LaraconEU 2025 - My recap
Attending Laracon EU 2025 in Amsterdam was an unforgettable experience. Conferences like Laracon are not just about the talks; they are about the people. It's a place where you reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and share ideas that push Laravel development forward. Whether it’s chatting over coffee, debating the latest tech trends, or simply geeking out over code, Laracon is where the Laravel community truly comes to life. The energy was electric, and every conversation was an opportunity to learn and grow.
A huge thank you to Caneco, our fantastic host, who made the event even more special with his enthusiasm, humor, and ability to bring the community together. His presence truly set the tone for an engaging and welcoming atmosphere.
The conference featured insightful talks from industry experts, each offering unique perspectives on Laravel development.
Here's a recap of the sessions from Day 1:
Bobby Bouwmann: "Pizzas and Pipeline Power-Up: Turning Complex Logic into Simple Steps"
Bobby kicked off the conference by illustrating how Laravel's pipeline can simplify complex logic. He used the analogy of assembling a pizza, where each ingredient represents a step in the pipeline, to demonstrate how breaking down processes can lead to more manageable and readable code.
Diana Scharf: "Have you met Ada? Word Embeddings with Laravel"
Diana introduced us to 'Ada', a tool for implementing word embeddings in Laravel applications. She explained the significance of word embeddings in natural language processing and showcased practical examples of integrating this technology to enhance search functionalities and user interactions within Laravel projects.
Bert De Swaef: "Help out frustrated Bob"
Bert shared a compelling narrative about 'Frustrated Bob', a developer overwhelmed by complex codebases. He emphasized the importance of writing clean, maintainable code and provided strategies to refactor existing projects. His talk served as a reminder of the human aspect of coding and the need for empathy in our development practices.
Ryan Chandler: "From Zero to Static Analysis Hero"
Ryan's session focused on the benefits of static analysis in PHP. He introduced tools that can be integrated into Laravel projects to identify potential issues before runtime, thereby increasing code reliability and reducing debugging time. His step-by-step approach made the concept accessible, even for those new to static analysis.
Marcel Pociot: "No more slow requests"
Marcel addressed the common issue of slow HTTP requests in Laravel applications. He discussed various optimization techniques, including efficient database querying and caching strategies, to enhance application performance. His insights are invaluable for developers aiming to improve user experience through faster load times.
John Drexler: "Don't solve non-problems…"
John cautioned against the tendency to over-engineer solutions. He advocated for a pragmatic approach to development, encouraging developers to focus on actual problems rather than hypothetical ones. His talk was a call to simplicity and efficiency in coding practices.
Zuzana Kunckova: "Fun with PHP functions"
Zuzana's talk was a delightful exploration of lesser-known PHP functions that can simplify code and enhance functionality. She demonstrated how these functions can be leveraged in Laravel applications to write more concise and expressive code. Her enthusiasm made the session both educational and entertaining.
Michi Hoffmann: "A field guide to writing PHP extensions"
Michi provided a comprehensive guide to creating PHP extensions. He covered the reasons for writing extensions, the tools required, and the steps involved in the development process. His talk demystified a complex topic, empowering developers to extend PHP's capabilities to meet their application's specific needs.
Taylor Otwell: "Laravel Update and Laravel Cloud"
The conference concluded with Taylor Otwell, the creator of Laravel, sharing exciting updates about the framework. He introduced 'Laravel Cloud', a new platform designed to streamline deployment and scaling of Laravel applications. Taylor's vision for the future of Laravel left attendees inspired and eager to explore the new possibilities.
Day 2 Recap
Jess Archer: "Nightwatch Returns"
Jess introduced the latest version of Laravel Nightwatch, an automated browser testing framework for Laravel applications. She demonstrated how Nightwatch enables developers to write and run end-to-end tests efficiently, ensuring that both front-end and back-end components work seamlessly together. The session included practical examples of setting up Nightwatch and writing tests, highlighting its integration capabilities within Laravel projects. Jess also announced that Nightwatch is expected to be available in May 2025, with early access sign-ups already open.
Chris Morrell: "Your First Pull Request"
Chris guided attendees through the process of contributing to open-source projects. He covered topics such as finding suitable issues, understanding project contribution guidelines, and crafting effective pull requests to encourage participation in the Laravel ecosystem.
Sebastian Bergmann: "So you think you know PHPUnit?"
Sebastian, the creator of PHPUnit, provided a deep dive into advanced testing techniques, exploring hidden functionalities and best practices for maintaining robust test suites.
David Hill: "Designing Laravel"
David shared insights into the philosophy behind Laravel’s design, discussing how the framework balances simplicity and functionality to enhance developer experience.
Aaron Francis: "Introducing FUSION: a new paradigm for Laravel + JavaScript"
Aaron unveiled FUSION, a novel approach to integrating PHP and JavaScript within Laravel applications. He demonstrated how FUSION allows developers to write PHP code inside Vue.js components, streamlining the development process and enhancing the synergy between back-end and front-end development. This approach aims to simplify the workflow for developers who work extensively with both PHP and JavaScript.
Simon Hamp: "Building Mobile Apps with PHP"
Simon showcased how PHP can be utilized to develop mobile applications, demonstrating practical tools and best practices for extending Laravel applications to mobile platforms.
Kévin Dunglas: "Building world-class APIs with API Platform for Laravel"
Kévin introduced API Platform, a framework for building scalable APIs, explaining schema generation, serialization, and automatic API documentation.
Kapehe: "Building Your Village (Part 2)"
Kapehe concluded the conference with a talk on community building, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusive and supportive developer communities.
Laracon EU 2025 was an inspiring event that brought together some of the best minds in the Laravel community. From deep technical insights to fostering connections, the conference showcased the innovation and passion driving Laravel forward. It was a reminder that Laravel is more than just a framework—it's a thriving ecosystem of developers who support and learn from each other. Until next time, keep coding, keep learning, and stay connected!
