meetup · one-off
.NET CMS Showdown: Three Platforms, One Discussion
Umbraco, Kentico and Optimizely MVPs in one room, one night
When
Thursday 7 May
Time
17:00
Venue
IDHL
City Centre
Price
Free
Three .NET CMS platforms. Three MVPs. One open forum. On Thursday 7 May 2026, Umbraco Leeds Meetup hosts a head-to-head discussion at IDHL on South Parade, bringing together Andy Boot (Umbraco MVP), Liam Goldfinch (Kentico MVP) and Graham Carr (Optimizely OMVP) for a structured but candid evening about the state of .NET content management.
Each speaker gets ten minutes to cover their platform: key features, available products, AI capabilities, licensing, and what makes it worth choosing. After that, the floor opens. The Q&A is explicitly framed as an open forum — technical capabilities, editor experience, hosting options, AI integrations, real-world implementation headaches. No topic is off the table.
The event is aimed at developers, technical architects, project managers and anyone who has ever sat in a CMS selection meeting and wished they had a clearer picture. Whether you're already committed to one of these platforms, actively evaluating options, or just keeping tabs on the .NET ecosystem, the format is designed to give you honest comparisons rather than vendor pitches.
Umbraco Leeds Meetup has been running regular evenings for the Leeds .NET and CMS community for several years. Events typically draw developers and digital professionals from agencies and in-house teams across West Yorkshire. This particular evening has four sponsors — Enjoy Digital, Pixelbuilders, Moriyama and MSQ DX — covering venue, food, drinks and, according to the listing, cake. IDHL's first-floor space on South Parade is a regular fixture on the Leeds tech meetup circuit, sitting in the middle of the city centre.
Pizza is from 18:00. Talks start at 18:30. Networking continues from 20:00.
Why attend
You'll hear three platform experts give honest accounts of their CMS in the same room on the same evening — something that rarely happens outside of a procurement process. Andy Boot, Liam Goldfinch and Graham Carr are all community MVPs, not sales reps, so the framing is practical rather than promotional.
The open Q&A is the main draw. Bring specific questions about licensing costs, headless architecture, AI content tooling or migration complexity and you'll get direct answers. You'll also meet other .NET developers and architects from Leeds agencies and product teams who are working through the same decisions.
Agenda
- 18:00 — Mingling and pizza
- 18:30 — .NET CMS Showdown: ten-minute presentations from each MVP, followed by open forum Q&A
- 20:00 — Open social and networking
Speakers
- Andy Boot — Umbraco MVP
- Liam Goldfinch — Kentico MVP
- Graham Carr — Optimizely OMVP
Organiser
Umbraco Leeds Meetup
Umbraco Leeds Meetup is a community group for .NET CMS developers and digital professionals in West Yorkshire. They run regular evening events covering Umbraco and the broader .NET web development ecosystem. Events are free and typically include food and drinks courtesy of local agency sponsors.
Venue
IDHL, City Centre
IDHL occupies the first floor at 10 South Parade in Leeds city centre. It's a familiar host venue for Leeds tech meetups, central and straightforward to reach from the train station.
FAQs
- Is this event free to attend?
- Yes, the event is free. Food, drinks and venue are covered by sponsors Enjoy Digital, Pixelbuilders, Moriyama and MSQ DX.
- Where exactly is the venue?
- IDHL, First Floor, 10 South Parade, Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire.
- Do I need to register in advance?
- The event is listed on Meetup.com via the Umbraco Leeds Meetup group. Register there to secure your place.
- Who is this event suitable for?
- Developers, technical architects, project managers and anyone involved in CMS selection or implementation on .NET projects. All experience levels are welcome.
- What platforms will be covered?
- Umbraco, Kentico and Optimizely. Each platform is represented by its community MVP, who will present for ten minutes before the open Q&A.