Volkov Labs at GrafanaCON 2024: A Celebration of Community and Innovation
Grafana holds a special place in our hearts at Volkov Labs, and nothing embodies this more than the in-person conferences Grafana hosts worldwide. This spring, we had the privilege of attending GrafanaCON 2024 in the vibrant city of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Over two unforgettable days, we immersed ourselves in collaboration opportunities, met inspiring individuals, and enjoyed fantastic food.
Our mission was clear: dive deep into Grafana’s culture, understand their priorities, and explore future plans. What we didn’t expect was the overwhelming recognition from attendees. Strolling through the conference halls with a refreshing lemonade in hand, we were stopped by countless people saying, "Thank you for your plugins; they saved my company and me!" These moments made the entire trip worthwhile.
While we’re aware of the impressive download statistics for our plugins, meeting users face-to-face and hearing their stories was incredibly insightful.
Golden Grot Award Winner: Professional Category​
For nearly three years, we’ve collaborated with Theia Scientific and Chris Fields on a groundbreaking project. This initiative empowers nuclear scientists across the US to analyze material quality under microscopes with speed and precision.
We’re thrilled to announce that the dashboard we co-developed has won the prestigious Golden Grot Award in the Professional category at GrafanaCON 2024. With only two winners annually—one personal and one professional—this recognition is a true honor.
Chris kindly shared the award with us for a photo opportunity. Crafted from elegant glassy material, the award is as striking as it is substantial—a perfect symbol of achievement.
JAXA Moon Landing: Monitoring with Volkov Labs Plugins​
One of the standout moments of GrafanaCON 2024 came during a keynote follow-up session. Satoshi Nakahira, Associate Senior Researcher at JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), presented their historic Moon landing project. As I watched the dashboards used for probe monitoring, my heart skipped a beat—our very own Business Media panel was prominently featured, tracking probe movements in real time.
Planted: Innovating with Grafana Beyond Monitoring​
After a delightful lunch and an in-depth session on Grafana 11, Mathias Pawlowsky, Head of Data Science at Planted, showcased how they leverage Grafana for operational excellence. What stood out to us was their use of Volkov Labs plugins, including Business Forms, Business Variable, and Business Charts, to enable seamless control directly from Grafana dashboards.
Mathias echoed a philosophy we champion at Volkov Labs: Grafana can transcend traditional process monitoring and become a hub for broader business solutions.
We were also deeply honored to see a shout-out to Volkov Labs on one of his slides, recognizing our work on Business Charts powered by Apache ECharts.
Heineken: Scaling with Grafana Across 85 Breweries​
Another highlight was learning from Dolf Noordman and Frank Van Boven, IIoT and Mission Critical Engineers at Schuberg Philis. They unveiled a massive project connecting 85 Heineken breweries worldwide, monitored through over 4,000 Grafana dashboards.
To manage this scale, they deploy customizable Grafana Docker containers for each client, preloaded with essential plugins—including our Business Charts powered by Apache ECharts. This approach aligns with our own strategies for commercial projects. Curious to learn more? Check out our blog post on customizing Grafana UI and explore our YouTube tutorials.
Obirdability: A Charming Bird Monitoring Project​
One of the most delightful presentations came from Ivana Huckova and Sven Großmann, Senior Software Engineers at Grafana Labs. Their Obirdability project, designed to monitor birds, was as impressive as it was adorable. They utilized our Business Text panel to display bird images and play audio clips of bird sounds—a creative application of our tools.
Reflections on the Flight Home​
GrafanaCON 2024 was an resounding success. We accomplished every goal on our list, from networking to learning, while soaking in the vibrant atmosphere and savoring delicious meals.
Returning home, we’re buzzing with energy and inspiration. Our team is already brainstorming ideas for new features, plugins, and innovations. GrafanaCON perfectly blended technology with human connection, reminding us why we’re so passionate about this community. It’s a group of tech enthusiasts who value simplicity, maintainability, and speed in their solutions.
A Special Shout-Out​
A heartfelt thank you to Amanda V. Wagner for her exceptional organizational skills and unwavering support for Grafana champions throughout the event.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going​
Inspired by what you’ve read? Explore our plugin catalog to see how Volkov Labs can elevate your Grafana experience. Have questions or ideas to share? Drop us a comment below or connect with us on GitHub or LinkedIn.
Let’s Stay Connected!​
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