Meet us at GopherCon (with bonus tips to enjoy Denver!)

This year’s GopherCon is just around the corner, and the Go team from Microsoft is excited to be joining thousands of other gophers from around the world in Denver, on August 27-30, 2018!

Microsoft is going to be a platinum sponsor of GopherCon for the first time, and for good reasons. We’re going to have some exciting announcements for you! We’ll be showing you what we’ve been working on for the past few months with Go on Azure, Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS), and more. Improving our products for Go developers wasn’t the only thing that kept our gophers busy, however, and we’ll announce the results of the terrific work we’ve done for and with the Go community.

Microsoft at GopherCon

Dozens of gophers from Microsoft are coming to GopherCon, including engineers and developer advocates. You can meet our team members at the booth in the main atrium/foyer, as well as during the following sessions.

Tuesday, August 27, 2018 (Pre-conference workshops)

• Cloud Native Go: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with Josh Gavant (@joshugav) and Martin Strobel (@mkstrobel).
• Go beginner’s training: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with Carolyn Van Slyck (@carolynvs) and Johnny Boursiquot (from Idiomat).

Thursday, August 30, 2018 (Community day)

• Project Athens lightning talk: 1:45 PM, with Aaron Schlesinger (@arschles)
• GopherSource: Open Source for Gophers: 10:00 AM –4:00 PM, with Carolyn Van Slyck (@carolynvs).

Microsoft cloud developer advocates Brian Ketelsen (@bketelsen), Erik St. Martin (@erikstmartin), and Ashley McNamara (@ashleymcnamara) will also be playing an important role at the event, and will be around during the conference.

Cannot make it to GopherCon?

We’ll be missing you! However, we will still have something for you and your entertainment.

Hey, @shanselman, with @OpenAtMicrosoft coming to #GopherCon, Gophers are taking over #AzureFriday! @erikstmartin and the @Golang team at Microsoft will talk about @Azure, @Code, @VSTS, and more. Big announcements are coming, too! pic.twitter.com/9j0EwazBDm

— Azure Friday ⛅📺 (@azurefriday) August 9, 2018

Check out the Azure blog on August 27, 2018 to see what’s new with Go at Microsoft. You’ll also be able to learn more about using Go with Azure, VS Code, and VSTS thanks the videos that Erik St. Martin and the other gophers recorded after taking over the Channel9 studios!

On August 28, 2018, we’ll be making some exciting announcements related to the work we’ve done with the Go community, on this blog and on @OpenAtMicrosoft on Twitter!

Bonus: tips to enjoy Denver from our gophers

Whether this is your first time in the city or you’ve been there before, we asked our gophers to share some tips with you to enjoy your time in the Mile High City!

Arriving and getting around:

• Denver’s Light Rail can get you to and from the airport, and around the city with ease.
• There’s also plenty of ridesharing and carsharing options, so don’t hesitate to adventure.

Enjoying the city:

• If you want to stick around downtown, there’s plenty to see and do. Check out the newly renovated Union Station for restaurants, bars and shops; or, walk the 16th Street Mall.
• Learn something new at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and at Denver Art Museum.
• You can order a free copy of the Denver’s Visitors Guide for more ideas.
• The Colorado Rockies play the St. Louis Cardinals on August 26, 2018. Perfect if you’re getting to Denver earlier.

Day trip to Boulder and outdoor activities:

• Take a day-trip to Boulder and explore the city.
• From Boulder, you can also enjoy many nice hikes, including visiting the Flatirons.

Lastly, some friendly reminders for your well-being:

• Denver is a mile high desert. With an elevation of 5,280 feet (1,610 meters) above sea level, the air is a little thinner. It’s also very dry. Stay hydrated to combat fatigue and ask your hotel for a humidifier in your room so you’re well rested and ready to tackle the day.
• Denver also has more than 300 days of sun each year. If you’re spending time out and about, keep some sunscreen handy.