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Welcome to {dev.talk}

{dev.talk} (pronounced "dev dot talk") is a community-driven monthly meetup bringing together software engineers and tech professionals in the Bournemouth and Dorset area.

Free to attend and run by community volunteers, we create an inclusive space where developers of all experience levels can learn, share knowledge, and connect.

Each meetup features sessions from community members (mostly of a technical nature), with time for networking and discussions between talks. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, you'll find a welcoming environment to explore new ideas and "geek out" with fellow tech enthusiasts.

To extend our reach beyond the in-person events, all sessions (with speaker permission) are recorded and shared on our YouTube Channel, creating an accessible resource for the wider developer community.

Our mission is simple: build a thriving, supportive tech community in Dorset where everyone can grow professionally while making meaningful connections.

Table of Contents

Come and Join Us

Event Details

Please Note: That all {dev.talk} events will be photographed and recorded. If you do not wish to be included in a photo or video, please make the organisers aware.

Tickets

If you would like to come to one of our friendly events, see our ticket site for free tickets.

What Does a Typical Event Look Like?

  • Focus: Software engineering topics
  • Location: In or around Bournemouth, UK
  • Attendees: Expecting 20-60 participants

A typical 2-hour session will look like this:

  • Arrival and Networking (15-20 minutes)

    Attendees check in, grab refreshments, and mingle with others in a relaxed setting.

  • Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)

    The host provides a warm welcome, shares announcements, and introduces the speakers and agenda.

  • First Speaker + Q&A (25-30 minutes)

    The first speaker delivers a talk on a tech topic, followed by a brief audience Q&A.

  • Break and Networking (10-15 minutes)

    A short intermission to recharge, discuss the first talk, and connect with attendees.

  • Second Speaker + Q&A (25-30 minutes)

    The second speaker presents their session, followed by another interactive Q&A.

  • Wrap-Up and Closing (5-10 minutes)

    The event concludes with thanks to speakers, attendees, and sponsors, along with reminders about upcoming events.

  • Post-Event Networking (Time dependant)

    Attendees can stick around to chat, exchange ideas, and build deeper connections.

Why attend?

  • Learn: Discover something new from experienced professionals and peers.
  • Teach: Share your knowledge and insights (even if you're not a speaker).
  • Engage: Connect with experts who might help you solve current challenges.
  • Build Relationships: Form meaningful connections within the tech community.
  • Boost Confidence: Gain self-assurance by networking and sharing your ideas.
  • Express Yourself: Share your views, thoughts, and passions in a supportive space.
  • Diversity of Thought: Gain fresh perspectives from a variety of individuals.
  • Break Barriers: Interact with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
  • Discover Venues: Explore local spaces you might not have known about before.
  • Meet New People: Expand your personal and professional network.
  • Find Opportunities: Connect with new prospects and opportunities in your area.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Tap into the software engineering expertise within our community.
  • Networking: Engage with peers who share your technical interests and ideas.
  • Community: {dev.talk} is created by and for the community-come and be part of it. Everyone is welcome.

Who should attend?

  • Software Engineers
  • Web Developers
  • Systems Designers
  • Technical Leads
  • Engineering Managers
  • Software Architects
  • DevOps Engineers
  • QA Engineers
  • Cyber security experts
  • Data Engineers
  • BI Analysts
  • Students
  • Graduates
  • Anyone with an interest in the technical workings of software and systems

Recruiters: Note that {dev.talk} events are for everyone, but this is not an event for recruiting. This is a friendly welcoming place and attendees should not feel pressured to use your services. Any recruiter who attends and is seen to break this rule, will be asked to leave immediately.

Attendee Feedback

If you attended a previous event, then please tell us about your experience using our Attendee Feedback Form (Takes 1 min)

Come and Speak

See our Speaker information

Volunteering

Do you want to get involved?

We always need people to:

  • Welcome and check-in attendees
  • Help setup and pack down afterwards
  • Tech support for the speakers
  • Take photos
  • Help film the event
  • Maintain the website
  • Help find speakers

If this is something you are interested in doing, then please Contact us

Code of Conduct

We have a code of conduct that will be strictly adhered to. We want to be welcoming to everyone no matter who they are, what skill level they have or where they come from.

Upcoming sessions

  • Building Products Developers Love to Build (15 mins) - Rachel Adedoyin

    This session explores how Product Managers and Developers can work better together, with fewer frustrations and more impact. Drawing on real stories, Rachel Adedoyin will share practical lessons on clarity, collaboration, and respecting the craft of development. Expect honesty, humour, and insights into how PMs can make developers’ lives easier while keeping the focus on building products that matter.

  • Domain-Specific Languages in Action: Why, When, and How — Experiences from Medical and Veterinary , Data science, and Legal domains (15 mins) - Dr Sofia Meacham

    This talk will introduce Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) — what they are, why they represent a promising software engineering solution, and where they are best applied. We will explore the kinds of problems that benefit most from DSLs and why developers and organizations should consider them. I will also share our real-world experiences applying DSLs in several domains: • Medical and veterinary practice • Data science and analytics • Legal documents and compliance These case studies will demonstrate how DSLs can simplify complexity, improve communication with domain experts, and deliver practical, impactful solutions across industries.

  • Nix for Reproducible Developer Environments (15 mins) - Oliver Pauffley

    The quickest and most painful way of getting developers on the same dependencies

  • The Post Office Horizon System's bugs (30 mins) - Frank Milsom

    Defects in the Post Office Horizon System caused accounting errors that led to many Subpostmasters being unjustly prosecuted. Most of these faults were complex. Adjustments to the software development process might have increased the chances of catching these bugs before release.

  • Sitcom lovers guide to Software Engineering (30 mins) - Adam Scholey

    Brief: Series 1, Episode 1: Laughter. It's the best form of medicine. And a valuable solace for those of us assigned yet another Jira ticket with ambiguous Acceptance Criteria... As AI continues to dominate society, our humanity is becoming ever more crucial to the products we create and the value we deliver. Behind every user story is an actual human who relies on our abilities to empathise, reflect and adapt to their needs. In this talk, we'll explore the softer, "fuzzier" side of software engineering - why knowing who your F.R.I.E.N.D.S are is crucial to shipping high-quality features; how to retain perspective when you're in The Thick Of It [battling a 3am production fire], and why a little business acumen can supercharge your technical skills in 2025 (Del Boy anyone?) Whether you're a fellow software engineer, or simply have to put up with us in your day-to-day, we'll Peep (Show) behind the curtain of what makes us far more Kryten than Marvin the Paranoid Android!

  • Gender Identity & Me: Life as an autistic software engineer (30 mins) - Rose T

    I'm a 22 year old Trans woman and have had an unusual life story - I want to use my skills and platform to educate about Autism & neurodiversity, trans rights and broadly sharing love and respect for each other especially when it comes to mental health. I attended a specialist Maths School for my A-levels where I achieved A*s in Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science before starting a degree apprenticeship at a large American bank which I have just finished achieving a 1st class degree in Digital & Technology Solutions from the University of Exeter. Throughout the last 6 years, I have gone from being on a plane for the first time to having travelled to the USA for 2 weeks solo, to Japan for 2 weeks with friends. I've come out as Rose, struggled with my mental health and learnt a lot

  • Building my blog: A journey of discovery (45 mins) - Mark Oliver

    In this session, I will explain the journey of discovery of building my fully interactive Blog website and the engine behind it, using free cloud technologies such as Azure Static Web Apps, Github Actions and Blazor WebAssembly.

  • Why is there a shark in my Wire - An introduction to Wireshark (25 mins) - Mark Oliver

    A short introduction to the network protocol analyser tool Wireshark, and why it can be helpful for software engineers. I will show the basics of running the tool, the benefits of knowing this tool for all software developers, and then cover some real life examples of where it has been used to aid development of production systems.

Previous sessions

See our Previous Sessions

Upcoming events

Previous events

Other local tech based events

See a list of other Local events

Supporters

{dev.talk} could not happen without support:

  • Reconnect Logo

    re:connect - A huge supporter. They help source the event spaces for the meetup, provide the subscription to the ticketing system, and provide the most important thing of all - moral support!

  • JustPickOneUK Logo

    JustPickOneUK supports us by allowing the use of their video cameras and microphones to record the sessions.

  • Institute of Directors Logo

    Institute of Directors supported us by providing the first meetup venue (Nov 2024).

  • Patch Logo

    Patch (Bournemouth) supported us by providing a meetup venue (Jan 2025).

  • Barclays Eagle Labs Logo

    Barclays Eagle Labs (Poole) supported us by providing a meetup venue (Feb 2025).

  • The smart way to do Call for Papers, Schedule and Speaker Management.

    Sessionize supported us by providing Call For Speakers Community access.

  • Meyrick Estates supported us by providing a meetup venue (Mar 2025).

    "We are pleased to facilitate {dev.talk} at the Cottonwood Hotel and hope that the event is a great success. We are very keen to work with the local community to facilitate and trial new events as we begin an exciting journey to foster new collaborations, business and creative activity to the East Cliff. For enquiries to stage your event at the venue please contact: andrew@ajemeryconsulting.com"
  • Bournemouth University

    Bournemouth University supported us by providing multiple meetup venues.

Venues

Read our Venue requirements

YouTube

View past sessions on our YouTube Channel

Comments from Attendees

Here are some comments about our past events:

  • "The energy of the younger tech scene and the wealth of knowledge and advice from experienced people in the industry was well worth going for." Read in full

  • "Had an amazing time at {dev.talk} at Cottonwood in Bournemouth! Met a diverse group of software engineers, tech enthusiasts, and creatives. Excited to see more game designers join this vibrant community soon!" Read in full

  • "As always it was nice to catchup with some familiar faces, as well as meeting some new ones. I've really enjoyed getting to know more of the local tech scene over the past few months." Read in full

  • "I think it's really great we get to have something like this in Bournemouth for people like us to network and meet some great people, and for free as well it's very kind of him considering the amount of time and effort it takes to organise events like these so thank you very much 😁" Read in full

  • "I really enjoyed my first networking experience and I am looking forward to the next!" Read in full

  • "Onwards to the next one!" Read in full

  • "Last night felt like a nostalgic throwback to my Computer Science days at University backbenching with the geeks, delivering presentations, and throwing around technical jargon." Read in full

  • "Really enjoyed attending this event this evening. ... Thanks Mark and team for facilitating a great event" Read in full

  • "Was a great way to get involved in the local community and meet some lovely new people. 10/10 will be doing it again" Read in full

Who are we?

{dev.talk} was created by Mark Oliver in 2024. He saw that Bournemouth was lacking a software engineering based meetup despite being a Tech Hub on the South Coast of the UK, and as Wilton Knight once said "one person can make a difference", so Mark decided to create the meetup, and the community around it.

Contact Us

For any questions or comments, please contact us via:

Buy us a Coffee

Buy the {dev.talk} team a coffee with Ko-Fi.. Any monies given will be used to provide refreshments at the following meetup.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Read our FAQs

Privacy Policy

Read our Privacy Policy