SWEC is back: From Festival Idea to Software Engineering Barcamp Success Story

Published on March 25, 2025

The Software Engineering Camp (SWEC) is making a comeback—after a long break, it returns with a fresh, energized community. This barcamp is all about exchange and collaborative learning—true to the motto “by developers, for developers.” In an interview, Rolf Thoma from mediendesign AG talks about the revival of SWEC and shares insights into the goals and plans for SWEC 2025—including a ticket giveaway!

From Festival Spark in 2023 to the SWEC Comeback in 2024

SWEC is a software engineering camp focused on tackling the challenges of developing complex software, covering everything from coding and UX to DevOps and future tech trends. Although SWEC has been around for some time, it went on hiatus for a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial push for its revival came during the kickoff event for the Nürnberg Digital Festival 2023. “Just one small example of how valuable the Nuremberg digital community is,” says Rolf Thoma.

At that event, Jörg Meier (CEO of mediendesign AG) floated the idea of organizing a barcamp dedicated to software engineering. Coincidentally, Torsten Pistor (executive board, BRANDAD AG) had the same idea. The two quickly agreed to bring the project to life. They also brought in the team from UL Solutions (formerly Method Park), who had been part of previous SWEC editions. After a successful pilot event for software engineers during NUEDIGITAL 2023, planning kicked off for the full-scale SWEC comeback in 2024.

SWEC: A Strong Focus on Community and a Participatory Culture

Under the banner “SWEC is back!”, the barcamp returned in 2024—with a new look, a fresh website, and a new venue at BRANDAD in Fürth. Participants enjoyed not just engaging sessions, but also a fun social program featuring PowerPoint karaoke and a party that lasted into the night. Despite being run without major sponsors, the event delivered high quality—thanks to the financial support from the three organizing companies. But the real highlight? The strong community backing. The sessions were deep, interactive, and true to the spirit the organizers had envisioned:

“At the heart of it all are open exchange, transparency, and learning together. This is a true participatory event—no pre-set tracks. The agenda is shaped collectively on the first day of the barcamp. Attendees become active contributors in a relaxed, open environment with no more than 100 participants.”

We SWEC to differ – Will You Be There in 2025?

With the successful reboot, it’s clear: SWEC is here to stay—and the 2025 edition is set to take things to the next level. The new motto “We SWEC to differ. – Code does not make a difference. We do.” carries an important message:

“We want to embrace our responsibility: As coders, we’re often in a position where the future is being shaped—and we come to barcamps because we want to make the world a better place.”

Thanks to the Nürnberg Digital Festival community, SWEC has been revived and reestablished as a key meetup for software engineers. Now the focus is on growing and evolving the format—together.

The next SWEC will take place from May 16 to 18, 2025, in Fürth. Participation is limited to 100 attendees—secure your ticket now!

Want to join? NUEDIGITAL is giving away 3 single tickets! To enter, simply send an email with the subject “SWEC” to gewinn@nuernberg.digital and tell them why you want to attend. Winners will be notified on April 11, 2025.

Julia Trzonski Werkstudentin Kommunikation NUEDIGITAL

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