KubeCon and CloudNativeCon (Barcelona) is around the corner. The chances are, you have already booked your tickets and all set to attend the event. If you have not, you should. If you work in the cloud-native space, this event is must attend.

We sat down and talked to Janet Kuo, Software Engineer at Google, Co-Chair of KubeCon + CloudNativeCon to learn what’s exciting about this event.

TFiR: What’s going to be the primary focus of the Barcelona event?
Janet Kuo: This year we’ll be celebrating Kubernetes’ 5th anniversary! At this age, Kubernetes is getting pretty stable and mature. As Kubernetes matures, the next step and focus of the project will be on extensibility. One of the major priorities will be around extending and building things on top of Kubernetes. A lot of new open source frameworks used in the industry are built and managed in Kubernetes-native way.

TFiR: How many people have registered so far?
Kuo: CNCF expects more than 9,000 people to attend this year’s event – it will be the biggest KubeCon to date! This increase in attendance is consistent with the interest we are seeing across the board from folks wanting to learn more about Kubernetes and how to adopt it.

TFiR: Kubernetes is maturing. And its adoption is growing. Almost everyone is today is using it. So what kind of attendance are we expecting?
Kuo: I’m expecting the audience to be consist of: first, end users ranging from individuals, academic, startups, corporates, to enterprises; from exploratory to experienced ones. Second, CNCF project contributors and maintainers (there’s Kubernetes Contributor Summit right before KubeCon). Third, service providers that build products and solutions leveraging cloud-native technologies.

TFiR: Can you talk about some of the sessions that you will be interested in this year?
Kuo: I’m particularly interested in end user stories from keynote sessions, such as CERN and Spotify, witnessing the power of Kubernetes within those organizations. I’m also excited about a community-focused talk from CNCF contributors — one of whom was the youngest contributor to Kubernetes ever!

TFiR: What will attendees gain after the event?
Kuo: I have attended almost every KubeCon, and each time I get overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees. One key aspect that makes KubeCon unique is that the event is vendor-neutral and community focused. From KubeCon, attendees can learn and see the newest cloud-native technologies, talk to and hear from CNCF contributors or users first-hand.

TFiR: Who should be attending the event?
Kuo: KubeCon is open to all types! Anyone who’s using, building or interested in cloud-native technologies. From app developers, IT operations, technical managers, to CNCF contributors, service providers, or even students – everyone can benefit from attending the event.