The ultimate guide to effective developer events

This article is based on Mike Stowe’s talk at the 2023 San Francisco Developer Marketing Summit. Members can enjoy the complete talk here.

Developer events are an essential part of building relationships, nurturing communities, and driving awareness – but not every event hits the mark. 

So, drawing from my years of experience in developer marketing roles at companies like RingCentral, MuleSoft, and Tigera, I’m here to share the keys to hosting developer events that make an impact.

Here’s a taste of what we’ll cover:

• Defining your "why": How to align events with your company’s goals and position in the developer space.
• Choosing the right events: Tips on targeting events that resonate with your audience and fit your objectives.
• Setting expectations: How to align event goals with business success and measure ROI effectively.
• Delivering your message: Ways to engage developers authentically without falling into the marketing trap.
• Nailing the swag: Why swag matters and how to make it memorable.
• Creating experiences: Ideas for hosting impactful keynotes, interactive booths, and community-driven events.
• Amplifying your message: Using social media and follow-up strategies to make your event’s impact last.

Let's dive in.

Why do events even matter?

Developer relations have changed a lot over the years, but one thing remains constant: everyone agrees that events are essential. 

If you ask marketing, they’ll say events generate pipeline. Sales will tell you it’s about closing deals. Developer relations will focus on nurturing relationships and sharing technology. Product teams might have yet another answer.

Then there are CFOs, many of whom view developer relations as a cost center. When we suggest sponsoring an event, the common response is, "What's the ROI? Why not make sales calls instead?" 

A while back, I even overheard my fiancée explaining my job to her mom. She said, "He's basically a professional frat boy – he just goes to all these parties." I had to explain that a developer party generally involves grabbing a soda or beer and talking about technology for an hour – not exactly what she pictured!

In short, there are a lot of misconceptions about developer events.

Start with the ‘why’

With so many differing opinions flying around, it’s crucial to start by asking, "Why are we doing this?" Try to understand your company’s position in the developer space. Events aren’t always the most effective way to reach developers; successful programs often focus on community and education, not events. Just look at the success of platforms like Stack Overflow, GitHub, and DigitalOcean.

Events can be valuable, but only if you know your standing in the developer community. Are you well-known and positively perceived? Do you have a product that meets developer needs and provides a great experience? 

If not, sponsoring an event could end up as free marketing for your competitors.

For instance, when I started at RingCentral, we were eager to jump into events. However, after some testing, we found building an SMS bot on our platform took much longer than it did with our competitors. We realized we had work to do before showcasing our capabilities. 

So, we adjusted our approach, focusing on learning, gathering feedback, and being open about where we needed to improve. This honesty helped foster a stronger developer community.

Aligning with business goals

As you discuss events with executives and stakeholders, you need to set the right expectations upfront. Why are you doing the event? How will it help the business and support the bottom line?

This is a tough spot for those of us in developer relations because we genuinely want to help developers succeed. However, it’s crucial to align our efforts with business goals. This doesn’t mean we have to sell APIs or drive direct revenue, but we do need to demonstrate how we’re contributing to the company's success, even if it’s indirectly.

Choosing events that align with your audience

With so many events out there, it can be hard to know which ones to invest in. There’s no point setting up a booth at an event that your target audience just isn’t interested in. So, here are some key questions to ask yourself as you’re choosing an event:

1. Are you actually trying to engage developers? If you're an enterprise business with a goal of generating millions in pipeline and a product starting at $80,000 a year, then going to developers might not be your best bet. Developers are fantastic for bottom-of-the-funnel activities like engagement and nurturing, but they’re usually not the decision-makers for those big-ticket solutions.
2. What types of developers does your business cater to? The answer might not be as obvious as you think. Let me give you an example.
   When I was at MuleSoft, we initially focused on Java community events since we were a Java company. However, our drag-and-drop editor and JavaScript plugin allowed us to appeal to a broader audience, so we started sponsoring smaller community events with a bigger impact for as little as $300, instead of Java conferences, which start at around $75,000.
3. What types of developers should you be building awareness with? Are you focusing on "9-to-5" developers – the ones who clock in, code, and clock out? Or maybe you're looking at the "average" developer, who codes at work and as a hobby but doesn’t really engage in the community. Or maybe you need to drive awareness, so the "community" developers are the ones you need – the folks who speak at conferences, post on GitHub, and share their experiences. 
4. What types of events are these developers going to? Think about the events your target developers attend. Are they into meetups, webinars, or conferences? 
5. Where are these developers located? If your developer base is global, hosting a meetup in one specific city might not make sense.  For example, at RingCentral, our community of 85,000 developers is spread out worldwide. So, before planning an in-person meetup in London, we need to consider if we have enough developers in that area to make it worthwhile.
6. What barriers may prevent these developers from attending your events? Travel costs, health concerns (especially in a pandemic), and budget constraints can all be barriers. With the current state of the economy, many companies are cutting back on budgets, so it’s important to tailor your events to suit your audience’s needs and circumstances.
7. Which events are your developers excited about? To figure out which events you should be going to, think like your developers – or better yet, just ask them. Your team is one of your most valuable resources. Ask them, “What events are you attending? Which ones are you excited about this year?” Their insights can guide you toward the best events and help you avoid ones that aren’t worth it.
8. Is the event’s promise too good to be true? Be cautious about events that promise the world. I remember a conference that pitched us sponsorship starting at $20,000, promising 6,000–8,000 attendees. When we got there, there were only about 60 people – mostly speakers and sponsors.
   Smaller, community-driven events often have a much bigger impact and can give you a better return on investment.

In-person vs. virtual events

If you’re torn between in-person and virtual events, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons.