[#InfiltrationReport] GCPUG Kyoto Launches! │ What is the increasingly popular Google Cloud Platform (GCP) user group?

Hello! And nice to meet you.
I'm Kida from the Content Business Department.

I am mainly in charge of managing our company's content and supporting our customers, but from this spring I will also be involved in marketing, and I am also participating in exhibitions and study sessions where Beyond exhibits (^^)/

This time, I'll be reporting on an undercover event I recently attended called GCPUG Kyoto

GCPUGWhat is

GCPUG ( is Google Cloud Platforma user group dedicated to promoting and improving Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Anyone who shares the purpose of GCPUG is welcome to join, from beginners to advanced users. Let's work together to make Google Cloud Platform (GCP) even more exciting!

GCPUG finally launched in Kyoto!

is currently gaining momentum in the Kansai region GCPUG , has finally expanded its activities to Kyoto, and on April 7th, GCPUG Kyoto was finally held! I participated as a helper along with Ohara, Beyond's pre-sales engineer, but all I could do was take pictures and make some minor sound adjustments... ( ;∀;)

Participants began arriving at the venue before the start time, showing how much attention GCPUG was receiving

▲The event was held at QOO Kiyamachi, located on the 1st floor of the Nagayoshi Kiyamachi Building at 190 Zaimokucho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City.
There was plenty of seating, and the atmosphere was like a bar, so it wasn't stiff at all, even though it was a study session, making it easy for first-timers to participate!

The speed at which applications for CONNPASS are being accepted shows how much attention it is receiving!

GCPUG isCONNPASS, but as soon as the application details were released, it filled up at an astonishing speed!
In Kyoto, we had planned for 50 spots, but we received applications from over 90 people, and now there's a waiting list!

Those who managed to get a spot due to cancellations expressed their joy on Twitter

If you check the tweets with the hashtag "#GCPUG," you can see that the excitement was building even before people started attending. In addition, speakers and those who gave short talks posted materials on Twitter, so even those who couldn't attend can see what the event was about

The speakers are gorgeous!

Above all, the speakers were fantastic. Organizers from other regions also came to the event, making the Kyoto launch a great success

Here are the speakers at GCPUG Kyoto:

■ Overview of GCPUG and GCP: sinmetal (Mercari / Souzou)
■ Machine Learning: Sato (Google)
■ Big Query (Big Data Analysis): Nakamura (GrooveNots)
■ GKE + Kubernetes (Containers): Ohara (Beyond)
■ Basic GPU Utilization (Deep Learning) using Google Datalab and TensorFlow:
MATSUDA (Nissen)
■ Lightning Talk: Rancher 2.0 and GKE: cyberblack28

The materials prepared by the speakers were very easy to understand, and it was a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

without at least some knowledge of Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Wouldn't GCPUG be difficult to use

No, not at all.
In fact, I was actually very nervous about participating this time... (even though I'm not a speaker).

However, both the organizing committee and the participants were very welcoming, and we were able to spend a very fulfilling time from start to finish

▲Everyone had a serious expression, but they were all really easy to talk to. There were
even jokes thrown in from time to time, making for a very friendly and relaxed study session.

The recruitment details on CONNPASS are as follows:

■ This is for people who fit these criteria!

★ I want to get excited about GCPUG.
★ I want to start using GCP.
★ I'm involved in cloud-based development, but I've never used GCP.
★ I can use GCP a little.
★ I'm a beginner to intermediate level person who wants to learn more about GCP.
★ I want to find fellow users and fellow engineers who use GCP services.
★ I want a place where even beginners can present at speaker sessions and Lightning Talks.
★ I simply like Google services. ...and more.

Participants will receive a sticker as a special gift!

▲ All participants will receive GCP and GCPUG stickers (*Please note that stickers may not always be available.)

It's no exaggeration to say that I really wanted these GCP and GCPUG stickers! I finally got them!

Well, this isn't a good goal, but if you're thinking about participating, you can look forward to getting a sticker

Participants can also join the social gathering if they wish, further deepening their friendships

Even if you exchange greetings, it's hard to make progress and it's hard to join in... but it seems there's no need to worry about that. Not only speakers but also participants can join the social gathering, so you can easily ask questions that you weren't able to ask during the study session, further deepening your understanding and friendships

↓Here's what the get-together looked like.
This time, we held our get-together at Pub House ROARS!

▲Speakers and GCPUG organizers from other regions also participated

▲Everyone is having a fun conversation while drinking

Summary: What I thought after participating

Even though I didn't have any specialized knowledge and was a bit worried, everyone explained things to me carefully, and it was a wonderful user group where I was able to hear some valuable stories

It doesn't feel like an inside joke; there are a lot of people who are enthusiastic about making GCPUG even better, so
it's easy to fit in and doesn't feel like you're out of place.

The topics ranged from easy ones for beginners to ones that might be a little difficult for intermediate learners, but the materials were so easy to understand that my interest was piqued and I wanted to participate again next time!

If you're still undecided about participating, there will be another event in Kobe, so why not give it a try?
register for GCPUG Kobehere.You can

I would definitely like to participate again ('◇')ゞ