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About

Swift Island is an all-inclusive experimental conference happening after Apple's WWDC 2023.

The Pitch

You know that feeling you get after WWDC ends, when all you want to do is catch up on all the videos Apple just released? That urgent need to experiment and play with all the new betas, frameworks and APIs. The overwhelming desire to spend hours on all of the above, quickly followed by the sinking realization that you can't - because you have actual work to do.

Yep, we've all been there and that feeling sucks.

Our mission is to break the cycle!

Swift Island is an experimental conference in the broadest sense. After WWDC, we invite you to join us for a hands-on experience with all of Apple’s newly announced API's and Frameworks, in sessions guided by top-notch mentors.

The Format

The format is very simple: 2 workshop days, choose from 4 sessions per day provided by 8 mentors. Everyone pair programs and has fun.

The Kicker

A conference ticket is all inclusive: You will get two days of workshops, three days of lodging in a shared cabin (private rooms) and all the food you need for breakfast, lunch and dinner during your stay. And a bike. And did we mention it’s on an island?

It's called Texel (pronounced tes-sel) and it’s one of the five Frisian Islands, located in the Wadden Sea, which is a Unesco World Heritage. In short - it's an island in the Netherlands and it's awesome.

What to expect?

Beyond the experience of being introduced to WWDC material by top-notch mentors on a frikkin' island, you’ll also enjoy:

  • Seals. Actual real life seals (the fluffy kind, not the military kind).
  • Choose from eight topics covered in workshops.

Sept 5 - 6

2023

Texel

Netherlands

60 Tickets

Starting at €997

8 Mentors

50-50 Men/Women

Location

Swift Island Location

Prins Hendrik Texel
Stuifweg 13
1794 HA Oosterend
Email: [email protected]

Previous Mentors

We've had the best in class mentors teach at Swift Island. Take a look at the lineup from previous years.

2018

Daniel Steinberg

Daniel Steinberg

Meghan Kane

Meghan Kane

Roy Marmelstein

Roy Marmelstein

Kate Castellano

Kate Castellano

Manu Rink

Manu Rink

Donny Wals

Donny Wals

Marijn Schilling

Marijn Schilling

David Hart

David Hart

2019

Erica Sadun

Erica Sadun

Paul Hudson

Paul Hudson

Marina Gornostaeva

Marina Gornostaeva

Benedikt Terhechte

Benedikt Terhechte

Kateryna Gridina

Kateryna Gridina

Antoine van der Lee

Antoine van der Lee

Sally Shepard

Sally Shepard

Bas Thomas Broek

Bas Thomas Broek

FAQ

For this year we are finalising the details with the last mentors, so currently we’re all set. Please send us an email though, so we can contact you if one of our mentors has to cancel. And we will definitely put you on the list for next year!
Yes! All photographs used on this site were shot on Texel. Some of them are shot by our attendees from 2018.
Yes. The venue has bungalows and regular hotel rooms. Bungalows have 3 bedrooms, are more spacious, and have a shared kitchen and living room, while the Hotel Rooms have a private bathrooms. With your ticket you always get a private bedroom and you buy a ticket you can specify a preferred room type. While we try to accommodate everyone towards their preference, we can't guarantee you the room-type of your choice.
Sure! Once you both have booked a ticket, please send us an email and we will make sure you will be placed in a bungalow together.
No, because there are no other options for accomdation in the vicinity of the venue. Part of the atmosphere of the conference is having everyone in the same location for the duration of the conference.
No. While the topics will be inspired by what is announced at WWDC, there are no talks at Swift Island, only workshops. During those workshops you get hands-on experience with these topics. So even if you are lucky enough to go to WWDC, Swift Island will be a great way to dive in deeper. Having been to WWDC is not at all a requirement, though. We expect the attendees to have some basic knowledge of what is announced, but we will quickly get you up to speed if you did not find the time to look into it yet.
No. It's happening after it. WWDC usually takes place in June, while Swift Island is the 5th and 6th of September. You will have some time to rest, catch up, and look forward to a great time on The Netherland's most beautiful island.
Conference tickets to Swift Island are all-inclusive. This means that apart from the conference, you will get accommodation and breakfast for three days, and lunch and dinner during the conference days (Tuesday and Wednesday), and of course a magnificent view.
We are also making sure there's enough bikes for everyone during the conference. And seals, those are also included 😉.
The conference days are the 5th and 6th of September, the 3 nights of accommodation are the nights around that. We expect everyone to arrive on the 4th of September, have two awesome conference days and leave on the 7th of September. Except if you bought extended accommodation of course.
Kids up until 3 years can visit the conference for free. The reason for this is that there are some travel beds for kids on the venue site. If you have one or more kids that you would like to bring, please contact us via email so we can discuss the options.
For this year we will:
  • Refund the full amount (minus transaction costs) up until 3 months before the conference (April 2nd)
  • Refund €500 up until 1 month before the conference (June 2nd)
And you can always transfer your ticket to someone else.
There’s no VAT/BTW rate. We have a special tax rate because we use a 'travel agency arrangement'. More info can be found on the Dutch tax service.
You can just send us an email with the template letter you'd like us to sign and wi'll send it back to you. You can send this to our email.
We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the tech industry. From the first edition we have had a 50-50 men/women split for mentors. We recognize that underrepresented groups often face barriers to attending conferences and workshops, which is why we are proud to offer a diversity program to those who might not be able to attend Swift Island otherwise.

Our diversity program provides discounted tickets to individuals from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to: women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and those from low-income backgrounds. If you are interested in applying for a diversity ticket for Swift Island, please send us an email describing why you are applicable for a diversity ticket. We value your privacy and will keep all information confidential.

We have Diversity Sponsorship ❣️ tickets available to help facilitate this program. Would you like to contribute to promoting diversity in a simple way? Purchase a sponsorship ticket now!
If you are travelling from abroad it's best to book your plane ticket towards Schiphol Airport (AMS). If you are early you can wait in a lounge we reserved especially for Swift Island attendees and there will be a crew member waiting for you (more details will arrive in your mail after you book a ticket).

From Schiphol we have a coach/bus waiting to take you to Texel where the conference is.
Please take into account when buying a plane ticket that you need to be on time at Schiphol Airport, calculate at lease two hours for checkout from the Airport. So book your ticket accordingly.

The special Swift Island Hassle-free bus leaves from Schiphol:
  • Monday 4th of September: 16.00h
Departure times from Texel to Schiphol (the are two busses leaving the island):
  • 7th of September 8.30h
  • 7th of September 14.00h

Photos

Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at our conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.

Need Help? Contact Us!

Niels van Hoorn
Twitter: @nvh
Email: [email protected]

Sidney de Koning
Twitter: @sidneydekoning
Email: [email protected]

The Quick Version

All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at our conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.

Our conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter and other online media. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organisers.

The Less Quick Version

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Sponsors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualised images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualised clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified as they'll be wearing branded clothing and/or badges.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at conference and workshop venues and conference-related social events.