ShipItCon, established in 2017, originally focused on software delivery in the gaming industry but has since broadened its scope to encompass various industries. The event continues to prioritize its mission of creating a collaborative and inclusive space for software development professionals to explore the dynamic challenges and opportunities in their field. Guided by values of accessibility, inclusivity, and knowledge sharing, ShipItCon fosters a diverse and welcoming community, offering valuable insights and networking opportunities annually.
As ShipItcon takes place on Friday the 30th of August, in the Round Room at Mansion House in Dublin, I interviewed its founder Tom Shaw to find out more about this years event:
- What is the mission, values and objectives of ShipItCon? Have these changed since it started?
ShipItCon was born out of a shared passion for software delivery and a desire to create a space where the community could come together to learn, share, and grow. In 2017 we focused on software delivery in the games industry and have since widened the scope of the event to software delivery across various industries.
Our core mission hasn’t really changed to be honest. It is to foster a collaborative environment where individuals can explore the challenges and opportunities within the ever-evolving world of software development.
Our values are rooted in accessibility, inclusivity, and knowledge sharing. Every year we try to create an event that welcomes people from all backgrounds and experience levels, promoting a sense of community and belonging. Our objective is to provide a platform for thought-provoking discussions, practical insights, and networking opportunities that empower attendees to excel in their roles.
While the landscape of software development has undoubtedly changed since ShipItCon’s inception, our core mission and values remain steadfast. Our focus has evolved to address the emerging challenges and trends in the industry, ensuring that ShipItCon continues to be a relevant and valuable resource for the community.
Without our amazing sponsors : https://shipitcon.com/sponsor we simply couldn’t afford to host ShipItCon each year.
- What is the main theme or focus of ShipItCon 2024?
The theme of ShipItCon 2024 is “Flow”.
This theme encapsulates the conference’s focus on optimising and streamlining the software delivery process. By exploring topics like observability, team topologies, system design, and architecture. The team are huge fans of the concept of “Flow” and getting into a state of flow so we’re really excited to hear from the experts.
- Who are the keynote speakers for ShipItCon 2024?
This year’s ShipItCon is ditching the traditional opening keynote and embracing a continuous flow of fantastic speakers. Many of our speakers have keynoted at various tech events over the years and we are blessed to have so many amazing speakers signup to speak at our little event with a big heart.
- All speakers: https://shipitcon.com/2024-speakers/
- Panel discussion details: https://shipitcon.com/panel/
- What are the main benefits for anyone attending ShipItCon 2024
ShipItCon offers a single track layout with lots of opportunities to meet new people and chat with the speakers throughout the day and at the after party. From our perspective this is the biggest benefit of attending ShipItCon. We’ve been told that the event has a wedding vibe and we love this. We bring together great people, give them a safe, welcoming environment and let the magic happen. You’ll meet folks from many walks of life ranging from recent graduates to CTOs and from many industries. It’s this diversity and unique environment which helps ShipItCon to thrive and grow.
- Are there any special events or activities planned for attendees?
Where to start? We have prize giveaways, “Build a Squishy” competition, spin the Squishy* competition, tattoo station and a fantastic after-party lined up.
* Squishy, the code shipping squid, is the ShipItCon mascot. (shipitcon.com/squishy)
- Why did you start it as a Not-For-Profit? What causes have you supported over the years and who are you supporting this year?
The founding members of ShipItCon were 3 guys, filled with privilege, opportunities and working in the games industry. The games industry has historically been quite homogeneous in terms of its workforce. We wanted to leverage that privilege to create an event that helped others. We wanted to use our networks to help others from underrepresented backgrounds, give back to local causes and just create something that is fun. ShipItCon is organised by volunteers. John, Tom, Serena, CK and Clare organise the event in their spare time and during weekends. Every year we pick some great local causes as a team and depending on how much money is left over after the bills are paid we split the money between the causes. A full list of the causes we have donated to can be found here : https://shipitcon.com/good-causes
This year we have chosen to donate to a community which does amazing work and shares many of our core values around inclusivity and equity, Coding Grace.
- How does ShipItCon support diversity and inclusion within the tech community?
Every year we reach out to local community leaders, universities, colleges and those within the ShipItCon community to donate tickets. Some of these tickets are purchased by our sponsors and we help to ensure these tickets reach people who will benefit the most. We also offer financial assistance to help folks who may benefit from attending but perhaps need some help with travel. There is always room to improve. We’ve said from day one that if you want to attend but maybe can’t due to financial status then we’ll do our best to make it happen. We don’t want to just talk about the importance of diversity, we’d rather demonstrate our commitment. We also have a Code of Conduct that helps to ensure folks feel safe and welcome at ShipItCon regardless of ethnicity, religion or race.
- Who are the team members behind organising the event? What skills to they each bring
The team members are listed here : https://shipitcon.com/about-us. Clare Brady is also a key player in ensuring ShipItCon is delivered smoothly but she is a little shy. ShipItCon is built by a community of folks and we have help from many different individuals. A special shoutout to Cian Crosse from NineDots. Cian and his team have saved ShipItCon on 2 occasions by sponsoring and supporting us during the most critical periods of planning. The current team; John, Tom, CK, Serena and Clare bring a shared passion for giving back.
This is our 5th ShipItCon and with the support of the community and individual supporters we are hoping to host many more. We would like to take ShipItCon on the road with events in Belfast, Cork and Galway. This will require partnering with the right folks and funding.