We here at Release Notes are big fans of FemtoConf, an intimate conference held in Darmstadt, Germany and aimed squarely at bootstrapped founders of online businesses. Last year Release Notes sponsored a pre-event in Bacharach, Germany that attracted about 15 people. It was a great chance to connect with other FemtoConf attendees, build new friendships, and talk shop before the conference itself began.
FemtoConf 2020 has just been announced, and since last year was so much fun, we’re going to do it again! So we are pleased to announce our Completely Unofficial Pre-FemtoConf 2020 UnEvent. There aren’t many details yet, but save the date:
Thursday, May 7 to Friday, May 8, 2020
Like last year, our UnEvent will start the day before FemtoConf begins. We will meet in Bacharach to enjoy lunch, some fun activities, and a group dinner before departing by train for FemtoConf in Darmstadt the next day. If you are attending FemtoConf, we encourage you to plan to arrive a day early and join us in Bacharach!
Sign Up
We are going to again use Slack to plan and communicate with the group. So if you’re going to attend this UnEvent, or if you just want to find out what the current plans are, we encourage you to join our Slack channel using the form below. After signing up, message Charles (@charles) or Joe (@jcieplinski) and ask to be added to the FemtoConf group.
Facts in Brief
What’s an "UnEvent"?
Well, just like it sounds, it isn’t a conference. There are no tickets. No speakers. It’s just a bunch of people arriving a day early to enjoy the sights, some good conversation, and each other’s company.
Who’s invited?
If you are attending FemtoConf 2020, you’re invited! And if you aren’t able to get a ticket to FemtoConf, you’re still invited!
Where is this going to be held?
Bacharach, Germany, which is about one hour from Frankfurt by train. Bacharach is a lovely little town on the banks of the Rhine River that dates from the 11th century A.D. and lies in the shadow of Stahleck Castle.
Bacharach from the Postenturm
By Jiuguang Wang – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
When is this going to be held?
May 7-8, 2020. Details are still in flux, but tentative plans are to start around Noon on May 7. We will be traveling to Darmstadt for FemtoConf by train on the morning of May 8.
What will we do?
The main goal is to just hang out, get to know each other, and enjoy some conversation. Recognizing that sometimes a little structure can help start conversations, we will have a few activities to help break the ice. Last year we took a ferry ride on the Rhine to see some of the many castles sprinkled along the Rhine valley, enjoyed a wine tasting of some local Riesling wines, had dinner as a group, and enjoyed conversation over drinks in the evening.
If you have ideas on how we should spend our time, be sure to join our Slack channel and let us know while plans are still being formed.
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle
By Gary Bembridge, CC BY 2.0
How much will this cost?
Each person attending will be responsible for his or her own expenses. To give you an idea of the cost, estimates of some expenses that you might need to budget for include:
- Train fare to Bacharach (20€ from Frankfurt Airport)
- Lunch in Bacharach (20€)
- Ferry ticket (20€)
- Wine tasting (25€)
- Group dinner (30-50€)
- Evening drinks (?)
- Hotel room in Bacharach (100€)
- Train from Bacharach to Darmstadt (20€)
- Lunch in Frankfurt (20€)
How do I sign up?
Join the Release Notes Slack group using the form above and then message Charles (@charles) or Joe (@jcieplinski) and ask to be added to the FemtoConf channel. We will use this channel for planning, and joining the group will help know how many people to expect for dinner, so that we can make a reservation.
Do the FemtoConf organizers know about this?
Yes. We asked Benedikt and Christoph for their blessing before organizing this, and they thought that this sort of extracurricular activity sounded like a great idea. We should stress though, that this UnEvent is not actually part of FemtoConf.
I have a question you didn’t address.
If you have any questions, you can message us on Twitter (@release_notes), or just join the Slack group and ask us there.
See you in Bacharach!