Ruby Conferences 2019: 6 Quality Options for Rubyists & the Ruby-Curious

 People call Ruby a beautiful, artful language and, with such high praise, it’s easy to see why its enthusiasts love to meet in person to discuss its applications. Ruby 2.6.1 was released this week, so it seems there’s no time like the present to talk about some events for Ruby programmers this year. 

We picked six taking place in 2019 to give you a wealth of options (get it? Ruby, wealth?) if you’re looking for some new developers to meet and learn from:

A quick index of Ruby Conferences in this list:

  1. Ruby Unconf 2019 
  2. Rails Camp 25
  3. Ruby on Ice
  4. Ruby by the Bay
  5. Brighton Ruby 2019
  6. Rails Camp South 2019

1) Ruby Unconf 2019

If you’re not familiar with the concept of an unconf, basically everyone can propose a talk. Then, everyone can vote on the talks they’d like to see, and finally, the most voted for talks get showcased at the conference. There’s a resource available on GitHub if you’d like to learn more. 

Ruby Conferences - Ruby Unconf

Ruby Unconf will take place in Hamburg this year, their first year of hosting was 2018, and a selection of slides are available here for those of you who want to get a taste of what you can expect. The event is hosted by BOOT e.v.(which stands for “Best of Open Technologies.”

Location: Hamburg, Germany.

Dates: May 25th & 26th, 2019.

Tickets: Tickets start at €45 for Early Birds. 

2) Rails Camp 25

We travel now from Hamburg to Perth – which would normally take you 20 hours, as the crow flies. Rails Camp 25 is an event organised by Ruby Australia. The event is a weekend-long affair featuring quite the luxurious stay by the ocean among other Rubyists. 

The organisers invite attendees to bring their own project or join others’ while roasting a marshmallow… or six. 

There are diversity tickets (and donations) available for members of underrepresented groups. 

Location: Perth, Australia.

Dates: May 10th to 13th, 2019.

Tickets: A$300 for transport to and from Perth airport, a bunk for the weekend, a pillow, a pillow case, sheets, blanket, a towel, and all meals.

3) Ruby on Ice

If you’re in the mood for a venue that’s a bit out of the ordinary, Ruby on Ice might be worth your consideration. This Ruby conference is set amid the Alps in Bavaria, right by the Tegernsee lake. 

The event will see a keynote delivered by Eileen Uchitelle from GitHub, but the line-up also includes the CTO of Cohere and such talk titles as “Rails Against the Machine” so attendees are truly in for something special. 

ruby conferences ruby on ice

As well as stellar content and community spirit, the conference will offer remarkable social activities glittered throughout the experience such as sledding, Bavarian-style curling, and a walk around the lake. 

Location: Seeforum Rottach-Egern, Germany.

Dates: February 22nd – 24th. 

Tickets: €330 and up.

4) Ruby by the Bay

Or, if cold climates aren’t your thing, there’s another Ruby offering to consider, this time in sunny California. The team behind Ruby By the Bay are Code for Good, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on three things; 1) helping non-profit organisations, 2) building the tech community and 3) providing educational and mentoring opportunities. Events like Ruby by the Way are the backbone of these aims. 

ruby conferences ruby for good

A ticket to Ruby for Good includes food, accommodations, swag, snacks, karaoke, and more. The event will feature hacking and socialising in communal areas and a chance to get to make a change, and meet like-minded developers along the way. 

Location: California, USA.

Dates: March 29th – April 1st, 2019

Tickets: Available here, starting at $300 each.

5) Brighton Ruby 2019

This will be the sixth edition of Brighton Ruby. It’s run by Andy Croll. Brighton Ruby prides itself on being a friendly conference that takes place on a single day each year, and focuses on a single track. It aims to provide enjoyment for both Rubyists and the Ruby-curious. 

Ruby conferences brighton ruby

In case you’ve never been to Brighton before, Andy’s put together a page dedicated to showing its highlights. Among them, you’ll learn that Brighton and its inhabitants flourish in a mix of cosmopolitan bohemia a picturesque seaside. 

This years’ speakers will include Sara Mei, Aaron Patterson, and Vaidehi Joshi, with more to be announced. 

Location: Brighton, UK

Date: July 5th, 2019

Tickets: Available now for £139.

6) Rails Camp South 2019

For our final recommendation this week, we’re headed to Texas to take a look at Rails Camp South. Self-described as a retreat for the software and design community to go camping and learn from each other, Rails Camp South will take place this April.

Ruby conf rails camp south

Similar to Ruby Unconf, Rails Camp South will be, well, an unconference. Among the proceedings, attendees will enjoy talks and projects as selected by the community at large. Furthermore, those who go camping with these folks will get to delight in the available facilities at the site, including horseback riding, karaoke and trick roping. Something you don’t find at a Ruby conference every day, I think you’ll agree. 

Location: Texas, USA. 

Dates: April 5th – 8th, 2019

Tickets: On sale now, starting at $375 for a diversity ticket.

For further reading:

  1. 15 Organisations That Sponsor Developer Events
  2. Cyber Security Conferences 2019
  3. Marketing Events 2019