IN PERSON! Apache Kafka® Meetup (Aug 2026)
Details
Hello everyone! Join us for an Apache Kafka® x Apache Flink® meetup on Aug 20th from 5:30pm, in Melbourne!
The address, agenda, and speaker information can be found below. See you there!
📍Venue:
394 High Street Northcote, Victoria 3070
Important: For legal and security reasons, all attendees are required to register through this page and provide the requested information. Unfortunately, anyone who has not registered will not be able to attend the event.
***
🗓 Agenda:
- 5:30pm: Doors open
- 5:30pm - 6:00pm: Pizza, Drinks, and Networking
- 6:00pm - 6:30pm: Karel Sague, Staff Software Engineer, Factor House
- 6:30pm - 7:00pm: Dominique Ronde, Staff Solution Engineer, Confluent
- 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Additional Networking
***
💡 Speaker:
Karel Sague, Staff Software Engineer, Factor House
Talk:
Reduce Kafka spend and operational risk: practical techniques for cluster consolidation
Abstract:
Running multiple Kafka clusters gets expensive fast, and most teams end up with more infrastructure than they need. In this session, Karel Sague walks through a practical methodology for reducing Kafka costs by decommissioning old clusters, consolidating workloads, splitting clusters where it makes sense, and migrating to more cost-effective infrastructure.
Karel covers how to evaluate whether consolidation or splitting is the right call for a given workload, the sequencing and risk management involved in a live cluster migration, and how to avoid downtime and data loss along the way. The session includes code samples from real migrations.
If you are managing Kafka infrastructure and looking for ways to cut costs without cutting corners, this talk is for you.
Bio:
Karel Sague is a Staff Software Engineer at Factor House, where he works on real-time data streaming infrastructure spanning Kafka, Flink, and Iceberg. Before joining Factor House, he spent 8 years as a Software Engineer at Square (Block Inc.), and prior to that worked as a consultant at ThoughtWorks. Across his career he has built and operated large-scale data platforms in financial services and consulting, with deep experience in event-driven architecture, streaming ingestion, and open table formats.
-----
💡 Speaker:
Dominique Ronde, Staff Solution Engineer, Confluent
Talk:
Guardians of the Stream: Kafka, Flink, and the Rise of GenAI
Abstract:
In this session we will explore how Kafka and Flink can seamlessly integrate with GenAI to build intelligent systems capable of real-time learning, automation, and decision-making. Discover the next frontier in data streaming and artificial intelligence, where Kafka, Flink, and GenAI take center stage in shaping the future of industries.
Bio:
Dominique Ronde is a Staff Solution Engineer at Confluent, a pioneer in enterprise event-streaming platforms. With previous roles as a Big Data Architect and Data Scientist at freeyou, SAP, and Allianz, Dominique brings deep expertise in digital transformation, Java, AWS, and Apache Kafka®. Since 2016, he has worked extensively with Apache Flink and currently serves as a subject matter expert in the APAC region. Dominique is a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide, with a recent focus on innovative data use cases in the insurance industry. Outside of work, he enjoys experimenting with Arduino microcontrollers, IoT home devices, and traveling.
***
If you would like to speak or host our next event please let us know! community@confluent.io