ClueCon 2024 is only a few weeks away! Join us at the iconic Drake Hotel in Chicago from August 12th-15th to celebrate 20 years of technological innovation and community.

ClueCon was founded in 2005 by a team of Asterisk developers to bring together open-source telecom projects in one place. By the second year, the team had developed FreeSWITCH (you read that right – ClueCon came first)! Today, ClueCon continues to inspire collaboration in communication technology, providing resources for FreeSWITCH and other open-source telecom projects.

If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late to register! Here’s what to expect from this year’s milestone conference:

Monday: The Coder Games Hack-a-thon

ClueCon begins on Monday with the Coder Games hack-a-thon, hosted by Abbi Minessale. Both coding and non-coding challenges are available so those of all skill sets can participate. Whether you want a break from programming, or you want to flex your skills, you can team up and build your way to some awesome prizes.

If you’re looking to do some coding, the Maker Challenge is for you. This year, we’re building cars and challenging you to a battle royale-style deathmatch! The last balloon standing wins, so don’t forget your building and driving skills at home.

If you need a break from writing code, get ready for the FreeCYCLED Hacks challenge, where you’ll have to make a Rube Goldberg Machine entirely from household materials.

This year’s SignalWire Challenge participants will be building with SignalWire’s AI technologies. Projects must use SignalWire’s AI tools and include a GitHub repo, a complete readme file, and a staff review at the conference. No presentation is required!

But the day isn’t all about coding and competition. Monday will also feature a FreeSWITCH lunch & learn session to kick off the week. This workshop will offer a comprehensive introduction to cover everything from installation to configuration, hosted by Brian West and Luca Pradovera.

End the day with the Welcome Dinner at Giordano’s, where you can enjoy Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza, a fantastic view of the city, and networking opportunities with your fellow attendees.

Tuesday: Celebrating Two Decades of ClueCon

Tuesday marks the start of three days of presentations, beginning with a keynote by Anthony Minessale, FreeSWITCH founder and SignalWire CEO.

The day continues with more presentations, and at lunchtime, check out the Kamailio workshop hosted by Daniel-Constantin Mierla. This session will cover SIP Transport Layer Gateway with Kamailio and teach you how to build a transport layer gateway with Kamailio, with tips and tricks to make it secure and scalable.

As the conference day comes to an end, we’ll be shifting from presentations to the AI roundtable. Many leaders in the industry are implementing AI into their products, or thinking long-term about how to leverage this powerful tech. During this session, industry experts will discuss the transformative impact of AI on the telecommunication industry. Bring your questions for Anthony Minessale, Jeff Pulver, Kristian Kielhofner, Diego Gosmar, and James Tagg.

After the conference day, the festivities begin! We’re celebrating ClueCon’s 20th anniversary with a themed Gigabit Reception. Wear your favorite ClueCon shirt from over the years, and enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and games. Bring your favorite instrument if you want to take part in the annual jam session, or jump in with a mic for the highly-anticipated ClueCon karaoke.

Wednesday: The Annual Casino Night

Wednesday will be a full day of presentations spanning various topics. At mid-day, enjoy the SignalWire workshop over lunch, where you can learn about using SignalWire cloud features on top of your FreeSWITCH.

At the end of the conference day, we’re discussing FreeSWITCH with Anthony Minessale, Brian West, Michael Jerris, Chris Rienzo, and Jakub Karolczyk. These founders and core developers will be gathering for a roundtable about how FreeSWITCH helped shape telecom and where they envision the industry going next.

As the evening approaches, get ready to roll the dice at Casino Night! We’re going back in time to the 1920’s, the decade when the Drake was built. Arrive in style with fashion inspired by mobsters and flappers, get yourself a cocktail, and enjoy craps, roulette or blackjack. This event also features the annual Poker Tournament hosted by World Poker Tour Champion Phil Gordon!

Thursday: Dangerous Demos

As the 2024 conference draws to a close, the presentations continue, offering one last round of talks. Lunch will include a Homer workshop hosted by Jachen Duschletta to discover Homer 10 and its integration with Observability.

At the end of the day, brace yourself for the classic Dangerous Demos competition hosted by James Body. This annual favorite showcases cutting-edge, experimental, and sometimes even outrageous demos that will leave you astonished. Will you impress the audience, or crash and burn?

And finally, the end of the week will bring the moment everyone is waiting for: the grand prize drawing for the custom-engraved MacBook. Will luck be on your side? There will be many chances throughout the week to gather raffle tickets, so get as many as you can!

Celebrate 20 Years of ClueCon with the FreeSWITCH Community

Whether you’re a developer, entrepreneur, or tech enthusiast, ClueCon is a must-attend event that will expand your horizons and connect you with like-minded developers. Stay up-to-date on all things ClueCon and get exclusive deals by making sure you’re signed up for the FreeSWITCH newsletter.

See you at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, August 12th to 15th!