Annual Tech Community Holiday Gathering

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

Each year the Charlotte tech community comes together for our annual holiday gathering. We’re excited to announce that the gathering this year will be held on Friday, December 1st at The Boiler Yard in Camp North End. High fives all around to Garrett Tichy from Hygge for getting us set up with such a great space this year.

This is a great event where we all come together to celebrate the Charlotte tech community, get to know some of the other local meetups, and round out our year together. We hope you’ll join us for a night of conversations, food, and drinks. We hope to see you there!

The annual holiday gathering will immediately follow the community edition of FusionConf.

Please RSVP.

Advertisement

2016 Spark Conference Update

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

We’ve had several inquiries about when we will be hosting the 2016 Spark Conference. We regret to announce that we are not holding the conference this year, due to scheduling problems with our preferred location. By the time we realized that scheduling was an issue, we couldn’t line up our old location at CPCC’s Levine Campus either. We hope to hold the Spark Conference in 2017 and will provide another update soon.

Announcing the 2015 Spark Conference Speakers and Sessions

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

Spark Conference

Announcing the 2015 Spark Conference Speakers and Sessions!

Perhaps some of you have been holding out on getting your tickets until you have an opportunity to review the final list of sessions. Well, it’s time to stop procrastinating! Block part of your holiday weekend off to give yourself time to check out all the speakers who will be presenting next month.

Visit the conference website at www.sparkconf.org for all the details. You will find a list of the speakers and sessions. You can also download a PDF version of our complete schedule. We think you will agree that we have a pretty amazing lineup of sessions scheduled.

And if you are someone who has put off getting your tickets, you had better hurry! Well over half of the tickets available are already gone. And tickets always go very fast the week following this announcement. Don’t wait any longer!

Join us for the 2015 Spark Conference on Saturday, June 6, at the UNC Charlotte Center City campus in uptown Charlotte, NC. Connect with up to 600 members of the regional developer community. Thoughts will be sparked. Questions will be answered. And fun will be had. To reserve your place at this premier, must-attend event for technology enthusiasts in the South Atlantic region, please visit www.sparkconf.org.

We Love Our Sponsors

This conference would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. For that, we love our sponsors. Please take few moments to thank them for their support. Let them know that we appreciate their contributions. To learn more about becoming a sponsor of this incredible networking opportunity, please visit www.sparkconf.org/sponsor.

Register Now for Spark Conference

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

Spark Conference

Register Now for Spark Conference

Join us for the 2015 Spark Conference on Saturday, June 6, at the UNC Charlotte Center City campus in uptown Charlotte, NC. Connect with up to 600 members of the regional developer community. Thoughts will be sparked. Questions will be answered. And fun will be had. To learn more about this premier, must-attend event for technology enthusiasts in the South Atlantic region, please visit www.sparkconf.org.

We Love Our Sponsors

This conference would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. For that, we love our sponsors. Please take few moments to thank them for their support. Let them know that we appreciate their contributions. To learn more about becoming a sponsor of this incredible networking opportunity, please visit www.sparkconf.org/sponsor.

When is the next Carolina Code Camp?

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

The Enterprise Developers Guild hosted the first code camp in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, April 30, 2005. When asked what spurred the camp’s creation, Bill Jones, Co-Founder of the Guild stated, “We saw a lot of change coming and no easy way for contract developers to get training.” The daylong event was the first of its kind locally. Mark Wilson, the Guild’s First Vice President, described it as having “more than 20 hours of hard-hitting technical content.”

As the program evolved, user groups from around the region took interest. This prompted the name change from Charlotte Code Camp to Carolina Code Camp. With the added diversification, the Enterprise Developers Guild had created one of the most influential training platforms for IT talent in the Carolinas.

Since its pilot, the trademark event experienced monumental growth. The initial event only had around 100 in attendance. Last year, almost 400 attended with many more on a wait list. The amount of content also grew with a total of 60 hours of training offered last year. Additionally, the agenda has seen many upgrades. Attendees have enjoyed the integration of hands-on labs and informal “Chalk Talks” hosted by Microsoft MVPs, authors, and of course, local developers.

Over the course of ten years, the Enterprise Developers Guild hosted a total of 14 events. While no one kept official statistics, it’s safe to say thousands of attendees across the region have benefited from hundreds of hours of training. But despite the overwhelming success of the event, the 2014 Carolina Code Camp was the last one.

What happened to code camp? In short, it grew! Due to an overwhelming attendance, we’ve outgrown the previous venue. This presented an opportunity to shake things up…and we couldn’t resist!

This year, Wilson, Syl Walker, the Guild’s Vice President, and UNC Charlotte’s College of Computing and Informatics, along with others, are introducing Spark Conference. This all new event will become the premier, must-attend event for technology enthusiasts in the South Atlantic region. But rest assured that our goal for Spark Conference is to not just match the rich success of Carolina Code Camp but to make it better than ever for our attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

To learn more, please visit the event website at www.sparkconf.org.

Have you submitted your Spark Conference session yet?

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

Spark Conference

Call for Participation Ends April 12

There are just a few days left to share your spark with the community. The session submission window will be closing this Sunday night. If you have already submitted your sessions, rest assured the organizers are processing them and will begin voting on them soon. If you haven’t, block part of your day off to give yourself time to submit your sessions.

As a reminder, they are looking for topics in the following general tracks:

  • Design — Sessions focused on UI/UX design principals, tools, and techniques.
  • Developer — Sessions for software developers, testers, architects, or project managers.
  • Internet of Things — Sessions around the network of physical objects or embedded “things”.
  • IT Professional — Sessions for server, database, or network administrators.
  • Startup — Sessions around founding a technology startup or running a technology company.
  • STEM — Sessions for K-12 students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  • Panel Discussion — Discussions that you will be organizing to discuss one of the tracks above.

The deadline for submitting sessions is Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 24:00 EDT. Speaker selection will be announced toward the end of April, before tickets go on sale. To learn more about becoming a speaker at the 2015 Spark Conference, please visit www.sparkconf.org/session.

We Love Our Sponsors

This conference would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. For that, we love our sponsors. Please take few moments to thank them for their support. Let them know that we appreciate their contributions. To learn more about becoming a sponsor of this incredible networking opportunity, please visit www.sparkconf.org/sponsor.

Introducing Spark Conference

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

Spark Conference

Spark Conference will offer unparalleled training for developers.

Join us for the 2015 Spark Conference on Saturday, June 6, at the UNC Charlotte Center City campus in uptown Charlotte, NC. Connect with up to 600 members of the regional developer community. Thoughts will be sparked. Questions will be answered. And fun will be had.

To learn more, please visit the event website at www.sparkconf.org.

Call for Participation

A small fiery particle of curiosity, passion, and motivation can ignite great things within us all. It only takes a spark for an idea to create new and innovative things. Please consider sharing your spark with the community. The only thing missing is you! To learn more about becoming a speaker at the 2015 Spark Conference, please visit www.sparkconf.org/session.

Future Path Technology Scholarship

Posted on by Mark A. Wilson

Future Path Technology Scholarship

Logical Advantage, a Premier Sponsor of the Enterprise Developers Guild, has established the annual Future Path Technology Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship will be awarded to a Mecklenburg County high school senior who has been accepted to a North Carolina college or university to study computer science or a related technology degree. The intent of the scholarship is to recognize a local student who has demonstrated a passion for technology.

The application period is open now, and will close on February 18th at 5:00 PM. To learn more about the scholarship and to download the application, click here.

Please share with anyone who might be interested.

Something is coming…

Posted on by Enterprise Developers Guild

Something big is coming to #CLT on June 6, 2015, that you won’t want to miss! More details coming soon… #SaveTheDate

Special Event Announcement: Blend Conference & IT-oLogy Cyber Saturday

Posted on by Enterprise Developers Guild

Blend Conference

Join us for Blend Conference in Charlotte, NC on September 11-13. Blend Conference is a 3-day generalist conference with a diverse speaker lineup and a no-device policy. We’ll feature 60+ speakers covering topics in 8 workshops, 4 keynotes, and 48 sessions. The emphasis is on diversity and personal connections with industry leaders. One such industry leader is Scott Hanselman. On Friday, Scott will be presenting one of the conference keynotes and one session. There’s a lot to choose from whether you’re interested in user experience, design, front-end and/or back-end development.

Keynotes

We are excited to announce that the 4 keynotes will be:

  • Scott Hanselman, Microsoft
  • Mike Monteiro, Mule Design
  • Jennifer Pahlka, Code for America
  • Kimberly Bryant, Black Girls Code

Workshops

We have 4 great workshops that are focused on development. Workshops will be given by:

  • Sass with Claudina Sarahe
  • Web Components with Micheal Labriola & Michelle Yaiser
  • Enterprise Rails & Angular with Adam Hunter
  • Microsoft Azure Hands On with Mark Wilson

Sessions

There are 48 sessions to choose from across 4 tracks – User Experience, Design, Front-End and/or Back-End Development. We have some amazing speakers presenting on development.

Speakers will include Scott Hanselman, Jenn Simmons, Alex Gaynor, Steve Klabnik, Julia Elman, Dan Denny, Jason Hunter, Martha Girdler, Rebecca Murphey, Aaron Gustafson, Chris Coyier, Jen Meyers, Leah Silber, Rachel Ober, Garret Johnson, Stacey Mulcahy, Darcy Clarke, Eric Suzanne Meyer, Heather Payne, Val Head, and many more.

Tickets

  • Bundle Pass: Sept. 11-13. Includes both the workshop and conference days at a discounted rate.
  • Workshop Pass: Sept. 11th only. You may choose 2, 1/2 day workshops.
  • Conference Pass: Sept. 12-13 only. Choose from 48 sessions, 6 sessions daily.
  • Day Pass: Sept. 12th or 13th only. Choose from 24 sessions, 6 sessions daily on Friday or Saturday.
  • VIP Add-on (only 20 available): Friday night, Sept. 11th. Get access to our speakers green rooms and join us at our speakers dinner. Cost of dinner is included.

Overall it’s going to be a blast and we hope to see you there. If you need more convincing, read what Creative Loafing and the CBJ have to say about Blend Conference. Managers, send your employees! Developers, don’t miss out! To learn more and to register, please visit the event website at 2014.blendconf.com. To save 10%, use Discount Code “shanselman”.

IT-oLogyCyber Saturday

Calling all Middle and High School students to attend Cyber Saturday on September 13th! We have a cool hands-on session planned for you. IT-oLogy is also leveraging some of the Blend Conference ‘best of the best’ tech talent. Middle School students will hear from guest speaker Scott Hanselman. And our College Panel will let High School students hear about college from the people who know it best.

Middle School

  • Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Speaker: Scott Hanselman, Community Architect – Web Platform and Tools at Microsoft. “I’m a teacher. I speak all over to whoever will listen. I’ve written code that you’ve used. I code, write, speak, empower, promote, braid, learn & listen”
  • Session A: Persistence of Vision (PoV) Rocket Badge! Build a PoV display in the shape of a rocket. You will earn how to solder electrical components to a circuit board. After the session, go to a website to customize the displayed message.
  • Session B: Code for America (Charlotte Team) Learn how you can become a part of the solution. The Code for America team in the City of Charlotte is working to increase citizen engagement with access to relevant and accurate information.
  • To Register: mscharlotteseptcybersaturday2014.eventbrite.com

High School

  • Time: 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM
  • College Panel: Hear from college students in the field of technology. What’s cool? Why did they choose it? What do they plan on doing after school? Do you have to have a college degree? Plus your questions answered!
  • Session A: Persistence of Vision (PoV) Rocket Badge! Build a PoV display in the shape of a rocket. You will earn how to solder electrical components to a circuit board. After the session, go to a website to customize the displayed message.
  • Session B: Code for America (Charlotte Team) Learn how you can become a part of the solution. The Code for America team in the City of Charlotte is working to increase citizen engagement with access to relevant and accurate information.
  • To Register: hscharlotteseptcybersaturday2014.eventbrite.com

Cyber Saturday is a free monthly program run by IT-oLogy partners where students can learn more about IT. These creative sessions cover a variety of IT topics including hands-on activities as well as presentations from IT professionals. The content covered on a particular Cyber Saturday rotates each month. The goal of this program is to give students the opportunity to explore and experience technology in new ways, learn about careers in technology, and inspire students to continue to learn through critical thinking so that they increase their skills in STEM.

For information about Middle and High School IT-oLogy Cyber Saturday, contact Kay Read, kay.read@it-ology.org.

Special Event Announcement: Azure Partner Boot Camp‏

Posted on by Enterprise Developers Guild

Join us on Saturday, September 6, starting at 8:00 AM at the Charlotte Microsoft Campus for a very special event. This free, engaging and informative learning session features an all-star line-up of speakers which includes Microsoft Azure Program Managers, Microsoft Azure technical experts, and Azure MVPs. This is an exciting way to learn about the business benefits of Azure, and also gain deep technical direction and tips from Microsoft, RDA, and Aditi cloud experts.

If you ever considered Microsoft Azure before, this is your chance to jump start your knowledge and transform those thoughts into actions! The event is designed to help technology leaders and cloud adopters learn how innovations within Microsoft Azure can transform their business strategy and create new revenue opportunities.

Key Takeaways

  1. Complete understanding on architectural concepts & patterns
  2. Learn to build cloud roadmap & cloud fit analyses
  3. Creating scalable and highly responsive Azure applications
  4. Optimizing resource management & securing virtual networks
  5. Talk 1:1 with the cloud experts about your questions and needs around Microsoft Azure

Speakers

  • Microsoft Azure Program Managers
  • Azure technical experts
  • Azure MVPs

Who should attend?

  • Key decision makers
  • Developers
  • IT Operations

Event Sponsors

Microsoft Corporation
Aditi Technologies
RDA Corporation

To learn more and to register, please visit the event website at cltazurebootcamp.eventday.com.

Carolina Code Camp 2014: Inspiration for Developers, by Developers

Posted on by Enterprise Developers Guild

When it comes to technology, to say change is constant would be an understatement. Change is ever-present. With what seems to be a mass migration to the cloud, paired with the rampant enthusiasm for the Internet of Things (IoT) movement, keeping up the relentless pace of advanced technology seems nearly impossible. But impossible means little to those who carry a deep-rooted passion for field, those like the Enterprise Developers Guild. Read more…