DevOps Kathmandu Connect 2025 — A Goodbye (For Now) from the Heart
From no logo before 2 months to nearly 250 attendees, here’s how we pulled off the DevOps gathering in town without designated roles & managers.
It’s still sinking in. After all the late-night calls, frantic WhatsApp messages, last-minute speaker confirmations, refreshment and swags orders, ticket glitches, and sponsor follow-ups, we actually made it. DevOps Kathmandu Connect 2025 is a wrap. And my heart is equal parts full and heavy.
Even though I was physically in Las Vegas for Google Cloud Next’25 from April 7th to 11th, my mind was fully in Kathmandu. I could barely focus on any session — not even the keynote. I was lugging around my laptop, typing emails to attendees, reaching out to companies to help spread the word, making last-minute LinkedIn announcements and constantly thinking about what could make the event feel more alive, more engaging. From content to community to donuts to JuJu Dhau, I was in but just remotely.
From an Idea Spark to a Movement
The dream of organizing something bigger had been floating around for a while. Even before Milan and I left the country, we were already talking about an event that would bring together students, graduates, professionals — local and international. Something that would be more than a meetup. Something meaningful.
The real spark came when we heard Bart would be in Nepal in mid-April. That gave us a reason and a deadline. We kicked off our usual Sunday 8 PM calls, but progress was slow… until we found ourselves with less than two months to go.
What started years ago as casual, logo-less gatherings has now grown into something much more — a thriving, connected, and passionate DevOps community.
The Blueprint (Kind Of)
We held an open call with fellow cloud communities to share our vision. Those who showed interest joined a WhatsApp group. Once we got a workable banner design and CFP approval from Sessionize, the real madness began — speaker outreach (a lot of it felt like we were bugging people), scrambling for venues, tech dry-runs, proposal extensions, and the all-too-familiar rollercoaster of organizing a full-fledged conference.
It Wasn’t Easy. But It Was Worth It.
Reaching out to speakers meant nudging old friends and cold emailing complete strangers. Thanks to everyone who vouched for us (especially you, Jagat dai).
Proposal deadline? Extended.
Female speakers? We didn’t have enough. So, we kept the CFP open till the very end. And we’re incredibly proud to have closed the event with not one, but two phenomenal women leading the final talks. That felt like a statement.
Speaker selection? Honestly, it was tough. Saying “no” is harder than it seems. To soften the blow, we offered complimentary tickets to those we couldn’t include. A small gesture, but maybe one that keeps the spark alive.
Tech Stack, Sponsors & the Magic That Followed
Milan went full beast mode on the website and Sessionize setup clean, reliable, and on point.
Slido said yes to our cold email and gave us a $300 team license for free. That’s the power of community.
Viewfinders (shoutout to Anup dai!) didn’t even blink before saying yes to handling production. Every moment, every talk — captured beautifully.
Sponsorships? We were ready to self-fund if needed. Bart’s early commitment through learnk8s gave us confidence. Then, something magical happened — Andrei from CloudHero, who had been quietly noticing our efforts since 2018, reached out via Tara to offer support. No stalls, no flashy booths. Just genuine community backing.
We also reached out publicly to local companies — loudly and proudly. Freelancers too. The response? Mostly silence. A few showed interest, but the alignment wasn’t quite there. And that’s okay. Every seed planted matters.
The Venue That Brought It All Together
A huge shoutout to Islington College, more than just a venue, it was the heartbeat of the event. The energy, the vibe, the accessibility — none of it would’ve felt the same anywhere else. From the halls that buzzed with hallway conversations to the tech setup that didn’t miss a beat, it gave the event its soul.
Special thanks to Sauharda sir and the entire Islington team. Their support, flexibility, and behind-the-scenes help made all the difference. Honestly, without them, DevOps Kathmandu Connect 2025 wouldn’t have been possible at this scale or with this vibe. They didn’t just give us space, they amplified our vision.
Ticket Sales Were Never the Point
We didn’t price tickets to make a profit. The goal was simple: sustainability. We want to make sure the next student curious about DevOps never has to hesitate because of the cost.
We even floated the idea of a “supporter’s fishbowl” for those who wanted to contribute more. Maybe next time?
Scholarships & Kindness
We opened up scholarships because we deeply believe that money should never be a barrier to learning or community participation. That said, we also didn’t want to make it entirely free because we’ve learned that when there’s even a small level of commitment, people tend to value it more. We kept the fee symbolic, and the trust, real.
We carefully reviewed every single application. Some of the stories, the passion, and the sheer willingness to attend despite all odds genuinely moved us. A few even brought tears to our eyes. From students juggling part-time jobs to folks from remote regions eager to connect and grow — it reminded us why we do this in the first place.
We were able to provide 40 partial scholarships and 4 travel support for four attendees from outside the valley, along with free entry to the event. We know it’s not everything — but for those individuals, it meant a lot. And we have no doubt they’ll carry this forward, showing up for others in the future, just like the community showed up for them.
More Than Just an Event
From paper zip-locks filled with dry fruits to JuJu Dhau from Bhaktapur — every detail was chosen with care. We wanted this to feel like a memorable experience, not just another tech event.
When our refreshment partnership plans fell through, we didn’t give up. In the end, local love came through and saved the day.
The Team Behind the Scenes
We’re not full-time event planners. We juggle work, college, life. But this incredible team made it happen:
- Devi (didi 😏)— The MVP. From venue logistics to team coordination, she held everything together.
- Sakar — Our Calm Amidst Chaos (and a Speaker Too!) — From drafting the venue MoU to writing proposals, managing behind-the-scenes coordination, and handling event-day hiccups like they were no big deal — he was the quiet engine that kept things moving. While we scrambled, he stayed steady, calm, and focused. And if that wasn’t enough, he also took the stage as a speaker .
- Rishikesh & Shubham — From crafting every banner, ticket, and poster to sprinting across town for sticker prints, zip-locks, and dry fruits — the duo did it all. They even took care of cup printing and speaker appreciation tokens. More than just designers, they were the hands and heart behind the event’s entire vibe. They are the “Man of the Match” undoubtedly
- Tara — From coordinating with our ticketing partner during crunch time to drafting sponsorship proposals and managing community partnerships, Tara handled it all with grace. He was also a speaker, making him one of the few who contributed both behind the scenes and on stage.
- Milan — The web and content backbone. From building and managing the event website to designing the main visuals for the big day, Milan was the quiet force behind the scenes.
- Aju —Aju jumped in to breathe life into the website, set up and managed Slido, and moderated both audience questions and speaker Q&As. He even traveled from outside the valley to be part of the event — showing up with full energy and true community spirit.
- Bishworaj — Our MC from day one, Bishworaj brought the vibe that kept the event alive and flowing. From on-stage transitions to backstage coordination, from live announcements to quick WhatsApp updates — he was everywhere. Honestly, without him, the energy wouldn’t have been the same. Hats off!
- Upendra —AWS Cloud Captain, recent graduate, and one of our speakers — Upendra brought it all. He shared his journey of leading a cloud club on stage, while off-stage, he hustled after office hours exploring swag options and supporting the team wherever needed. A true bridge between student energy and professional drive.
- Manish — The Heart in the Hustle, Manish jumped into the team with his whole heart — and showed up everywhere. From reaching out to companies for sponsorships, to exploring food options, coordinating the speaker dinner, and helping manage the overall flow of things — he was always one step ahead. Quietly dependable, endlessly proactive, and someone every community effort needs.
A big thank you to Avinash dai, who never hesitated for a second when I reached out — connecting me to every possible person or resource we needed. And to the entire WWKTM team — your quiet guidance, timely feedback, and bursts of energy were invaluable. Whether it was a quick call, a reality check, or just moral support — you helped more than you know.
A Community Effort
GDG took over registration. AWS Cloud Club jumped in for logistics. Volunteers handled chaos like pros. This wasn’t our event. It was everyone’s.
The venue team handled food, tech, and space gracefully.
While I am operating from a different timezone, the real effort was happening on the ground — by the incredible team in Nepal. Huge thanks to every single volunteer who showed up at the venue as early as 7 AM and gave their absolute best throughout the day. This event came to life because of your dedication, heart, and hustle.
We’re Not Perfect
We definitely missed a few things. Some plans didn’t go as expected. But every decision was made with heart.
If you loved the event — tell us. If there’s something we can do better — please tell us that too. Email us anytime: devopskathmandu@gmail.com.
The Final Moment
We ended the day with two incredible women on stage. Streaming Youtube live from far away, watching them speak to a room full of inspired minds, that moment hit differently. It felt like everything had come full circle.
Until We Meet Again
I’ll miss the chaos. The sleepless nights. The overused emojis. The spreadsheet battles. But more than anything, I’ll miss this community.
We’ll meet again — at a meetup, a discord channel, maybe in another country. Until then, keep learning, keep building, keep being kind.
With gratitude,
Organizer, DevOps Kathmandu
(Feel free to say Hello on Linkedin if you want to be part of it in future!)
