As KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Salt Lake City approaches, Jorge Castro, CNCF Projects Team Lead, shared his excitement for what’s in store at the Project Pavilion. This year, the Pavilion is designed to capture the full spectrum of the cloud-native ecosystem, from sandbox projects to graduated essentials. With booths for every stage of project maturity, attendees will find it easier to engage directly with maintainers, watch live demos, and discuss future development.
Jorge is looking forward to the “Hallway Track” – the informal but essential conversations where participants get real, practical insights. CNCF ambassadors will offer guided project tours for new attendees, helping everyone explore the technologies shaping the cloud-native world.
Looking ahead, Jorge is keen on fostering connections between end-users and project maintainers, spotlighting key projects like Helm, as it prepares for Helm 4, and Kubeflow. He encourages everyone to check out the pavilion’s lightning talks on Monday; an introduction to different projects.
This episode is sponsored by OVHcloud.
Bart Farrell (00:00.11)
Alright, KubeCon is coming up, and there’s no one better to talk about the CNCF projects than Jorge Castro, who’s been doing great work at the Project Pavilion. Jorge, for those who may not know you, what’s your role at CNCF, and what does that involve?
Jorge Castro (01:54.453)
I’m Jorge Castro, on the CNCF projects team, and my job at KubeCon is to make the Project Pavilion rock. The pavilion is where CNCF projects have booths, rotating throughout the week. We give attendees a taste of open source, with CNCF maintainers on hand to showcase their projects, answer questions, and demo tools. Last KubeCon, Linkerd did a live release in the pavilion. It’s the place to see open source in action, where you can walk around, interact, and get to know the projects.
Bart Farrell (02:47.052)
With over 200 projects, it’s a lot to keep track of. That’s part of why we’re here, to help people find the projects that fit them or offer open-source solutions for their challenges. What’s your background, and how did you start working with the Project Pavilion?
Jorge Castro (03:17.197)
I first worked on the Project Pavilion in Chicago, but it was pretty empty back then. I remember talking with folks like Stacey Potter, and we were like, “This could be so much better.” So I jumped in and started working with the events team to improve it. We put the pavilion in the center of everything, added comfortable seating, kept it near caffeine and restrooms—basically, made it a place where you can experience KubeCon.
Bart Farrell (05:33.654)
That sounds like a great setup. The pavilion’s grown so much! For those attending KubeCon for the first time, it can be overwhelming. What advice would you give them?
Jorge Castro (07:57.493)
Find an ambassador. Ambassadors lead project tours, and if you don’t know where to start, they’re the perfect guides. On the schedule, you’ll see when the tours happen, and you can join an ambassador who can show you around. Different people have different focus areas—networking, storage, etc.—so we place people where they’re most knowledgeable. The pavilion is set up to be spontaneous and open for organic conversations.
Bart Farrell (09:48.573)
What’s the future of the Project Pavilion? Where do you see it going from here?
Jorge Castro (10:04.992)
First, it’s about re-energizing maintainers and connecting them with end users. Our goal is to create opportunities where maintainers and users meet, bridging that gap. For instance, if a Helm maintainer is at their booth, and an end user could benefit from their guidance, they should connect. Moving forward, I’d love to see more of these direct connections.
Bart Farrell (14:10.752)
I know you’re working with many projects, but are there any new projects that stand out?
Jorge Castro (14:30.29)
Definitely Helm, which is transitioning from Helm 3 to Helm 4, bringing big changes. Kubeflow is also a favorite of mine, and I’m looking forward to its demos. We’ll see new projects in Salt Lake City too, but I can’t share details yet. And there’s always WasmCloud with cool demos. You’ll get a variety, from the fresh and innovative sandbox projects on the pavilion’s outer edge to the mature projects at the center.
Bart Farrell (17:54.627)
The variety sounds fantastic. What final advice do you have for attendees?
Jorge Castro (18:49.518)
Don’t plan too much! Block out a couple of hours, go with the flow, and check out the lightning talks on Monday. We designed them to give you a quick, seven-minute intro to various projects so you can decide what to explore later.
Bart Farrell (20:10.481)
Great advice. It’s about connecting with people, whether ambassadors, maintainers, or other attendees. Before we wrap up, what advice would you give for being a good contributor and maintainer?
Jorge Castro (21:01.116)
Be consistent, even if it means pacing yourself. Avoid burnout by maintaining a steady rhythm. The pavilion is a safe space to connect with others and learn. There’s no selling, just real, supportive conversations with fellow open-source enthusiasts. It’s about seeing the people behind the projects and learning from them.
Bart Farrell (24:19.337)
Absolutely. Everyone’s there to help. Any last words?
Jorge Castro (24:50.576)
Join the Cube Crawl! That’s when the pavilion really comes alive, with emeritus maintainers visiting, and folks gathering to share ideas. It’s the community vibe at its best. Just come, listen, and you’ll get great advice from all kinds of people.