As you probably know by now, WWDC tickets went on sale Thursday at 10 AM Pacific, and were sold out by 10:02 AM Pacific. If you are one of the numerous disappointed developers that couldn’t get tickets for the conference, you’ll be glad to know the folks behind Appsterdam and a number of other events are organizing an alternate conference this year. AltWWDC to be exact.
From the #AltWWDC website:
Join us for AltWWDC – a free and open alternative to Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference – June 10th-14th, 2013. Five days of talks, food, co-working, and mingling with other developers all without the bar noise. Got a WWDC ticket? Didn’t get a WWDC ticket? Doesn’t matter – the conference happens outside the conference.
Confirmed speakers include: Mike Lee, Victor Agreda, Jr., Brett Terpstra, Brent Simmons, Saul Mora, and more! The event is sponsored by 360|Conferences, Hidden Memory and Server Density.
The AltWWDC Press Release:
With Apple having pre-announced their annual Worldwide Developer Conference this year, tickets will sell out faster than ever before. Luckily, a group of app makers from around the world have been preparing AltWWDC, an alternative event that runs in parallel and doesn’t require a ticket from Apple.
The “Alternative WWDC” is held alongside Apple’s WWDC, June 10-14, in San Francisco. This free 5-day event will have talks, lunch, and co-working space, available first-come, first-serve every day. So far, confirmed speakers are Mike Lee, Victor Agreda, Jr., Brett Terpstra, Brent Simmons, Saul Mora, and Steve “Scotty” Scott.
Created by a group of Apple developers and technology enthusiasts from around the world, this year’s AltWWDC combines several events from the previous year that all shared the common goal of offering a great conference experience to anyone excited about Apple technology, regardless of their developer status.
“I realized that the most I get out of conferences isn’t necessarily in the conference itself, but rather in the relationships I make and renew while there,” says Rob Elkin, co-creator of AltWWDC. “I wanted to be in the city to spend time with people and enjoy the atmosphere. So, I decided to create a workspace that I would want to attend, somewhere to go and get work done, but also to spend time meeting new people, and learning a little.”
Every year, Apple’s WWDC event has sold out in record time. In 2012, all 5000 tickets sold out in just two hours, a speed that topped the previous year’s eight hours. With tickets selling faster and faster each year, many Apple developers are guaranteed to be left in the dust.
This was the impetus in 2012 for Josh Michaels to create Intersection, Kyle Kinkade to create IndieDevLab, and Rob Elkin and Judy Chen to create AltWWDC. Having event registration pre-announced this year, it will sell out faster than ever, creating an even greater need for an alternative.
“Last year it was clear that an alternative week-long event was needed, but three different groups stepped up to do it, and the result was three less than ideal events,” says Michaels. “This year with everyone unified and working together, I believe we can reach a much higher bar.”
Rob Elkin, Judy Chen, Josh Michaels, and Kyle Kinkade have joined forces to create an alternative space where the WWDC ticketed and ticketless are welcome to attend. The location is at San Francisco State University’s downtown campus, just one block away from Moscone, between Market Street and Mission Street. The event is being sponsored by 360|Conferences, Hidden Memory, and Server Density.
“I hope we’re able to both educate people on the topics that aren’t covered in WWDC as well as enlighten and inspire people with real stories from real developers,” Michaels says.
Kinkade says, “I am proud to be part of the AltWWDC team and movement. By working together we demonstrate the spirit of indie developers.”
For more information about AltWWDC, see http://altwwdc.com. For press and sponsorship inquiries, email altwwdc@appsterdam.rs.
