & Bos car park next to the park — navigate to that car park rather than the visitor address, since roadworks divert the last stretch.
Parking is not included in your ticket. Buy and pay for your own parking ticket at the car park — the rates are Apenheul's own.
Route & parking ↗Take an intercity to Apeldoorn — direct from Amsterdam, Utrecht, Zwolle and Deventer. From the station, bus line 1 drops you at the Apenheul stop in under 15 minutes. Handy if you plan to enjoy the borrel properly.
Good to know
- 01 Doors at 14:00. Reception in the foyer, first sessions at 15:00, and the borrel runs until 21:30.
- 02 Dinner is included. A buffet dinner between the afternoon and evening sessions, and drinks at the borrel — with every ticket.
- 03 Step-free. The conference rooms and foyer are on one level and wheelchair accessible.
- 04 Dress for the forest. The walk from the car park runs through the Berg & Bos park — in December that is dark and often wet.