Carolina Code Conference Week is here!
Here's everything you need to know to have a blast while you're in town
It’s hard to believe we have finally reached conference week! We have a great experience lined up for you so feel free to treat this as a reference post for your travels.
Don’t forget to thank Our Amazing Sponsors who make this event possible!
Quick Note: There has been a slight shakeup to the speaker schedule this year as 3 speakers let us know that they would not be able to attend over the last month. We’ve accounted for this by allowing additional time for some of our other speakers.
Sarah Matta’s talk “Number Sense for Programmers: The Hidden Math You Already Use” is now a Keynote
Redvers Davies talk “Fast, Concurrent, Secure, Correct Actors…and a pony!” is now an Intermediate Talk
Jake Hendley’s talk “Software in the EV space” is now an Intermediate Talk
Here’s what we’re going to cover…
Throughout your visit
Tag us on social media
Conference Chat with Zulip
10% off at WantecVR
Thursday - 8/14
Staying at Aloft Downtown Greenville
Coworking at OpenWorks
Welcome Social at Gather GVL
Friday - 8/15
Parking at Flywheel Coworking
Hotel Transport between Aloft and Flywheel
Conference Check-In Schedule
DEF CON 864 Capture the Flag
Lunch Buffet from Tropical Grille
Vonage Happy Hour at New Realm Brewing
Saturday - 8/16
Conference Schedule
Boxed Lunch from Honey Baked Ham
Wind down at Fireforge Crafted Beer
Sunday - 8/17
Brunch at BrickTop’s
Sadness that it’s over…until 2026
Throughout your visit
Tag us on social media
Seriously…we need those sweet, sweet likes! Tell everyone about what an awesome time you’re having! Share your pictures and videos but remember to tag us @CodesCarolina on LinkedIn, X, Instagram & YouTube!
Conference Chat with Zulip
If you have a ticket to the conference, then you should have also received an invitation to the Zulip conference chat either directly from Zulip or from Tito where you purchased your tickets. Zulip is an open source chat alternative to Slack & Discord. All attendees to the conference are encouraged to get signed up and install the mobile app (iOS | Android) to make it easier to interact with other conference attendees.
We have channels setup for 2025 where you can interact with speakers (#2025-talks), sponsors (#2025-sponsors), post job openings to engage attendees (#2025-job-board), find attendees with similar interests (#2025-birds-of-a-feather), talk about events happening outside of the venue (#2025-on-the-town) or discuss the DEF CON 864 Capture the Flag event (#2025-dc864-ctf).
You can share photos, speakers may share slides or answer question, even create your own private channels for you and some of your new friends!
The chat stays up year round, so you can always use it to follow up. If you have attended in the past but can’t make it this year, you can still feel free to sign on during the conference to interact with everyone there.
10% off at WantecVR
From August 14th - 17th, WantecVR in downtown Greenville is offering 10% off to all Carolina Code Conference attendees.
Our place is the ultimate entertainment destination in downtown Greenville! Whether you’re a racing enthusiast, a VR adventurer, or just looking to have a great time with friends, we’ve got something for everyone.
We offer free-roam VR games, racing simulators, a media lounge for VR escape rooms, regular VR games, watch parties, and Rock Band sessions. We also have free-to-play gaming consoles (Switch, Wii, PS1, Xbox) scattered around the bar, a full menu, and an awesome beer and liquor selection.
I tried out the racing simulator and it’s intense! Compete with up to 12 friends.
An all around great time for adult gamers and right around the corner from GatherGVL and New Realm Brewing when you’re looking to keep the night going!
Thursday - 8/14
Staying at Aloft Downtown Greenville
If you’re staying at the beautiful Aloft hotel in downtown Greenville, you’re right in the middle of the action! The hotel has a parking garage attached and check-in is on the 4th floor.
It’s conveniently located near numerous restaurants and attractions in downtown Greenville, including OpenWorks right next door, Fireforge Crafted Beer 2 blocks away and BrickTop’s for Sunday brunch on the same block. You’ll stroll from the hotel through beautiful downtown Greenville, passing Fall’s Park on the way to Gather GVL for the Thursday night Welcome Social and New Realm Brewing Happy Hour by Vonage on Friday night.
Coworking at OpenWorks
OpenWorks has generously offered to open their doors on Thursday for anyone in town for the conference who’s looking for somewhere to work for the day. Just give them a heads up if you plan to be there by registering on this form.
They’ll plan to have lunch there between 12 - 1:30, let you work all day, have a social at 4:30 and then walk together down to the Welcome Social at GatherGVL.
Welcome Social at Gather GVL
We’ve reserved the entire upstairs at Gather GVL for this year’s welcome social from 6-8pm. You’re welcome to get there earlier and stay later of course. It’s a great way to relax and visit with other people coming to the conference without all of the conference activities going on at the same time.
Gather GVL has numerous different options for food/beverages and we will also have a cake for the conference upstairs. We booked the space, but the food is up to you.
And yes, we will have name tags.
Friday - 8/15
Parking at Flywheel Coworking
Flywheel Coworking is an incredible venue located just off of the Poinsett Highway at 25 Goldsmith St, Greenville, SC 29609. That is the address that you should use for drop-off or Uber/Lyft drivers.
The parking lot for the facility is located at 701 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC where you will see signs for the Crescent ONE building. There is a helpful map and diagram on our Event Details & Registration page.
There is no charge for parking at the venue.
Hotel Transport between Aloft and Flywheel
We have hired a driver who will be transporting people from Aloft to Flywheel and back. He will be running every few minutes at the beginning and end of the conference each day.
Friday from 7:30am - 9am and 4:45pm - 5:45pm
Saturday from 8am - 9am and 4:45pm - 5:45pm
If you are staying at Aloft, you will get more details via email the day before the event.
Conference Check-In Schedule
Doors open at Flywheel at 7:30am, the conference opening will begin at 8:30am and Our Speakers will kick things off at 9am.
When you arrive, you’ll check in with one of our volunteers who will verify your ticket, give you your conference badge and 2025 t-shirt. After that, come visit our sponsors, enjoy some coffee & snacks, check-in with DC864 for the CTF if you want to try it out and make some new friends.
We strongly advise arriving no later than 8am on the first day!
DEF CON 864 Capture the Flag (CTF)
As part of our commitment to cybersecurity and for the 3rd year in a row, the good folks from DEF CON 864 will be running a CTF during the conference. In 2023 the winner earned a Flipper Zero. In 2024 it the prize was a complete Raspberry Pi 5 kit.
This year’s winner will walk away with a Night School Tuxedo Edition Lock Pick Set from SPARROWS Lock Picks and a LAN Tap Pro from Hacker Warehouse!
If you’re a CTF veteran or are just looking to try it for the first time, this competition is for you. The contest is tailored to programmers and first time participants, where you’ll have to use your hacking skills to capture privileged information from people and systems. You might even learn to pick a lock!
Bring your laptop to hack along throughout the day.
Lunch Buffet from Tropical Grille
Back by popular demand is our build-a-bowl lunch buffet from Tropical Grille. Combine rice, beans, sauce, cheese, veggies and/or chicken to your liking into a delicious meal that meets any dietary needs.
Vonage Happy Hour at New Realm Brewing
The wonderful folks from Vonage (2025 Platinum Sponsor), will be throwing a happy hour Friday evening after the conference from 5:30 - 7:30pm at New Realm Brewing. The first 100 attendees will be treated to a variety of appetizers & h'orderves as well as some free adult beverages to go with great company for the evening.
Every New Realm brewery/distillery and taproom is unique, and each has a distinct focus. New Realm Greenville is located at the iconic Cigar Warehouse at 912 S. Main, and its focus is on barrel-aging and blending our beautiful beers into something wholly unique.
Grab a drink from one of several bars and take a seat in our main bar, speakeasy, or our outdoor beer garden. We’re serving Brewmaster Mitch Steele’s famous IPAs and Pilsners plus barrel-aged brews perfected on-site alongside hand-crafted cocktails featuring New Realm Spirits in a family friendly indoor + outdoor environment. Pair your favorites with our classic New Realm Burger or Greenville’s best wood-fired pizza.
Even after 7:30, you’re welcome to hang around as long as you like. It’s always a good time at New Realm Brewing!
Thank you Vonage!
Saturday - 8/16
Conference Schedule
Doors open at 8am on Saturday, we’ll do a short welcome back at 8:45am and Our Speakers will get things moving at 9am.
If you have a single day ticket or haven’t already checked in, you’ll see one of our volunteers who will get you your badge and 2025 Lyrical Code T-shirt! As always, coffee and snacks will be available.
Boxed Lunch from Honey Baked Ham
Saturday we’ll have an assortment of delicious boxed lunches from Honey Baked Ham. We’ll have boxed lunches with either Ham, Turkey or California Veggie (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and avocado) sandwiches, as well as some Gluten Friendly wraps and even a few Chef Salad’s to accommodate various dietary needs. Each boxed lunch is served with assorted chips and a cookie, while the Gluten Friendly boxes come with a gluten free brownie.
Wind down at Fireforge Crafted Beer
Once the conference ends, attendees are encouraged to make their way over to Fireforge in downtown Greenville for some good food and award winning brews!
Located in downtown Greenville, SC, Fireforge Crafted Beer is a small-batch craft brewery, tasting room and pleasure garden focused on ever-changing beers inspired by the people, places and culinary palates we love.
Show your conference badge to get 10% off food and beverages all night.
Sunday - 8/17
Brunch at BrickTop’s
If you’re hanging around until Sunday and would like to grab brunch before hitting the road, join us at 10am at BrickTop’s, right around the corner from the Aloft Hotel. Shoot over an email to barry@carolina.codes if you plan to attend so that I can ensure the reservation size is correct.
Sadness that it’s over…until 2026
We get it! It’s going to be rough having to wait an entire year for the 2026 Carolina Code Conference!
We can make that wait easier if you follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and YouTube where we will be sharing pictures, videos, shorts and information for 2026 including the Call for Speakers and the Advent of Code contest for tickets.