nor(DEV): con 2024 Retrospective
by Alex Scotton, Mez Barfield, on 22 June 2024The 10th NorDevCon!
At February’s NorDevCon, our 10th anniversary, we gathered together over two days to celebrate and delve into the future of technology.
The conference saw a wonderful increase in participation, with over 400 people making it through the conference doors. Attendees explored new opportunities and questions were plentiful.
The corridor conference networking was great to see, with many commenting on how connecting with peers had led to future opportunities and collaboration. We hope you enjoyed every moment of the learning, debating and engagement. As an open community, we are writing this update to review some of the highlights, explore feedback, discuss finances, and make some acknowledgements.
Event Highlights
This year’s event featured a variety of engaging sessions and workshops. Notable keynotes included talks from industry pioneers who shared their insights on the future of tech, the importance of psychological safety in the workplace, and strategies for building inclusive software.
The return of the panel discussions in 2024 was very well received, they’ll definitely feature prominently during future conferences, with plans to smooth the way for increased audience engagement too 👀! Delegates took deep dives into topics like machine learning, networking & cybersecurity. A track dedicated to careers was also a big highlight and cited by many as one of their favourite sessions.
The diverse range of experience levels among participants was impressive, and the feedback reflected this. We strive to create sessions that can cater for everyone; from beginners to seasoned professionals. It was evident in our polls, and affirming to see that all found something valuable to take away.
Community Impact
NorDevCon continues to be a platform for career growth and community building. We successfully connected graduates with intern opportunities, juniors with their first roles, and senior developers looking for the next step in their careers.
A highlight of our community efforts was the fundraising for The Feed foundation. We doubled the amount raised last year, with a total of £1,252 collected in just under two days. This incredible generosity supports local essential services like community cafes, social supermarkets, and mental health workshops, demonstrating the caring spirit of our NorDevCon community.
Finances
As part of our on-going commitment to transparency we’d like to share some of the costs and assure you of our commitment to continue as a not-for-profit company. We saw an increase in our costs across the board this year, however, we were pleased to welcome more partners:
| Debit | Credit | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware (SD & HDD storage) | £140.90 | |
| Merch (T-Shirts, lanyards, crabs, etc) | £2,826.28 | |
| Production (AV, signage, programmes) | £3,925.66 | |
| Social events | £5,782.40 | |
| Venues | £16,341.41 | |
| Speaker Expenses | £4,008.98 | |
| Sponsorship | £18,600.00 | |
| Sales (Tickets & Merch) | £17,304.45 | |
| Raffle | £1,601.85 | £1,252.00 |
| Subtotals | £34,627.48 | £37,156.45 |
| Total | £2,528.97 |
We’re taking our transparency a step further this year; and we want to share some of the finances that are behind the nor(DEV): community itself. Each year we talk about directing any profits into events throughout the year for our community. Norfolk Developers is a private limited company with all the associated costs that normally go into running a business. So, what does that look like?
Here’s our 2023/24 in the numbers:
| Debit | Credit | |
|---|---|---|
| Event Fund | £2,234.92 | |
| Accountancy | £1,683.20 | |
| Marketing | £957.07 | |
| Corporation Tax | £1,286.66 | |
| IT Expense | £1,062.06 | |
| Insurances | £79.78 | |
| Loans | £2,784.80 | |
| Subtotals | £7,303.69 | £2,784.80 |
| Total | -£4,518.89 |
We were able to direct over £2k towards social events throughout the year, including supporting other communities
Our Marketing spend shot up though; and was mostly spent on Mailchimp’s subscription (at £500.42) rather than actual direct marketing. We’re migrating to a more affordable alternative this year.
The surprise tax bill was painful. We understand this to be because of effectively running two conferences in one tax cycle. The conference returned in June 2022 after avoiding the winter (for "reasons") and then promptly had another in February 2023. We anticipate a rebate on this, following our 23/24 filing 🙏.
One piece of feedback we've been a little surpised by has been; "the tickets are extraordinary cheap". This is an intentional choice, and is a desire; we want an affordable and accessible conference. Through our scholarship programme, we were able to offer:
- 22x Free Workshop Spaces
- 54x Free Student Tickets
- 15x Scholarship Tickets
One suggestion has been to adopt a "Commercial Ticket" model. Taking inspiration from our fellow organisers at PyCon, in 2025 we'll be introducing these tickets for companies with more than 5 employees. This means access to discounted pricing is only available on self-funded tickets, or to organisations with 5 or less employees. Our Super-Early & Early Bird Tickets will still be available, but to small companies and those that are self-funded.
Testimonials
Delegates praised the event for its organisation (🤷 always feels like chaos to us), the quality of the sessions, and the opportunities for networking. Many highlighted the positive impact of the conference on their professional growth and their appreciation for the inclusive atmosphere.
A vital element of the feedback though was the quality of AV, with particular attention to the projectors. There were plenty of other suggestions for improvement, which is the most valuable of feedback and enables us to continue to improve the quality of the conference.
Support and Acknowledgments
The conference would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners. Their contributions ensured the event's success and helped us provide valuable resources to our attendees.
We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our volunteers and organisers, whose dedication and hard work made this event a memorable experience for everyone.
Conclusion
NorDevCon 2024 was a resounding success, bringing together a vibrant community of techies to learn, share, and grow. As we look forward to future events, we remain committed to fostering an inclusive and dynamic community.
Stay tuned for more events throughout the year, including workshops, social gatherings, and our next big conference. Thank you for being a part of NorDevCon 2024, and we can't wait to see you again soon!