Apache Kafka® on EKS & How MCP Bridges LLMs and Data Streams

Join us for an exciting evening of data streaming innovation at the AWS Stockholm office! This meetup brings together two cutting-edge topics that are reshaping how we build modern data architectures.

What to Expect
We're thrilled to host two exceptional speakers who will share their expertise on production-ready Kafka deployments and the emerging intersection of AI and real-time data streams.

Event Details
When: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM CET

Where: 7th floor, AWS Stockholm Office, Malmskillnadsgatan 36, 111 57 Stockholm

🗓 Agenda:

• 5:30 PM - Doors open
• 6:00 PM - Food, drinks, and networking
• 6:15 PM - Kafka on EKS: Production Patterns with Strimzi - Nati Cohen, Solutions Architect, AWS
• 7:00 PM - Break
• 7:15 PM - The Missing Protocol: How MCP Bridges LLMs and Data Streams - Viktor Gamov, Principal Developer Advocate, Confluent
• 8:00 PM - Q&A and networking

Food and drinks will be provided. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and connect with fellow data streaming enthusiasts!

Important: Please register with your name, email, and company. This information will be shared with the AWS team for security purposes.

💡First Session: Kafka on EKS: Production Patterns with Strimzi Nati Cohen from AWS will guide you through the practical realities of running Kafka on Amazon EKS. Learn how Strimzi transforms operational complexity into intelligent automation, with production-tested strategies for infrastructure optimization and cost management. Whether you're planning your first Kafka deployment or optimizing existing systems, you'll walk away with actionable blueprints.

Bio:
Nati is a Solutions Architect with AWS. He delights in helping customers simplify complex systems, teaching them about the inner workings of cloud services and debugging annoying technical oddities. When he is not at his computer he is soldering electronic kits, tinkering with smaller computers, and drumming on a Taiko.

💡Second Session: The Missing Protocol: How MCP Bridges LLMs and Data Streams Viktor Gamov from Confluent will reveal how the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is revolutionizing AI applications. Discover why treating AI as part of your streaming architecture, rather than an external service, unlocks entirely new possibilities. See how agents can subscribe to real-time events, reason about evolving schemas, and make decisions that ripple through your data platform.

Bio:
Viktor Gamov is a Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent, founded by the original creators of Apache Kafka®. With a rich background in implementing and advocating for distributed systems and cloud-native architectures, Viktor excels in open-source technologies. He is passionate about assisting architects, developers, and operators in crafting systems that are not only low in latency and scalable but also highly available.

As a Java Champion and an esteemed speaker, Viktor is known for his insightful presentations at top industry events like JavaOne, Devoxx, Kafka Summit, and QCon. His expertise spans distributed systems, real-time data streaming, JVM, and DevOps.

Viktor has co-authored "Enterprise Web Development" from O'Reilly and "Apache Kafka® in Action" from Manning.

Follow Viktor on X - @gamussa to stay updated with Viktor's latest thoughts on technology, his gym and food adventures, and insights into open-source and developer advocacy.

We look forward to seeing you there!

***
If you would like to speak at or host a meetup, please email community@confluent.io