Top 10 Must-Attend Tech Meetups and Conferences in Philadelphia

Philly ain't just about cheesesteaks and the Liberty Bell.

It's a legit tech hub with major players like Comcast, Vanguard, and SAP calling it home. But the real stars are the countless meetups and conferences happening year-round.

These events are where it's at for networking, staying ahead of trends, and swapping ideas with fellow tech enthusiasts.

Here's why you can't miss out on Philly's tech meetups and conferences:

• Stay plugged into the industry: They're the key to staying plugged into the industry and mastering the hottest skills and cutting-edge tech.
• Meet connections: You could meet your next mentor, employer, or even co-founder – that game-changing connection might be just a handshake away.
• Get inspired: Get inspired by the trailblazers and visionaries shaping the future of tech as they share their insights and experiences.

When curating this lineup of must-attend events, I focused on those covering a diverse range of topics – from emerging tech and programming languages to digital healthcare and UX design.

I also prioritized events with a solid reputation, impressive speaker lineups, and valuable networking opportunities. This list is about to blow your mind wide open, so get ready to level up your tech game like never before! Don't forget to check out Nucamp's affordable bootcamps if you're looking to kickstart your coding journey in Philly.

Guess what? Philly Tech Week is coming back for its 14th year from May 3-11, 2024! This annual tech party is gonna be epic, bringing together all the cool innovators, entrepreneurs, and techies from Philly and beyond.

Get ready for a week of events organized by Technical.ly and 1Philadelphia, with support from bigwigs like Comcast. Here's the inside scoop on what's happening:

• Kick-off event: Block party - To kick things off, there's a free block party on May 3rd at uCity Square, featuring DJ Diamond Kuts, food trucks, drinks, games, and a performance by Chill Moody. Can't beat that for an opening night!
• Exciting week-long activities - Throughout the week, you'll find dev conferences, job fairs, workshops, and even a robotics showcase from Penn's brightest minds.
• Networking goldmine: Builders Conference - The highlight? The Builders Conference on May 11th, where you can network with industry leaders like Charles Williams and get the inside scoop on Philly's booming tech scene.

But that's not all – PTW24 also has panels discussing hot topics like remote work, AI in design, and emerging software trends.

Plus, you won't want to miss the epic Signature Event wrapping up the celebrations with a networking happy hour, games, and more surprises. With so many events packed into one week, Philly Tech Week is cementing our city's rep as an innovative tech hub on the rise.

FOMO is real, so mark your calendars and get ready to experience the future of tech in Philly!

Have you heard about Digital Pharma East? It's the conference for anyone working in pharma marketing and digital innovation.

This year, it's going down on September 9-12 in Philly, and you don't wanna miss it. Let me break it down for you:

First off, the speaker lineup is impressive. We're talking bigwigs like Maurice Benard, that Emmy-winning actor who's gonna drop some knowledge. But it's not just celebs - you've got legit industry leaders like Charles White from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Kimberly Coleman Clotman from Pfizer sharing their expertise.

• Interactive Sessions: They’ve got these interactive sessions called "Power-up Day" where you can level up your skills with hands-on workshops. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, there's something for everyone to learn.
• Spotlight Stage: They’ve got this "Spotlight Stage" where sponsors will be showcasing the latest solutions to real industry problems.

Digital Pharma East is a prime spot for networking with over 1,200 attendees from all over.

They've got this mobile app to help you connect with like-minded people, and there are networking receptions where you can mingle and make those valuable industry connections.

If you're into pharma marketing and digital innovation, this is the event you can't afford to miss.

It's gonna be an epic few days of learning, networking, and maybe even a little partying (just saying). So mark those dates, September 9-12, and get ready to experience Digital Pharma East in Philly!

The Emerging Tech East (formerly known as Philly Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise) is where the real deal goes down.

This conference has been around for 18 years and brings all the heavy hitters in the tech scene to drop some serious knowledge bombs.

We're talking world-class speakers dishing out the latest scoop on cutting-edge tech that'll have you feeling like you're living in the future.

From AI and Brain-Computer Interfaces to the hottest trends in accessibility and design systems, this event has it all.

But it's not just about sitting back and absorbing info.

The Emerging Tech East crew has your back with hands-on coding playgrounds, where you can get your hands dirty and experiment with new languages and frameworks.

It's like a playground for techies, but instead of swings, you get to play with the latest and greatest in coding.

And let's not forget about the networking opportunities.

This conference is a melting pot of developers, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts from all walks of life. You never know who you might meet or what connections you might make that could take your career to the next level.

So, if you're serious about staying ahead of the game and want to be part of the tech revolution, clear your calendar and get ready to immerse yourself in the world of Emerging Tech East.

It's an experience you won't want to miss.

PyCon US is the biggest Python party of the year, and it's going down in Pittsburgh from May 15th to 23rd, 2024.

This epic gathering of code wizards is a total must for anyone who's serious about leveling up their Python game.

The lineup is stacked with heavy hitters like Jay Miller, Simon Willison, Kate Chapman, and Sumana Harihareswara dropping knowledge bombs as keynote speakers.

You'll also get to catch sessions on everything from machine learning and web dev to data analysis and coding best practices. It's like a buffet for your brain, dishing out all the Python goodness you can handle.

But PyCon US isn't just about talks and workshops.

It's a chance to link up with fellow Python enthusiasts from around the globe and expand your network. You never know when knowing the right people might open doors for that dream job or killer collab.

Plus, there'll be plenty of social events and meetups to help you break the ice and make some new coding buddies.

Head over to pythondeadlin.es and lock in your spot at PyCon US 2024 before the December 18th deadline.

This is your chance to level up your Python skills and connect with the best minds in the game.

The Women in Tech Summit is where it's at if you're a girl crushing it in the tech scene. This Philly event is a total game-changer, hooking you up with killer workshops to level up your skills and epic speakers who've been there, done that.

It's like a massive tech party where we celebrate all the amazing ladies smashing it in STEM.

The 2024 lineup is straight fire! They've got workshops covering everything from coding bootcamps and data analytics to cybersecurity fundamentals.

You'll be knee-deep in hands-on training, learning from the best in the biz. It's the perfect chance to get those skills on lock and stay ahead of the curve.

And let's not forget Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, who's on a mission to close the gender gap in tech once and for all.

These powerful women are living proof that when girls band together, we can move mountains.

The Women in Tech Summit is all about creating that support system, where we can learn, grow, and lift each other up. It's a space for us to shine, lead, and inspire the next generation of tech innovators.

You don't want to miss out on this epic experience.

Check it out, the CSS Day conference happening on June 6-7, 2024, in Amsterdam is definitely the place to be if you're into web design and front-end dev! This shindig is all about celebrating the power of CSS and exploring the latest techniques and trends in the scene.

Their line-up is stacked with big names like Rachel Andrew, a true CSS wiz who's authored books like "The New CSS Layout," and Adam Argyle, the brains behind the super cool "Vanilla CSS" project.

The CSS Day crew has some seriously dope topics lined up, like mastering CSS Grid and Flexbox for creating responsive layouts that adapt to any screen size.

They'll also dive into making websites more accessible and inclusive using CSS, which is super important in today's digital world. Plus, you'll get the scoop on leveraging CSS custom properties (aka variables) for efficient theming and styling your projects like a pro.

But it's not just about sitting and listening – CSS Day offers hands-on "CSS Labs" where you can roll up your sleeves and work alongside experts on real coding challenges. You'll get personalized feedback and insights from seasoned professionals, which is an opportunity you can't miss. As Sara Soueidan, a front-end rockstar and speaker, put it after attending CSS Day 2023: "The CSS Labs were game-changers. I could dive deep into complex CSS concepts and experiment with cutting-edge techniques in a collaborative setting. The insights from pros were invaluable."

If you're serious about leveling up your CSS game and staying ahead of the curve in web design, CSS Day 2024 is an absolute must-attend event.

It's the perfect place to connect with other CSS enthusiasts, learn from the best, and immerse yourself in the world of modern web development.

Let me tell you about this sick UX conference happening in Copenhagen next year. UX Copenhagen is like the ultimate gathering for anyone who's all about designing dope user experiences.

It's an annual event, but 2024 marks their 10th freaking anniversary! That's a whole decade of bringing together UX bosses from across the globe to share their wisdom.

This year's theme is "Degrowth and Consumerism," so expect some real talk on how we can create more sustainable and eco-friendly designs.

They've got an insane lineup of speakers from all over the world, like Alastair Somerville, Anna Rátkai, and Greg Nudelman, just to name a few.

These folks are gonna drop some serious knowledge on topics like designing for AI, ethical e-commerce practices, and challenging overconsumption through mindful UX.

But it's not just about sitting and listening.

UX Copenhagen is all about getting hands-on too. They've got workshops where you can level up your skills in areas like object-oriented UX, visualizing sustainable happiness, and even tech ethics for practitioners.

And let's not forget about the networking opportunities - you'll be rubbing shoulders with some of the coolest cats in the UX game.

So if you're serious about leveling up your UX game and want to be part of the conversation on designing for a better future, you gotta check out UX Copenhagen 2024.

This is one event you don't wanna miss out on.

Heads up, Node Congress is where it's at for Node.js fans! This epic event, happening April 4-5, 2024, is all about exploring the cutting edge of JavaScript backends and DevOps.

Get ready for mind-blowing talks from rockstar speakers like Feross Aboukhadijeh (Socket), Matteo Collina (Platformatic), and more legends dropping serious knowledge bombs!

But it's not just about listening – you'll get to network with devs from around the world, join interactive challenges, and even level up your career game at virtual job fairs.

And if that's not enough, they've got free workshops covering hot topics like TypeScript, GraphQL, and building real-time apps with cutting-edge frameworks.

Some highlights from the lineup:

• Debates on whether Bun or Deno could replace Node.js.
• The battle between CommonJS and ESM.
• The future of open-source governance.
• Game-changing tech like AWS's new low-latency JS runtime.
• HTTP parsing with Milo.
• How to supercharge your Node.js APIs.

The BioData World Congress is where it's at if you're all about pushing the boundaries of digital healthcare.

This jam-packed event goes down every year in Philly, bringing together the boldest minds and trailblazers from around the globe to spark some serious innovation.

We're talking next-level collabs and groundbreaking ideas that could completely revamp how we approach patient care.

In 2024, you won't want to miss jaw-dropping presentations from heavyweight names like Dr. Jennifer Doudna, the Nobel Prize-winning genius behind CRISPR gene editing tech, and Dr. Eric Topol, the digital medicine mastermind who penned the bestseller "Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again." Mind = blown.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This congress is a goldmine of opportunities to expand your network and get those creative juices flowing. You can dive into interactive workshops, panel discussions, and breakout sessions covering the hottest topics, like:

• Unleashing AI and machine learning for next-gen drug discovery
• Harnessing big data and predictive analytics for personalized healthcare (think cutting-edge digital twins and more)
• Exploring the potential of blockchain tech for managing healthcare data
• Implementing telemedicine and remote patient monitoring solutions

And let's not forget the prime networking opportunities with global healthcare innovators! You can forge killer collabs, swap best practices, and stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving landscape.

"Innovation in healthcare isn't just about developing new tech; it's about creating a culture of collaboration and shared purpose." — Dr. Amy Abernethy, former bigwig at the FDA

The BioData World Congress lives and breathes that mantra, empowering you to shape the future of healthcare through digital transformation.

If you're into the whole tech scene in Philly, you gotta check out the Technical.ly Developers Conference happening during Philly Tech Week 2024.

This event, going down on May 8th, is the perfect spot to level up your skills and network with other tech peeps.

You'll get to sit in on some tech talks, interactive sessions, and group discussions led by industry leaders from all over the mid-Atlantic region.

It's a chance to learn about the latest trends, share experiences, and get inspired to take your career to new heights.

But that's not all! The day ends with a happy hour featuring the Super Meetup, where you can mingle with folks from different meetup groups, hiring companies, and just build connections, ya know? Groups like PhillyJUG, PhillyPython, DataPhilly, and PhillyJS will be there, so you can vibe with people who share your interests.

Philly Tech Week is quickly becoming one of the hottest tech events on the East Coast, and the Developers Conference is a highlight you won't want to miss.

Plus, if you're looking to network your way into Philly's tech scene, volunteering for these Technical.ly events is a smart move.

So mark your calendar, grab your squad, and get ready to immerse yourself in the latest tech innovations and connect with the coolest minds in the game.

This is an event you'll be hyped you attended.