How a Local Event Became a Large Community Conference and Ended. 8 Lessons I Learned as an Organizer
Organizing a conference not only involves logistical challenges but also demands a sprinkle of imagination- bingo, the perfect recipe for potential event planners! DartUP was a yearly tech conference revolving around the Dart programming language and Flutter framework. It has a story that lights up together illuminating lessons and sparks of creativity.
Hey, I’m Anton Anokhin, an employer branding manager with almost 12 years of experience. I’ve spent most of that time at Wrike, juggling various events, content, and community initiatives. Today, I’m here to discuss what we did, what worked well, and where we could have improved. I hope this helps you with your projects.
The idea for DartUP came up from me and my colleague and friend Eugeny Kot. Our goal was to promote Dart in the Russian market and foster a community of Dart developers in Russia. Ultimately, we aimed to generate a pipeline of experienced engineers who could switch from their current programming languages to Dart for the sake of our employer, Wrike, as Dart was considered a niche and unpopular language at the time (and probably still is).
Evolution
The event started in 2016 as a local meetup in the Wrike office in Saint-Petersburg and attracted 60–70 participants. Wrike has secured, sponsored, and supported the event, covering the budget, organization, design, and travel costs for speakers for the first event and all the subsequent ones. In 5 years the conference became an international event sponsored by Wrike and supported by Google hosting 500 offline and 1500 online participants, and gave a bright example of how the community event can scale.
In 2017, it became clear that the community of Dart developers had grown and that we had the potential to expand our meetup into a conference. To accommodate more attendees, we rented an external venue. This time, we attracted over 250 people and expanded the program to eight talks, including two speakers from the Google Dart language team who were presented remotely. We even brewed our own DartUP-branded craft beer, which became and remained a unique feature of the conference. Every year we had a special line of DartUP branded beers of 4–6 varieties.
In 2018, we officially presented the event as a “Community Conference powered by Wrike and supported by Google”. I played with the word “community” to move away from the corporate spirit of events organized by corporations and to be closer to community-driven activities. That year, the conference lasted for one day and had two tracks, 14 talks, zones for live-coding sessions, and a code battle. The conference concluded with an after-party featuring the now legendary Wrike beer. More than 400 attendees were present.
In 2019 was our last offline DartUP. 1 day, 2 tracks, 4 foreign speakers, and about 500 attendees.
Pandemic, Conference Transformation and Sunset
In 2020, due to Covid-19, DartUP was conducted online, which enabled us to go global and organize two tracks — one in Russian and one in English. We invited more than 20 speakers, including experts from Google Dart team and GDEs — Google Developer Experts, and had over 2200 registrants. To maintain a sense of community and preserve interactivity, we organized interactive zones using Spatial.chat in addition to the official program (which was streamed on YouTube).
A photo is a must-have element for every conference, but what can we do for an online event? I came up with the idea of commissioning “documentary” illustrations as if the conference were offline. These pictures were very popular among the speakers, and some of them are still using them as profile pictures on social media.
In 2021, the conference was held online again. It featured two tracks over two days, with talks and an interactive zone.
The event attracted over 1600 registrants, and the tradition of “photo illustrations” was also maintained.
In 2022, Wrike transitioned from using Dart to TypeScript for front-end development. As a result, the conference was no longer supported by Wrike, which led it to being put on hold or let’s be honest, sunset.
Lessons and Tips
Along the way, I have learned some lessons that could be helpful to event organizers and community managers.
Lesson 1: The Value of Small Beginnings.
DartUP began as a local meetup of passionate admirers of Dart and Flutter. This microcosm allowed us to test the idea, evaluate the real interest of the developer community, identify obstacles, and learn from amusing blunders. As the conference expanded, the experience and resources harvested from these initial stages proved invaluable.
Lesson 2: Power in Unity.
Organizing a conference requires a team that functions like a well-oiled machine, with each member passionately contributing their efforts to Dart and Flutter. Through effective delegation and astute resource management, the team created a memorable experience for attendees. I would like to extend a big thank you to the Wrike team, including designers, HR professionals, developers, and workplace operations specialists, who make this event possible every year.
Lesson 3: Prioritize Community Engagement.
A community-centric conference starts with engaging content, expert panelists, and a lively networking space. DartUP’s event success was built on their unwavering commitment to connect with their community before, during, and after the conference. The GDG and GDE communities played a crucial role in this connection.
Lesson 4: Embrace Adaptability.
When the pandemic hit, we had to change our format. We quickly adapted DartUP into an online forum that was engaging, interactive, connected, and infused with the legendary spirit of innovation and resilience. So don’t panic; find opportunities to grow! Although we received some regretful feedback about the beloved Dart beer, the overall rating for the online conference from attendees grew to 9.7/10.
Lesson 5: Record & Draw Insights from Success Metrics.
DartUP found its path to improvement and victories through quantifiable metrics, from participant counts to conversion rates, content engagement, and beyond. These parameters offered a comprehensive view of the performance — a quantified visual narrative. Try to collect quantitative and qualitative data to make conclusions and move forward and year-to-year get the audience and sponsors’ support..
Lesson 6: Stay Rooted to the ‘WHY’.
DartUP’s core motivation is to promote Dart and build a thriving Dart developer community. This motivation acted as our North Star, guiding every decision and resulting in an effective and purposeful gathering.
Lesson 7: Dazzle with the WOW factor.
If you think tech conferences are just about code and coffee, DartUP will surprise you! We have mastered the art of providing an exceptional attendee experience with an added “wow” factor.
We offer exclusive Dart craft beer and set up interactive zones for online events, even before they became mainstream. We introduced a code battle in the style of the Mortal Kombat game to increase virality. Instead of standard photo reports, we use vivid artistic illustrations to recreate the effect of physical presence during online sessions.
Every bit of this fun creativity contributes to an unforgettable encounter, proving that even in a virtual world, a tangible experience can be crafted.
Lesson 8: Don’t Depend on a Single Major Sponsor.
For many years, the DartUP conference relied heavily on Wrike as its main sponsor. However, when Wrike decided to move away from using Dart, the conference lost its primary sponsor and was forced to end. Although I was responsible for the Wrike employer branding strategy and budget and grew this event as my own, I had nothing to do when the company decided to stop supporting it. It was sad but reasonable.
To ensure the event’s sustainability, it is essential not to depend on just one major sponsor. Instead, focus on attracting a diverse range of sponsors and community support. While having one sponsor to handle everything may be easier, it is risky to lose everything in a single moment.
Organizing a conference can be a daunting task, but with careful planning, a dedicated team, and a clear purpose, it can become a fulfilling adventure. DartUP, which started as a local meetup to promote Dart in Russia, evolved into an international conference, leaving behind a trail of lessons and creative ideas. These lessons, from the value of small beginnings to the importance of community engagement, are applicable to any event organizer or community manager. Remember to embrace adaptability, stay rooted in your “why,” and don’t be afraid to add that extra “wow” factor. With these tips in mind, you can create an unforgettable experience for attendees, build a thriving community, and leave a lasting impact on the world.
