IN PERSON! Apache Kafka® Meetup - Aug 2026

Hello everyone! Join us for an Apache Kafka® meetup on Aug 13th from 5:30pm The address, agenda, and speaker information can be found below. See you there! Venue: IBM 259 George Street Floor/Room: 17.06 \ Agenda: 5:30pm: Doors open 5:30pm - 6:00pm: Pizza, Drinks, and Networking 6:00pm - 6:30pm: Jaehyeon Kim, Senior Data Engineer, Kasada 6:30pm - 7:00pm: Dominique Ronde, Staff Solution Engineer, Confluent 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Additional Networking \ Speaker: Jaehyeon Kim, Senior Data Engineer, Kasada Talk: From Prototype to Production: Building a Real-Time ML Feedback Loop with Kafka and Flink Abstract: While many platforms power real-time decisions, most machine learning workflows remain stubbornly batch-oriented. This session presents a practical case study on redesigning an offline Python-based recommendation prototype into a highly scalable, real-time contextual bandit system built entirely on Apache Kafka and Apache Flink. We will explore how Kafka serves as the backbone of the feedback loop by managing real-time event ingestion and user feedback streams. From there, we will dive into how Apache Flink performs continuous, stateful online model training directly within the stream. Join this session to learn how to safely manage ML model state inside a distributed stream processor, decouple continuous Flink training from low-latency serving, and successfully integrate online learning workloads into your event-driven architectures. ----- Speaker: Dominique Ronde, Staff Solution Engineer, Confluent Talk: Guardians of the Stream: Kafka, Flink, and the Rise of GenAI Abstract: In this session we will explore how Kafka and Flink can seamlessly integrate with GenAI to build intelligent systems capable of real-time learning, automation, and decision-making. Discover the next frontier in data streaming and artificial intelligence, where Kafka, Flink, and GenAI take center stage in shaping the future of industries. \ If you would like to speak or host our next event please let us know! community@confluent.io