*** Reflecting on the First Cloud Network & Security (CNS) Meetup in Munich ***

On January 30th, we embarked on a groundbreaking journey by hosting the inaugural CNS Meetup at AWS in Munich. It was a night to remember, filled with insightful discussions, engaging stories, and a vibrant community spirit that lasted well into the night.

Our mixed audience, consisting of esteemed professionals from adidas, Ingram Micro, NTT, SWM, Soeldner Consult, VMware Broadcom, Fortinet, Kong, Cisco, Isovalent, Lacework, Allgeier and more, demonstrated a phenomenal engagement with a commendable low no-show rate. The passion for cloud networking and security was palpable, with discussions stretching until 11 pm.

Highlights of the Night:
* The event was kickstarted with a warm welcome by Jens-Henrik Soeldner, setting the stage for an evening of learning and networking.
* Paul Vassu, VP of Platform Engineering at adidas, shared a captivating customer story, taking us through adidas’ cloud journey and the innovative paths they’re exploring.
* The evening was enriched with discussions over pizza and beer, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
* A deep dive into a hypothetical cloud migration scenario, leveraging technologies from AWS, VMware by Broadcom, and Fortinet, sparked lively debates and knowledge exchange.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees appreciating the neutral platform for open discussions without a vendor-centric focus. This enthusiasm has propelled us to promise more initiative activities to knit the community closer together, including:
* a newsletter to keep everyone updated,
* the launch of a dedicated blog and Q&A page on https://cloudnetsec.org/,
* monthly remote presentations for continuous engagement,
* and the anticipation of our next meetup in Munich on June 19th, 2024.

This event was not just a meetup but a testament to the collaborative spirit of the cloud network and security community. Thank you to all attendees, speakers, and supporters for making this event a milestone in our journey towards fostering a vendor-independent, community-driven platform for cloud networking and security professionals (Yves Fauser, Joerg Roesch, Oliver Kupke, Mustafa Radha Jassim).

Let’s continue to drive innovation, share knowledge, and build a stronger community together. Stay tuned for more exciting activities, and join us in shaping the future of cloud networking and security!