Aussie iOS dev conference goes for broke

The second annual One More Thing Conference for iOS developers is set to get underway in Melbourne in May. Organiser Anthony Agius told ZDNet Australia that this year, he's gone for broke trying to get international talent to speak at the conference, with speakers from Flipboard and Doodle Jump.

"[One More Thing] certainly didn't make any money last year," Agius told ZDNet Australia in an email interview.

"This year, I'm spending big (all those overseas guests aren't cheap to fly in), in the hope that the wider exposure plus the high-profile line-up at least lets us break even."

The speaker roster this year includes guests hailing from some of the App Store's most popular projects, including ex-Twitter turned Tweetie developer Loren Brichter, Flipboard developer Raphael Schaad and Camera+ developer Karl von Randow. Agius wrote on his blog recently that he's spent over $35,000 on airfares and accommodation for the international speakers — more than the cost of the entire 2011 conference combined.

Agius said that the conference is in aid of the indie developer spirit that he believes is alive and well in Australia, adding that the conference is still peppered with local developer talent.

"I really love the indie developer spirit — quitting your job and doing what you love is an amazing feeling. I also love the iOS platform. So bringing the two together and hopefully inspiring others to do the same as our speakers is something I get a kick out of.

"The speakers I've invited make apps I use and love — many of them don't speak at conferences much, if at all, so I wanted to invite them to Australia to get their experiences. There's plenty of Australian talent, as good as anywhere in the world, but I have a unique opportunity to bring the world's best here, so local developers can learn from them," he said.

The conference kicks off on 25 May in Melbourne, with tickets now on sale.