Gemini: Imma, we often talk about the friction between sales and community. You recently mentioned that to get this right, you have to be highly strategic rather than just tactical. What does that actually look like on the ground?

Imma: It starts with changing the definition of “success.” I was reading this article on Pororoca, “The Hidden SalesForce” and it really nailed a core truth we often overlook. The article argues that, in this complex tech landscape, users are forming communities specifically to solve their day-to-day challenges. When they find a solution there, they go back to their companies as champions, effectively becoming a “hidden salesforce.”

So, the strategy isn’t “how do I sell to this room?” The strategy is “how do I enable this room to solve problems?” If we respect that dynamic, the partnership works. If we try to hijack it, we lose.

Gemini: That makes sense, but how do you execute that without it becoming a logistical nightmare? For example, finding venues is always a hurdle.

Imma: It depends on where you are.

In-country sales support is actually quite organic if you treat it as a relationship exchange. Here in Barcelona, or wherever your community organizers are based, finding prospects to host a meetup isn’t tricky if you are already part of the ecosystem.

The move is to attend tech meetups. Go to the events that affinity communities organize. For us at Grafana Labs, that means showing up (or even better, helping co-organize) at Cloud Native, DevOps, Go, or Performance meetups. Learn from their pain points if you are in sales, what they struggle with. Once you’ve built that rapport, asking “Hey, would you be open to hosting us (Grafana & Friends) sometime?” feels like a natural collaboration, not a cold ask. You’re leveraging existing trust.

Gemini: What about international partnering? You can’t exactly scout a venue in a city where you don’t have boots on the ground.

Imma: Exactly, and that’s where the “partnering” part of the title comes in. Attempting to do that remotely is a recipe for burnout. The strategic approach is to lean on your Partnership Managers.

Reach out to them and ask for introductions to partners in that target region. Those partners are your local scouts; they know the venues, the vibe, and the logistics. They might already be organizing community events themselves or be willing to start with you. You use the internal organization to bridge the geographical gap, rather than trying to Google “tech venues in Stockholm or Lisboa” from a desk in Barcelona.

Gemini: But what’s in it for them? Why would a partner, or even a prospect, agree to host?

Imma: It has to be a value exchange.

For partners, it’s a way to feel our tangible support. We aren’t just asking for leads from them; we are helping them build authority. We help them organize an event where their tech teams can also take the stage. I always insist that the content be open-source-focused, not a pitch for paid features. We have to respect the community context.

For customers and prospects – and also for partners, the motivation is almost always talent. Even for companies that strictly use the open source version and have no intention of buying Cloud or Enterprise (which is perfectly okay!), hosting is a win. It allows their engineers to show off their stack. It signals to the local ecosystem: “We do cool engineering work here.” That is powerful for attracting and retaining developers.

Gemini: I can see the logistics side. However, I still hear sales folks ask: “Why should I give up my evening to go to a Python meetup if I’m not allowed to pitch?”

Imma: This is where we have to be very clear: this is a long-term investment, not a short-term tactic. If they go in looking to close leads this quarter, they will fail.

We encourage sales to attend meetups (your own groups or others) for two main reasons:

First, it builds trust in a way a Zoom call never can. Meetups are informal and technical. It’s a perfect low-pressure touchpoint with a prospect where you aren’t “the salesperson,” you’re just another human in the room. You can plant seeds and surface connections without the armor on.

Second, you have to listen. Some of the best sales team members I know use these events purely for intel. They become knowledgeable about the use cases and actual challenges teams are facing, not what the marketing brochure says. Community users are happy to share their pain points and successes over pizza.

Gemini: So it’s about curiosity?

Imma: 100%. Be curious. Ask questions. Meet local open-source users and hear how they use your projects. It shows that we are here to support the community, not extract value from it. When you show up to learn, you build the kind of capital that pays off months or years down the line.

A while back, I was reflecting on my 2024 community meetup journey. If 2024 was about recovering from a challenging year with the support of our communities, then 2025 has been fundamentally about connection. This past year has cemented my belief that the most impactful communities are those that break down silos, share resources, and actively collaborate. And this post is a reflection on why I chose to connect the dots between different groups, technologies, and cities, and what I learned along the way.

The core thesis here is simple: we are stronger together. My focus for 2025 is on joint ventures, bringing together the best of Cloud Native Barcelona, Grafana & Friends, Software Crafters, DevOps BCN, Kafka, and other communities, to offer the community something richer and more valuable than we could offer alone.

Before diving into the details, I would like to extend a massive, heartfelt thank you to every single person who made this year’s community work happen. Thank you to my brilliant co-organizers for their countless times jumping in to help; to the sponsoring hosts who opened their doors and provided logistical support; to every dedicated speaker for sharing their expertise; and to every single attendee who showed up and brought the energy. You are the community, and your efforts make it worthwhile.

I also want to commit to an honest assessment here. This journey had incredible highs, but also presented persistent challenges, particularly in terms of diversity and inclusion. Community building is a rewarding yet ongoing process, and I hope to share lessons from both the highs and the challenges.

From Seeds to a Network: The Collaborative Formula for Community Growth

Every journey begins with a starting point, a seed. For me, the initial ground for cultivating community stemmed from two foundational experiences. I first learned the ropes of bringing people together around shared technical interests with the Elastic User Groups in Barcelona and Madrid back in 2018, alongside Janko Strassburg, my long-time partner in crime. What followed was the restarting of Software Crafters Barcelona meetups in 2022, with Manuel Rivero‘s invaluable support and advice. The Crafters community, with its dedication to hands-on learning with regular coding dojos, truly instilled in me the value of consistency and showing up for the community.

These experiences laid the groundwork, and 2024 truly marked the beginning of a new chapter: joint meetups. Driven by a desire to break down the invisible walls between communities, this shift felt very organic.

The first joint venture was between Software Crafters Barcelona and Techfems, when we partnered to bring both communities together under one space in May 2024.

Another pivotal moment came at the end of 2024 with another joint meetup: Cloud Native Barcelona 🤝 Cloud Native Lisboa. I owe a huge thank you to Fábio Sampaio for suggesting that collaboration and making it happen. It showed us the potential of connecting communities even beyond our city.

These successful ventures quickly inspired more local cross-community events. We soon forged another partnership between the Kafka and Grafana communities (Apache Kafka meetup with Grafana in Madrid), which has continued into 2025. My sincere gratitude to Olivia Taylor and Ana Vrsalovic, whose connection was instrumental in getting these collaborations off the ground and will continue beyond 2026 as we expand to include other communities.

These initial joint steps were just the beginning. This year, 2025, has seen these collaborations grow exponentially, transforming those initial seeds into an interconnected network that spans multiple communities, cities, and technologies. Working together has multiplied our impact.

The 2025 Collaborative Calendar: Connecting the Dots in Action

Reviewing this year’s meetups, a pattern emerges: we are seeing an increase in joint meetups.

All those collaborations have been, and I am sure will continue to be, very rewarding.

Beyond the impressive numbers, the real reward of this collaborative approach is the synergy it creates. Simply put, joint ventures lower the organizational burden: finding hosts and speakers. By co-organizing, we share the workload, access diverse networks, and gain exposure to users and technologies we might not see in our core groups alone.

As Luca Berton noted after one of our cross-community events, “These cross-community meetups (Grafana, Kafka, Snowflake) are exactly where innovation happens“. In fact, by joining three different communities, we actually achieved an all-women speaker lineup, a rare and rewarding occurrence.

While our collaborative formula boosts audience size and exposure, it doesn’t automatically solve for deep-seated systemic issues. The reality of community work, as I’ve experienced repeatedly this year, is the persistent struggle to consistently find diverse voices from underrepresented groups for our speaker lineups. We must also seriously examine why we don’t see a proportional representation of diverse attendees.

While creating an inclusive conference with diverse voices is something we are getting better at, and we can influence as attendees, speakers, and sponsors, as meetup organizers, we face a tough, immediate decision: cancel an event until we achieve a diverse lineup, or proceed with a homogeneous one. Meetups are planned in weeks, not months, leaving us a narrow margin to pivot.

It’s not enough to be welcoming and inclusive. We must actively investigate the systemic barriers that prevent certain groups from attending or participating in meetups.

This continuous effort is a central part of my commitment as a community builder in the local community.

My resolution for 2026 is to move beyond good intentions and establish a data-driven approach.

I will begin gathering concrete data on the diversity of speakers and attendees. Once we have this baseline, we can explore and measure additional, targeted initiatives beyond our joint meetups to create truly inclusive spaces.

The journey of joint meetups in 2025 demonstrated that we are stronger together in technical collaboration. However, this combined strength should be intentionally leveraged to drive a more profound change. True allyship for systemic justice is not merely welcoming individuals. It is the commitment to dismantle the systemic barriers that prevent proportional representation in our communities and, by extension, the wider industry.

Our collaborative formula, connecting community groups across cities and technologies, is just one such initiative.

By committing to a data-driven approach in 2026, we are transitioning from recognizing the challenge to actively measuring and targeting the underlying structures of inequality, ensuring our local organizing efforts are a core engine for systemic change in tech.

A Speaker Rider is a Tool for Allyship

I’m thrilled to share my personal Speaking Rider for conferences. It’s an adaptation of the traditional concept, evolving from merely outlining A/V needs to serving as a vital instrument for inclusion at events.

« We need to hear from more diverse voices and create safe spaces for everyone to feel welcome, and I hope to play a part in achieving that with this speaker rider »

As a speaker, I recognize the privilege of being invited to the stage. This privilege carries a responsibility: to use my platform to ensure that the communities I join are welcoming, diverse, and safe. My Rider is a simple way for organizers to know exactly where I stand.

Diversity & Representation

My core requirement is straightforward: I will only participate in events that demonstrate a clear and strategic commitment to diversity and inclusion. This must be evident in the content, the speakers, and the organizing team.

Before I agree to speak, I will review your speaker lineup and the organizing team.

My absolute line in the sand is clear: I will not participate if I am the only woman in the speaker lineup. I stand by the philosophy that a single voice is a token, not a representation.

I want to see a diverse organization. The event organizing committee itself should be aware of and actively address gender, racial, and other systemic imbalances. Diversity is not just a stage issue; it must be baked into the event’s leadership.

Accessibility Matters! The venue, stage, and event space must be designed to accommodate all individuals, regardless of their physical abilities. If the event is not accessible to individuals who use mobility aids, have sensory needs, or require quiet spaces, be transparent about these limitations. Community events cannot always afford the perfect venues and means, but can clarify the situation beforehand.

The organization should care about inclusive language (e.g., avoiding jargon, ableist slurs, and gendered language). The event’s promotion, content, and internal communication must reflect this sensitivity.

The Code of Conduct

A Code of Conduct (CoC) is foundational for any inclusive event. However, a CoC is worthless without dedicated enforcement. This is a crucial element of my rider: the commitment to a CoC must be backed by transparent action. This means clearly informing attendees how to report any incident, from harassment to discrimination, and ensuring those reports are acted upon.

A dedicated and trained CoC team is essential. The individuals responsible for CoC response must be clearly identifiable and, when possible, solely devoted to this task during the event, not diverted by logistics, A/V duties, or other organizational responsibilities. They are required to undergo compulsory training on how to effectively and compassionately receive, investigate, and resolve incident reports. I highly recommend resources such as Lian Li’s dedicated CoC training video and scenarios.

I strongly recommend including at least one external, trusted community member (who is neither an event team member nor an organizer) on the CoC committee. This provides objectivity, specialized experience, and builds trust with attendees in case they want to report one of the organizers.

When an incident occurs, the focus must be on the reporter’s safety and well-being. A public, yet vague, CoC log is recommended to demonstrate that reports are taken seriously and action is being taken.

Recommended Viewing & Resources

For organizers who are serious about building better communities, I recommend this talk on intentional allyship and event organizing:

• Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Building Better Communities by Lian Li

This talk explores the challenges of building communities, the distinction between diversity and inclusion, and the importance of intentional strategy over mere good intentions.

The movement to create inclusive riders is a collective one. I’m indebted to the resources that shaped this document:

• The foundational principles of community and belonging from the work of Better Allies
• Richard Bradshaw’s Speaker Rider provided a clear, actionable example that set the standard for many of us in the tech speaking circuit. See https://thefriendlytester.co.uk/speaker-rider

Earlier this year, Grafana Labs was a proud sponsor of HackUPC — one of the biggest student hackathons in Europe — at BarcelonaTech. The event drew more than 700 passionate tech students from around the globe, all racing the clock in a 36-hour burst of creativity to build web, mobile, and hardware projects.

As a developer advocate here at Grafana Labs — where we are big believers in hackathons — it was a privilege to participate as mentor and judge in the HackUPC 2025 event. For our challenge, we focused primarily on the theme of sustainability and asked a set of students to leverage Grafana to raise awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Shout out to Niki Manoledaki, senior software engineer at Grafana Labs and a contributor to the CNCF Environmental Sustainability Technical Advisory Group (TAG ENV), for inspiring this sustainability-related challenge! 

The students in our group could approach the challenge in two ways: create compelling data visualizations using open data to reveal meaningful trends or develop an innovative Grafana app plugin to provide unique insights or functionalities related to their chosen SDG(s). 

It was inspiring to see how the hackers used their creativity to tackle global issues and showcase the power of data. In this post, we recap and celebrate some of the Grafana hackathon projects that emerged from the event.

Project Graf-Anna: tracking global climate and health trends 

The team behind Graf-Anna wanted to tell a data-driven story to illustrate the urgency of climate change, as outlined by the SDGs, and recognized Grafana as a powerful tool to help achieve this goal.

In particular, this team of hackers wanted to explore the connections between industrial development (SDG 9), responsible consumption (SDG 12), climate change action (SDG 13), and their effects on the planet and human health. The result was a comprehensive Grafana dashboard that visualizes the historical impact of the Industrial Revolution and human activity on CO2 emissions, climate trends, and health. It’s an excellent educational tool that uses historical and live data to create a compelling narrative.

In the Grafana dashboard below, the team tracked trends in global emissions, temperature variation, natural disasters, CO2 per capita, and life expectancy.

They also tracked land usage, current world emissions per country, and CO2 emissions from deforestation.

Lastly, they built a conclusion panel to breakdown key takeaways from the data.

The team behind Graf-Anna had some pretty ambitious goals from the start. They initially wanted to build a custom Grafana app plugin with advanced features, including integrating LLMs for insights. However, they hit some technical difficulties and ran into time constraints, which forced them to pivot their strategy. They decided to source, integrate, and visualize existing data to tell a clear story — which was still a big accomplishment on its own. 

Their project reinforced the power of Grafana data visualization as a storytelling tool, even without custom code. It’s a great example of learning and adapting on the fly, which hackathons are all about.

Peaceful Protest Tracker: insights for sustainable development

While Graf-Anna focused on global climate trends, another team used data to tackle a different real-world issue. The Peaceful Protest Tracker: Headlines vs. Reality project promoted peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development with accountable institutions, in line with SDG 16. The team wanted to apply their skills in web development, AI, and data visualization to a compelling and personal topic, inspired by the confusing and often contradictory news coverage following a tragic railway collapse in Serbia. 

Their solution was a dynamic Grafana dashboard that visualized how protests unfolded in near real-time, pulling data from various media outlets. The dashboard used a semi-live map to pinpoint protest locations.

It also included features like sentiment analysis and keyword usage comparisons to create a powerful example of storytelling with data.

This was a seriously ambitious project, and the team faced the major challenge of designing a complex system architecture connecting various technologies. They used Python for web scraping, the Gemini 2.5 Flash API for sentiment analysis, a Spring Boot backend, and MongoDB Atlas to store the data before visualizing it all in Grafana. 

The team learned how to work with Grafana from scratch and should be incredibly proud of their persistence in bringing such a complex idea to life in 36 hours. It’s a fantastic example of using technology to address a critical real-world issue and what can be accomplished with a lot of determination (and probably a few too many potato chips!).

Project Musigrafs: visualizing global music trends  

We wrapped our hackathon highlights with a project unrelated to the sustainability theme, but still showed a lot of creativity and told a powerful story through data. 

The Musigrafs project was inspired by the fast-paced nature of the music world and the difficulty of tracking emerging trends using existing apps like Spotify or YouTube Music. The team set out to build a data-driven web app that captures the “pulse of global music trends — live.” The result was a Grafana dashboard that visualizes top genres by country, common musical keys, and real-time audio features like energy and tempo for top hits. It’s an excellent tool for aspiring musicians to understand the market and kickstart their careers.

The team initially struggled to display the map in their desired format and had to explore other repositories for inspiration. To get the global information just right, they used GeoJSON, which helped them represent the countries’ borders. Connecting their GitHub custom GeoJSON to Grafana presented a hurdle, but the team managed to get the raw GeoJSON file contents with help from mentors and Grot AI. Ultimately, they were proud of the visual quality and clarity of their plots and successfully integrated real-time data, which was a core goal of their project.

Closing thoughts 

The Grafana support and judging team at HackUPC was impressed by how quickly hackers grasped complex concepts, and we learned so much from their approaches and challenges. What made their projects successful was their fantastic storytelling, best practices in creating beautiful and impactful visualizations, and great time management skills under pressure! We felt privileged to be there and connect with the next generation of tech talent and data storytellers. 

We want to thank the HackUPC volunteer organization, all the participating students, and all the fellow judges. Without your efforts, this would not have been possible. We can’t wait for HackUPC next year! 

In the meantime, you can find us at HackSheffield10, another student hackathon event at the University of Sheffield in November, where we’ll continue celebrating students’ passions and the power of data to make a difference.

Software Crafters Barcelona

I started my journey in the Barcelona tech communities in 2017 after attending https://softwarecrafters.barcelona/2017/index.html. The volunteer work to make that event happen, with talks that inspired me to change my career at a late stage, ignited me to join the conference organization in 2018 and stay until 2023.

During that time, Manuel Rivero (one of the community founders in 2013) offered to help restart our coding dojos. We restarted with my favorite event, the Global Day of Code Retreat (GDCR), back in 2022. I attended the GDCR in 2017, which was another reason for me to join the community.

2023 was probably our busiest year, though 2024 was not slow. We are running coding dojos regularly and some talks, workshops, architectural katas, and open spaces!

• 🥋 Coding Dojo @ Voxel 🎉
• Mocks aren’t Stubs. What are test doubles and how do we use them?
• Architectural Kata @Trainline
• Coding Dojo @ Adobe Commerce
• Coding dojo @Codurance
• Taller de Testcontainers con Go 🛠️
• Introducción a la CNV – Comunicación No Violenta
• 🥋 Coding Dojo @ LIFULL Connect 🎉
• Architectural Kata @Trainline
• Crafter’s Beers 🍻 , Fri, Mar 22, 2024, 7:00 PM | Meetup
• Coding dojo @Codurance, Mon, Apr 8, 2024, 6:30 PM | Meetup
• Open Space. Also published on Meetup
• 🛠️ Taller de DDD Refactor a arquitectura hexagonal @ Runroom
• Coding dojo @Runroom
• 🛠️ Taller de DDD El poder de los Value Objects @ Runroom
• Desarrollo evolutivo: la metodología del futuro
• Coding dojo @InnoIt
• Aprende a desactivar los mecanismos de la ansiedad @ Club Caramel
• Dojo Ingram Micro
• 🛠️ Taller de DDD Controlando el flujo con excepciones y alternativas @ Runroom
• Kata de arquitectura 🥋 en Collective Minds Radiology
• Respondiendo preguntas con historias
• 🛠️ Taller de DDD Definiendo el modelo de dominio con el “Domain model @ Runroom
• 🛠️ Taller de Product Minded Development @ Runroom
• Global Day of Code Retreat 2024 @Trainline
• 🛠️ Taller de DDD Descubriendo las responsabilidades del caso de uso @ Runroom

Cloud Native Barcelona

One of my favorite communities in Barcelona stopped operating during COVID-19 in 2020. In 2023, we gathered some of the original and new organizers and decided to restart the activity. This led to regular activity in our meetup in 2024 and the organization of KCD Barcelona 2024.

• Cloud Native Barcelona – meetup de enero 2024 ❄️
• Cloud Native Barcelona @ Adevinta, Thu, Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM and Cloud Native Barcelona at Adevinta, Thu, Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM
• Cloud Native Barcelona @ Dynatrace
• Décimo Aniversario de Kubernetes con el Mes de la QA 🎂, Tue, Jun 4, 2024, 6:30 PM | Meetup
• Transition to Multi-Arch Cloud &Securing Orgs with the Least Privilege Principle
• 🌱 Cloud Native Sustainability Week 2024 – Barcelona Edition 🌱
• Cloud Native Lisbon 🤝 Cloud Native Barcelona
• Cloud Native Barcelona Meetup: Kubernetes Operators & GitOps @MongoDB

Grafana & Friends

I joined Grafana Labs at the end of 2022 and have since helped organize the meetups that Gonçalo Pina and Raúl Marín started in the Iberia region. Gonçalo and Raúl’s support in 2024 goes beyond community organization; they have been there for me when I needed them. Regarding why building communities can also help a company, one of my favorite reads is from them: The Hidden SalesForce: Unleashing the Power of User Groups and Tech Communities.

• Volvemos a la carga con Grafana Labs y mucho más…
• Hablemos de trazas distribuidas con OpenTelemetry…
• Exploring Karpenter pitfalls 🪚 + Grafana for Alerting & Incident Management 🚨
• The Quest for Engineering Excellence: Observability with Grafana & Friends
• Meetup de verano 🏝️ con Grafana & Friends en Celonis
• Grafana & Friends Amsterdam Summer Meetup ☀️!
• De PostgreSQL en k8s a observabilidad a escala ¡Vuelve Grafana & Friends!
• Performance Day: del front a la observabilidad!
• Observabilidad y Performance, Mon
• Open Telemetry with Ocado Technology & Embrace
• Apache Kafka® Meetup
• Open Source Observability in Action with OpenTelemetry & the Grafana Stack

This is also the year I started organizing outside Iberia, with my first meetup in Amsterdam, and had the privilege to collaborate with communities like Kafka or WebPerf Barcelona.

DevOps BCN

In 2024, I met my now dear friend Julia Lamenza. It turns out that apart from being neighbours (we were introduced by a third person at KubeCon in Paris!), we both crave a more community-oriented DevOps conference in Barcelona. And we had been thinking of DevOpsDays.org. To find like-minded individuals in the community, we joined the DevOps BCN Group organization, and we hope this will help us bring DevOpsDays Barcelona back.

• DevOps BCN Meetup – Octubre 2024

On to 2025!

After 2024, I have an even greater appreciation for all the communities and the people who make them special. Community building not only helps others but also provides personal support and resilience.

I am very excited to continue my community-building journey for 2025, and this will be the year to work on a topic that I feel passionate about: creating inclusive communities and making sure we hear diverse voices. I’ll continue trying to connect different communities with joint events. Stay tuned!

Navigating tech conferences can be challenging, though with some preparation, we can thrive in these environments. 

First and foremost, focus on what you hope to achieve at the conference. Whether learning new skills, finding a mentor, or exploring job opportunities, having clear goals will help you make the most of your time.

Plan your schedule and look at the conference location. Download the conference app if there is one, get familiar with the conference room locations, and ensure you pre-reserve sessions you want to attend if there is an option. Look for social events on social media. Topics I’m unfamiliar with can be a pleasant surprise, as well as networking opportunities. And some time to chill! You could even take the opportunity to come a day earlier or leave a day after to visit a new city.

Prioritize logistics: Stay hydrated—bring a water bottle you can fill (not all conferences give you one), pack some snacks, a phone charger, and wear comfortable shoes. If you can stay at a hotel nearby, it also pays off; getting to the venue and back is more manageable in case you forget something or need to get some rest. 

Connect with other women and allies by attending DEI events, such as women’s breakfasts and lunches, a DEI lounge, etc. Many conferences hold these, so look for them in the schedule. If you attend the conference on your own, you will find companions to share the conference with. 

Look for social events to attend. Some might be off the conference schedule, so follow the social networks of sponsors and attendees for hints.

Sponsor booths are also great places to connect, so leave time to roam the sponsors’ booths. 

Be bold and approach speakers after talks, volunteer at your company’s booth or do any other available form of volunteering: many community conferences look for folks to help with some tasks on-site. You’ll meet plenty of people and connect with fellow volunteers. 

Leverage social media to announce your attendance and connect with others. I made some connections just by checking who was going to a conference and pinging them. And don’t forget to follow up on folks you have met!

And remember, self-care is key. Take breaks and listen to your body to avoid burnout. Big conferences can be overwhelming. With some planning and confidence, we can make the most of tech conferences and achieve our goals.

We usually host two talks per meetup, and meetups are scheduled on weekdays (preferably Tuesday to Thursday), around 18:00-19:00, with a 3h duration. Mondays are doable since no other meetups are competing, though folks are not used to attending meetups on Mondays.

There is the option of running a workshop, which should also be 2-3 hours long and would be hosted during the week. Let’s look at a Saturday morning if the workshop runs longer (e.g., 5 hours).

📝 Get ready!

There are two main ways to kick off the meetup organization. 

1. We already have a speaker who has volunteered for a concrete date. Sometimes we get volunteers through our call for speakers form: https://forms.gle/BFtuMPYiAahcLjdr7. Note that meetups are great for first-time speakers, so we are open to folks with no experience, and we will support them through their first talk.
2. We have already secured a host and a concrete date. 

In the first case, we will look for an office to host the talk when our speaker is available. Once we locate a host, we ask them if their teams want to share a talk.

If not, we will search for another community speaker. If we can’t find them (through our contacts), the meetup organizers usually volunteer to share a talk (ask on Slack #kcd-barcelona-org) or can point us to interesting speakers in the area. We keep our talks as a last resort/backup. We want to give the floor to the community members as much as possible.

In the second option, we will ask the host if their teams want to share a talk or two. Once we know how many talks we already have from the host, if any, we launch the search for the talks we need. Similar to what we described in the previous paragraph, tell the speakers what date the meetup is so they can factor that in.

Note that sometimes we can look at events like KCD Spain to ask speakers to repeat their talks at a meetup or at any other conference with local (Barcelona) speakers available to share the same talk.

The talk’s duration is usually between 20-45m, though it is possible to add more talks if they are lightning talks (5-15m). 

If speakers outside Barcelona offer to speak, as long as their company can help them with the travel, we 💜 to host them.

Once we have settled on the meetup host or date:

Find a host willing to host our meetup, including catering for the attendees. How to find hosts? Past sponsors willing to repeat, your own company, contacts you make attending other meetups at different companies, spread the word at meetups that we are open to hosting in various offices, etc. If a speaker offers to give a talk, ask if their company could host us.

Check the space to make sure it’s comfortable for talks. What is the capacity? We usually get 30-50 attendees, we can do events in smaller offices, and we must adjust the meetup capacity if it is smaller.

Are there any requirements to access the host’s office? We need to know if the host needs a list of names/IDs/passports. In those cases, we have to close the RSVP the day before and send the list to the host on the morning of the event.

Ensure the speakers have what they need: a screen for presentations, guest wifi, or anything else they might need (whiteboard to draw or any material in case it’s a workshop and not a talk).

Ask speakers about the talk language to make it explicit in the meetup. We favor having all talks in the same language (Spanish, English, Catalan), but we can also mix it as long as it’s clear in the event we publish.

Ask the host if they want to record the meetup and have the means to. We don’t usually record them ourselves. However, we are open to recording them if the speakers agree. In this case, if the host can record, always ask for speakers’ approval.

Once we have it all ready, always send an e-mail with cc: to hello@cloudnative.barcelona (the alias for the meetup organizers) to coordinate the meetup with hosts and speakers. Other organizers can jump in to help if needed.

Using the e-mail thread above, ask speakers for the talk title and talk description. Confirm the speakers’ roles and company with the social network account/s they want to share (LinkedIn, etc.). Ask the host for the social accounts/URLs they want us to mention (LinkedIn, their web page, etc.).

Create the meetup presentation based on this sample. We will use the first slide as the cover image for our meetup and share it with our social networks. We organize this in our private Google Drive per event, so create the folder for the event and copy & modify the presentation there.

Create the draft under https://www.meetup.com/cloud-native-bcn/events/. It’s easier to duplicate a previous event and make sure you change the location and dates. Adjust the capacity, considering that only 50% will show up (if the host has a capacity of 40, it is open to 70-80 slots). Add the question if we need to gather names and ID/passports. And check with the host if they need to list the day before. In that case, prepare the meetup so that it closes RSVPs the day before. It’s not ideal as sometimes latecomers will not see it until the day, though necessary if the host needs to provide the attendees’ list to the front desk/reception one day in advance. Make sure you enable chat, as users prefer to communicate via meetup chat, not just comments in the event page.

Share the draft in the e-mail thread with the host and speakers to ask for their feedback and adjust accordingly. Always remember to thank the host explicitly for providing food & refreshments, apart from sharing their space.

We aim to publish one month in advance (or more). If we are short in time, always mention the deadline to publish in the e-mail thread and that we need everyone’s approval to proceed. Follow up sooner if we are close to the deadline, and leave time if we are in no rush.

🎉 Publish time!

Publish the meetup once we have the approvals 🎉 Don’t forget to push the button to “Notify” your group. In this way, the group members will get the notification and can RSVP before we start sharing this more broadly.

Sometimes the host also wants to publish on their groups, and that is ok. For example: https://www.meetup.com/adevinta-spain/events/299104275/. We will not encourage this if the host has limited capacity, as it would complicate spreading the RSVPs we allow on each meetup. In this particular case, it works very well as the host has a capacity 150.

Because the CNCF uses Bevy, we have to also publish under https://community.cncf.io/cloud-native-barcelona/. You should have access to clone from a previous event and make similar changes as you did with the meetup one. Be aware that, with Bevy, we cannot ask for name/ID/passport. In those cases, publish an event with no RSVPs, like https://community.cncf.io/events/details/cncf-cloud-native-barcelona-presents-cloud-native-barcelona-adevinta/, and point attendees to RSVP at meetup.com. If the host does not require additional information, we can publish a regular event under Bevy and spread the capacity between meetup.com and Bevy, as we did with https://community.cncf.io/events/details/cncf-cloud-native-barcelona-presents-cloud-native-barcelona-meetup-de-enero-2024/. As we have 1000 users in meetup and less than 100 in Bevy, spread the capacity with that in mind, 80% meetup, 20% Bevy.

Update the e-mail thread with hosts and speakers with the event URLs. And remember to thank them 🫶!

One or two weeks before the event, we need to publish the event to our networks. We don’t do it before, as the closer we are to the event, the more probable folks who RSVP will actually come. Share on our LinkedIn group and X. E.g. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7171111696596504577 and https://x.com/cloudnativebcn/status/1749510135423074572. Repost from your own accounts and ask the other organizers to give the posts some “love”. Remember to mention, when possible, the speakers and the host’s social accounts.

One or two weeks before the event, share the event on Slack. The best for Barcelona events is BncEngineering, #events-meetups-confs. Another good Slack channel for Barcelona CNCF events is #cncf-barcelona under the CNCF slack.

🙇‍♀️ Almost there!

If the host requires names/IDs/passports, regularly check meetup.com to see if users replied correctly so we can make the final list for the host before the event. Message folks on meetup.com privately if we are missing information.

A few days before the event, check that everyone is ready by updating the e-mail thread with hosts and speakers. We can ask them if they need anything from us and if it’s ok to be there 30 minutes before the event to get everything ready.

If the host needs a list of attendees one day before the event, make sure you close the RSVPs and send the list. You’ll find examples of the list in our private Google Drive. We download the data from meetup.com and send a simplified list with the host’s required data. Remember to merge the lists before sending if we also have folks in Bevy!

Keep an eye on the event chat and comments regularly, as the community might ask questions (are we recording, what the talk languages are, etc.).

🎉 Meetup day!

Make sure to check any messages we have in the meetup, there are some users asking questions last minute (“I can’t locate the venue”, “I did not RSVP in time, and I want to join”, “I can’t come”, etc.). Try to be responsive.

Arrive at the venue 30 minutes before (or ask other organizers to be there if you can’t). We need to help the host set up and help the speakers check their setup.

Introduce the meetup using the presentation created from the sample. Next, give the floor to the host to present their company. And finally, present the 🔝 speakers 🎙️.

Take pictures from each presentation, including ours, the host, and the speakers. Upload them to the meetup. And some from the networking part. E.g. https://www.meetup.com/cloud-native-bcn/photos/34124873/.

It’s nice to share with our networks while the meetup is ongoing. E.g. https://x.com/cloudnativebcn/status/1768356599859445926. Remember to mention the host and speakers if possible.

Stay until the end and help the host tear down.

🙌 Wrap up!

Update the e-mail thread with hosts and speakers to thank them for a successful event, and hoping we can collaborate in future events. If the host recorded the meetup, ask for the recording so we can share it in our meetup.com event (add it to the comments), and use it in our final social post. We can do a final LinkedIn post (or Twitter), share the recording, and thank speakers and hosts again.

Make sure you upload all photos to the meetup.com event for future reference. E.g. https://www.meetup.com/cloud-native-bcn/photos/34124873/

If attendees ask for presentation slides, follow up with the speakers to share them in the meetup comments.

And don’t forget to enjoy meetup organization!

🙌 What I Accomplished: Community & Connection

Joining Grafana Lab’s developer advocacy team meant diving headfirst into a dynamic ecosystem. Here are some key highlights:

• Community building defined my year! I co-organized a whopping 29 meetups, with 13 dedicated to Grafana & Friends. I am most proud of:
  • Contribute to several thriving local communities: Software Crafters Barcelona, Cloud Native Barcelona, Grafana & Friends Barcelona.
  • Co-organizing not one but two Global Day of Code Retreat in November.
  • Being constant in providing a recurrent space for Coding Dojos every two weeks for the whole year!
  • I supported TechFems as they embarked on their new journey to empower women+ in tech at the end of 2023. The volunteer team is most impressive and inspiring!
  • Helping revive the Cloud Native Barcelona meetups. It was a pleasure to kick things off with the CNCF Cloud Native Sustainability week. And I loved joining the Kubernetes Community Days Spain team.
  • A big shoutout to all the fantastic hosts, co-organizers, and attendees who made this possible. It takes a city!
• Inspiration. I repeated as a judge for Technovation Girls. So many girls gather worldwide to tackle the UN 17 Sustainable Development goals! Their projects are an inspiration.
• Grafana contributions. I focused on supporting the vibrant Grafana k6 community in the forums. I felt appreciated and learned immensely from users and our skilled and patient k6 core developers. I also contributed:
  • Leading the k6 and Grafana forum unification.
  • Documentation updates.
  • I dabbled in minor code contributions in … Typescript! Learning JavaScript on the job was a bonus!
• Expanding my Network. I enjoyed several conferences: BilboStack, KubeCon & Cloud Native Europe, Fosdem, Spring I/O Barcelona, Software Crafters Barcelona (volunteering on our 10th anniversary 🎂), and DevOps Barcelona. This allowed me to meet developers, other advocates, and allies while reconnecting with old friends.
• Growing With a Supportive Team. Last but not least, a huge thanks to the fantastic developer advocates team at Grafana. Their support was vital on this new path: David & Pepe, Melori, Paul, Nicole, Leandro, Marie, Matt, Usman, and Antonio. And to my favorite tech writer, Matt, who has unwavering patience with tech writer newbies like me and for sharing his knowledge.

On a more personal level, this year marked the final return to normal after the pandemic. Not only were community meetups back with regular attendance levels, but I was also able to get back on the road and explore new hobbies:

• I enjoyed Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band concerts in Washington and Barcelona. They were finally back on the road!
• Explored new cities like Nice, Antibes, Monaco, and Oporto.
• I visited Madrid a few times throughout the year. My favorite one is to meet Elastic support engineers at their Support Summit!
• I indulged in some Lego-building therapy.
• I started cycling regularly in Barcelona with Kleta while doing AquaFitness 5 days a week!
• And celebrated the end of the year with the coveted 1-year Grafana Labs mug.

🙇‍♀️ What I Wasn’t Able to Achieve: Lessons Learned

Some unforeseen circumstances brought their own set of challenges in 2023:

• Health Hurdles. Navigating health issues from September to December presented unexpected roadblocks. This meant stepping back from commitments like TestingUnited and PulpoCon. Facing these challenges head-on became a valuable lesson in self-care and pacing. And lots of patience in navigating the public health system.
• Backup Plans Matter. While unplanned conference absences are never ideal, lesson learned! Having a co-speaker for PulpoCon ensured the workshop ran smoothly; thanks, Daniel! This experience reinforced the importance of having backup plans whenever possible. I understand the impact last-minute changes can have and that any help smoothing those is much appreciated. Being an event organizer myself, I should never forget that.
• More focus on tech writing. I improved my writing skills thanks to Matt Dodson and Google’s Tech Writing course. I wish I had taken more time to practice the writing craft. I realized I had so much to learn; consistency is the best way to continue improving.

The most important learnings from 2023 are:

• The importance of self-compassion.
• Set realistic expectations.
• Have flexibility to adjust plans.

📅 What I Will Focus on in 2024: Setting New Goals

2023 was a year of growth and discovery as I navigated the world of developer advocacy. While I achieved more than I ever anticipated, I also learned the importance of pacing myself and prioritizing my well-being.

Looking forward, I’m taking a more fluid approach to my goals for 2024. Think of these as aspirations. These are exciting possibilities I’ll pursue with flexibility and openness to change.

Community & Advocacy:

• TechFems, Technovation Girls, and Local Communities. My commitment to these initiatives remains unwavering. My core values are supporting women in tech and fostering vibrant local communities. They infuse me with so much energy that keeps me going the whole year.
• Safe Spaces for Speakers. I’m passionate about creating welcoming environments for speakers. I’ll seek opportunities to provide platforms for diverse voices, especially first-time speakers.
• Fosdem & DevRoom Management. Exciting opportunities ahead: Volunteer at Fosdem again and contribute more by managing a DevRoom. I’m eager to help in this incredible open-source event made by the community for the community.
• Connecting with local Grafanistas. Help create spaces for the Barcelona crew at Grafana to meet like HackUPC.
• CNCF Ambassador. I’ll work towards becoming a CNCF Ambassador.
  • I’ll continue to support the TAG Environmental Sustainability initiative. It aligns very well with my passion for collaboration and sustainability.
  • Co-organizing the first in-person Kubernetes Community Days Barcelona sounds like a stimulating challenge. I’m excited to contribute to this valuable event. I am forever thankful to the DevBcn team for hosting us.

Technical Growth & Skilling Up:

• Grafana Loki Journey. I will embark on a learning path to explore Grafana Loki OSS Deployment. This will expand my technical knowledge and understanding and allow me to dive deep into Grafana.
• Tech Writing. I will regularly blog and contribute to Grafana documentation and tutorials to hone my technical writing skills.
• Coding Dojos & Architectural Kata with Software Crafters Barcelona. I will continue to co-organize Coding Dojos. And I plan to co-facilitate an architectural kata around monitoring & alerting. Giving back to the Software Crafters Barcelona is fulfilling in so many ways.
• CKA Certification (Stretch). Pursuing the CKA certification would be rewarding. I’ve been meaning to for years. And I’m pretty sure this will again fall through the cracks.

Conferences, Travel & More:

• KubeCon & Cloud Native 2024 Europe. Speaking at this prestigious event is my dream. It would be a remarkable achievement. I’ll submit proposals and keep my fingers crossed!
• Women in Tech Mentoring: Supporting women in tech remains a priority. I’ll actively seek opportunities to connect and empower others. I learn so much from supporting others to succeed!
• Conferences. I plan to attend Fosdem, KubeCon & Cloud Native Europe, Google Cloud Next, PulpoCon, and DevOps Barcelona. And possibly the Mobile World Congress. It would be my first time there. Exciting possibilities!
  • I must remember to write about these experiences!
• Travel. I’ll explore Brussels, Paris, Mallorca, Lisbon, London, Amsterdam, Prague and Athens. Some for the first time!
• Reading Revival. I’m rekindling my love for reading paper books. I’ll set a goal of 12 books, 6 work-related and 6 for pure enjoyment.
• Continue cycling, AquaFitness, and add other fitness activities like Zumba.
• And, of course, some Bruce Springsteen concerts: Madrid & Prague, here I go!

I must remember these are aspirations, not rigid goals. I’ll embrace the unexpected, focus on my well-being, and celebrate every step along the way. Here’s to a year of learning, growth, and meaningful connections!

Meet Imma Valls, one of our dedicated TechFems board members, committed to changing diversity in the tech sector. She’s dedicated to supporting women and underrepresented individuals in tech, creating a welcoming space within TechFems for anyone looking to change careers or find their place in the tech world.

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Imma at a TechFems event and let me tell you, I was genuinely inspired by her commitment to mentoring our women+ in tech. Her support is an inspiration for all of us.

Join me in this conversation, where we explore Imma’s journey, her insights on the tech scene, and the transformative power of mentorship. Let’s tap into her experiences and wisdom as she champions diversity within the tech sector.

TechFems: Can you share a bit about your background and journey in the tech industry and what inspired you to join this field?

I was born in the countryside, in a farmhouse without electricity or a phone. And water from a well! I was raised by a very conservative family where women were supposed to get married, not work outside the home, and raise a family and support their husbands and children. To this day, I still don’t understand why they allowed me to study electrical and electronics engineering. On top of that, it was also costly for my family since I had to move to Barcelona to follow my studies.

At university, I had a colossal impostor syndrome. I felt very much out of place in the big city. I was lucky with the friends I made at university, as they supported and encouraged me. Even if we were 20% of women, our group of about 20 was almost half women. And the guys in the groups were great allies. So, until I started my first job, I did not realize I was working in a men’s domain. Back then, it was relatively easy to land a job in tech if you had an engineer’s degree. And for the following 15-20 years, I almost felt like one of the guys in most teams.

Almost 6 years ago, I joined elastic.co. t was in my first genuinely diverse company. People from around the world. And the company made a real effort to support underrepresented groups in tech. For example, there was no gender gap in payment for women, and the company valued diverse viewpoints. They walk the talk. Some of my co-workers already volunteered at underrepresented groups’ communities, inspiring me to follow the same path: to help the tech industry become more welcoming to all sorts of folks.

My current company, Grafana, is similar in culture. And I love how the company supports the causes their employees care about, sponsoring when needed.

TechFems: What motivated you to join TechFems, which supports women in tech, and how has your experience been so far?

I met Henriette at one of Codebar’s events in Barcelona that my previous employer, Elastic, sponsored. I found her story inspiring: changing your career is never too late. Once Henriette started a group to support migrant women who were trying to make a career change to tech, I joined the group. And here I am.

It’s great to be in contact with people who are not as privileged as I am. It’s humbling. Even if being a minority in the team is not easy, I have been able to follow my passion and work in tech. Having an engineering degree was crucial. That path is unnecessary these days, and I love seeing how women discover what they enjoy in tech. They can get the skills via bootcamps and self-learning and then land their first job in tech. It democratizes access to a career path that can significantly impact and be very fulfilling.

TechFems: In your opinion, what unique challenges do women face in the tech industry, and how do you see this organization addressing those challenges?

Being a woman in tech means navigating an industry where we are underrepresented, it is difficult to enter, and even more challenging to stay and advance. TechFems is uniquely positioned to help women navigate the entry phase by offering coaching and knowledge sessions for students.

And, for coaches, it supports staying in tech and advancing. We realize we are not alone in tech and thrive by supporting each other.

One of the challenges for women in a male-dominated field is speaking up and being heard. TechFems provides a safe space for women to ask questions and express themselves more freely. Women-centric tech events are crucial to creating safe spaces where women can share their unique experiences – failures and successes – when facing challenges in the tech industry.

Adding skills is particularly helpful to get started and increase confidence.

TechFems: As a member of this community, what role do you play in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for women in tech?

I am in the community as a coach. I enjoy 1:1 interactions where I learn so much from women just entering the field; we have fantastic conversations. I love listening to their experiences. Even though I cannot join events as often as I wish, I’ve greatly enjoyed each event I attended.

Apart from being a coach, I am a teacher assistant for some knowledge sessions. This I enjoy the most as I like hands-on sessions where we learn skills.

Finally, I aim to spread the word with companies that can support the organization with their space for sessions or financial support to provide snacks & refreshments at events. It is easier for coaches already working at companies to ask for help internally. And we can also use our networks to help TechFems connect with those who can support the community.

I started in a men’s world 25 years ago when these communities were unavailable. What would have been different in my career if that support existed? I would have struggled less, for sure.

TechFems: Could you highlight a specific achievement or project within this organization that you are particularly proud of and that has positively impacted women in tech?

I particularly love workshops (e.g., a GitHub actions session) and general “hands-on” sessions like creating your LinkedIn profile or practicing for a coding interview. Adding skills is particularly helpful to get started and increase confidence.

For coaches, the networking sessions have allowed us to connect with many other women and broaden our network. And as a bonus point, we sometimes have our own knowledge sessions, with insightful workshops.

TechFems: How has being a part of this community influenced your professional growth and development in the tech field?

I started in a men’s world 25 years ago when these communities were unavailable. What would have been different in my career if that support existed? I would have struggled less, for sure. Even if I feel privileged – I found my place in tech and have stayed – it’s great to meet other women and help each other thrive. Feeling represented is necessary, and these sessions highlight we are not alone.

TechFems: What advice would you give to other women aspiring to pursue a tech career, and how can organizations like this one contribute to their success?

Come check it for yourself. You’ll learn if a tech career is for you. Don’t be shy with coaches or anyone in the session. Ask anything! It’s a safe space, and all questions are good questions.

Also, nowadays, having an engineering degree is optional. There are many more options to learn and many different paths to take to make a career in tech. Any way that works for you is good.

TechFems: In your view, what initiatives or programs could further enhance the impact of organizations supporting women in tech – like TechFems, and how can members actively contribute to these efforts?

I’d like to see options for mentoring 1:1. Mentoring has a mind-blowing impact, both for mentors and mentees.

And we could also do some hackathons. It helps to realize that we can all be creative in tech and that previous experiences not in tech are also helpful; they add to your new career. Changing careers is not starting from scratch: you bring soft skills, domain knowledge, and many valuable abilities.

TechFems: Is there anything you would like to share?

Keep rocking!

TechFems: Thank you very much for your time and support!

We are excited to announce a significant change to the k6 community forum. Starting on July 25th, at 14:00 UTC, we will merge the k6 community forum with the Grafana community forum.

This migration will create a unified forum for the entire Grafana community, so users no longer need two accounts. It will also provide k6 users access to Grafana Cloud and its free tier, including Grafana Cloud k6.

The k6 and Grafana community forums will be temporarily switched to read-only mode on July 25th at 14:00 UTC. Users cannot log in during the migration process, create new topics, or update existing ones during the merge process.

We expect that the migration process will take 24 hours to complete.

We thank you for your patience during the migration. The unification will provide an enhanced and consolidated Grafana community experience. And it will make it easier for us to operate the forum across the distinct Grafana products.

We encourage you to continue using the community forum to post your k6 questions. Let’s continue to build an even more vital and vibrant community together!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Where are all the existing k6 topics?

k6 topics in the Grafana forum are under the new “Grafana k6” category under the “Grafana” one. The current k6 categories (OSS Support, Cloud Support, Extensions, etc.) are now subcategories.

Navigate to the “Grafana k6” category and browse or search for your topics.

2. How do I open a k6 topic in the Grafana forum?

Once back in write mode, click “New Topic” to open a k6 topic in the forum.

Select the category “Grafana k6” to ensure the k6 community can find your topic. Add a relevant subcategory (OSS Support, Cloud Support, Extensions, etc.) to improve engagement.

3. How do I log in back to the forum?

To log in after the migration, go to the Grafana Community forum, and:

• If you have a user in the Grafana community forum with the same e-mail you had in the k6 forum, or a Grafana Cloud Account, use the Grafana community login and password. If you forgot your k6 forum password, use the password recovery utility on the login page.
• 

• If you don’t have a user in the Grafana community forum with the same e-mail you had in the k6 forum, you need to:
  • Click the “Log In” button.
  • 
  • Click “Sign Up” for a Grafana Cloud Account.
  • 
  • Create the account with the same e-mail you had in the k6 forum.
  • 
  • Activate the account via the link you’ll receive in the e-mail.
  • 
  • Log in with the Grafana Cloud Account you just created.

4. How can I report issues?

If you cannot log in and password recovery does not work for you, contact community@grafana.com, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

For other non-login-related issues, open a topic under the “Site Feedback” category, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

You can also use the Grafana Community Slack channel #help-grafana-community-forum.

5. What if I have a Grafana forum account with the same e-mail address as my k6 forum account?

In this situation, log in using Grafana’s password, not k6’s.

Upon logging in, you should be able to see all your topics from both Grafana and k6 forums associated with your user.

It is important to note that we don’t migrate most profile data in this scenario: name, username, avatar, etc. Your user keeps the values it had on the Grafana forum.

If you encounter any issues after the migration, contact community@grafana.com. We will do our best to address them as soon as possible.

We appreciate your support and understanding during the migration process. We are looking forward to seeing the unified community grow. And we encourage you to continue using the community forums to engage with and help other k6 community members and the broader Grafana community.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.