This is where the real deals happen…
It only takes three little words to make any veteran CloudFest attendee’s ears perk up: “the Colosseo Bar”. A hidden watering hole in a small town in a little corner of Germany has, over the years, become one of the most important physical locations for the internet infrastructure industry—and not just because it’s at one of CloudFest’s partner hotels.
My first time at the Colosseo Bar was for CloudFest 2018, my first time at the festival. I was brought in to write the Trend Report, and it was my introduction to both CloudFest itself and most of the team; having already written for NamesCon. My first impression of this festival was, “Whoah, this is #$@&ing HUGE!” Just as the ConneXion Party was about to kick off, I went with some of the production team to watch the concert.
We crammed into the tiny Hotel Colosseo elevator and went to the top floor, spilling out into a narrow foyer. The Colosseo Bar itself is actually bigger than you would expect, with high ceilings and plenty of spaces for large groups of people to gather—this is important, because a group of two becoming a group of 10 is pretty common at CloudFest.
“Many deals in the internet infrastructure industry start at the Colosseo Bar.”
We watched the concert—an amazing Rammstein cover band called Völkerball—from the balcony, and I wondered the whole time how the Operations Team organized the logistics for not just the huge stage and “magic sky” lighting/shelter for a crowd of over a thousand concertgoers, but also the insane amount of paperwork it must have taken to clear all those pyrotechnics.
The thing I remember most about the Colosseo Bar that night was how crowded it was at midnight. I headed back to my room to get some much-needed rest, but there were still hundreds of people engaged in intense conversations. (I also recall seeing a few people wearing sunglasses indoors the next morning…)
The Pull of the Colosseo Bar
It’s part of core CloudFest knowledge that many deals in the internet infrastructure industry start at the Colosseo Bar, sometimes with memoranda of understanding sketched out on bar napkins. CloudFest is designed for around-the-clock networking, and having a space that’s open until whenever-o’clock is part of that design. For the past few years, .Cloud has partnered with the CloudFest team to make these opening hours possible.
Because it’s open all night, every night during CloudFest, many—actually, probably most—attendees just know without having to be told that that place will be open, and they can go there to connect with their friends and colleagues as well as meet a few new ones. It’s like the Colosseo Bar has its own gravity, just pulling Cloud professionals to its leather seats!
Even the pandemic didn’t completely stop us from going to the Colosseo Bar! When we had to cancel CloudFest 2020 at the last minute (we’re all still hurting from that, by the way—it’s a very deep wound), the team put together CloudFest Parkside that same year, a summer party featuring live music and informal interviews from a location that the whole community knows.
A Friendly Space for Friendly People
I’ve never—not once—been to Colosseo Bar without meeting someone new. I’m pretty sure you’d have to walk through the space with your jacket over your head, looking down the entire time, if you somehow wanted to do that. (Not advised: you don’t want to spill anyone’s drinks!)
“The Colosseo Bar is a microcosm of CloudFest itself.”
For me, as part of the CloudFest Team and a member of this community, the Colosseo Bar is a microcosm of CloudFest itself: the people who show up are what make it special. Doing business at this festival has a very different vibe than you’ll find at any other tech industry event, and that’s why our attendees are so dedicated: some have been coming for 20 years. As long as this community wants to keep connecting and keep pushing the boundaries of what can be done in the Cloud, we’ll keep giving them the space to do so.
As we get closer to 10,000 attendees per festival, the CloudFest team has activated more spaces throughout Europa-Park to make sure everyone can be included in the nightly celebrations. From disco and jazz to our own Pride celebration, there are always options and surprises for a community that HATES going to bed early—and Colosseo Bar remains at the heart of the action, night after night.
I’m sure I’ll see you there at the next CloudFest.
