KCD post originally published on Linkedin by the Kubernetes Community Days UK – London team
What are KCDs?
From https://www.cncf.io/kcds/
KCDs are community-organized events that gather adopters and technologists from open source and cloud native communities for education, collaboration, and networking. KCDs are supported by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). These fun, locally-defined events help grow and sustain Kubernetes and other Cloud Native communities. We thank DevOpsDays and OpenStack Days for providing some of this program’s core ideas and content. KCDs can be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. In-person is strongly encouraged when possible.
A bit of history on KCD UK
It all started when various organisers of Cloud Native / CNCF / Kubernetes meetups from around the UK got together and started talking about the idea of running a combined KCD for the whole of the UK. We have varied backgrounds, but what connects us is our love of the community and a passion for building networks. This was all back in 2021 and no-one was quite ready for in-person events, so our first event was 100% virtual, live streaming over YouTube.
We had great feedback from attendees, and fantastic support from sponsors, so in 2022 we hosted our first in-person event. We all have experience of CodeNode in London, whether as attendees or as organisers, so we knew it would be a great location. Although everyone was still nervous and we did our best to put on COVID precautions to protect our most vulnerable community members, the event was well attended and the feedback was very positive.
In 2023 we stayed with CodeNode, a location we’ve learned to love and the team there are amazing. We made some improvements to the catering, which was very welcomed by the attendees (and us)! Our regular networking evening was great to relax a little and connect with all the attendees and sponsors. Each year we always gather feedback to see where we can make improvements, and all this went into making 2023 the best year yet.
We don’t live stream our in-person events, but we do strive to record all sessions and make them available to all within a month of the event on YouTube.
So what is KCD UK – London 2024?
We’re welcoming everyone from the Cloud Native and Kubernetes communities to London later this year (October 22nd & 23rd to be precise). Once again we’ll be at CodeNode, it’s a great location and many know of it for hosting various tech events over the years. Although the content typically leans more on the technical side, we welcome talks from all angles and it’s suitable for both newcomers and seasoned Kubernauts! We have University student volunteers to help run the event, who get the chance to watch the talks and always tell us how much they’ve learned.
We host around 300 people, including 10-15 sponsors, across 2 days at CodeNode London. We run 2 tracks across each day, and while there isn’t a specific theme to the tracks, we often end up with one being more security related. We also try to host hands-on-lab workshops, where you get to have some guided lab work to build something cloud native related. Our sponsors all get a space in the networking and lunch area, and it’s a great opportunity to see what is available, either as products, services, or something else! There’s usually a prize or two to be had 😉
We strive ourselves to represent the diversity of the cloud native community, as much as we can creating a welcoming space for all. We have live subtitles of both the speaker tracks, and offer scholarship tickets for anyone that might need it. We welcome suggestions for any other accommodations that folks may find important. We are a group of volunteer organisers, we work hard to keep the budget tight, and any profits get donated to charitable causes.
Why attend?
We always look for speakers and topics that are going to be educational for the community, so be sure to bring a notepad and pen! You’ll learn cool ways of doing new things (AI in Kubernetes, Cloud Native in space, building your own community, etc.), or just learn how to improve what you’re already doing. It’s also a great way of seeing what others are doing, as well as of course making new friends and catching up with old ones (my favourite part)!
If you are currently out of work, or looking for a new challenge, we have a jobs board, and many of the sponsors are hiring too. Talk to us if you need support with your ticket. Last year we also had careers advice sessions.
Call for Papers
The other reason why you might want to attend is to speak! At time of writing (note to self: update this in a few months) our CFP is open and will be until the 3rd of June. We welcome talk suggestions from all areas and encourage first time speakers. Although the event tends to lean technical, if you have something less technical you’d love to talk about, we’d love to see your submission! We do favour UK based submissions, but in the past we have had international speakers when there are some interesting topics we think the community would love.
We’d love to see and hear from first time speakers and end-users who are tackling real world Kubernetes shaped problems. If you’d like some support, guidance, or even a co-speaker, we’d love to chat and see how we can help you out.
If you have any questions about the process, or would like any support with your submission, please reach out to us!
KCD UK London – 2024: Call for Speakers @ Sessionize.com
Sponsorship Opportunities
- 2x Platinum
- 12x Gold
- 3x Silver
- Media Sponsors
Sponsors get a booth of some kind, promotion at the event, complimentary tickets and other benefits. We’ll give regular social media shoutouts (around 1000 followers on both Twitter and LinkedIn), so the earlier sponsors get more social media airtime.
We also introduced a sponsor’s passport in 2023 which encourages attendees to visit our Platinum and Gold sponsors, have a quick chat and get a stamp. Completed passports then get entered into a prize draw. It’s a great way to attract conversations across our sponsor community. All sponsors also get some long tailed benefits as they inevitably get included in event photos, social media callouts, future prospectus’, etc.
Full sponsor prospectus can be found here.
Find us on Social Media
Find and follow us on various social media channels to get the latest news, keep up to date with the event, and some terrible meme’s.
Key Dates
- CFP Opens in March (now open!)
- CFP Closes – June 3rd
- CFP Notifications – July 29th
- Schedule Announcement – 5th August
If you have any questions about KCD UK – London 2024, please reach out to us. We hope to see as many of you as possible later this year!