CloudFest History
How it started: A few friends talking about web hosting
How it’s going: Thousands of IT leaders shaping the future of the internet
The story of CloudFest has been exciting so far, and we can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds. This community will help us write it, and the whole world will experience it.
From a Group of Friends to a Huge Festival
The history of CloudFest is still being written. What began as a gathering of 100 people now welcomes over 9,000 attendees at a time. More than 200 exhibitors from around 70 different countries and over 250 different experts in the field attract the brightest minds in the hosting and cloud industry every year. Most of these partners include the biggest names in the computing industry—names like Intel, VeriSign, Dell, HPE, Google Cloud, AMD, Toshiba, and many more.
CloudFest takes place every year in springtime at Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, which is transformed into a different kind of playground. The event is all about the latest technologies, innovations, and product presentations, but also hosts workshops, meetings, and networking. The enormous growth of technology and the challenges we face these days require a focus on the development of real-world solutions during this event. This involves all aspects of safety, security, protection, service quality, and ownership within the scope of online activities.
Besides bringing in top-flight speakers from within the world of the cloud, we reach into other worlds as well, to bring more dimensions of creativity and entrepreneurship to the table.
The Story is Just Beginning
As the internet—and the world—changes, so does CloudFest and its community. This is a friendly crowd that welcomes fresh perspectives and new experiences.
Person-to-person relationships are the life force of this festival, and CloudFest is living proof that the right connections can change your business and change your life.
How will you contribute to the future history of the Cloud?
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CLOUDFEST
In the Beginning, There Was Hosting…
The global hosting and cloud services market is gigantic, with over a billion websites worldwide – and everything from mobile apps and social games to email and mission-critical business software running in the cloud. But at the same time, giants like Facebook, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are fundamentally shaping the social, economic and political landscapes that impact us all.
Meanwhile, hackers are stealing data, user information gets weaponized to change the course of democratic elections, and governments are issuing new – and sometimes conflicting—laws and regulations every day. With the pandemic pushing more businesses than ever online, and artificial intelligence both consuming and generating gigantic amounts of data; storing and making sense of all that information is more important than ever.
2004
WebHostingDay
Location: LVR Tower Cologne, Germany
Days: 1 day
Attendees: 150
2005 – 1010
WebHostingDay
Location: Phantasialand Brühl, Germany
Days: 2 days
Attendees: over the years from 500 – 2850 ppl.
2011 – 2015
WHD.GLOBAL
Location: Europa-Park Rust, Germany
Days: 3 days
Highlights: Julian Assange, Jimmy Wales, SNAP!
Attendees: over the years from 2500 – 4500 ppl.
2016 – 2017
WHD.GLOBAL – THE CLOUD FESTIVAL
Location: Europa-Park Rust, Germany
Days: 7 days
Highlights: first Hackathon, Edward Snowden, Buzz Aldrin, Royal Machines, Cooperation with Waterschool
Attendees: over the years from 4500 – 6500 ppl.
SINCE 2018
CLOUDFEST
Location: Europa-Park Rust, Germany
Days: 5 days
Highlights: CloudFest Guatemala School, Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Yuval Noah Harari, Hank Shocklee, Loud in the Cloud Music Festival, Run DMC—what will be next?
Attendees: over the years from 6000 – 10,000+ ppl.
Get your CloudFest Pass
Standard Pass
499 €
excl. VAT
Only for CloudFest’s core audience of CSPs, hosters, MSPs, corporate IT, web agencies, and WordPress developers.
Access to the entire CloudFest venue at Europa-Park
Invitation to all of the main parties networking events
Event bag with CloudFest documentation
Participation in Keynote, Breakout, and Masterclass tracks, and Exhibition Hall
Catering, including lunch and coffee breaks
Free shuttle from Offenburg HBF to Rust and back
VIP Pass
999 €
excl. VAT
Only for CloudFest’s core audience of CSPs, hosters, MSPs, corporate IT, web agencies, and WordPress developers.
All benefits from the Standard Pass
Chauffeured luxury car service between venues and EP hotels
Exclusive high-level networking events
Hotel VIP treatment and concierge service (Book your hotel separately
Access to VIP Lounge
Special lunch restaurant with gourmet catering
Vendor Pass
999 €
excl. VAT
This pass is for professionals who sell to CloudFest’s core channel.
Access to the entire CloudFest venue at Europa-Park
Invitation to all of the main parties networking events
Event bag with CloudFest documentation
Participation in Keynote, Breakout, and Masterclass tracks, and Exhibition Hall
Catering, including lunch and coffee breaks
Free shuttle from Offenburg HBF to Rust and back
The ability to book 1on1 Meeting Tables
Badge scanning to create downloadable lead lists with your smartphone
Inclusion in a dedicated Vendor Register so attendees can find and connect with the vendors they want to meet
Vendor VIP Pass
1,999 €
excl. VAT
This pass is for professionals who sell to CloudFest’s core channel.
All benefits from the Vendor Pass
Chauffeured luxury car service between venues and EP hotels
Exclusive high-level networking events
Hotel VIP treatment and concierge service (Book your hotel separately)
Access to VIP Lounge
Special lunch restaurant with gourmet catering