Take Five With Tom Fenton

5 Reasons To Attend KubeCon + CloudNativeCon

Get up-to-date on container technology.

• By Tom Fenton
• 11/03/2017

Let's face it: you're either currently using containers in your organization, or are very curious about the topic. And that's why you should attend one of the annual KubeCon + CloudNativeCon conventions: the first is in Austin, Texas on Dec. 6-8, 2017, and the second in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 2-4, 2018. During these two conferences, container experts, developers and implementers from around the world will gather together to discuss containers, both their present state and their future.

With this in mind, here are five reasons to head to Austin the first week in December to attend KubeCon + CloudNativeCon.

1. Speakers. Heavy hitters from Google, Microsoft Azure, Red Hat and Netflix will be speaking. These are the very people shaping the future of the datacenter. If you want to stay on top of your game, you need to listen to and understand what these leaders are proposing for the future of applications and application development. You'll likely find many opportunities to get inspired for your business; sometimes a presentation will change the way you do business; other times, it may be just a single blurb that gives you pause and creates that “ah, yes!” moment.


2. Partners. All the major players in the container field will be there. These partners will be showcasing their wares and talking about how their technology can assist you and your business. Because container technology is still in its infancy, many companies with interesting technology simply don't have the presence that they deserve, meaning that you may not be aware of them. However, a huge benefit to attending KubeCon + CloudNativeCon is that you can visit many vendors that you may never get exposed to otherwise.


3. Learning. If you're new to the container world, you may benefit largely from getting to Austin a day or two early. Why? Experts from AWS, Red Hat, Tesla and others will be holding workshops to help you get started with containers.


4. Networking Opportunities. Attending conferences is about more than sitting in meetings and workshops all day. As enlightening as these sessions and learning about technology may be, conferences are just as importantly about meeting like-minded individuals who share your interests. With the people you meet, you can commiserate with challenges you're having, and the connections you make can last a life time. This can be especially important for smaller shops and teleworkers, since sometimes you just need to bounce ideas off others to get inspired or to discover new approaches, and conferences such as this one give you the opportunity to do just that.


5. Staying Relevant. The IT world is changing at an exhausting pace, and it's no secret that in order to keep current with the latest technologies like containers you need to continually push yourself and expose yourself to the latest technology. This show is an excellent opportunity to spend a few days to expand your knowledge about a highly relevant technology and keep current in this fast-paced industry.