Every year, companies spend thousands sending their engineers to conferences. 

Flights. Hotels. Per diems. All in the hope of “learning” and “networking.” But when they return? The notebooks gather dust, and the insights never leave their laptops.

In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke pull back the curtain on what actually makes conferences worth attending. From understanding why you’re going, to choosing who should go, to how that knowledge is shared afterward, they uncover the strategies that separate teams who grow from teams who just take selfies at the expo hall.

They also explore local meetups to internal learning sessions that often yield more value for less cost.

If you’ve ever wondered whether conferences are worth the budget line item, this episode gives you the framework to find out.

Top Takeaways:

• Conferences can provide valuable learning opportunities for engineers.
• Networking at conferences often yields more insights than formal sessions.
• Local meetups can be just as beneficial as large conferences.
• Budgeting for conferences requires careful consideration of ROI.
• Selecting attendees for conferences can be a challenging process.
• Knowledge transfer after conferences is crucial for team growth.
• Encouraging participation in local events fosters community engagement.
• Engineers should aspire to share knowledge through talks at meetups.
• The tech industry is constantly evolving, making continuous learning essential.
• Feedback from the community can enhance future discussions on conference attendance.

Connect with us:

Duncan Mapes

Jason Ehmke

DevGrid.io

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