As the dust has now settled after the WeAreDevelopers World Congress 2025, we’ve taken some time to reflect on the three unforgettable days we spent with you all in Berlin.
Tickets are already on sale for 2026, and with WeAreDevelopers expanding to the United States and India, we thought we would help anybody who’s still on the fence about attending a developer conference and give you ten reasons you should go.
1. Meet Developers Face-to-Face
Our community of developers is what makes WeAreDevelopers what it is. We speak to developers across Europe and elsewhere every single day, but nothing beats bringing them together in one place, offline.
With so many developers now working remotely, it’s never been more important than it is now to connect with developers and tech professionals in real life, and build real connections that last long after the conference ends.
A quick chat over coffee could turn into something so much more, and that’s an opportunity you only really get at in-person.
2. Sharpen Your Skills
We asked one developer at the World Congress, “What would you say to somebody who is thinking of coming next year?”. Without hesitation they responded, “bring a notebook”. While at first it seemed like a funny response, they actually made an excellent point.
Workshops, master classes, and live coding sessions give developers an opportunity to get hands-on with new tools, frameworks, and best practices, hearing directly from the people that built them, imparting knowledge that developers can use right away.
If you are looking to feel a tangible upgrade in your skills, this way of conference-based learning really works, and can’t be replaced by following YouTube tutorials or digging around in the docs.
3. Explore Career Opportunities
We’ve heard of all kinds of creative and unusual ways that developers have tried to capture the attention of their favourite tech brand in order to land a job there.
Unsolicited or cold DMs are, in their worst cases considered rude, and even when received well are often ignored by the recipient.
However, at tech conferences, startups and big-name companies are actively looking for talent, and it’s a rare chance to talk to engineers, hiring managers and developer advocates openly and informally, without needing a CV or cover letter.
Speaking with representatives at their booths is a great way to learn a bit more about the company, whether they are hiring, and whether you might be a good fit (and vice versa).
4. Get an Insight into the Company Culture
Every company speaks positively about its own culture. However, the best way to see what a company culture is all about is to speak to people who work within it.
Do managers trust their engineers, and value their skills? Do teams feel supported, and challenged by the work that they do? Do they work remote, hybrid or in-person, and which one suits you?
By taking the time to speak to representatives of the company that you would like to work for, you’ll get information that goes far beyond that you will find on any job ad or company culture webpage - information that could be essential for you in making the next move in your career.
5. Immerse Yourself in Dev Culture
For many at conferences, speakers are the main event. However, our program goes beyond tech-specific talks, with a whole load of side quest-style activities available for our attendees to get involved with.
For example, devs could show off their singing skills as part of our much-requested drag karaoke, put their programming skills to the test live on stage at CODE100, cut some shapes on the dancefloor at our World Congress afterparty, play Doom and other classic games with other devs, and of course pick up lots of swag from our expo booths—and lots more.
6. Test Your Skills
For some, getting on stage and coding live in front of thousands of people is their worst nightmare.
For others, it’s just the kind of thrill they’ve been looking for, and this year we were amazed by quite how many developers welcomed the challenge of taking part in CODE100, Europe’s Ultimate Coding Competition.
While we would have loved to have seen them all compete, just one could take home the CODE100 trophy at the end of the evening, and Nimrod Kor did just that, making it all the way through to the end to win the tournament, and be crowned CODE100 champion.
Maybe next year… it could be you.
7. Get Experience and Enhance Your CV
Of course the most direct way for many developers to get involved with a conference is to either go as an attendee, or if they’re lucky, as a speaker.
However, our amazing team of volunteers made the World Congress possible by helping attendees find their way around the conference and so much more.
Interestingly, many of our speakers have volunteered in the past, getting to know the event before taking the plunge and submitting their CFP application.
So, if you’re looking to go to a conference, why not see if you can get involved in another capacity?
8. Get a Broader View of the Industry
The term developer is very broad, and it’s easy to lose sight of quite how broad.
The talks given at developer conferences like the World Congress span languages, domains and disciplines, and many of our attendees said that they aimed to attend sessions outside of their area of comfort so they could become more versatile engineers.
9. Track Emerging Trends
Big tech brands love to announce new tech at conferences. At in-person events, you hear about what’s next directly from the founders, engineers and researchers who are working on it right now.
As developers it’s important we stay on top of the latest tech trends, and at a conference you get a snapshot of exactly what’s going on that you should be excited about.
10. Break Out of Your Daily Routine
No matter how much you enjoy writing code, there are (like any job) aspects of being a developer that are monotonous and repetitive, and breaking your daily routine can be helpful on a number of fronts, from mental health to career enhancement.
Getting away from your IDE and meeting people can reset your mindset. You’ll return with fresh energy, new ideas, and maybe even a few new collaborators.
Summary
Attending a tech conference like WeAreDevelopers World Congress isn’t just about keeping up with the latest tools — it’s about growing as a developer, connecting with the community, and seeing the bigger picture.
Bring your curiosity (and that notebook), ask questions, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself because the development community really is a friendly one and we’re pleased to see you be a part of it, online and in real life.