KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2025 is just days away, and we want to help you make the most of it! Whether you’re joining us for the first time or you’re a veteran, a little preparation goes a long way at an event this massive. We’ve compiled your ‘How to KubeCon + CloudNativeCon’ guide to make sure you have everything you need to navigate the premier cloud native gathering.
When: November 10-13
Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta
Pack your bags and your strategy
Sched app
First things first: download the Sched app. Trust us, this handy little app will be your best friend.. Using Sched, you’ll be able to build your personalized schedule, get real-time session updates and set reminders to ensure you don’t miss out.
Pack smart
And speaking of preparation, let’s talk about packing smart. You’ll be doing a lot of walking between sessions, exhibit halls, and buildings, so here’s what we recommend bringing:
- Comfortable shoes (we cannot stress this enough!)
- A reusable water bottle (there are water filling stations throughout the venue)
- A portable charger
- Layers for varying room temperatures
- Business cards or your preferred digital contact method
- A backpack for all that conference swag
Our top tips for success on day one:
- Arrive early to collect your badge (even on day zero!)
- Explore the venue
- Network authentically
- Be open to unexpected experiences
- Take notes
The events you don’t want to miss
Project Pavillion and Tours
This is one of our favorite spots at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon. Running Tuesday through Thursday during Solutions Showcase hours, the Project Pavilion lets you connect directly with CNCF project maintainers. Whether you’re using Kubernetes, Prometheus, Envoy, or any other CNCF project, this is your chance to ask questions, learn about upcoming features, share your use cases, and get help with implementation challenges.
Check the schedule for Project Pavilion Tours.
Community Hub
Head to the Community Hub to experience the heart of the cloud native community. The Community Hub is a welcoming space for attendees to connect, learn, and celebrate equity, inclusion, and accessibility. The Hub will host community gatherings in collaboration with Merge Forward, as well as workshops, peer group mentoring, and networking opportunities.
#KubeCrawl + #CloudNativeFest
Mark your calendar: #KubeCrawl + #CloudNativeFest is our beloved conference tradition and the perfect way to kick things off. You’ll get to network in a relaxed atmosphere, enjoy local Atlanta food and drinks, explore sponsor booths, play games, win prizes, and attend informal poster sessions. All registered attendees are welcome.
“The social events matter more than most teams realize. This is where relationships actually form. People are more relaxed at evening events. They’re not in “conference mode” where every conversation feels transactional. They’re having a drink, talking about the industry, sharing what they’re struggling with. These conversations lead to real relationships.” – Jono Bacon, Founder and CEO, Stateshift
More ways to engage
Visit our Project Engagement page to discover project office hours, maintainer track sessions, contribution workshops, and project meetings happening throughout the conference. And don’t forget to check out the Solutions Showcase experiences like Capture the Flag and the Network Nook for structured networking conversations and our demo theaters for live presentations.
If you have an All-Access pass, take advantage of the CNCF-hosted co-located events on November 10, like Platform Engineering Day. These focused events feature deep technical content in smaller, more intimate settings.
Tips for Vendors: KubeCon + CloudNativeCon:
Kim McMahon, a Marketing Leader and CNCF Marketing Committee member, shares her top three tips for vendors to make the most of the conference:
“I’ve attended many KubeCon + CloudNativeCon events and I have three quick tips for making the most of this year’s event in Atlanta.
- Booth Crawl: The best ones are about people, not pitches. Grab a snack, have a drink, and enjoy casual conversations. Vendors, skip the badge-scan race. Build connections and let the selling happen later.
- Learn: Vendors this is your opportunity to listen to user challenges and insights. Attendees take time to explore the vendor innovations – they were built by teams passionate about improving your cloud native experience.
- Don’t sell, educate: Share your differentiation and the “why.” This applies whether you’re representing a company or job hunting; authenticity always wins.
Find your track
We’ve organized KubeCon+CloudNativeCon tracks around specific themes so you can focus on what matters most to you. Here are some highlights to help you decide where to spend your time:
Cloud Native Novice: Perfect if you’re new to cloud native technologies. Learn foundational concepts across networking, storage, security, and application development.
Application Development: Developers and cloud native architects can learn best practices for building scalable cloud native applications and improving developer productivity.
Platform Engineering focuses on building, optimizing, and scaling cloud native platforms, with strategies for enhancing CI/CD pipelines and streamlining software delivery.
Operations + Performance helps administrators and SREs master autoscaling, high availability, performance optimization, and cluster reliability.
Security covers everything from threat detection and zero trust concepts to supply chain security and incident post-mortems.
AI + ML explores the latest in AI and ML within cloud native environments, including MLOps, AIOps, and GPU utilization with Kubernetes.
Tips:
- Arrive early for popular sessions (they fill up fast)
- Mix difficulty levels and topics
- Prioritize keynotes for major announcements
Visit our official tracks page for complete details and information on additional tracks.
Making the Most of Your Time
Smart session planning
The Solutions Showcase can feel overwhelming with 200+ sponsors, so go in with a plan. Identify must-visit booths beforehand, attend during dedicated hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, ask thoughtful questions, and collect swag strategically.
Take care of yourself
Remember to pace yourself; you don’t need to attend every session. Eat regular meals, stay hydrated with that water bottle you packed, take breaks to recharge, get adequate sleep, and listen to your body. If you need to skip something, that’s completely okay. FOMO is real, but burnout is worse.
Atlanta 101
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about 20 minutes from the Georgia World Congress Center. Atlanta’s MARTA system can take you straight to the GWCC station on the Blue/Green Line. Many downtown hotels are walkable to the venue, or you can use ride-sharing services.
While you’re in town, explore what Atlanta has to offer:
- Georgia Aquarium: One of the largest aquariums in the world
- The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park: Essential civil rights history
- Piedmont Park: Green space in the heart of the city
- Ponce City Market: Food hall and shopping
- Atlanta BeltLine: Walk or bike this urban trail
- Neighborhoods to explore: Midtown (Atlanta’s arts district), Little Five Points (filled with eclectic shops and event spaces), Buckhead (upscale dining and high-end stores)
Atlanta’s food scene is incredible, so don’t miss trying Southern comfort food and the city’s diverse international cuisine.
After KubeCon and CloudNativeCon
Can’t attend every session? Don’t worry! Keynote and breakout sessions are recorded and available within 2 weeks of the conference on the CNCF YouTube channel. Keep the momentum going by joining CNCF Slack channels, participating in project communities you discovered, attending local cloud native meetups, and considering contributing to projects that interest you. Share what you learned through blog posts, talks at local meetups, or by providing insights to your team.