As a software engineer, you know the drill: Keep up with the latest industry updates or get left behind. 👀
One way to do this is by attending software engineering conferences.
Software engineering conferences are gatherings where industry thought leaders, experts, and enthusiasts discuss the newest software trends, technologies, and best practices. These discussions are held through various formats including keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, company exhibitions, and networking sessions.
So whether you’re looking to stay ahead in your current role, eyeing a new position, or just passionate about tech, these events are where you can fuel your growth and keep your passion for software engineering alive and kicking. 🤩
Ready to explore these opportunities? We’ve picked the best software engineering conferences that’ll not only keep you ahead of the game but also ensure you have a blast while you’re at it.
Let the tech adventure begin!
Best Software Engineering Conferences for Growth in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseList of Upcoming Software Engineering Conferences Around the Globe
This curated list of upcoming 2024 global conferences is your ticket to accessing the latest in technology, building a strong network of like-minded individuals, and even contributing to your team’s professional growth with learning deep technical insights.
We’ve got a mix of in-person and virtual events for software developers and software engineers, single and multi-day, and free and paid. 💸
This way, you can prioritize and attend conferences that fit your schedule, preference, and budget.
1. NDC London
NDC London is a software development conference covering a wide range of topics from databases and JavaScript to web development and DevOps. The first two days feature interactive workshops, followed by three days of 60-minute talks by over 110 tech experts.
Keep an eye out for some cool talks like Laila Bougria’s “Debug your Thinking,” which digs into how your thinking affects your work. If you’re leading a team or aspiring to, Nelly Sattari from Atlassian has a two-day workshop about amping up the productivity of your developer teams. ⚡
Can’t make it to London? No sweat. These other NDC events might be closer to home:
- NDC Sydney (February 12-16)
- NDC Oslo (June 10-14)
- NDC TechTown (September 9-12)
- NDC Porto (October 14-18)
Location and Date
- Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, UK (January 29-February 2)
Cost
- All Access Pass: £2,290
- 3-day Pass: £1,590
- 2-day Pass: £1,490
- 1-day Pass: £1,390
2. THAT Conference
THAT Conference is a three-day tech summer camp that’ll be held at the stunning Kalahari Resort and Waterpark. The keynotes and panelist conversations will cover web, mobile, and cloud technology.
You’ll hear from speakers like Shaundai Person from Netflix, Danny Thompson from AutoZone, and Kelly Vaughn from Spot AI, and participate in workshops and open spaces.
If the Texas date doesn’t work for you, there’ll be a second event in Wisconsin from July 29 to August 1 that might fit your schedule. 🗓️
Location and Date
- Round Rock, Texas, USA (January 29-31)
- Online (January 29-31)
Cost
- Camper No Food: $599
- Camper: $999
- Family Campers: $99
- Online: Free
3. BASTA!
BASTA! is a must-attend event for .NET developers and anyone interested in Microsoft technology. It’s packed with over 70 workshops, sessions, and keynotes covering everything from Agile and DevOps to .NET Framework to Azure.
Whether you decide to be there in person or enjoy it from home, BASTA! makes sure you have a smooth experience. The online platform lets you join, watch live sessions, and network with others. And if you’re there in person, you can grab some sweet hotel deals, meals, and a certificate of participation. 👨🎓
Location and Date
- Frankfurt Marriott Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany (February 12-16)
- Online (February 12-16)
Cost
- 5-day pass (On-site): €2,449
- 5-day pass (Remote): €1,583
4. DeveloperWeek
DeveloperWeek offers a unique mix of in-person and virtual events with keynotes, conference sessions, open talks, workshops, and expos. You’ll get to explore a range of topics including virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, IoT, APIs, serverless, and microservices.
Plus, you can participate in hackathons with hundreds of participants, where you can show off your skills and maybe even win some prizes. If you opt for the Premium pass, you’ll get access to the co-located ProductWorld event.
This is the perfect opportunity to meet top product managers from Silicon Valley companies, pick up product management tips, learn best practices for gathering product feedback, and get recommendations for the best product marketing books. 📚
Location and Date
- Oakland Convention Center, San Francisco Bay Area, USA (February 21-23)
- Online (February 27-29)
Cost
- Open pass (limited online access): $100
- Pro pass (full online access): $990
- Premium pass (full in-person and online access): $1,590
5. ConFoo
ConFoo is your go-to conference for a deep dive into software architecture, software quality and security, AI, and DevOps. It also covers the latest in programming languages like PHP, Java, .Net, JavaScript, and Python.
Got an interesting tech project or insights to share? Check out ConFoo’s Lightning talks. These are five-minute slots where you can talk about anything related to web development. It’s a fun way to get your ideas out there and maybe even kickstart your public speaking career. 👨🏫
Location and Date
- Bonaventure Hotel, Montreal, Canada (February 21-23)
Cost
- Conference ticket: CA$1,200
- Workshops (Optional): CA$700 to CA$1,200
6. JSWorld Conference
JSWorld Conference is where it’s at for JavaScript fans! This three-day event kicks off at Theater Amsterdam and wraps up at RAI Amsterdam, bringing together over 2,000 JavaScript developers across 50+ countries. 🌍
The lineup of speakers includes Evan You (creator of Vue and Vite), Ryan Dahl (creator of Node.js), and Scott Chacon (co-founder of GitHub). Besides absorbing knowledge from these tech leaders, you’ll have the chance to participate in hands-on workshops like building decentralized apps with Web5.js.
Plus, your three-day ticket to JSWorld also gets you into Vuejs Amsterdam, where you can learn more about Vue and Vite.
Location and Date
- Amsterdam, Netherlands (February 28-March 1)
Cost
- 3-day ticket: €999
- 1-day ticket (March 1): €399
7. Visual Studio Live!
If you’re looking to level up your game with Microsoft’s developer tools and platforms, VS Live! is the place to be. You get to explore everything about the .NET framework and the latest in Visual Studio, OpenAI, ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Azure.
But it’s not all tech and no play. The VS Live! organizers spice things up with fun networking events like the welcome reception and trivia, mix and mingle, table topic lunch, and out on the town in Old Las Vegas.
And if you can’t make this one, check out their other events that’ll be held in Chicago (April 29-May 3), at the Microsoft HQ in Washington (August 5-9), and in Orlando (November 17-22).
Location and Date
- Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, USA (March 3-8)
Cost
- 3-day pass: $1,775
- 4-day pass: $2,275
- 5-day pass: $2,775
- 6-day pass: $3,275
8. Oracle DevLive
Oracle DevLive is your ticket to ramping up your data and AI skills. It’s loaded with keynotes and labs by Oracle’s top developers, exploring Java, MySQL, Database, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Signing up for DevLive also means you get access to the CloudWorld Tour on March 14. This complimentary event is a good opportunity to get practical insights on solving business challenges and network with potential partners. 🤝
The best part? Both DevLive and the CloudWorld Tour won’t cost you a dime—just register with your free Oracle account.
Besides London, Oracle DevLive will be hosted in three other locations: São Paulo, Brazil (April 3), Bengaluru, India (April 3-4), and New York City, USA (May 9).
Location and Date
- ExCeL London, London, UK (March 12-13)
Cost
- Free
9. Nvidia GTC AI Conference
The Nvidia GTC AI Conference is the hotspot for discussing the future of AI and tech. This event covers everything, including generative AI, deep learning, computer graphics, robotics, and accelerated computing. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, will deliver a keynote.
There’ll also be over 40 speakers, including Joelle Pineau from Meta, Bryan Goodman from Ford, and Brad Lightcap from OpenAI who’ll share insights into the latest AI advancements. 🦾
Plus, you’ll get to join the “Connect with Experts” session to meet the people behind NVIDIA’s products, learn about their latest technologies, and ask any questions you have.
Location and Date
- San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California, USA (March 18-21)
- Online (March 18-21)
Cost
- 4-day pass (Conference): $2,495
- 4-day pass (Conference and Training): $2,695
- Online: Free
10. QCon London
QCon London is your gateway to learning about new software trends, technologies and best practices, how they apply in the real world, and how to adopt them in your business. There’ll be 60+ technical talks including:
- “Emerging Trends in the Frontend and Mobile Development” by William Martins (Web/TV Engineer at Netflix)
- “Engineering Leadership for All” by Tanja Lichtensteiger (Director of Product Engineering at BBC)
- “ChatGPT, Bard, Llama, Claude: What’s Next in GenAI and Large Language Models (LLMs)” by Hien Luu (Senior Engineering Manager at DoorDash)
If London’s not on your radar, there’s always QCon San Francisco, scheduled for November 18-22.
Location and Date
- Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, UK (April 8-10)
Cost
- £2,365
11. ICSE 2024
The IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE) attracts software professors and researchers to discuss trends and share their experiences in the field of software engineering.
For 2024, there’ll be 18 tracks covering research, workshops, posters, software engineering in practice, student mentoring workshops, and student research competitions.
There’ll be plenty of fun too—with activities and events like the welcome reception, conference dinner, yoga, soccer, padel, and surfing. 🏄
Location and Date
- Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal (April 14-20)
Cost
- Students: Starts at €625
- Regular attendees: Starts at €1,000
12. Open Source Summit North America
Open Source Summit North America, organized by The Linux Foundation, is an umbrella event for 16 microconferences. Some of these include CD Con, CloudOpen, ContainerCon, Open AI + Data Forum, and LinuxCon.
Thankfully, there’s a bunch of fun and social stuff too—Women and Non-Binary in Open Source Lunch, Better Together Diversity Lunch, Speed Mentoring & Networking, First-Time Attendee Breakfast, and more. 🎈
And if you can’t make it to North America, there’s also the Open Source Summit Europe in Vienna, Austria, from September 16-18.
Location and Date
- Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, USA (April 16-18)
Cost
- TBD
13. LambdaConf
At LambdaConf, you’ll get to participate in talks, workshops, and panel discussions on a variety of topics, including functional programming, machine learning, WebAssembly, and AI—all led by industry experts.
Besides the main conference, you can participate in the following pre- and post-conference activities:
- Craft beer tasting and hiking (May 4-5)
- Hackathon (May 8)
- Rust Workshop for Beginners (May 9-10)
Location and Date
- The Ridgeline Hotel Estes Park, Colorado, USA (May 6-7)
Cost
- $500 to $1,250
14. React Summit
React Summit is the yearly meetup for all things React. It offers a blend of workshops, speakers’ meet and greets, Q&As, and a JavaScript Art show. If you’ve completed an open-source project, you can submit it for the React Open Source Awards. 🏅
Additionally, you can opt to attend JS Nation 2024 (which focuses on JavaScript development) for an extra fee. This takes place a day before the summit, with the in-person event on June 13 and the remote event on June 17.
Location and Date
- De Kromhouthal, Amsterdam, Netherlands (June 14)
- Online (June 18)
Cost
- React Summit Hybrid (Regular): €560
- React Summit + JSNation (Regular): €790
- React Summit + JSNation (VIP): €990
- React Summit + JSNation (Hospitality): €1,600
- Remote React Summit: €220
- Remote React Summit + JS Nation: €180
15. GitHub Universe
GitHub Universe is where developers, software architects, and executives come together. At this event, you’ll get the scoop on the latest GitHub products and features.
Plus, you can get your technical questions answered by the GitHub team. So if you want to stay on top of your GitHub game, keep an eye out for when Universe 2024 registrations open up. 🕵️♂️
Location and Date
- Fort Mason, San Francisco, USA (October 29-30)
- Online (October 29-30)
Cost
- In-person: TBD
- Online: Free
Summarize this article for me pleaseBenefits of Attending Software Engineering Conferences
Sure, software engineering conferences can be quite pricey sometimes, but they’re worth every penny for your career. Here’s why:
- Networking opportunities: Conferences are great for finding mentors, collaborators, and job opportunities. If you’re shy or unsure where to start, no worries—many conferences run social activities to help you get the ball rolling. The connections you make can open new doors and opportunities for your career
- Staying up-to-date with industry trends and practices: The tech field evolves rapidly. And if you want to get the newest tech updates and industry standards before they hit the mainstream, conferences are the place to be. This early insight gives you a headstart in preparing for any shifts, ensuring your skills and methods remain relevant 💪
- Learning new skills and technologies: Through hands-on workshops and hackathons, you’ll pick up new skills from scratch or explore new ways to apply what you already know. These practical sessions deepen your expertise and leave you with fresh perspectives for existing and future projects
- Career development opportunities: Introducing yourself to conference attendees, presenting a paper, participating in a hackathon, or engaging in discussions are great ways to show off your skills and get the attention of potential employers. And who knows, your dream job might just be a business card exchange away
Summarize this article for me pleaseTips to Get the Most Out of a Conference
To make the most of your conference experience and reap maximum benefits, you need to have a game plan for yourself and your software team. So, here are some tips to keep in your back pocket.
Have clear learning objectives
Identify what you want to learn or achieve at the conference. Whether it’s gaining knowledge on a specific technology, or improving a certain skill, these will guide your choices of sessions and interactions.
You can use ClickUp to set your goals and objectives, and to keep track of your progress throughout the conference.
Plan your schedule
Before the conference, review the agenda and mark the sessions and workshops that align with your interests and career path. You can schedule these inside the ClickUp calendar and set reminders so you never miss a deadline. ⏰
Keep track of networking contacts
As you network with people at the conference, you’ll likely build up quite a collection of business cards. But business cards are easily lost and aren’t searchable.
Instead, transfer the info from each business card into ClickUp. This will help you keep track of everyone you meet and be able to access their contact details from anywhere. You can even record notes from your conversations or create tasks to remind you to follow up with them after the conference is over.
The ClickUp Contact List Template can give you a quick and easy starting point.
Take notes
Using a digital note-taking tool like ClickUp notepad makes it easy to jot down a checklist of things to do at the conference, key takeaways, and post-event follow-ups. And since ClickUp is a project management app, you can even convert these takeaways into tasks, ensuring that you take action on the new insights and skills you’ve gathered. 🛠️
Manage your post-conference tasks
Now that you’ve converted your takeaways into tasks, what’s next? Use ClickUp’s to set deadlines, track time, delegate some tasks to your product team, and keep tabs on progress.
And this doesn’t just have to be for tasks related to the conference. You can use ClickUp for all your software and product development teams’ projects and tasks.
ClickUp is fully customizable, but if you don’t want to start from scratch, there are hundreds of engineering templates, like the ClickUp Software Project Management Advanced Template, that’ll give you a headstart.
Summarize this article for me pleaseCommon FAQs
Here are some answers to common questions about software engineering conferences.
What are software engineering conferences?
Software engineering conferences are where tech professionals meet to discuss the latest technologies, trends, and insights. They’re also perfect for companies looking to hire top talent and for you to potentially land a new job.
What are the upcoming software engineering conferences in 2024?
There are many 2024 software conferences scheduled every month, from January to December. You can look forward to in-person, virtual, and hybrid conferences like NDC London (UK), DeveloperWeek (USA), ConFoo (Canada), ICSE 2024 (Portugal), and React Summit (Netherlands).
What are the best conferences to attend in 2024?
The best conferences to attend in 2024 include BASTA! for the latest .NET trends, Oracle DevLive for an in-depth look into data and AI, and GitHub Universe to learn about the latest GitHub updates.
Summarize this article for me pleaseMake Each Conference Count With ClickUp
Attending software engineering conferences exposes you to new insights, perspectives, and opportunities that contribute to your professional growth.
ClickUp’s program management features come in handy for keeping your conference plans organized—from making schedules and checklists before the event to storing contacts or notes during and executing key takeaways afterward.
Ready to make your conference visits more productive and maximize growth opportunities?
Sign up for a free ClickUp account today!
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