We did it for the love.
We’ve spent the past two months marveling at the high calibre proposals to grace our inboxes, and thank each of you for submitting your clever and inspiring ideas. We’re always up for a great pitch.
We take curating FutureRuby very seriously. While there’s more to an event than the people giving presentations, we feel that no effort should be spared assembling the perfect lineup. It’s like putting together a killer deck for a Magic the Gathering tourament; you need the right balance of monsters, spells and mana-producing lands to cast them on the first round.
At this point, over half of the speakers have been finalized, and I’m still torturing several more to make sure that they aren’t weak before I show them mercy. We’re going to announce them a few at a time over the next couple of weeks.
Here’s the first batch of speakers poised for soapbox eminence, in no particular order:
Dr. Nic Williams
Matt Knox
Jon Dahl
Brian LeRoux, Brock Whitten, Rob Ellis (aka Team PhoneGap)
Iiya Grigorik
We did it for the good of the Party.
Thursday July 9th, 2009 – FAILcamp
Queen City Yacht Club – Algonquin Island
As advertised – for more information, see “And on the 8th day, God created FAIL”
Friday July 10th, 2009 – FutureRuby Commencement Party
Unspace HQ – 342 Queen Street West, Toronto
Admittedly, Unspace personnel are still finding debris from last years RubyFringe closing party up on the two-tier deck, which we felt was indicative of how great a party it was. This year we’ve decided to change things up and surrender our office to become the launch party. Come by and get acquainted with your fellow FutureRubyists while we shower you with fine food, an open bar (featuring the best bartenders ever), live graffiti shows, and tunes provided by Toronto’s upper-echelon DJ’s.
A friendly reminder (or challenge – your choice) is that Breakfast/Registration commences the Saturday the 11th from 8:30-9:30am.
Saturday July 11th, 2009 – The Gala
Pravda Vodka Bar – 121 Wellington St. West
In our coordinators notes, this is lovingly dubbed “The Laika Ball”. Prepare to be spoiled!
We’ve always loved Pravda Vodka Bar – nestled in one of the trendiest areas of the east end — in proximity to the historical Flatiron Building — it’s one part modernism, and one part awesome Soviet relic. With the some of the best Nouveau Russian food — and a 5-star vodka selection — Toronto has on offer, we’re taking over the entire venue for an entire night… a glorious tribute to Mother Russia if there ever was one.
You’ll be treated to drinks, plus a fully-catered dinner that includes suckling pig, leg of lamb, and plenty of delicious vegetarian and vegan alternatives. There will be vodka tasting, live performances and visuals, some incredible DJ’s, freebie offerings, tapas, and a photo-booth to capture all those tender moments in a converted soviet-era jail cell downstairs.
This is going to be a formal event. We encourage you to dress up nice, although amusing takes on Soviet kitsch are highly welcome as well. Please just don’t show up in jeans and a T-shirt and you’ll fit right in.
Sunday July 12th, 2009 – The Augusta Bloc Party
The Boat + venues TBA – South End of Augusta Ave. at Dundas
Kensington Market is Toronto’s answer to Camden UK; a cultural melting pot and grocery gateway for the socially conscious and buskers paradise. This might be hipster mecca. Inspired in equal parts by the famous bloc parties of yore and Sesame Street, we’ve decided the Rubyists should take over bohemia for the most off-the-hook closing party in the history of conferences.
We’ve rented The Boat — a former Portuguese restaurant-cum-indie nightclub that is non-ironically decorated like the lower decks of a pirate ship — for the evening as your primary vestibule and meeting spot for the evening. Done up with Navy flare, we’ll be presenting a handful of Toronto’s best bands and performers (TBA), DJ’s, plus great eats and drinks offered up by the lovely staff of the venue.
But it doesn’t end there, however. We’re coordinating with a few other venues in the area to ensure that there’s something for everyone. We’re aiming to have a HackFest in a location teeming with caffeine, plus a second (quieter) schmooze and art fest going down at the same time… simply because we can. All of the fine print will come soon, paired with the launch of the final website. Paitience is a virtue, and we thank you for having it.
And in case you’re wondering…
…the full website is slated for launch soon, flex schedules and all. We love getting your emails, keep them coming. Anything you’d like to see happen at FutureRuby that we might not think of?
