Time at CloudFest 2025: The Human Edge in a Theme Park
CloudFest has been on my radar for a while, and this year I finally made it happen. In March, I found myself at Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, surrounded by over 11,000 cloud and internet infrastructure professionals. And yes, it’s as unusual as it sounds, a massive tech conference taking over an entire theme park.
For the last eight years, running both a service business and building our bootstrapped SaaS has meant wearing multiple hats. Networking has never been my strongest suit, but when you’re building something in the cloud space, connecting with the right people isn’t optional, it’s essential.
This year’s theme was “The Human Edge”, which felt particularly relevant. As AI continues to reshape everything we do, CloudFest focused on finding our place in that AI-driven world while keeping the human element front and center.
The scale of the event was impressive. Over 8,000 attendees, talks covering everything from cloud automation to cybersecurity, and a surprisingly strong WordPress and agency track. But what really made it special was the atmosphere.
Where else can you discuss AI-driven cloud infrastructure with industry leaders in the morning, then ride a rollercoaster in the afternoon?
I attended sessions on cloud automation, had valuable conversations with potential partners, and learned a lot about how other founders are balancing product development with business growth. The networking events stretched late into the night, each with a different theme and live bands. I’m not usually one for late-night parties, but the energy was infectious.
One of the more memorable moments was watching the World Server Throwing Championship. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Tech folks throwing old servers as far as possible. It’s ridiculous and brilliant at the same time.
For me, events like these aren’t about collecting business cards or pitching aggressively. They’re about finding people who understand the struggle, the balance between perfecting your product and actually shipping it, between serving clients and building something scalable, between the technical founder mindset and the business reality.
I met hosting providers, infrastructure specialists, and other SaaS founders who are on similar journeys. Some conversations led to potential partnerships, others just to a better understanding of where the industry is heading.
Honest reflections
CloudFest isn’t perfect. Getting to Europa-Park took multiple trains and buses, the venue was massive and sometimes overwhelming, and I definitely could have planned my schedule better. I also had to face a train delay which made my whole journey almost 7 hours having to switch and wait for the next delayed train.
But stepping away from the daily grind of code reviews, client calls, and product roadmaps to immerse myself in the broader cloud ecosystem was exactly what I needed. It reminded me why I started building in the first place.
For anyone considering CloudFest in 2026, I’d say go for it. It’s not your typical conference. It’s chaotic, fun, and genuinely useful if you’re in the cloud or internet infrastructure space.