For those tech-savvy (or tech-interested) folks looking to soak up the last days (and rays) of summer before Chicago weather takes a turn, it's not too late to hit up one of the city's best rooftop spots. In particular, you can hit a rooftop tech social at the Godfrey. Ready for back to school season? Put on your thinking cap and dig in to meaty meetups, where you can demo new technologies, dive into JavaScript workshops or explore the intersection of government and open data with Chicago Booth. Whatever your speed this September, there’s something for you in Chicago’s tech scene.
Making a Data Driven Government Organization. Hear from the City of Chicago’s chief data officer, Tom Schenk, about Chicago’s efforts to open up city data and make it more transparent and useful. This event is created by the Booth School of Business’ Big Data meetup. (Gleacher Center, 450 N Cityfront Plaza Drive, Sept 1, 6:30–8:45pm. $20 at the door)
Internet of Things Deep Dive. Visit The Nerdery’s West Loop office for pizza, networking and a discussion on the future of the Internet of Things from leaders in the field. Internet of Things is the field of research and development that enables regular physical objects to send and receive data. (The Nerdery, 1033 W Van Buren, Suite 700, Sept 8, 6pm. Free)
Chicago Virtual Reality September Meetup. Curious about the latest in virtual reality? This monthly meetup includes a science fair–style layout with demos of the latest gear. (Location disclosed upon RSVP, Sept 8, 6pm. Price varies)
Tech After Hours: Summer’s Last Soiree. Enjoy some serious views at the IO Godfrey Rooftop Lounge with an old-school schmoozing and mingling event hosted by Tech After Hours. Sponsored by Somrus Liqueur, so you know there will be draaaanks. (IO Godfrey Rooftop Lounge, 127 West Huron St, Sept 13, 6pm. $12–$15)
Introduction to jQuery. Dig into this incredibly common, incredibly useful JavaScript library in a one-time free workshop at Dev Bootcamp, an immersive coding school that offers a full-time program. Considered the developer’s Swiss army knife, this is a great technology for new developers to get familiar with. (Dev Bootcamp, 351 W Hubbard, Suite 700, Sept 14, 5:30–8pm. Free)
WindyCity DevCon. Hanging out at the Google offices might be reason enough to attend this one-day, multiple track conference that brings together developers, designers and technologists from across the Midwest. (320 North Morgan Street, Suite 600, Sept 16, 9am–5:30pm. $35)
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