3 Shows you should attend in 2015

In my last article I wrote about DevFest (Istanbul). This third part features another set of Community conferences.

NetBeans started off as a Java IDE and has developed into a complete solution for Android, PHP, HTML5/JavaScript and multi-language development as well. Many developers switch to it because of the Maven support. It is also the Oracle reference platform (so any new Java features will have NetBeans support from launch). At IDRsolutions, we use NetBeans every day for our software development and testing.

NetBeans is free to download and use, and there is a vibrant Community and EcoSystem. So you will find sessions on NetBeans at many conferences (JavaOne always starts with a NetBeans Day).

In 2014, the NetBeans community started to organise standalone events and these events have snowballed as Community members across the world have jump onboard with NetBeans events in Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, France, UK, Greece, Burkina Faso, etc.

All of these events are one or two days and free to attend. They include an overall theme based around NetBeans (which can be just about anything given the ways NetBeans is now used). They include lots of local speakers and also may include some star international speakers who have flown in to attend and support the Community.

One of my favorite things about the NetBeans Days is that they are small and intimate (usually around 40-150 people) and include a great mix of people including students and developers. The emphasis is on practical sessions (no tedious PowerPoint shows) by enthusiastic NetBeans users talking with passion.

They also provide a great forum for new speakers to make their first tentative steps. Watch out for some very good new speakers who debuted at a NetBeans Day showing up as speakers at the major conferences in the next few years…

An important aspect of any NetBeans day is the social aspect. NetBeans Greece included a trip to Athens for dinner and to see the city and NetBeans UK ended in a pub overlooking the River Thames.

So if you are looking for a local, free, friendly software conference to attend with lots of really good content, the chances are that there may well be a local NetBeans Day you can attend…