This inaugural event brings together everything that makes Kafka Summit, well, Kafka Summit, including technical sessions, networking opportunities, the Expo Hall with sponsors and cool tricks, a closing reception, and social media fun. The author recommends selecting at least three sessions to attend, using the conference app to build a personal agenda, and exploring the Expo Hall in between sessions. Networking is encouraged, as well as attending the closing reception and participating in social media conversations using #KafkaSummit. The event will also be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person, with recorded sessions available afterwards. Confluent is named Microsoft's 2024 OSS on Azure Global Partner of the Year, reflecting its commitment to delivering open source-based applications and infrastructure solutions on Microsoft Azure.