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We’re well into 2011, and many designers and developers around the world are planning their travels for the year, including the possibility of attending any Web design or development conferences. To help you out with your plans for the upcoming months, we’ve put together a list of conferences and events that you might want to consider.
This particular post covers events taking place in about a six month timeframe that ends in late August and early September. Later this year, we’ll post another article like this at the end of August that will cover events covering a six-month period beginning in September.
As always, there is no way for us to be able to include every possible event here, but we’ll be glad to update the list if you provide a comment to an upcoming event that you feel would be of interest to Smashing Magazine’s readers. This may also be the chance to eventually meet each other this year.
Choose the month that interests you most:
March 2011 Events
Drupalcon Chicago
“In March of 2011, thousands of Drupal users, developers, designers, evaluators and businesspeople will descend on Chicago’s Sheraton Hotel and Towers for sessions, talks, code sprints, and more at DrupalCon Chicago. Whether you’re already using Drupal or considering it for your company or organization, you won’t want to miss out on this one-of-a-kind event.”
When: March 7 – 10, 2011
Where: Chicago, IL, USA at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel
FITC Amsterdam
“FITC Amsterdam will feature over 50 presentations and panels covering the Creative, Technical, and Business aspects of Flash and digital media. The conference offers two full days and nights of events, plus one day of optional pre-festival workshops and over 750 attendees anticipated from around the globe.”
When: March 8 – 9, 2011
Where: Amsterdam, the Netherlands at De Meervaart
SXSW Interactive
“SXSW® Interactive features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders, the incredible new SXSW Trade Show and an unbeatable lineup of special programs showcasing the best new digital works, video games and innovative ideas the international community has to offer.”
When: March 11 – 15, 2011
Where: Austin, TX, USA
The Big M
“The Big M is a brand new independent mobile focused event aimed at those who want to learn from and connect with the very best people in the industry. Join us in beautiful Bath for two days of sessions and workshops on mobile development, mobile design and mobile business. Hear from leading industry figures, be inspired and connect.”
When: March 20 – 22, 2011
Where: Bath, UK
SES Conference & Expo
“SES Conference & Expo is the leading global event series that educates delegates in search and social marketing, putting a special focus on tactics and best practices. SES Events provide instruction from the industry’s top experts, including representatives from the Search Engines themselves.”
When: Various dates starting March 21, 2011
Where: New York, Shanghai, Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago
DevConnections
“Join us and explore the latest trends and get the most up to date information and training available. All while networking with your colleagues and building a valuable network of peers in one of the most entertaining cities in the world.”
When: March 27 – 30, 2011
Where: Orlando, FL, USA at the Grande Lakes JW Marriott Resort Hotel
An Event Apart Seattle
“An Event Apart is an intensely educational two-day conference for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design. If you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, An Event Apart is the conference you’ve been waiting for.”
When: March 28 – 30, 2011
Where: Seattle, WA, USA at the Bell Harbor Conference Center
Web 2.0 Expo
“Web 2.0 Expo, co-produced by O’Reilly Media, Inc. and UBM TechWeb, showcases the latest Web 2.0 business models, development paradigms, products, and design strategies for the builders of the next-generation Web.”
When: March 28 – 31, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA, USA at Moscone West
Photoshop World Conference & Expo
“Designed to help you boost your training and experience, the Photoshop World graphic design and photography convention offers three days of pulse-pounding training with classes from renowned experts in the field and a once-in-a-lifetime experience guaranteed to enhance your skill set and help your work soar to new heights!”
When: March 30 – April 1, 2011
Where: Orlando, FL, USA at the Orange County Convention Center
IA Summit
“The IA Summit is the premier destination for those who practice, research and are interested in the structural design of shared information environments. Some call themselves information architects (and many don’t) but all share a common desire to help people live better lives through meaningful experiences with information.”
When: March 30 – April 3, 2011
Where: Denver, CO, USA at the Colorado Convention Center
Think Vitamin Online Conferences
“Membership includes valuable conferences. You can attend live, watch the video later or view videos of past online conferences. Ask the speakers your questions and chat with the other attendees.”
When: Numerous dates starting March 2011
Where: Online
The Usability Week 2011 Conference
“Many conferences offer cavernous exhibit halls, brief seminars on second-hand discoveries, and a sense of anonymity that can be truly alienating. Usability Week takes a different approach. In place of scattered, shallow talks, Usability Week offers up to 6 days of deep learning as international experts lead full-day tutorials.”
When: Various dates between February 28 – May 13, 2011
Where: Hong Kong, Melbourne, London, Washington, and Minneapolis
April 2011 Events
FFK11
“The conference offers about 30 sessions about developing and designing applications and Web sites. 10 full day workshops with just 19 attendees in each workshop are available as well”.
When: April 5 – 8, 2011
Where: MediaPark, Cologne, Germany
Scottish Ruby Conference
“The Scottish Ruby Conference rebrands the successful Scotland on Rails conference.”
When: April 7 – 9, 2011
Where: Edinburgh, Scotland at the Royal College of Physicians
Voices That Matter: iPhone Developers Conference
“Reinforce your skills and discover emerging trends this April at the Voices That Matter: iPhone Developers Conference, where we will connect you with some of the biggest names in the industry, as they teach you how to create effective user interfaces, utilizing exciting design and the latest technology, for the iPhone, iPad, or both.”
When: April 9 – 10, 2011
Where: Seattle, WA, USA at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center
CodeConf
“Coding is about more than code. Whether it’s building a solid community, writing good documentation, or hacking space exploration, CodeConf is about improving the software ecosystem through best practices. Come with an open mind and leave a better programmer.”
When: April 9 – 10, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA, USA at the Hyatt Regency
360|Flex Conferences
“360|Flex is the first and still the best Adobe Flex developer conference in the world. We’re not a publishing company pushing books, or a media company selling subscriptions. We’re a conference company, focused on community. Our goal is to bring the best and brightest in the developer community together for 4 days of incredible sessions, awesome parties, good times, and learning.”
When: April 10 – 13, 2011
Where: Denver, CO, USA at the Marriot Denver South
Breaking Development Conference
“Join us for two days of quality talks describing how to design, develop, and leverage the mobile web. Our speakers will walk you through mobile strategies appropriate for your company, design considerations for the mobile platform, development techniques, and how to use web technologies to build cross platform applications.”
When: April 11 – 12, 2011
Where: Dallas, TX, USA at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine
O’Reilly MySQL Conference & Expo
“The O’Reilly MySQL Conference & Expo is an interactive learning community—four days packed with connections to MySQL developers and open source experts who know their subject inside and out. You’ll gain unique insights from speakers, vendors, project leaders, and other participants who are using MySQL to successfully run the world’s most demanding applications, saving millions of dollars over proprietary software and hardware solutions.”
When: April 11 – 14, 2011
Where: Santa Clara, CA, USA at the The Hyatt Regency
MIX11
“MIX is a gathering of developers, designers, UX experts and business professionals creating the most innovative and profitable consumer sites on the web. Sessions range from technical, code-based topics to expert advice on content strategy, usability and design. Explore the future of the standards-based web — join the conversation at MIX11.”
When: April 12 – 14, 2011
Where: Las Vegas, NV, USA at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center
UX London
“UX London is a unique three-day event combining inspirational talks with in-depth workshops presented by some of the industry’s biggest names. Whether you’re beginning your career, or a seasoned professional, UX London is your chance to add core skills, absorb strategic thinking, and learn advanced techniques from pioneers in the field.”
When: April 13 – 15, 2011
Where: London, UK at the Cumberland Hotel
WebDU
“webDU is the premier Antipodean Web Technology Conference, taking place 14-15 April 2011 in Sydney, Australia. This is the ninth year the conference will be held. The conference offers the opportunity to get hands-on technical training, gain new skills, hear breaking news from the Web Industry, network with peers and industry leaders, and ultimately become more successful developing and delivering web applications.”
When: April 14 – 15, 2011
Where: Sydney, Australia at the Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour
Where 2.0
“The O’Reilly Where 2.0 Conference explores the intersection of location technologies and trends in software development, business strategies, and marketing. The source for all things location-aware, Where 2.0 brings together CTOs, marketers, developers, technologists, researchers, geographers, startups, business developers, and entrepreneurs.”
When: April 19 – 21, 2011
Where: Santa Clara, CA, USA at the Santa Clara Convention Center
The Next Web Conference
“The Next Web brings together the best from Europe and the United States to look at overall Internet trends.”
When: April 27 – 29, 2011
Where: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
LessConf
“LessConf is a two-day conference with just 225 attendees. Lunch is provided on site. You’ll get the meet the speakers. You’ll get inspired (again). Between speakers and during lunch there are tons of opportunities to meet others in our industry. At LessConf you will hear great speakers, meet amazing people, and develop relationships.”
When: April 29 – 30, 2011
Where: Atlanta, GA, USA at the Georgia Institute Of Technology
May 2011 Events
JSConf
“JSConf is one of the best tech conferences out there and rightly so, because JavaScript or JS is one of the best languages out there. The core focus of this conference is to present the wonders of JavaScript that are often overlooked. The content of the conference caters to all types of JavaScript developers from client interface to server development to testing.”
When: May 2 – 3, 2011
Where: Portland, OR, USA at the Portland Art Museum
FITC Toronto 2011
“Now in its 10th year, FITC Toronto is one of the largest and longest running events of its kind in the world. With some of the most unique and engaging presenters from around the globe, FITC Toronto is a three day blitz of presentations, demonstrations, and panel discussions, sandwiched between our legendary FITC parties and abundant networking opportunities. Topped off with the FITC Award Show, it’s three days and nights that will leave you inspired, energized and awed.”
When: May 2 – 4, 2011
Where: Toronto, ON, Canada at the Guvernment
An Event Apart Boston
“An Event Apart is an intensely educational two-day conference for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design. If you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, An Event Apart is the conference you’ve been waiting for.”
When: May 2 – 4, 2011
Where: Boston, MA, USA at the Marriott Copley Place
CMS Expo
“You’re invited to compare the best of the best in CMS and learn first-hand, from leading developers, designers and business minds of our time.”
When: May 2 – 4, 2011
Where: Chicago, Illinois, USA at the Hilton Orrington Hotel
WordCamp Developers
“The conference will feature 2 tracks, one targeting WordPress UX topics and issues, and the other targeting strictly development issues. The day will also be host to a WordPress Un-Conference where participants are encouraged to pitch talks and join in discussion.”
When: May 5, 2011
Where: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Make Web Not War
“At this conference, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and techniques available to the ever-evolving web community. Here we will explore the power and flexibility of new web paradigms, mixed web environments, interoperable applications, and PHP on Windows and Azure. MWNW is about bridging the gap between different platforms, communities, and developers of all trades and backgrounds.”
When: May 6 – 7, 2011
Where: Vancouver, BC, Canada
J and Beyond
“An International Joomla! Conference.”
When: May 6 – 8, 2011
Where: Kercrade, the Netherlands at the Rolduc Conference Centre
Google I/O Developer Conference
“Google I/O brings together thousands of developers for two days of deep technical content, focused on building the next generation of web, mobile, and enterprise applications with Google and open web technologies such as Android, Google Chrome, Google APIs, Google Web Toolkit, App Engine, and more.”
When: May 10 – 11, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA, USA at the Moscone Center
UX Lx: User Experience Lisbon
“Three eventful days in Lisbon to learn from world renowned speakers and meet UX Professionals from around the world. Hone up your skills with 16 practical workshops, 26 thought provoking talks and enjoy the city with lots of networking activities.”
When: May 11 – 13, 2011
Where: Lisbon, Portugal at the FIL Meeting Centre
Mobilism
“In two days we’ll explore the mobile world from a web-centric point of view. All of our speakers are deeply rooted in the web and have at one time or another decided to take their talent to mobile. They will teach you which web techniques work on mobile, which don’t, and which new ones you need in order to keep up with a rapidly changing web.”
When: May 12 – 13, 2011
Where: Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in Felix Meritis
Web Directions Unplugged
“HTML5 is fast becoming the way to develop not just web apps, but native apps for platforms like Android, iOS and webOS. Join us for two groundbreaking days of practical development and design presented by leading experts in this exploding field.”
When: May 12 – 13, 2011
Where: Seattle, WA, USA at The Conference Center
Valio Con
“Conference at the beach where it’s all about actual fun and not sitting in a hotel lobby the entire time.”
When: May 13 – 15, 2011
Where: San Diego, CA, USA
RailsConf
“RailsConf, co-produced by Ruby Central, Inc. and O’Reilly Media, Inc., is the largest official conference dedicated to everything Ruby on Rails. Through keynotes, sessions, tutorials, events, and of course lots of hallway hacking, RailsConf is the meeting place for the Ruby on Rails community.”
When: May 16 – 19, 2011
Where: Baltimore, MD, USA
Future of Web Design
“The Future of Web Design is coming back to London in 2011. Following on from the success of last year we will be bringing you a beautiful three full days of essential web learning.”
When: May 17-18, 2011
Where: London, UK at the The Brewery
Falsy Values
“A true JavaScript event.”
When: May 18 – 20, 2011
Where: Warsaw, Poland
TYPO Berlin
“To shift is to pick up speed, to push the envelope, to change your perspective. All three are useful strategies for TYPO 2011, in order to bring visual communications in line with the latest developments in technology.”
When: May 19 – 21, 2011
Where: Berlin, Germany
InDesignSecretsLive Print and ePublishing Conference
“Founded by world-renowned InDesign experts David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepción, and dedicated to the proposition that InDesign professionals deserve a great learning experience, the Print and ePublishing Conference brings together over a dozen of the leading InDesign experts minds for three days of non-stop inspiration and education!”
When: May 23 – 25, 2011
Where: Alexandria, VA, USA at the Westin Alexandria
Gravity Free
“GRAVITY FREE 2011 is a celebration of excellence in multidisciplinary design innovation. It stars a remarkable cast of world-class designers who are changing the way we see the world, from a diverse group of design disciplines”
When: May 24 – 26, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA, USA at the
Web Directions @media
“HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Mobile, Interaction Design, User Experience, and everything else that’s hot right now—it’s all on the carefully curated Web Directions @media program for 2011.”
When: May 24 – 27, 2011
Where: London, UK at Queen Elizabeth Hall
mesh conference
“mesh is happening because the five founders (see below) believed that Toronto deserved to have a world-class conference where people with an enthusiasm for the Web could talk about how it is affecting the media, marketing, business and society as a whole.”
When: May 25 – 26, 2011
Where: Toronto, ON, Canada
WebVisions
“WebVisions explores the future of design, content creation, user experience and business strategy to uncover the trends and agents of change that will shatter your assumptions about the Web. Be ready to network, share ideas and be inspired by an all-star lineup of speakers.”
When: May 25 – 27, 2011
Where: Portland, OR, USA at the Oregon Convention Center
International PHP Conference
“The IPC is the global recognized event for PHP developers, webworkers, IT managers and everyone interested in web-technology. Again, the conference will focus on main topics for developers and core-technologies for decision makers. We will show how to scale your applications, explain the details of Continuous Integration or evaluate different approaches to NoSQL.”
When: May 29 – June 11
Where: Berlin, Germany at the Maritim proArte Hotel
webinale
“Business, Design and Technology are the three basic pillars for success on the World Wide Web. This webinar has been prescribed for these three pillars of the first conference in 2007.”
When: May 30 – June 1, 2011
Where: Berlin, Germany at the Maritim proArte Hotel
June 2011 Events
Interlink Web Design Conference
“nterlink Conference will be a small and carefully crafted 3-day web event that will appeal to all web professionals. This international web design conference welcomes website architects, usability specialists, project managers, marketing coordinators, web developers, website designers and any other online professional that wants to meet others in the industry and get inspired.”
When: June 2 – 4, 2011
Where: Vancouver, BC, Canada at The Capilano Performing Arts Theatre
Internet Week
“Since 2008, Internet Week has taken place all over the city, thanks to our many partners hosting diverse events in different locations. The result is a critical mass of web-focused events that raises the profile of NYC’s industry as a whole, as well as the partners who participate.”
When: June 6 – 13, 2011
Where: New York City, NY, USA at Metropolitan Pavilion & The Altman Building, and around NYC
DIBI Conference
“DIBI (pronounced “dibby”), is the annual Design It. Build It. Conference held at The Sage Gateshead in the North East of England. DIBI brings together both sides of the web coin for an unusual two-track web conference. World renowned speakers leading in their fields of work will talk about all things web.”
When: June 7 – 8, 2011
Where: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
TYPO3
“We invite you to the North American TYPO3 conference held this year in San Francisco. This will be a great time to learn more about the powerful system we use everyday and to connect with other developers from both North America and Europe. Several internationally-known leaders of the TYPO3 community will be attending and presenting.”
When: June 9 – 11, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA, USA at the Fort Mason Center
Flash and the City
“Explore, discover, connect.”
When: June 9 – 12, 2011
Where: New York City, NY, USA
UXcamp Europe
“The main rule of the conference is: No spectators, just participants! This BarCamp-rule does not mean everybody has to do a Session, but everybody should come prepared to participate in an active manner.”
When: June 11 – 12, 2011
Where: Berlin, Germany at Erwin-Schrödinger-Zentrum of the Humboldt University
WordCamp Kansas City
“WordCamps are community organized meetings for users of WordPress, the blogging platform and content management system that is sweeping the online world.”
When: June 11 – 12, 2011
Where: Kansas City, MO, USA at Johnson County Community College
An Event Apart Atlanta
“An Event Apart is an intensely educational two-day conference for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design. If you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, An Event Apart is the conference you’ve been waiting for.”
When: June 13 – 15, 2011
Where: Atlanta, GA, USA at the InterContinental Atlanta
140 Character Conference
“The #140conf events provide a platform for the worldwide twitter community to: listen, connect, share and engage with each other, while collectively exploring the effects of the emerging real-time internet on business.”
When: June 15-16, 2011
Where: New York City, NY, USA
Nordic Ruby Conference
“Come to Nordic Ruby 2011 and you will get a two day, single track Ruby conference, featuring the winning concept of 30 minute talks and 30 minute breaks. Very appreciated last year.”
When: June 16 – 18, 2011
Where: Gothenburg, Sweden
Ampersand
“The Web Typography Conference”
When: June 17, 2011
Where: Brighton, UK
HOW Design Live
“What do you call a mega-gathering of thousands of designers, freelancers, in-house managers and—new for 2011—packaging designers, plus a speaker roster packed with some of the brightest minds in the industry? HOW Design Live! Click the links below for more on each HOW Design Live event, then sign up for The BIG Ticket for exclusive access to all four conferences!”
When: June 22 – 27, 2011
Where: Chicago, IL, USA at the Hyatt Regency
Eyeo Festival
“Three days of inspirational talks, demos, labs, and workshops and opportunities to connect with people whose extraordinary creations are pushing the envelope. The line up is amazing. 30 brilliant individuals, one amazing collection of talent and insight. Add yourself to the mix, and it just gets better.”
When: June 27 – 29, 2011
Where: Minneapolis, MN, USA at the McNamara Alumini Center
Future of Web Apps
“The Future of Web Apps is coming to Las Vegas in 2011. The brand new event is a beautiful three full days of essential web learning.”
When: June 27 – 29, 2011
Where: Las Vegas, NV, USA at Meet exhibition venue
July 2011 Events
Designer/Developer Workflow Conference
“What’s the big deal about workflow? Workflow is something we all do, day in and day out – although you may not even think about it. Do you work with multiple applications during the day? Do you work with team members, departments, clients, etc.? Improving those workflows is what D2W is all about.”
When: July 14 – 16, 2011
Where: Kansas City, MO, USA at the Crown Plaza Hotel
Front-End Design Conference
“Front-End Conf is an event dedicated to content, presentation and behavior and to the awesome people in the design and development community.”
When: July 23, 2011
Where: St. Petersburg, FL, USA
The O’Reilly Open Source Convention
“OSCON provides a central place to gain exposure to and evaluate the new projects, tools, services, platforms, languages, software and standards sweeping through the open source community and the broader technology industry.”
When: July 25-29, 2011
Where: Portland, OR, USA
re:build Conference
“re:build is an intimate one-day event hosted in Downtown Indianapolis. We’re busy lining up some of our favorite speakers from all across the country. ”
When: July 29, 2011
Where: Indianapolis, IN, USA
UXCampLondon
“A one day BarCamp in Richmond, London for anyone involved or interested in user experience design, interaction design, information architecture or usability.”
When: Summer, 2011
Where: London, UK
August 2011 Events
An Event Apart Minneapolis
“An Event Apart is an intensely educational two-day conference for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design. If you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, An Event Apart is the conference you’ve been waiting for.”
When: August 8 – 10, 2011, 2011
Where: Minneapolis, MN, USA at the InterContinental Atlanta
WordCamp
“WordCamp San Francisco is the official annual conference of the WordPress open source project. WordCamp SF 2010 brought together 700+ WordPress users and developers from around the world. In 2011 we’re expanding the programming for publishers, bloggers, and developers.”
When: August 12 – 14, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA, USA at the Mission Bay Conference Center
Drupalcon London
“DrupalCon is an international event that brings together the people who use, develop, design and support the Drupal platform. DrupalCon London 2011 will feature content from the most influential people and brightest minds within the Drupal community and beyond, in addition to countless opportunities for networking, code sprints, and more.”
When: August 21 – 26, 2011
Where: London, UK
UX Australia
“The conference covers core user experience design topics – strategy, user-centred design, interaction design, information architecture, information design, service design, content & visual design. It’s not just digital though, and will also include presentations on the design of physical objects and environments.”
When: August 22 – 26, 2011
Where: Sydney, Australia at Four points by Sheraton
UX Week
“Calling UX professionals (or aspiring professionals) of all levels! Join us at UX Week 2011, the premier user experience conference, for fun times , inspiring sessions on the main stage and roll-up-your-sleeves learning during two full days of workshops. It’s going to rock.”
When: August 23 – 26, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA at The Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF
Related Links
- Conference Roundup
A web app inspired by the original conference roundup here on Smashing Magazine. - Lanyrd
The Social Conference Directory. Also check Smashing Magazine’s Profile. - ontwik
Lectures, Screencasts And Conferences For Real Web Developers & Designers
What Event Will You Attend?
Have you attended one of these conferences before, or do you plan to attend any in 2011? Why do you enjoy attending these types of events? Which ones do you recommend and why? Please let us know in the comments.
© Louis Lazaris for Smashing Magazine, 2011. | Permalink | Post a comment | Smashing Shop | Smashing Network | About Us
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