As we enter our 11th year, I wanted to give you an update on our plans for 2026 and the opportunities we have available.
First, I want to thank everyone! In 2025 we hosted 12 meetups! Three (3) of these meetups we collaborated with our Azure, TerraForm, DevOps, and Columbus JS user group colleagues, and we were one of the stops for the very first AWS Developer advocates road tour!
2026 Schedule
This January multiple AWS user groups are combining to host a virtual meetup recap of re:Invent (re:cap). February will also be a remote meetup. March-December we will be back to in-person. We will also host an occasional 2nd meetup in a month when we have special guest speakers or to accommodate speaker schedules. Rumor is there may be another Aaron and Darko road trip this year, stay tuned!!!
Keep an eye out for an announcement on this year’s Midwest Community Day conference. We are targeting June in Indianapolis which is only a 3 hour drive from Columbus!
Call for presenters!
I am excited to announce that we are now using Sessionize to manage speaker submissions! https://sessionize.com/aws-columbus/
Sessionize will allow us to manage all speaker submissions in a central interface. Speakers will have the opportunity to make revisions based on feedback and upload images and attachments. We now have access to session survey tools and resources as well to help speakers through the entire process.
I encourage anyone to submit. This is an opportunity for anyone at any skill level to present and share your knowledge. You do not need years of experience, sometimes the best person to learn from is someone who does not have the curse of knowledge. https://sessionize.com/aws-columbus/
Call for AWS Community Builders (deadline January 20)
Since 2020 Amazon has been organizing the AWS Community Builders program. This program provides resources and recognition to community members who are passionate about AWS.
I am proud to say that Columbus has 3 AWS Community Builders: myself, Lena Taupier (one of the original builders from the class of 2020), and Girish Bhatia. We would like to see more builders from Columbus and Ohio!
In past years the Community Builders program has accepted builders who have contributed their knowledge to the community, presenting at meetups and Community Day events, blogging on AWS topics, or made how-to videos. This year they are expanding this to include users who are using higher level technologies (AI, MCP, containers, etc.), contribute to open source projects that any cloud builder could benefit from, or/and cloud-agnostic builders. A good candidate will have presented at an event or meetup, blogged or created an instructional video, and/or is active on social media in the last year.
If have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at angelo [at] mandato (dot) com. Sharing your knowledge is a gift, I will gladly help you in any way that I can.
This year’s application window closes on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Be sure to apply on or before this date.
Apply here: https://pulse.aws/application/BM2AKLSX/new?p=0
Call for new locations and sponsors
Thank you 2025 sponsors: VEEAM, Franklin University, Leading EDJE, Branch Insurance, and AWS!
We are planning meetups this year between Veeam, Franklin University, Branch Insurance, and LeadingEDJE’s offices, and we are always open to new locations especially if they are in regions we currently do not serve such as Easton/New Albany.
If you know of a new location where we could host future meetups or would like to sponsor a future meetup please reach out to me at angelo [at] mandato (dot) com.
Important: As of January 1, 2026 you must be a sponsor to distribute SWAG or marketing material at that event.
Organizers and Volunteers
We are looking for organizers and volunteers! No experience necessary, you just have a passion for learning and helping the community.
Conclusion
Thank you everyone who has participated at meetups, thank you sponsors, and thank you AWS for your support! Thank you speakers and co-organizers for helping last year! We look forward to 2026!