Experience
The Best Tech Events in North-Rhine Westphalia
North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, is full of history and traditions – from art and industry to carnival and Christmas markets. But in recent history, the West-German region is gaining recognition for something completely different – tech!
While it may still have a ways to go to rival the Berlin startup scene, NRW is now home to 20% of Germany’s startups. And with tech companies come tech events, of which the Rhine-Ruhr region is certainly not lacking! In fact Cologne (a city once famous for men’s perfume) now hosts Europe’s largest invitation-only tech conference.
So with hundreds of tech events throughout the calendar year, how do you pick the most innovative and inspirational, and avoid the sea of blazers and buzzwords? Well, we have you covered! These are the best tech events in NRW as picked by our software developers!
Beyond Tellerrand – Düsseldorf
In German, you may be told to “Über den Tellerrand schauen” which translates to “Look over the edge of your plate” or “Think outside the box”, as we might say in English – and ‘outside the box’ certainly describes Beyond Tellerrand well! Featuring three days focused on technology, development and design, this conference attracts all sorts of techies and has developed somewhat of a cult following.
Started in Düsseldorf in 2011, #BTConf has now expanded to include events in Berlin and Munich throughout the year. In addition to the conference, side events are held all over the host city, bringing the tech community together.
According to Marc Theile, the the creator of the event “beyond tellerrand is an event for the web and design community that focuses on the people at the event: the speakers, attendees and partners. They are all are part of the show and all add to the unique character and atmosphere!”
PIRATE summit – Cologne
The PIRATE summit is one of the biggest events on our list. In fact, it is Europe’s largest invitation-only conference for early-stage startups, investors, and corporate executives.
The conference is held annually during summer in one of Cologne’s most unique locations: Odonien – a scrapyard turned into an outdoor art gallery. It really has something for everyone: from talks and workshops by some of the top tech companies, to campfires and parties long into the night!
FrOSCon – Bonn
FrOSCon (Free and Open Source Software Conference) is one of Germany’s biggest conferences focused on Open Source software. Held in Uni Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, the two-day event is jam-packed with talks on topics from software development to IT security.
Interested in attending, but not sure if the content will be interesting for you? Luckily you can check out recordings from the event, all the way back to 2007 on their website! But, easily the best thing about FrOSCon is that (keeping in the OSS spirit) it is completely free to attend!
Web Engineering Meetup – Düsseldorf
Meetup is a website that has been connecting people with similar interests for over over a decade – and the Düsseldorf Web Engineering Meetup has been using the platform to connect techies of NRW for the last six years!
The group has over 3500 members of diverse backgrounds and skill levels who bring unique perspectives on a wide range of topics. The Web Engineering Düsseldorf Meetup gathers monthly at various locations throughout the city and everyone is welcome to join. Sign up for the next one here!
gamescom – Cologne
If you are even remotely interested in video games, you definitely don’t want to miss out on gamescom. The event is held in Cologne and brings together gaming enthusiasts from all over the world for five days of conferences, live events and of course – gaming! In 2018, over 500,000 visitors came to Cologne for gamescom week, making it the largest gaming event in the world!
Gamescom is more than just a singular event, it also includes ‘devcom’ (the largest conference for games developers on the European continent), a cosplay village and a festival in the city for 150,000 visitors. Getting FOMO just reading about it? Gamescom 2019 begins on the 21st August in Cologne Messe – find out more here!
Startup Woche – Düsseldorf
Held in Düsseldorf, the capital of NRW, ‘Startup Woche’ (startup week) takes over the city for seven days every April. The event has no main location, but instead the 100+ events are spread across various venues in the city. So don’t be surprised if you spot a workshop in warehouse, or a hackathon in a hotel. Although many events are in German, the website includes a filter to discover English-speaking events on offer throughout the week.
Think about! – Cologne
Think About! is a brand new two-day community tech event held in Cologne which addresses some very important issues surrounding technology, design and their impacts on society. The first edition of Think About! was held in May 2019 and drew in techies from all over to enjoy 24 talks spread over two days from leading experts and newcomers in the tech industry.
The next Think About! conference will be held in May/June 2020 and will once again focus on the important question “What impact do technology and design have on our society?”.
ejagfest – Korschenbroich
The European Atari Jaguar Festival, or Ejagfest as it’s known, is an annual event for Atari and retro gaming fans. Since 2000 the noncommercial annual event has been attracting gamers to the small town of Korschenbroich (between Düsseldorf and Mönchengladbach) for two days of everything Atari and all systems of the cult label! But as they mention on their website, they don’t want to discriminate against other retro-systems – the more exotic, the better.
For what Ejagfest lacks in size, it makes up for with a true sense of community and passion for retro gaming. Ejagfest 2019 will be held on November 2-3rd – find out more here!
We hope our list helped you discover your next tech event! Did you know we also hold events for external guests at our Düsseldorf campus? You can see whats coming up here or check out what our engineers are up to on our Tech Blog.
