2023 in Retrospective

By every measure, 2023 was the most productive year for BeerJS Skopje since our founding in 2017. We had a total of eight events this year. Four of them were in the known (large) format, where we introduced three speakers per event, instead of the previous two. We also started the “0.33” format, where the idea was to have fewer speakers and a more informal event without a strict agenda. One of the smaller events we even held in Ohrid, which was a really great experience.

However, due to the large number of interested speakers, the smaller events began to have three speakers as well, and somehow the lines between what is a small and large event got blurred. The smaller events are significantly less work for the team, and the experience for the audience and speakers is almost the same. Guided by this and the positive feedback from the audience, we decided to make the small (0.33) events our default, and to hold the larger ones twice a year.

But, the big events will be bigger. Our plan is for them to be in a more conference-like format, with the presence of international speakers and a wider range of activities. Namely, for all those who asked us for workshops throughout 2023, your wish will be fulfilled in 2024.

As always, your opinion means a lot to us, and we would be very grateful if you could fill out the feedback survey and leave us your opinion on our plans for 2024.

BeerJS 0.33 vol. 4

The last event of the year was really special. In addition to interesting topics, audience activity was at a record high level, so much so that we had to limit the number of questions and time for discussion. Base42 once again proved to be an excellent place for this type of event. As we announced at the event, our collaboration with them continues in 2024 - all 0.33 events will be held there.

If you were not able to attend the event, you can have a look at the presentations on our YouTube channel.

2023 in Numbers

Expressed in numbers, 2023 looked like this for BeerJS Skopje:

• 8 events
• 20 presentations
• ~18 hours of video material
• ~3,500 liters of beer consumed
• ~230 attendees at the largest event of the year
• ~150 average attendance at large events
• ~50 average attendance at small events
• 4.4 average rating for organization
• 4.3 average rating for presentations

Plan for 2024

As before, we continue with a similar volume of events, with different distribution. Our current idea is:

• 2 large BeerJS events, in an even larger format, with more content and activities.
• 4 small BeerJS events, in the known format - 2 or 3 speakers, informal atmosphere, and no strict agenda. If there is interest for more of these, we’re willing to increase the number.

However, we also have several ideas for new events. Inspired by BeerJS, but under the guidance of DeveD, so as not to “dilute” the idea of BeerJS:

• 2x panel discussions. Hint: if you were at BeerJS 0.33 vol. 4 at the presentation about HTMX, you know what to expect. The first one will happen soon 😉
• Workshops / Bootcamps. We already have ideas for topics and speakers, but if you have any ideas or suggestions, please share them on the feedback form.
• A wider range of digital content - CodePub will transform into something bigger and better. Namely, the idea is for it to become closer to a media outlet than a podcast. In addition to the familiar interview format with which we experimented in 2023, we are also working on two new formats that you will see in February 2024. With much better production 😉

In Conclusion

Above all, we would like to thank you, the community around BeerJS Skopje (and by extension, DeveD). We would not be where we are without you. We hope to continue to grow and have fun together in 2024.

We would also like to thank all of our sponsors and partners for their continuous support of our activities.

Any criticism, feedback, and suggestions are welcome - please share them on feedback form here.

For fresh information related to our activities, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

You can watch all our past events on YouTube (we are very grateful for every subscribe).

Happy holidays and see you next beer! 🍻