Azure & DevOps Podcast Alvin Ashcraft: Community Conferences - Episode 378
Dec 1, 2025
In this discussion, Alvin Ashcraft, a senior content developer at Microsoft and community leader with over 27 years in software development, shares his passion for the tech world. He details the rise of the TechBash conference, emphasizing its community focus and the challenges of organizing multi-day events. Alvin also explores the exciting innovations in .NET 10, the evolution of scripting, and the future of chat-driven APIs. Plus, he offers insights into becoming a technical reviewer and announces opportunities for upcoming TechBash speakers!
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Origins And Format Of TechBash
- TechBash is a regional multi-day developer conference held at the Kalahari Resort in Pennsylvania that attracts mostly Northeast U.S. attendees.
- Alvin helped found TechBash to bring workshops, sessions, and hallway conversations to a friendly, polyglot developer audience.
Use Your Local Network To Start A Conference
- Build and use a network of local organizers and groups to bootstrap a regional conference and cross-promote events on Meetup and other channels.
- Do a lot of outreach and in-person handshakes to attract speakers and attendees early on.
Conferences Get Easier With Iteration
- Running a regional multi-day conference becomes easier each year as parts of the process move into autopilot and the team gains institutional knowledge.
- Initial events are the riskiest financially, but repetition and refinement reduce effort and anxiety over time.
