For more than a decade GDG Istanbul has held a special place in the story of IDRsolutions. What began as a single visit to connect with like-minded developers has evolved into an annual tradition that reflects our commitment to collaboration and community engagement.
How it all began
In 2013 in San Francisco, 2 shy Turkish developers (Nilay Coskun and Murat Yener) made their way round all the stands at the JavaOne Conference looking for speakers for the new DevFest conference they were trying to start in Istanbul.
From our stand, Mark watched them gallantly take rejection from stand after stand and overheard their pitch. They finally arrived on the IDRsolutions stand and before they even had a chance to speak, Mark said “I am free then. I would love to be involved if you would like to invite me”.
They looked slightly bewildered and said “But we don’t even have a date yet”.
Mark continued “The 2 great passions in my life are IT and History. I love sharing my passion for software development and I have never had the chance to visit the city and see all the sites I studied as part of my Mediaeval History course. So whatever the date it is, I will be there if you would like to invite me”
And so it all began….
The Spirit of DevFest
DevFest Istanbul isn’t your typical tech conference. It’s a place where developers, engineers, students, and tech enthusiasts meet to share ideas and learn from each other.
What makes it great is the open and curious atmosphere. People genuinely want to explore new things and push limits together. That’s something we really connect with, because we believe progress starts with open minds and candid conversations.
Engaging with the Developer Community
Every year, DevFest offers us the chance to engage directly with a diverse audience which includes students taking their first steps into the industry to veterans tackling complex challenges.
These conversations not only keep us grounded in the realities of software development but also help understand how our tools can better serve those building the next generation of applications.
Listening to the community remains one of the most valuable parts of our DevFest experience.
Delivering Technical Talks
Our technical talks at DevFest are designed to be more than guides. We aim to share problems developers face with PDFs and how we are solving these problems, using the latest development tools.
Through these sessions, we showcase what we have built but also learn how others approach similar problems. The dialogue that follows is what makes each talk worthwhile.
Since we have been returning to DevFest Istanbul for so many years, we have a collection of talks from the past which you can watch to get an idea of what to expect.
Empowering New Hires
DevFest is also an important part of our internal culture. New hires at IDR Solutions are encouraged to join us in Istanbul as part of their professional growth.
For many, it’s their first experience at a large-scale tech event and a chance to engage with ideas beyond the confines of day-to-day work. It also gives placement students opportunities to contribute fresh perspectives, enriching our team with generational diversity.
This exposure fosters both technical curiosity and confidence and has been an important aspect of our retention strategy over the years.
Beyond the Conference
While DevFest itself is a highlight, the city of Istanbul adds another layer to the experience. Between sessions, our team takes time to explore its rich history, architecture, and cuisine.
Besides, it’s not every day that you see cats in the streets, cats in the shops and cats in every other place you can possibly imagine! Be wary though, they only accept the highest quality food or you are simply not worthy…
These shared moments away from the conference hall strengthen our team spirit and remind us that creativity thrives when you step outside the familiar.
We’re looking to continue tradition and visit to the Turkish Bath house, Hürrem Sultan Hamamı for the best 2 hours of our life!. A definite highlight is joining fellow Speakers (new and old) on the Speaker’s tour of the hotspots in Istanbul.
The journey is part of the adventure
This year, Mark has decided to travel in style and will be taking the ‘Orient Express’, which will not only help reduce our carbon output but also give an opportunity to experience hotspots like Brussels, Budapest, Vienna and Bucharest.
It’s a 5 day journey so he has obtained some suitable reading material from his favourite Indy bookshop.
Conclusion
DevFest Istanbul is one of our favourite conferences and we aim to return for a long time to come. It is not just the excellent talks, the beauty of Istanbul or the sense of being part of a movement, what makes this conference special are the people!
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