Michael Rijken recently shared something that caught my attention: an "Invitation to the Limburg Professionals Network and Knowledge Event" for a "Hitster/AI Edition" on Wednesday 11 March 2026. He even added a very human detail about the format: if you know Hitster - Guilty Pleasures, "singing along happens automatically".

That small line tells you almost everything about the event design. Michael is not just promoting a date and a link. He is setting expectations for the experience: relaxed, playful, and built to make conversation feel effortless. And then he pairs that with something many professionals are curious about (and sometimes intimidated by): practical AI.

In this post, I want to expand on what Michael is really doing here, why it works, and what you can learn from this kind of "play first, learn together" networking format.

The core idea: networking that creates conversation for you

Most networking events rely on the same fragile assumption: put smart people in a room and meaningful conversations will happen. Sometimes that works. Often it does not.

Michael Rijken’s concept is stronger because it uses structure to remove friction. A music game like Hitster does three useful things immediately:

It gives strangers a shared activity, which lowers social pressure.
It creates instant micro-moments (recognition, surprise, nostalgia) that are easy to talk about.
It rotates interactions naturally across rounds, so you do not get stuck in one conversation all night.

Key insight: the best networking formats do not force small talk. They replace it with shared experiences.

When Michael mentions an adapted version played in multiple rounds, with conversations and encounters that "arise naturally", he is describing intentional facilitation. The game is not entertainment on top of networking. It is the engine of networking.

Why pairing Hitster with AI makes strategic sense

The second half of Michael’s invitation is the "AI Edition" angle. Between rounds, Yanick Dols (Brightlands Smart Services Campus) and Max Heijnen (KantoorArtikelen.nl) introduce AI in practice in an accessible way and expand your knowledge of what AI can do.

That pairing is smart for a few reasons:

1) AI learning is more effective when it feels safe

Many professionals feel they are "behind" on AI. Others feel overwhelmed by tools, hype, or conflicting advice. A playful environment makes it easier to ask basic questions without fear of judgment.

If the room has already sung along to a guilty pleasure track, the social temperature rises. People become more willing to say things like:

"I tried prompting, but I get generic answers. What am I doing wrong?"
"Which AI tasks are actually worth automating in my job?"
"How do I handle privacy and client data?"

2) You get both inspiration and grounded examples

Michael describes AI "in practice" and "accessible". That combination is crucial. Too many AI talks swing to extremes: either high-level inspiration with no next steps, or tool demos with no context.

A well-designed segment between rounds can balance:

What AI is good at today (summarizing, drafting, pattern detection, classification)
What still needs human judgment (strategy, ethics, relationship nuance)
What to try next week (a small workflow change, a pilot, a template)

3) The format respects attention spans

Short learning bursts between game rounds keep energy up. You avoid the typical post-dinner slump where a long presentation competes with people checking their phones.

The role of a moderator: making the room feel easy

Michael also names the moderator: Leo Crombach (Lijnspel Coöperatie U.A.). That detail matters. A good moderator does more than keep time. They make it socially easy for people to participate.

In a hybrid format (game + knowledge), moderation can:

Explain rules quickly and clearly
Keep transitions smooth between rounds and AI segments
Encourage inclusive participation (not just the loudest tables)
Create light prompts that connect the music game to professional themes

For example, after a round, a moderator might ask one connecting question:

"What is one task you wish you could automate as easily as you recognized that chorus?"

That is enough to bridge fun and learning without forcing it.

What attendees can do to get more value from this kind of event

If you are considering joining an event like Michael Rijken’s on 11 March 2026, here are a few simple ways to make the night more valuable without turning it into "work":

Bring one AI use case, not ten

Pick a single work problem you would love to improve. Examples:

Writing first drafts faster (emails, proposals, LinkedIn posts)
Summarizing meeting notes into actions
Creating FAQ responses for customers
Turning a messy spreadsheet into a clearer structure

One concrete use case gives you a reason to talk to Yanick Dols and Max Heijnen, and it makes your networking conversations more specific.

Ask people what they tried, not what they think

AI conversations can get abstract quickly. Better questions:

"What tool did you try last month?"
"What did you automate successfully?"
"Where did it fail?"
"What surprised you most?"

Those questions create useful, honest exchanges.

Follow up while the context is warm

Because the event is designed to create shared moments, follow-ups are easier. Reference the shared experience:

"Still laughing about that song from round two. You mentioned an AI workflow for proposals - can you share the template?"

A quick content lesson: why this LinkedIn post works

Michael Rijken’s LinkedIn post is short, but it contains several elements that tend to drive engagement, even without flashy tactics:

A clear invitation and date (low cognitive load)
A familiar hook (a known game and the "guilty pleasures" angle)
A sensory, human detail ("warm up your vocal cords")
Named people and organizations (credibility and community)
A simple call to action (registration link)
A friendly closing question ("See you on 11 March?")

This is a useful reminder for anyone working on LinkedIn content and content strategy: you do not need a long post to be effective. You need a clear experience people can picture themselves in.

If readers can imagine the room, they can imagine saying yes.

If you are organizing something similar, steal the structure

Michael’s format is replicable. If you are building a professional community or planning an event, consider this template:

Arrival and quick warm welcome
Round-based social activity that rotates interactions
Short knowledge segments that are practical and accessible
Strong moderation to maintain flow
Clear next step (signup, community link, follow-up session)

The secret is not the specific game or the specific AI tools. The secret is designing for comfort, momentum, and shared experience.

Final thought

Michael Rijken’s invitation is more than an event announcement. It is a small blueprint for what modern professional gatherings can look like: less forced networking, more engineered connection, and learning that feels human.

If you are in the Limburg area (or connected to that professional community), 11 March 2026 sounds like a night where you can meet people, sing along, and leave with at least one practical idea for using AI at work.

This blog post expands on a viral LinkedIn post by Michael Rijken. View the original LinkedIn post →