Over the years the number of developer conferences seems to have multiplied so much so that there seems to be one on every day of the week. But many of the big name developer conferences charge north of 1000GBP/EUR/USD to attend their spectacles. So why would you attend a developer conference and can it be done on a shoestring?
Why attend?
Recently Ryan Riley asked that very question on Twitter:
There were some great responses:
Seems like there some great reasons why you'd attend.
Where does your money go?
Most speakers don’t charge to talk at an event, although many events will cover their travel and accomodation. Costs wise this leaves hiring a venue, refreshments, organization and advertising.
Unfortunately the balance sheets of most big name events are less than transparent, although Greg Young may be about to change that:
Can I do it on a shoestring?
As well as charging for tickets, many conferences receive money from sponsorship. For some conferences this, along with the sterling efforts of volunteers, covers some or all of the cost. Others offer great early bird discounts for those who book well in advance, meaning you can go to a conference without breaking the bank.
Here’s a selection of keenly priced events I’ll be attending over the next half year or so:
Do you have any reasonably priced conferences you’d like to share?