This paper reflects on the origins and evolution of the BPM Conference, which has grown over the past decades into one of the premier information systems conferences and the flagship event in Business Process Management. Initiated by Wil van der Aalst, the conference was conceived to provide a dedicated forum for advancing research, fostering collaboration, and bridging academia with industry. We document its history, including the development of its program structure, international reach, and community culture. Among the many research lines that have been nurtured within the BPM community, we briefly note the emergence of process mining, which found some of its earliest publications at the conference before maturing into a thriving subfield with its own dedicated venue and industrial applications. We highlight Wil’s vision and leadership, not only in establishing the conference and fostering its early growth, but also in shaping the trajectory of the BPM field as a whole. The paper provides both a historical account and a tribute, illustrating how individual contribution can have a lasting impact on the advancement of science and the building of research communities.