A Sort of Homecoming: GroundStar User Conference back in Aachen

The aviation industry takes professionals across the globe, from bustling metropolises to cutting-edge airport terminals and sprawling trade fairs. Yet, one unique destination had remained off the radar for many—a Silicon Valley of aviation, not in California but in the historic German city of Aachen. Home to the industry-renowned software company INFORM, this medium-sized city buzzes with innovation as over 1,300 employees at the company develop solutions for apron and terminal operations. After a 12-year hiatus, Aachen set the stage for the 12th GroundStar User Conference, held from December 11–13, inviting customers to experience both cutting-edge technology and a touch of holiday magic.

The event took place at Eurogress Aachen, an event venue in the middle of the city, which is aptly located at the crossroads of Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

IT Celebrity Headlines the Conference

The conference kicked off with a keynote by Prof. Dr. ir. Wil van der Aalst, one of the most cited computer scientists globally and an expert in process mining at RWTH Aachen University. His insights on process mining and its applications in aviation set the tone for an intellectually stimulating event. INFORM CEO Dr. Jörg Herbers followed, expanding the discussion to include AI, the conference's overarching theme, alongside Cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS).

Collaboration and knowledge-sharing among customers were central to the event. Swissport’s Lysann Kreutz and Charly Tüngerthal opened the customer presentations with highlights from their Operation Planning Cycle, while others chose to attend the concurrent session on "Boosting Efficiency and Productivity: The Impact of RMS on Line Maintenance" by Riccardo Vannetti and Fatih Gokmen from flydubai.

Showcasing New GroundStar Products

A major highlight for INFORM was the unveiling of GroundStar TeamWork—a mobile application that compliments INFORM’s industry-leading GS RealTime Staff & Equipment solution. Designed specifically for smaller airport operations, it marks INFORM’s expansion beyond large hubs to include smaller operations, supporting the frontline managers in their daily work.

Additionally, INFORM introduced GroundStar RegionMaster, which gives airlines expanded access to monitor the operational management of their stand assignments across the network. It offers their small to medium-sized operation airports a top-notch solution for their stand assignment management. Alaska Airlines’ Heather Moeva and Keith Allen joined Product Manager Bernadette on stage to showcase the solution’s features and benefits.

The day concluded with a visit to Aachen’s famous Christmas market, attracting over 1.5 million visitors annually, followed by some German beer as well as other nice drinks and food at the historic Ratskeller.

Customer Insights and Cloud Innovations

The second day focused heavily on customer experiences. Presentations from SATS, Delta Air Lines, Qantas, and jetBlue shared lessons learned, benefits of GroundStar software, and real-world applications. The conference closed with a thought-provoking presentation by guest speaker Jamie Dobson and INFORM’s Tobias Campmann on “Remixing GroundStar – Benefits of Cloud Native,” underlining INFORM’s commitment to cloud-native SaaS solutions.

The conference ended on a high note with a formal dinner at Schloss Rahe, a premier event venue. Guests enjoyed live entertainment from INFORM’s in-house band, Aviators, who kept the energy high with an hour-long performance. Right afterwards, the attendees followed the DJ’s call, celebrating until the early morning.

On the final day, attendees visited INFORM’s headquarters. Even long-time customers got a behind-the-scenes look at the development department, the innovation cluster, and a warm welcome from Uschi Schulte-Sasse, who shared anecdotes from her years with the company. With coffee accompanied by local Aachen gingerbread cookies called “Printen”, participants bid farewell to the city, inspired and eager for the next conference.

GroundStar User Conference 2026—here we come!