IN PERSON: Data Streaming Meetup Amsterdam

Join us for an Apache Kafka® meetup on Thursday, April 16th from 6:00pm in Amsterdam hosted by HEMA!

Venue:
HEMA
NDSM Straat 10
1033SN Amsterdam

• Please enter Werfstraat 7 in your navigation to reach the HEMA parking garage. Please make sure you leave with your car the office latest at 21:00 as then the security closes the building.
• There is also a public parking house close to the office: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nYj7KR2r2fDFhSxL8.
• Using public transport the HEMA office is easily reachable from Amsterdam Centraal Station via ferry no 5 direction NDSM shipyard.
• Important please register with your details for security purposes only. Many thanks!

Agenda:

• 6:00pm: Doors open
• 6:00pm – 6:30pm: Welcome/Food & Drinks, Networking
• 6:30pm - 7:00pm: TBA - HEMA
• 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Olena Kutsenko, Staff Developer Advocate, Confluent
• 7:30pm - 8:30pm: Additional Q&A and Networking

Speaker One:
HEMA

Title of Talk:
St(r)eaming the Rookworst - HEMA's event streaming journey

Abstract:

Bio:

Speaker Two:
Olena Kutsenko, Staff Developer Advocate, Confluent

Title of Talk:
The art of structuring real-time data streams into actionable insights

Abstract:
Real-time data can be messy, unpredictable, and hard to manage. To unlock its full potential, you need a way to turn raw streams into clean, structured data. In this talk, we’ll show you how to use Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, and Apache Iceberg to organize real-time data streams efficiently and prepare them for advanced use cases, including AI applications.

We’ll start by explaining how Kafka handles high-speed data streams and how Flink processes these streams in real time. You’ll learn how to use Flink to transform raw data into structured formats, ensuring it’s ready for storage and analysis. Then, we’ll dive into Iceberg, demonstrating how it stores and organizes structured data for easy querying and visualizing.

Through clear examples, we’ll walk you through building a practical pipeline that turns chaotic data streams into organized structure. By the end of the session, you’ll know how to manage real-time data effectively and set the stage for downstream AI and analytics. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, this talk will give you the tools to simplify and enhance your data pipelines!

Bio:
Olena is a Staff Developer Advocate at Confluent and a recognized expert in data streaming and analytics. With two decades of experience in software engineering, she has built mission-critical applications, led high-performing teams, and driven large-scale technology adoption at industry leaders like Nokia, HERE Technologies, AWS, and Aiven.

A passionate advocate for real-time data processing and AI-driven applications, Olena empowers developers and organizations to use the power of streaming data. She is an AWS Community Builder, a dedicated mentor, and a volunteer instructor at a nonprofit tech school, helping to shape the next generation of engineers.

As an international speaker and thought leader, Olena regularly presents at top global conferences, sharing deep technical insights and hands-on expertise. Whether through her talks, workshops, or content, she is committed to making complex technologies accessible and inspiring innovation in the developer community.

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If you are interested in speaking at or hosting a meetup, please contact community@confluent.io