Devcamp 2023 – FAQ

If I am not attending, do I still have to work?

Yes, you are expected to work as normal, unless you have some other leave planned.

When do we get our shirts?

We will organise a place to collect them at the venue from one of the organisers, and you can collect this when you arrive or during lunch on the first day.

Where are we staying?

We are staying at voco Kirkton Park in Hunter Valley. It will take a little over two hours’ drive from Central Station according to Google Maps, but can take three hours if you are catching the bus (coach) we have booked.

If I’m driving, what time should I arrive?

Please arrive at around 12:00 PM on the Wednesday to allow yourself time to collect your shirt and grab lunch, which starts at 12:30.

Where does the bus leave from?

The bus will be departing from Central Station on Wednesday 8 March at 9:00 AM. Please meet in the Grand Concourse area of the station by 8:30 AM.

When do we get home on Friday if we are catching the bus?

We are scheduled to be back at Central Station by 5:00 PM on Friday 10 March. We will leave Hunter Valley at 2:00 PM, allowing enough time for traffic.

I changed my plans and am no longer taking the bus.

Please let us know so we don’t wait around for you for no reason!

I am not in Sydney, how do I get there?

You should already be having conversations with your manager about flights to Sydney. The cost of these flights will be covered by the company. If you are not travelling by plane, you may need to discuss travel reimbursement with your manager.

Who is coming to Devcamp?

Engineering, Operations, Shared Services, Product, and Jason. 😜

Is there internet access?

Yes, there is, although we can’t guarantee that it will be stable. If you are a speaker, please try not to rely on an internet connection for your slides or resources.

How much downtime will we get?

We have tried to allow as much downtime as possible on Wednesday afternoon before dinner, Thursday afternoon before dinner, and Friday morning before the Giving Back event at 11:00 AM. Please, if you need to take more time out, take some time out to rest.

I want to do a talk at Devcamp!

Unfortunately talk submissions are now closed, but hopefully at a future Devcamp!

What is the format of the conference day?

Talks will be 5, 15, or 30 minutes. The final schedule will be announced on Monday 6 March 2023.

Unlike 2020, talks will be single stream – there will only be one talk happening at a time – so you don’t need to “choose” which talk you want to go to.

Please note that the Product team will be participating in a separate activity in a breakout room during the afternoon portion of the Thursday (approximately 1:40 PM to 3:40 PM).

Will talks be recorded?

We encourage everyone to come to Devcamp if they can, so that they can listen to talks as they happen. In previous years we recorded talks and had presentation slides stitched into the recording. After reviewing previous years of Devcamp, we found that people got more value out of being present at Devcamp and not from the recordings. This year we are leaving this up to the speaker if they would like their talk recorded. We will be using a basic approach of a smartphone recording. As a speaker, you can offer your phone, someone else’s, or one of the organising team can volunteer theirs.

I want to help out with Devcamp. 👀

While we already have an organising team, there is room for additional help during the three days of Devcamp, such as helping gather everyone for the bus, MC-ing, and in general helping us keep things in order. Please reach out to someone from the organising team if you are interested.

I am feeling overwhelmed. What do I do? ☹️

Take a break from the sessions or the activities if you need to. You can go for a walk, explore, sit in a quiet corner, go to your room, take a nap, etc. We encourage you to put your mental health first.

What should I bring with me to Devcamp?

You should bring clothes; pyjamas; toothbrush; toothpaste; your laptop, charger(s), and adapters. You will have enough free time to explore, walk, or run – so bring swimming gear and activewear if you feel so inclined. We encourage you to bring board games or other activities that you can use during downtime.

Do I need to bring a towel?

If you want. 😉

I have some other concern that isn’t here.

Send a message to the #devcamp Slack channel and we can add it to this FAQ. If it is a private matter, message one of us: Staples, Chris W, Shenny, Henry, Rashmita, Sam, or Georgie.

We also welcome feedback during Devcamp. If something is not working out for you, or something is concerning you, reach out and we will do our best to help. We want to make sure everyone feels safe and has a good time.