While the Xen Summit is undoubtedly the annual highlight and primarily held in Europe, we at Vates see a huge opportunity to host additional, more accessible events. These could significantly boost our outreach and impact without overstretching the Xen Project budget.
The strategy here is to find cost-effective alternatives to the Summit. By hosting more of these events and reducing costs, we can make a big difference. If a board member or a community enthusiast steps up to organize and potentially sponsor an event, it would greatly reduce financial strain on the Xen Project. This grassroots approach could dramatically increase our visibility and engagement.
Strategically hosting events can also attract attendees outside our usual circle. While it’s not new to host a Xen event at a major corporation that uses our technology, or in an industry that depends on it, doing this more often could help balance our presence between the North American and European communities. Since the Xen Summit isn’t as large-scale as events like KubeCon, we can manage to host it at a fraction of the cost.
Another exciting route is collaborating with academic institutions. At Vates, we have strong connections with several universities, including UGA in Grenoble, which has IT labs actively working on Xen. Hosting events such as a Xen Summit or a hackathon at a university could directly involve researchers, PhDs, and master students in our projects. These events could also include sessions designed to educate and integrate academics into our community, potentially boosting Xen’s presence in scholarly papers and increasing its overall popularity.
By organizing more frequent and varied Xen events, we can forge stronger ties within the industry and academia, bringing fresh perspectives and new energy into our community. This approach will not only broaden our reach but also enhance our collaborative efforts, setting the stage for Xen’s continued growth and success.
In practical terms, at Vates, we’re ready to start planning either the next Xen Summit or a Xen Hackathon at the University of Grenoble. We’re eager to explore other opportunities with companies involved in the Xen Project, whether they are board members or not.