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AltConf 2019 Offers San Jose Alternative for Developers Unable to Attend WWDC, Plus Satellite Events for Keynote Viewing

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AltConf, a popular alternative conference that takes place at the same time as Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, is returning in 2019. Developers unable to get a ticket to WWDC can instead attend AltConf to meet and mingle with others in the iOS and macOS communities.

This year's AltConf event will take place at the Marriott San Jose, located close to the McEnery Conference Center where WWDC will be held. AltConf will kick off on Monday, June 3, and will last through Thursday, June 6.

altconf-800x492.jpg

There will be speakers at AltConf, along with a community labs feature where attendees can get expert advice on their apps, discuss ideas, and more. On Monday, AltConf will kick off with viewings of Apple's keynote event and State of the Union for developers, with the venue able to accommodate more than 900 attendees.

New to AltConf this year is an Apple-themed escape room that will require attendees to use their "Apple skills and knowledge" to save a doomed Apple keynote from failure. Tickets are priced at $5.

AltConf is free to attend, but there is an option to become a Hero Supporter to show support for the event.

For developers unable to make it to San Jose who still want to attend a developer-centric event, AltConf is hosting a number of satellite events in Europe that will be all-day conferences.

AltConf satellite events will take place in London, Madrid, Paris, and Berlin, with each hosted and curated by local community volunteers. There will be speakers and events, which will be followed by a viewing of Apple's keynote event at night.

Tickets to the satellite conference events will range in price from 29 to 50 pounds based on location, though keynote viewing in the evening will be available for free.

Article Link: AltConf 2019 Offers San Jose Alternative for Developers Unable to Attend WWDC, Plus Satellite Events for Keynote Viewing
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/03/20/altconf-2019-event/
Man, at first glance, that logo got me all "APHEX TWIN IS GOING TO BE THERE!? YES!!"

EDIT: Ok, put the vape down, dood... it's not even close...
 
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Did this last year, totally sucked, the satellite viewing rooms had projectors that where missing a color, so it looked awful (ended up going back to the hotel room and watching it there). All the sessions where just sales pitches for the sponsors. Did the Hero Supporter, had I paid myself, I would have been very upset.
 
The Apple-themed escape room is a clever idea, better than a plain old Apple trivia contest.

In addition to missing products and a broken clicker, perhaps there is a zombie chained to a wall. You have to stop it from reaching the keynote stage, as its chain gets longer and longer, so it can't announce any zombie-themed products.
 
gaximus said:
Did this last year, totally sucked, the satellite viewing rooms had projectors that where missing a color, so it looked awful (ended up going back to the hotel room and watching it there). All the sessions where just sales pitches for the sponsors. Did the Hero Supporter, had I paid myself, I would have been very upset.
Click to expand...

This year they take 5 bucks for that experience and market it as an escape room.
 
Doctor Q said:
The Apple-themed escape room is a clever idea, better than a plain old Apple trivia contest.

In addition to missing products and a broken clicker, perhaps there is a zombie chained to a wall. You have to stop it from reaching the keynote stage, as its chain gets longer and longer, so it can't announce any zombie-themed products.
Click to expand...

Well, what do you prefer: Zombies or Trolls? Take your pick! :D
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reden said:
So this is like the poor man's Apple WWDC?
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Not necessarily poor man. Not all developers registering to WWDC will get to buy tickets. Tickets are limited and assigned by lottery.
 
The problem is not just winning the lottery, is the price of hotels and flights.
The reason why I din't even subscribe to the lottery is because the whole trip would be way too expensive and my company is not willing to pay for it. The price of the ticket is reasonable for a 5 days conference considering you can talk to Apple's engineers on the labs, but for people around the work, and I guess even for many US citizens, it is far too expensive.
It is great they offer other conferences, but if I don't have the chance to go to WWDC I'd much rather attend one of the many conferences about iOS development like iOSCon that is happening this very day.
 
YaBe said:
Reminds me of
tenor.gif
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For those who don't get the reference, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpP5W9zhNLY. :) Seems like old copies disappear or are hard (harder?) to find.
[doublepost=1553157008][/doublepost]
recoil80 said:
The problem is not just winning the lottery, is the price of hotels and flights.
The reason why I din't even subscribe to the lottery is because the whole trip would be way too expensive and my company is not willing to pay for it. The price of the ticket is reasonable for a 5 days conference considering you can talk to Apple's engineers on the labs, but for people around the work, and I guess even for many US citizens, it is far too expensive.
Click to expand...
Indeed. Even my work has to go thru the lottery like everyone else but fortunately, my work is only about a 10 mile drive from the San Jose Convention Center.
 
cwerdna said:
Indeed. Even my work has to go thru the lottery like everyone else but fortunately, my work is only about a 10 mile drive from the San Jose Convention Center.
Click to expand...

If I lived in California and be able to commute there in a reasonable time I'd have applied for the lottery even if I needed to pay the full price myself. And AltConf would have been a great alternative.
Good luck with the lottery!
 
"New to AltConf this year is an Apple-themed escape room that will require attendees to use their "Apple skills and knowledge" to save a doomed Apple keynote from failure. Tickets are priced at $5.:

lol.. hilarious. no wonder its only $5

Well worth it i'd say :)

reden said:
So this is like the poor man's Apple WWDC?
Click to expand...


That's one way to look at it. I see this more as a 'savior"
 
Interesting that Apple is embracing this concept to reach even more people than WWDC's capacity. Hope this goes off well.
 
Renting even a small room with a projection screen from Marriott (or any hotel) for the day is quite expensive. If entry is basically free, the room has to be paid for somehow. So there we have it: Sessions from sponsors. Community lab might be beneficial?
 
At first glance I thought it was a conference for people in all the different forms of "alt" groups.
 
reden said:
So this is like the poor man's Apple WWDC?
Click to expand...

Doesn't seem like any kind of WWDC to me.

Seems more like while lottery winners are next door learning about the newest Apple updates from actual Apple engineers, AltConf attendees get to listen to people who presumably don't work for Apple talk about the previous year's updates from Apple.

I think it would be more exciting and productive to just stream this year's WWDC keynotes and sessions as they become available in the comfort of your own home. It'd be a lot less expensive too.
 
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