Every year, our support team get the opportunity to attend a number of online and in-person events. As well as an opportunity for growth, they’re also a chance for our team to get together and catch up. This year, Teresa and Louise got the opportunity to attend CloudFest 2022 in Rust, Germany.
Teresa, Customer Success Engineer – CloudFest 2022 attendee
From my very first day with SMTP2GO, I’ve listened to my colleagues rave about CloudFest, and I finally understand why. CloudFest is not only the world’s largest cloud industry event, but the location, Europa-park is probably one of the most fun and magical, which really made the event special. We decided to stay in a house this year in Rust, which was a short 15-minute walk away from the event, so each morning I took advantage of the beautiful terrace with a big coffee, ready to start the day. We were really lucky with the weather as there wasn’t a cloud in the sky all week, let’s just say, I am glad I packed my sunscreen. We had a similar plan each day to try and make the most of the event and to ensure we didn’t miss anything. For two mornings, we networked and chatted in the exhibition area, and on the third morning, we wandered around Europa park visiting little Italy, Spain, Greece, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands, and took advantage of the rides (no queues), which were a lot of fun. By one o’clock each day, we were usually ready for lunch so we hopped on the tram over to Colossal hotel which was where a luxurious buffet was served. The food was absolutely delicious and the views were idyllic.
Each afternoon, we wandered back to the main event, often opting to walk rather than getting the tram to enjoy the weather and the park (and to walk off lunch) before sitting in on some of the talks. The speakers were fantastic and one of the main themes was online security, and the most interesting and relevant for us were the talks surrounding DNS security. After a jam-packed afternoon, we’d often head back to the exhibition hall to enjoy a beer before heading home for yet another beer on the terrace (when in Germany). Each evening, we would get ready to go to one of the quaint little restaurants that Rust has to offer and enjoyed some authentic German cuisine and great company. It really was the most perfect week, and I will definitely be registering as soon as possible for next year’s. Thanks, CloudFest, you smashed it!
Louise, Customer Success Engineer – CloudFest 2022 attendee
Oh Rust, how I’ve missed you! I was lucky enough to attend CloudFest back in 2016, when it was known as “WHD.Global – The Cloud Festival”. Out of all of the events that we have attended, it was definitely my favourite. The freebies were unparalleled, the music and events at night were spectacular, and the food definitely didn’t disappoint. CloudFest 2022 lived up to its expectations!
After a delayed flight, missed train and shuttlebus, we needed to make an unplanned overnight stop in Offenburg. After 12 hours of travelling and a good night’s sleep, we were off to Rust the next day. We stayed in a beautiful house with a garden and it felt like a home away from home. Once we arrived at the event, I was really impressed that not only did we need a Covid vaccination cert, but we also needed to get a negative test. Knowing that everyone else had to do the same meant that we could really relax and enjoy the event without worrying about so many people in the same place.
We divided up our days chatting to stallholders and other attendees, sampling Rust’s finest foods, listening to interesting chats and exploring Europa Park. There’s no better way to contemplate cyber-security than on the Pirates of Batavia water ride!
One of the highlights of CloudFest 2022 was the relaxed atmosphere. Everyone that we met was so friendly, and the lack of formality meant that you could really enjoy making connections. The town of Rust itself is a beautiful, quaint, perfectly-manicured town which is a far cry from evenings spent at other events in European capital cities.
