DjangoCon 2024 was a resounding success for the community, with attendees from all over the world gathering to learn about the latest developments in Django and to connect with the Django community. Caktus was well-represented at the conference, with six of our team members attending. In this blog post, we share our experiences at DjangoCon 2024, including our favorite talks, the people we met, and the things we learned. We also offer some tips for future attendees on how to get the most out of DjangoCon.
What did you like most about DjangoCon 2024?
Keanya: What I loved most about DjangoCon 2024 was the people. DjangoCon is a celebration of community. I especially appreciated how welcoming the environment was. Whether you’re a seasoned contributor or someone attending their first conference, you’re made to feel like your voice matters. But the best part was the sense of connection. We are all here not just to write code, but to build something meaningful together.
Karen: Seeing and getting to catch up some with Django community folk that I only get to see maybe once or twice a year at DjangoCon events.
Tobias: For me, DjangoCon 2024 was my first US-based conference since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Django community has long been one of my favorite aspects of working with Django the framework, and I was grateful for the opportunity to catch up with a number of old friends from the Django community.
Jeanette: What I liked most about DjangoCon 2024 was how genuinely welcoming and community-driven it felt. I’ve attended many tech conferences since I became a software engineer in 2018, but DjangoCon’s uniquely inclusive atmosphere encouraged me to connect with more people than I ever have at any other event.
Ronard: Seeing and sharing with many people from the Django community. By now, I’ve formed bonds with people that I met at my first DjangoCon, so it’s great seeing them and catching up. Since I am remote, it’s also a good opportunity to interact with my coworkers outside of work. Any tips for future attendees to get the most out of DjangoCon?
Keanya: Network Authentically - networking doesn’t have to feel transactional. At DjangoCon, it’s more about building meaningful connections. Ask people about their work, share your own journey, and find ways to collaborate or stay in touch after the event.
Karen: Submit a talk and present! Or volunteer to help out. Get involved so that you get to know people in the community individually and make a personal connection.
Tobias: While I know the "hallway track" is popular, I recommend attending talks in person whenever possible. It's easy to say you'll watch a talk video after the conference, but it might end up being difficult to find time. Plus, it's motivating for speakers when people show up to their talks!
Jeanette: Try to get involved early by joining the official Slack community or following Django blog for updates. Also, don’t hesitate to participate in the sprints that DjangoCon hosts to get a chance to collaborate with your peers on bug fixes, improving documentation, or brainstorming new features.
Ronard: Talk to as many people as you possibly can. Everyone is nice, welcoming, and loves talking about tech. Just like F1 drivers can’t help but talk about tires, developers can’t help but talk tech, especially with those who share our love and passion.
What was your favorite talk at DjangoCon 2024?
Keanya: My favorite talk was Power to the people who teach the people by Keynote speaker Sheena O’Connell. Her perspective on teaching resonated with me. She emphasized the importance of empowering learners and creating an environment that encourages curiosity and growth. Sheena’s take on fostering a growth mindset—believing in your ability to learn and improve—was both inspiring and energizing.
Karen: An Opinionated Guide to Modern Django Forms by Josh Thomas, somewhat selfishly since I love how it covers the detailed code examples I was unable to fit in my own talk "Django + Alpine.js + htmx Ups and Downs". I was excited to be able to point people at my talk to this one for an excellent talk that had code examples of how to use the technologies I was discussing.
Tobias: I really enjoyed Sheena O'Connell's keynote, Power to the People who Teach the People. It goes into detail on learning and teaching strategies in tech, and helped me personally think through how I can push boundaries to help myself and others on my team grow and learn.
Jeanette: I loved “Choosing Wisely: SPA vs. HTMX for Your Next Web Project” by Chris May. As a frontend software engineer, this topic resonated deeply with me! My favorite part was the case studies where Chris showcased real-world examples of companies improving performance and productivity by switching from SPAs to HTMX and Alpine.js. The stories highlighted how thoughtful architectural decisions can simplify development, boost team efficiency, and enhance user experience—all while reducing complexity!
Ronard: I really enjoyed “API Maybe: Bootstrapping a Web Application circa 2024” by Carlton Gibson. Carlton is a fantastic story teller and he used his skills to make a great case for why Django is as relevant today as it’s even been, if not even more relevant. Django’s simplicity continues to shine as its superpower, especially with the aid of newer technologies.
What did you take away from DjangoCon that you are using right now at Caktus?
Keanya: Sheena’s passion for teaching made me excited to dive deeper into my own learning journey. She inspired me to take one of her workshops. “Modern Front-end development with Python, Htmx and Friends.
Karen: It's still a work in progress, but I'm trying to apply the lessons of the Error Culture talk by Ryan Cheley to the projects I work on. I long for a day where I'm supporting several projects and all "alerts [...] are meaningful, actionable, and directed at the appropriate recipients".
Tobias: While I'm not using them yet, I've become a huge fan of URL path converters and I hope to start using them on more projects soon. Willem Van Onsem's talk, path('/user/
Jeanette: One of my biggest takeaways from DjangoCon 2024 was the meaningful connections I made within the Black Python Devs community. I also had the unforgettable experience of watching my sister and colleague, Keanya Phelps, speak on a panel, which inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and submit two talk proposals for DjangoCon 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. Seeing her confidently share her expertise motivated me to share my own knowledge and contribute more actively to the Django community.
Ronard: Nothing at Caktus, but Will Vincent’s time-lapse of the Django user model helped me with mentally architectingarchiteching some decisions for an open-source project. It was insightfulinsigthful hearing about how the user model has changed and the many options we still have as Django developers. DjangoCon has been a long-time favorite conference for the Caktus team. DjangoCon was exceptional due to the high quality of talks, the intimate and communal atmosphere, and the friendliness of the attendees. This combination made the conference enjoyable and memorable. We hope to see you at DjangoCon 2025!
