Dear Pimconauts, partners, customers, and fellow adventurers, we need to talk. And yes, we're fully aware of the cosmic irony of what we're about to tell you. As you know, our conference theme this year is "Gateway to Tomorrow." Our venue is literally Terminal 2 of Salzburg Airport. We've designed boarding passes, departure gates, runway visuals — the whole aviation fantasy. We've spent months turning a real airport terminal into a metaphor for innovation and liftoff.
And then, this morning — Saturday, April 11th — Lufthansa and Eurowings pilots announced a system-wide strike across their entire network. On next Monday and Tuesday. You know, the exact day of Pimcore Inspire. That means flights across Germany and Europe are affected — not just Salzburg, but potentially any connection you might be routed through.
And where are we hosting our conference? At a real airport. The one we turned into a fake airport. Let that sink in for a moment. If this were a movie script, the producer would reject it for being too on the nose. But here we are, living in the most perfectly absurd timeline. Somewhere out there, the universe is having a really good laugh — and frankly, so are we.
Let's get the most important thing out of the way: Pimcore Inspire 2026 on Tuesday, April 14th is going ahead exactly as planned. Terminal 2 is ours, the stage is set, the espresso machines are warmed up, and the Pimconauts are ready for liftoff — even if the actual planes outside our windows aren't.
No delays. No cancellations. No holding pattern. Gate is open.
We know many of you are arriving by air, and this strike may seriously affect your travel plans. First things first: if you're booked on a Lufthansa or Eurowings flight, check directly with Lufthansa and Eurowings for rebooking options and the latest status updates. They may be able to reroute you onto partner airlines or offer alternatives. Do this now — don't wait until Monday morning when everyone else is trying to do the same thing.
If rebooking doesn't work out, don't worry. Getting to Salzburg is very much possible, and some might argue: even more fun.
By Train — The "Scenic Route"
Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB will get you here. Yes, Deutsche Bahn — the absolute pinnacle of German punctuality and reliability. (We'll pause here for the laughter to subside.) In all seriousness, trains to Salzburg run frequently from Munich, Vienna, Frankfurt, and Zurich, and the Alpine scenery along the way is genuinely stunning. You'll arrive at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, which is… well, let's just say it has character. It has a roof. It has platforms. It fulfills the technical definition of a train station. But hey, you're here for Terminal 2, not the Hauptbahnhof.
By Rental Car — Treat Yourself
If your flight gets canceled, why not turn misfortune into a mini road trip? Sixt and others have stations at every major airport and city center. Pick up a car, crank up the playlist, and enjoy the drive through some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe. Pro tip: the A8 from Munich to Salzburg is about 90 minutes and practically drives itself. From Vienna, you're looking at roughly three hours on the A1 — enough time for a good podcast and a rest stop Leberkässemmel.
By Carpool — The Pimconaut Express We know our community. We've seen customers, partners, and developers drive eight, ten, sometimes twelve hours to get to our events. That kind of dedication is legendary — and slightly unhinged, in the best possible way. If you're making the drive, reach out to your network and build a driving group. Share the road, share the fuel costs, share the stories. Some of the best partnerships in the Pimcore ecosystem were probably forged on a long car ride fueled by bad gas station coffee and strong opinions about data models.
We spend months crafting an airport-themed conference experience — complete with boarding passes, gate numbers, and departure announcements — and then real aviation grinds to a halt on the exact day, at the exact location. At this point, we're half expecting someone to show up in an actual pilot uniform. (Please do. We will put you on stage.)
If anything, this just proves that Pimcore Inspire is where the real departures happen — not on the tarmac, but on stage. The flights might be grounded, but the ideas won't be.
This is Dietz — Co-CEO of Pimcore and, for the purposes of this conference, your Captain speaking. If the strike means you unfortunately can't make it to Salzburg on Tuesday, please get in touch with me directly at event@pimcore.com. This helps us enormously with logistics and planning on our end. These circumstances are obviously not in our control, and we completely understand — but a quick heads-up makes all the difference. Thank you!
If you need any further assistance from our team, don't hesitate to reach out at event@pimcore.com. We'll do whatever we can to help you land in Salzburg — one way or another.
Safe travels, Pimconauts — and see you at Pimcore Inspire at Terminal 2! 🚀