ElixirConf 2024 was a blast! With a focus on Livebook, inspiring talks from Chris McCord, Theo Browne, and José Valim, and the energy of in-person connection, we’re already excited for next year!
Marcelo Dominguez
- September 09, 2024
At Mimiquate, we are strong believers in the power of in-person community events. There's something unique about being physically present that fosters unity, collaboration, and shared enthusiasm. Over the years, we have seen how events like ElixirConf serve as the heart of the Elixir community, connecting developers, companies, and enthusiasts alike. That’s why, for several years now, we’ve proudly sponsored ElixirConf—and 2024 was no different.
ElixirConf 2024 – More Like LivebookConf!
This year’s conference had us joking that it felt like "LivebookConf," with so much focus on livebooks and their ever-growing influence in the Elixir ecosystem. But in all seriousness, the event was packed with inspiring talks, groundbreaking projects, and fascinating use cases that show the continued evolution of Elixir and its community.
Keynote Highlights
The keynotes were, as always, the heartbeat of the conference, offering deep insights and new perspectives. Here are a few standouts:
Chris McCord and Chris Grainger: These two titans showcased how to spin up Fly.io machines to perform parallel machine learning tasks, leveraging Elixir for a seamless experience. This method, coupled with the power of Livebook, opens up exciting possibilities for data scientists experimenting with new models. The prospect of bringing Elixir closer to the world of data science is an exciting development!
Theo Browne: Theo’s talk brought a fresh breeze to the ElixirConf stage. Coming from the JavaScript community, Theo’s presence was a nice reminder of how valuable cross-community dialogue can be. His talk was personal, yet relatable to developers from all backgrounds, and his insights bridged the gap between Elixir and the wider programming world.
José Valim: José never disappoints. This year, he reflected on 20 years of web development history while also looking ahead at what's to come. One of the most intriguing parts of his talk was an experimental project (now archived) that explored syncing frontend and backend changes through database replication, offering an alternative to LiveView that collapses layers in a new way. It was thought-provoking, even if the project was just an experiment.
Justin Schneck: Closing the conference with an inspiring talk, Justin Schneck explored the potential of household technology and how we can leverage it to enhance mental health. His message was not only technically impressive but also a reminder of the broader, positive impact technology can have on our daily lives.
Other Talks Worth Mentioning
Beyond the keynotes, there were plenty of other excellent talks to check out, especially if you missed the event:
Livebook-centric talks: These talks demonstrated the growing versatility of Livebook in experimentation, teaching, and more.
Guillaume Duboc: Guillaume took us through a live demonstration of building out Elixir’s type system. It was fascinating to watch such an intricate process unfold live on stage.
Chris Bailey: Chris’s deep dive into working with Materialized Views in Ecto brought some exciting database concepts to the forefront of the conference.
Sundi Myint and Christian Koch: Their talk on how Elixir developers can engineer their career progression and promotions was both practical and motivating—great for anyone looking to level up their career.
Wojtek Mach: Wojtek’s session on rapid prototyping in Elixir was packed with useful takeaways for developers looking to get the most out of their projects quickly.
Looking Ahead
As always, we’re already looking forward to next year’s ElixirConf. It’s such an important event for us, and we plan on continuing to sponsor and support it. I’ll be there with my instant camera again, capturing memories and making new friends.
One thing we hope to see more of in the future is a more welcoming atmosphere for people outside the Elixir community. Bringing fresh perspectives, like Theo’s, is invaluable, and we’d love to see even more diverse voices at these events.
