Why We Can't Wait for Madison+ Ruby
August in Madison always brings a buzz of excitement for Madison+ Ruby. In just 10 days we will welcome members of the international Ruby community to our hometown (we’re honored!).
Madison+ Ruby has set a high bar for Ruby conferences ever since it was founded four years ago. Its organizers, Jim and Jen Remsik of Sapling Events do a great job of building the community’s expertise in both Ruby and programming practice. Madison+ Ruby offers one of the most diverse speaker lineups in the industry. The breadth of speaker backgrounds, topics, and perspectives creates an inclusive and welcoming environment that surpasses many other conferences.
Sapling Events also does a great job emphasizing the human qualities of programming. Most of us, after all, attend conferences to interact with others in our community. The improv exercises to start the conference, community spotlights, and music-focused afterparty keep us aware that we are not programming automatons, but rather humans. I find these efforts make the attendees and speakers alike more mindful of being polite, professional, and kind.
About those community spotlights: As a rare treat (literally), Madison+ Ruby combines technical talks with “local flavor” spots that show off the creative, non-technical community in Madison. They’ve showcased local brewers and chocolatiers in the past, and this summer they’ve invited a pastry chef from the Green Owl, a representative from Yahara Bay Distillers, and a local yoga teacher to lead yoga breaks.
The unique makeup of Madison+ Ruby exemplifies the values we hold as consultants: excellence in our field and commitment to building and supporting communities. We’re proud sponsors of Madison+ Ruby and have been every year since its inception. We look forward to spending time with our friends old and new.
See you there!