From Bristol to Bingo: Our First Codegarden

Written by Darren & Hugh

Monday – Touchdown in Denmark

Darren: We left Bristol with carry-ons in hand, excitement in the air, and dreams of Nordic pastries. After a smooth evening flight into Copenhagen, we checked into our hotel around 9:30pm. A short city wander followed (a.k.a. a very focused hunt for food), before we turned in for an early night — fully charged for the Codegarden experience to come.

Tuesday – Trams, Time Travel, and a Pirate Party

Hugh: At 8am we were off to Odense. First impressions? This city knows how to do urban planning. Clean streets, zero traffic noise, and more bikes than people — it felt like stepping into the future.

To kill time before check-in, we explored and ended up at Funen Village, a charming open-air museum showing how Danes lived back in the day. Cobbled paths, timber-framed houses, and buckets of creativity — it felt like walking through history, just with better coffee. We told ourselves it was related to our B-Corp work; which it kind of was as it got us thinking about how sometimes simplicity is better. A good example is how back in the day everything would be repaired not replaced; whilst our laptops are more complicated than clogs our move to Frameworks mean we only need to replace the broken bits not the whole machines when something goes wrong.

Darren: By evening we were at Storms Pakhus, a food hall with enough options to overwhelm even the hungriest developer. Safe to say, it didn’t disappoint.

Next stop: the Pre-Party, complete with a pirate theme. No costume prize, but if there had been, Luke Hook (yes, that’s his real name) would’ve sailed away with it. Eye patch, hook hand, the full works. Pirate King energy.

Wednesday – Keynotes, Nails, and Accessibility

Darren: Codegarden officially kicked off, and as a frontend dev, I was glued to the keynote. Loads of insight into Umbraco v17 and its move toward LIT components — enough to spark dreams of becoming a LIT wizard myself.

Other Highlights included:

• “Most Expensive Design Mistakes (Ever)” by Clarissa Rodrigues — smart, practical, and full of gems. From visual hierarchies to avoiding emotional design decisions, it was part confessional, part masterclass.
• “Accessibility as a Concept” by Jemima Abu — hands down one of the most entertaining sessions. She had the room laughing and learning about why accessibility isn’t just a checkbox, it’s the whole point.

Hugh: I was really inspired by Emma Quessenberry's talk on privilege. A topic that can be uncomfortable at times to discuss for some, she gave a master class on the topic and being more self-aware of what we and others have and haven't gone through. The goal was to trigger reflection and she was successful. I hope to build on my learnings from this talk and to share this insight with the team at Gibe.

Darren: Evening brought food, drinks, and fierce rounds of hammerschlagen — a game that’s basically "nails, hammers, and competitive energy." Then came the Umbraco Awards, where we celebrated the best work the community has to offer. Inspiring stuff.

Thursday – Gibe on Stage and a Dinner Like No Other

Darren: We kicked off with “Is ChatGPT Killing the Penguins?” by James Hobbs — a talk exploring the environmental cost of AI. Eye-opening and one of the more thought-provoking sessions of the week.

After lunch, it was Gibe’s time to shine:

• Steve took the stage with “Revamping the Media Section”, a deep dive into creating a custom media experience in Umbraco. Inspiring stuff for anyone building packages or dreaming up features.
• Then came Luke with “Gotta Cache’em All” — yes, it’s Pokémon-themed, and yes, it was a hit. Even having seen it before at Umbraco Spark, the new updates and added humour made it even better.

Hugh: I ended the talks with “How to Create a Neurodivergent-Friendly Workplace” by Matt Brailsford — a talk packed with practical advice, empathy, and ideas that benefit everyone, not just neurodiverse folks.

Then came the dinner. We thought we were prepared. We weren’t. What started as a sit-down meal escalated quickly into:

• A sermon assuring us we’re not in a cult (we think)
• The world’s most chaotic game of musical chairs
• Umbraco Bingo with wild prizes like a giant cheese wheel and a full-on caravan

Unforgettable doesn’t even cover it.

Friday – Farewell Feels

Hugh: Friday was our wind-down. Most of the Gibe crew headed home together, buzzing from the week. Others stayed to soak up more of Denmark, but all of us left with full brains and even fuller hearts (and maybe a couple t-shirts).

Darren: Codegarden isn’t just a conference. It’s a community-powered rocket of learning, laughter, and inspiration. From insightful talks to surprise pirate parties, we left more connected to Umbraco — and each other — than ever.

Final Thoughts

Hugh: If you work with Umbraco, go to Codegarden. Just do it. You’ll laugh, learn, and leave wanting to build something awesome.

Darren: 100%. Come for the tech, stay for the vibes — and maybe pack a hook, just in case.