FAQ - All the nice things you need to know

emBO++ is the gathering place for embedded software nerds from around the world. We meet annually in March in Bochum, where we nerd out for three days, listen to great talks, and make sure to network (codeword for beer and burgers) as well. emBO++ is organized by the non-profit association Open Skunk Force, which connects industry and academia. We are proud that emBO++ is the largest non-profit event for embedded devices and similar topics.

We meet in Bochum, unless there’s a pandemic that prevents us from meeting in person. In that case, emBO++ takes place online, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen. The locations change every year so that we can always show you the beauty of Bochum, the metropolis of the Ruhr area (near Dortmund).

emBO++ takes place in the Ruhr area, specifically in Bochum. We have excellent public transportation, and several airports are nearby, including Düsseldorf and Dortmund. Regular trains run from these airports to Bochum. Once you’re in Bochum, you can reach all the locations on foot or by public transport. If you're driving, we'll inform you about the location and parking options in advance.

emBO++ is usually a three-day event, running from Thursday to Saturday. Thursday is a pre-event with a party and a light start. On Friday and Saturday, there are talks, followed by evening parties. Sometimes, we also organize a tour of a great location or offer a fantastic workshop.

English. However, if you meet people who speak other languages, feel free to speak those too. For example, the emBO++ team speaks very good German. Since we have attendees and speakers from around the world, you might hear English, French, Swiss German, Ruhr dialect, Spanish, Portuguese, and more. And I bet you'll find someone who speaks Klingon—though that’s pretty quirky.

We usually don’t send paper tickets. Registration is generally done via email and your name, as we keep great participant lists and check you off when you arrive. We also add your email address to our mailing list, so you’ll receive all the information about the conference. You’ll find out more about the location, travel details, talks, networking opportunities, and much more.

Check out emBO.io - we gather all the speakers, their talks, and other information about emBO++. You’ll also find the Call for Papers and can purchase tickets. Plus, we showcase videos from past conferences (in case you can’t use YouTube).

Of course! If you want to bring your entire company to emBO++, just send an email to info@embo.io, and we can arrange group discounts. Or better yet, become a sponsor, and depending on the package, some tickets may be included.

You can submit a proposal for a talk during our Call for Papers, and if it’s good, you’ll be part of emBO++. If you’re not comfortable speaking, you can join the Open Skunk Force as a support team member and help us with the organization.

Send an email to info@embo.io. We’ll get in touch and present our fantastic sponsorship packages, ranging from startup to premium sponsor. These include a booth at the conference, a talk slot, and we’ll put your logo on everything we have—T-shirts, banners, stream overlays, and more.

Embedded devices and other nerdy topics.

As mentioned, emBO++ is organized on a voluntary basis. Communication typically happens in our spare time, and the website is also maintained out of goodwill, not for pay. Nonetheless, we strive to respond as quickly as possible. If it's urgent, don’t send an email; instead, use our Telegram chat. The admins are all proud OSF members and will answer you voluntarily and without compensation.

A conference costs a lot of money. We need to pay for a location because you can’t all fit in the Skunk cave. You also need food and drink, so we buy that too. Any leftover money goes into the Open Skunk Force, which we use to fund scholarships, for example. For students, we traditionally offer free student tickets, funded by our sponsors. If you can’t afford to visit us in Bochum, even as a non-student, email info@embo.io, and we’ll find a solution. For example, you could give a talk, as speakers get free admission to the conference and social events.

You get free entry. Unfortunately, we can’t support your accommodation or travel expenses, as all income goes into the conference.

You can exchange numbers at emBO++, or join our emBO++ conference chat on Telegram. There, both current and past attendees are organized. You’ll get information about Early Skunk tickets, links to videos, and occasionally a very bad joke.

We usually organize a livestream for each emBO++, where you can see everything we see. Unfortunately, you can’t ask the speakers questions then. Afterward, we edit the videos a bit and upload everything to our emBO++ YouTube channel. This always takes a little time (see voluntary work), but everything will be available eventually.

You could simply join the Open Skunk Force and contribute your skills in video editing, email writing, website building, attendee support, and more. Of course, on a voluntary basis. ;-)