Devoxx UK 2023: Talks, Community, and a Fedora

I had the chance to attend Devoxx UK last week and it did not disappoint. The mix of talks, the energy from the community, and yes, the swag, all made it a great experience.

The talks

The sessions covered a wide range of topics from cloud-native development to practical advice on scaling systems. A few of the talks pushed me out of my comfort zone, which is exactly what I want from a conference. I walked away with plenty of notes and more than a few ideas to try out.

The atmosphere

Devoxx has a different feel compared to some of the larger conferences. It is busy but not overwhelming, and the organisers clearly put effort into making it accessible and welcoming. That balance made it easy to have real conversations between sessions instead of just rushing from room to room.

The swag

It might sound trivial, but the swag deserves a mention. I left with a bag of stickers, notebooks, and what might be the best freebie yet: a Red Hat fedora. It is a small detail, but it added to the fun and gave the event a bit of character.

Overall, Devoxx UK was worth the trip. Between the learning, the networking, and the small surprises along the way, it reminded me why I enjoy making time for conferences.

Thanks for reading. If you were at Devoxx too, let me know what your highlight was.