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About

Swift Island is an all-inclusive experimental conference happening a month after Apple's WWDC 2019.

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. In the month following 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 days, choose from 4 sessions per day provided by 8 mentors. Everyone peer 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 if you want, 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 in the course of two days.
  • Fun activities the Friday right after. (like visiting the local brewery, the seal shelter and walking on the mudflats of the Wadden)

July 3 - 4

2019

Texel

Netherlands

60 Tickets

Starting at €699

8 Mentors

50-50 Men/Women

Mentors for 2019

Erica Sadun

Erica Sadun

Erica Sadun writes lots of books. When not writing or coding, she parents geeks who are brushing up on their world domination skills. According to her academic dosimeter, she's acquired more education than any self-respecting person might consider wise. She enjoys deep diving into technology and has written, co-written, and contributed to dozens of books about computing and digital media. Sadun has blogged at TUAW, Ars Technica, O'Reilly, and Lifehacker. She has also authored more rejected Swift Language proposals than anyone else.

Paul Hudson

Paul Hudson

Paul is the author of Hacking with Swift, Pro Swift, Swift Design Patterns, Testing Swift, Server-Side Swift, Swift Coding Challenges, and more. Suffice it to say, he quite likes Swift. And coffee. (But mostly Swift.) (And coffee.)

Marina Gornostaeva

Marina Gornostaeva

Marina works as the Lead iOS Developer at Storytel an all-you-can eat book subscription service. She's been professionally making iOS apps since before ARC. Some of her passions are great user experience and high quality code. She loves teaching, speaking at meetups, writing, contributing to OSS and following Swift Evolution. And is also a co-organiser at CopenhagenCocoa. She will beat you at table tennis :)

Benedikt Terhechte

Benedikt Terhechte

Benedikt works as a Senior iOS Developer at the professional network XING. In previous jobs he developed solutions for customers such as Disney or Daimler-Chrysler. As an Indie Mac developer, he launched successful apps such as PhotoDesk and Hirundo. Benedikt started investigating Swift right after the 2014 release and writes about it on his popular blog. He also initiated the Core Value and SourceKittenDaemon open source projects

Kateryna Gridina

Kateryna Gridina

Katerina is a mobile engineer at Zalando, an active member of Women Techmakers Berlin. Fighting for knowledge sharing, good code, and diversity in the tech.

Antoine van der Lee

Antoine van der Lee

As a Lead iOS Engineer at WeTransfer, Antoine’s work is focused on code architecture and team processes. He's passionate about contributing to the iOS community where you might know him from his weekly blog posts on his personal blog called SwiftLee. He particularly enjoys speaking on best practices for structuring code architecture in a way that creates sustainability, as well as open sourcing frameworks and how iOS developers can be more successful in their work.

Sally Shepard

Sally Shepard

Sally is an iOS developer, accessibility consultant, writer and hardware hacker who has worked on a wide variety of award winning apps. She is currently a Technology Manager at Hotels.com, where she leads the iOS team. She is also currently studying an MSc Internet of Things where she is trying to bring Swift on to more hardware platforms.

Bas Thomas Broek

Bas Thomas Broek

Bas is an iOS and tooling developer at XING. He is currently curating Swift Weekly Brief and contributing to frameworks, apps and tooling in open source. He likes Swift and experimenting with other programming languages.

Location

Swift Island Location

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

Travel Information

Hassle-free™ travel

The easiest way to get from either Schiphol or Amsterdam to Texel is with our Hassle-free™ ticket. We will arrange it all for you - we'll pick you up with a touringcar at Schiphol and drop you off at our venue. Just get on and relax 😎

And did we mention we have you covered for a round trip? Even your way back is Hassle-free™.

Hassle-free™ bus schedule

July 2nd
17:30Departure from Schiphol
20:20Arrival at Prins Hendrik
July 5th morning bus
8:30Departure from Prins Hendrik
11:00Arrival at Schiphol
July 5th afternoon bus
14:30Departure from Prins Hendrik
17:00Arrival at Schiphol

If your flight happens to arrive in the morning of the 2nd of July, you have two options: explore Amsterdam or wait at Schiphol. Right underneath the main hall at Schiphol is a train station, and trains towards Amsterdam Central depart regularly and only take 15 minutes. Be sure to be back in time though, because to be in time for the ferry to Texel, we can not let the bus wait for you.

Not that adventurous or have some work to do? We've got you covered too. We have arranged with the Sheraton hotel right next to Schiphol, that you can wait and relax in their lounge. There is wifi, power outlets, and your first drink is on us.

Arranging your own travel

If you have chosen the adventurous path to not get our Hassle-free™ ticket, here's the way plan your trip to the venue. From Amsterdam or Schiphol you can take a train to Den Helder, where you can take a bus to the harbour where the boat to Texel departs. On Texel you can use a minivan service to get to our venue, Prins Hendrik.

You can plan most of the trip (train, bus and boat) using the links below.

  • Amsterdam Central Station → Texel
    First train with matching connections leaves at 5:17
    Last train with matching connections leaves at 19.39
    Travel time: ~ 2 hours and 30 minutes (depending on connections)
    Route planner
  • Schiphol → Texel
    First train with matching connections leaves at 6:15
    Last train with matching connections leaves at 19.21
    Travel time: ~ 2 hours and 30 minutes (depending on connections)
    Route planner

Trains (part 1)

There's a trainstation right underneath Schiphol airport, so if you follow the signage after you go through the baggage hall you should be able to find it easily.

The first train you need to take goes in the direction of Amsterdam and usually departs from tracks 1 or 2. Which one is only announced a short time before, but those are on opposite sides of the platform.

It's only a 10 minute trip to Amsterdam Sloterdijk where you have to change to the train to Den Helder. Usually you will arrive at platform 11 on the 2nd floor, and have to go down two flights of stairs to depart at platform 4. Follow the signage.

When you are in the train to Den Helder, it is a great time to start arranging your Texelhopper trip from 'Pontweg Veerhaven' to 'Prins Hendrik', which you will have to book one hour in advance.

Bus (part 2)

Once you get to Den Helder train station, you can find the bus platforms on the right hand side of the station. The bus to the harbour is line 33, which departs from platform E and will be marked on the sign at the bus stop and on the front of the bus itself. This bus costs €1,50 and tickets can only be bought at Den Helder Station. See below how to get them.

Directions to bus line 33 at Den Helder station.

If the weather is nice, you can also walk to the ferry, this takes around 30 minutes.

Ferry (part 3)

From the bus stop at the harbour it's only a short walk to the Ferry towards Texel. There is a buffet-restaurant on the boat, if you plan to get some food there, be sure to head there right after your get on the boat, because the boattrip only lasts about 20 minutes.

Texelhopper minivan (part 4)

On the island you can use the Texelhopper minibus service to get to the venue. You have to order a Texelhopper at least one hour in advance, so be sure to read the information on their website. Plan your trip from trip from 'Pontweg Veerhaven', which is where the ferry arrives to 'Prins Hendrik', which is our conference venue.

Texelhopper bus stop

Getting tickets

When travelling in the Netherlands you can always get a ticket at any station at a ticket machine. These machines either take cash in euro or debit cards with the maestro logo (without extra cost). Paying with credit cards is possible (just not everywhere) but please note that the transaction costs can be high.

Cash money

When traveling in the Netherlands we advise to have some cash in you wallet because not every shop accepts debit/credit cards.

Train from Amsterdam / Schiphol

Trains are operated by NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen). You can get you train ticket the NS website, or at the ticket vending machines at the station.

Bus & Texelhopper

From Den Helder train station to the harbour it's a short bus ride with Connexxion line 33. This bus ride costs €1,50 and cannot be bought online. If you need to pay cash, you have to buy it at the ticket booth at Den Helder station. On board the bus you can only pay with PIN, credit card or Dutch public transport card (OV-Chipkaart). The return travel from the boat to the station is free.

On the island you can use the Texelhopper minibus to get to the venue. A ticket for Texelhopper can be bought online, or at the ticket booth in Den Helder train station. You have to order a Texelhopper at least one hour in advance, so be sure to read the information on their website.

Ferry Tickets

You can get your ferry ticket from the TESO website. All tickets are return tickets and can be used at any date.

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 is exactly one month later. WWDC takes place in June, while Swift Island is the 3rd and 4th of July. You will have a month 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 accomodation and breakfast for three days (from Tuesday to Friday), lunch and dinner during the conference days (Wednesday and Thursday), and of course a magnificent view.
This year we are also giving every attendee a free bike to use during the conference. And seals, those are also included 😉.
The conference days are the 3rd and 4th of July, the three nights of accommodation are the nights around that. We expect everyone to arrive on the 2nd of July, have two awesome conference days and leave on the 5th of July. Except if you bought extended accomodation 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.

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.