Your 2023 Philly tech conference guide

Philly, with the coldest days of winter (probably) gone, we’ll call it: It’s officially events season. In lieu of Technical.ly’s previously long-running Events Roundup series, we’re looking out to the whole year to see what big tech and business conferences are on their way. And there are a whole bunch, in the spring and beyond.

Since some of the local tech scene’s favorite event series have yet to make any announcements about a 2023 event, this list is subject to change. Expect it to be updated if/when we hear about more events. If you have any to share, please reach out at philly@technical.ly.

BENgineers Conference

The Comcast BENgineers is a group of Black technologists and Comcast employees who support each other as they advance their tech careers. This virtual conference will cover technology trends and provide time for networking.

• When? Feb. 22
• Where? Virtual on the Hopin platform
• Cost? Free

Philly Codefest

This Drexel University event is a weekend-long software and hardware hackathon. Participants of all experience levels will work on projects together and present them to judges on the second day. The theme of this year’s event is “AI everywhere,” which means projects will be themed around ways AI can be used positively.

• When? March 11 to 12
• Where? 3675 Market St.
• Cost? Free

Pittcon: Laboratory Science Conference and Exposition

The conference brings together professionals in the laboratory science field to discuss advances in the field, new technology and equipment, continuing education and professional development.

• When? March 18 to 22
• Where? Pennsylvania Convention Center
• Cost? $500 for a full attendee, $250 for one day, $150 for students

TransportationCamp PHL

This unconference is focused on topics related to transportation, technology and urbanism. Attendees are invited to submit ideas for sessions related to transportation throughout the day.

• When? March 18
• Where? Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building at Drexel University
• Cost?  $10 to $29

Tools of the Trades

This hybrid conference hosted by NextFab and CraftNOW Philadelphia is focused on connecting makers with each other and with business resources. The themes of this year’s event are connection, collaboration and commerce.

• When? March 22 to 25
• Where? Three days are virtual, and the last day has in-person events at NextFab’s North Philadelphia makerspace
• Cost? $25 to $50

philly.NET Code Camp

This is the 32nd Code Camp in 19 years run by Microsoft “MVPs” and “staff evangelists.” The event will feature guest speakers, opportunities to practice coding and networking, plus a raffle and prizes.

• When? April 1
• Where? Microsoft MTC, Malvern
• Cost? Free

Philly Emerging Technologies for Enterprise (ETE)

The 17th ETE conference, hosted by Chariot Solutions, will feature speakers presenting about the new and emerging technologies developers should know. The event is returning to an in-person format since being held virtually during the pandemic, and will also be livestreamed for those not attending IRL.

• When? April 11 to 12
• Where? University City Science Center
• Cost? $150 for livestream only, $425 for in-person early bird tickets

Women in Tech Summit Northeast

Women in Tech Summit is hosting multiple conferences this year around the country. The Northeast meetup will cover tech trends, professional development tips, and networking with women in tech as well as companies that value workforce diversity.

• When? April 27 to 28
• Where? Science History Institute
• Cost? Tickets for the summit are $29 as of this writing, but will go up as dates approach

Bonus: If you can’t make this event, the WITS MidAtlantic conference is March 23 to 24 in DC.

Total Impact Summit

This conference is for pros looking to learn more about investment tools, tips and opportunities, and to connect with other investors. The event will focus on the ways investment can impact the community and the larger world.

• When? May 1 to 2
• Where? Convene CityView
• Cost? Tickets cost $650 now until March 13, when the price will go up

Phorum Technology Conference

Business and technology executives gather for this event to learn about the best ways technology can be used and applied to business. The conference also features Phorum Demo World where new and developing technologies are showcased. The theme this year is “Embracing Volatility: AI in Technology, Talent and Capital.”

• When? May 3
• Where? Penn State Great Valley Conference Center, Malvern
• Cost? PACT members pay $178.50, non-members pay $280.50 and entrepreneurs pay $102

Diversitech

Tribaja’s conference showcases the latest in tech and culture, with a focus on diversity. The event features workshops, talks and networking with fellow technologists and entrepreneurs in the tech, art, music and more industries in the Philadelphia region. This year, it also includes Philly Startup Leaders’ Entrepreneur Expo on its third day.

• When? May 3 to 5
• Where? Rivers Casino Philadelphia
• Cost? $99 to $250

Philadelphia CyberSecurity Conference

This conference is for cybersecurity professionals looking to keep up to date with the latest developments in the cybersecurity field. There will be opportunities to interact with the newest cybersecurity technology and other pros in the field.

• When? May 4
• Where? Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel, King of Prussia
• Cost? $100

Philly Tech Week presented by Comcast

The Technical.ly-led annual event series returns! More details are coming soon, but expect to see the return of some classic events such as our conferences for workplace culture pros and software developers, and the always-fun Signature Event to close out the week.

• When? May 5 to 13
• Where? In-person and virtual
• Cost? Varies

International Society for Technology in Education National Education Computing Conference

ITSE is an international group of educators helping other educators to use tech as a learning tool. At this conference, these pros will have learning and networking opportunities, and chances to interact with new edtech offerings.

• When? June 25 to 28
• Where? Pennsylvania Convention Center
• Cost? Prices for in-person attendance start at $545 for members and $645 for nonmembers; prices will increase getting closer to the conference dates

DeFi Philly Conference

DeFi Philly is an organization of people at all skill levels who are interested in blockchain or crypto currency. The conference is open to anyone interested in those topics who wants to learn more about decentralized finance, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and the metaverse. Registration is only open to inaugural NFT holders at this time.

• When? July 7 to 8
• Where? TBD
• Cost? We hope you have a crypto wallet, when we checked registration, the ticket cost 0.178 ETH (roughly $304.11)

National Black MBA Association 2023 Annual Conference & Exposition

The National Black MBA Association is a group of Black professionals in the corporate world supporting each other in their careers. They haven’t shared many details about this conference yet.

• When? Sept. 12 to 16
• Where? Pennsylvania Convention Center
• Cost? Registration doesn’t open until April

TECHSPO Philadelphia

Companies will gather to showcase their technology at this expo to fellow technologists, investors, press and others. There will also be speakers from the  digital marketing, media and advertising industries.

• When? Oct. 30 to 31
• Where? Loews Philadelphia Hotel
• Cost? Tickets currently range from free to $297, but rates will increase as the dates approach

PACT Capital Conference

Greater Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technology (PACT) hosts this annual conference where up to 50 healthcare and technology company leaders pitch to investors and receive feedback. Some companies are then selected to pitch in the Lion’s Den, where they could receive investments on the spot.

• When? Nov. 8 and 9
• Where? TBD
• Cost? Not yet available

Did we miss anything? Email us at philly@technical.ly to see your event added to this list.