WeblicaTechnology conference
- May 9th, 2025 (Friday)
- Cultural center Štrigova - Štrigova 103, 40312 Štrigova
About
Where tech minds meet
Weblica is creating a platform for the development of the IT sector in the region, attracting a wide range of participants, from developers and designers to, all kinds of, managers, DevOps experts, students, and anyone interested in the world of web technologies.
The focus of Weblica is on delivering valuable and in-depth knowledge in a friendly environment, while the lectures are an endless source of practical solutions.
Active participation in interactive discussions and networking with like-minded individuals will enable you to immediately apply the acquired knowledge in practice.
Guidelines for topic selection
Weblica, as a conference on web technologies, covers a wide range of potential topics for discussion. This list of topics serves as a guide for the content to be covered at the conference, but is not limited to the areas mentioned. The world of web tech is vast, so we welcome suggestions for topics not listed here but hold value in the IT sector.
Given that our audience consists of industry experts, we encourage speakers not to shy away from diving into technical details in their talks.
- JavaScript
- NodeJS
- Bun
- React
- Vue
- Ember
- Angular
- Svelte
- NextJS
- Gatsby
- NuxtJS
- ...
- PHP
- Laravel
- Symphony
- CakePHP
- CodeIgniter
- Zend Framework
- ...
- .NET
- Azure Cloud Development
- Xamarin
- Blazor
- ML.NET
- Python
- Flask
- Django
- CherryPy
- Bottle
- ...
- Web
- APIs
- Services
- PWAs
- ...
- Security
- OWASP
- PenTesting
- ...
- UI
- UX
- ...
- Git
- Docker
- DevOps
- Cloud
- ...
- AI
- ChatBots
- LowCode/NoCode
- Blockchain
- ...
Previous editions in numbers
- 1000+ attendees
- 100+ expert speakers
- 90+ sessions
- ∞knowledge and inspiration
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, paired with a variety of drinks throughout the day, and an end-of-day after party, offer even more reasons to attend Weblica.
Speakers
Speakers
Frank Blau
Data Architect @ Innerspace
Frank Blau has been a Business Intelligence Data Architect for 20 years and has over 25 years of technical experience in relational and dimensional database technologies. He is currently a Data Architect at Innerspace in Innsbruck, Austria. He has been a developer, architect, analyst and educator in a variety of vertical markets and technologies. Frank has also been a consultant to Fortune 500 and mid-market companies in the use and implementation of data warehouse architectures, unstructured data, metadata management and analytic presentation.
Frank is a 2018 and 2020 IBM Champion for Cloud and Blockchain, and was a 2014 IBM Champion for Information Management. He continues to provide thought leadership and research in such diverse areas as Streaming Data, Blockchain, Modern Data Architecture and Cloud Computing. Frank is also a public speaker and author on topics related to Business Intelligence, disruptive technologies, mobile computing and software methodologies and is also a member of the Digitale Initiativen in Dornbirn, Austria.
Dubravko Bogović
Adventuring in cyberspace
I am an electrical engineer turned programmer. I love new technologies, smart homes and renewable energy as well as Science Fiction and fantasy and board games. I love making quizzes for conventions and playing board game tournaments or just attending a game day.
Also love badminton and everything related to it.
Gordon Cindrić
CEO & Lead Product Designer @ McKnight Media
Gordon is an experience product designer, team leader and mentor who spent over 15 years designing UX for countless digital products of all types and sizes. For the last 5 years, he's been building a niche design agency specialized in designing UX for complex, domain-specific, enterprise software. McKnight Media has also recently expanded it's activities to include product management and B2B UX training for non-designers.
Miroslav Jonaš
Senior Developer Productivity Engineer @ Nx
Miro is a Senior Developer Productivity Engineer and a Core member of the Nx team. He's helping customers build scalable and performant applications with warp-speed CI. He is based in Vienna where he co-founded Angular Austria and co-organizes the Vienna JS meetup. Father of two, husband of one, not a visual collaboration platform.
Luka Kladarić
Chaos guru
A former web developer turned architecture, infrastructure & security consultant. Also a remote work evangelist.
Dalibor Kofjač
WebRTC Specialist | Senior Software Developer @ Span d.d.
An experienced software developer with a Master’s degree in Information Science and Computer Programming. Worked on the planning and development of several different business software solutions, from large enterprise applications, to real-time web communication systems. Specialized in building and optimizing web and native WebRTC solutions. Mainly uses .NET with Angular for web development, (native) Android for mobile development and Microsoft Azure for cloud services.
Filip Levačić
Senior Software Developer @ Codebooq
An experienced software developer, from .NET backend, Angular and React frontend, to cloud and mobile. Loves working in large teams and knowledge sharing with his colleagues, mentoring students and doing both internal and conference talks. Loves units tests, readable code and interesting question at pub quizzes, even if he doesn't know the answer. Hates the trend of mentioning the Terminator in every discussion about AI.
Anja Logožar
UX designer @ McKnight Media
UX designer with five years of experience specializing in design systems, process optimization, and the development of complex enterprise products. Through working with teams from diverse industries, she has developed a clear understanding of challenges that can slow down processes and product development. Actively advocates for UX principles and speaks about their impact on products, user experience, business outcomes, and team collaboration.
Borna Matijanić
Backend team lead @ Netgen
Backend Team Leader and Branch manager @Netgen. PHP/Symfony developer, graduated Informatics at Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology Osijek. Doing web stuff for 7 years. Besides arranging ones and zeros into request and response, loves to speak at conferences and organizes local PHP meetup. Slavonia evangelist.
Miroslav Šafarić
Senior platform engineer @ Castor
Technical experience in designing, building, and managing platforms on public and private cloud infrastructure. Focus on improving software delivery and developer experience, through building internal tooling and combining it with open source tools, to provide a self serving platform for developers to consume and improve their productivity.
Extensive knowledge of Linux system administration and Kubernetes ecosystem with a focus on observability, security, and creating high-quality technical documentation.
Stella Sajčić
Full stack web engineer @ SimpleApproach
5 years of experience working as a freelancer for EU companies as a full-stack web engineer, specializing in creating custom UI libraries that follow design systems and support accessibility.
Bruno Zagorščak
Chief Content @ Neuralab
Bruno Zagorščak is a content maker, videographer, and live-stream producer. He's Chief Content Officer and co-founder of Neuralab, a full-service team of creative people, managing all aspects of online eCommerce projects. He has nearly two decades of experience creating content across multiple mediums, including video, audio, photography, and text. His role at Neuralab involves leading content creation, often focusing on engaging user experiences. Bruno is also known for his expertise producing interactive content and directing live broadcasts, as well as his participation in various podcasts and webinars related to the tech industry.
Schedule
Schedule
08:00-09:00(60 min)
Registration, Coffee & Breakfast
- LanguageEnglish
Gather, register and get your goodie bag.
Enjoy your morning with coffee from cWebSpace and breakfast from Full Circle.
Breakfast will be available until 11:00, so no stress if you're not an early bird.
09:00-09:10(10 min)
Conference Opening
- LanguageEnglish
Quick welcome note and then we move on.
5 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
09:15-10:00(45 min)
Why are databases so 🤬 difficult?!
- Luka Kladarić
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelNovice
- Code AmountNone
Shipping an application has never been easier, but what good is an application without state?
Like it or not, we deal with databases all day, every day, and the majority of outages and incidents come from some sort of database. Relational databases remain the very foundation of software development despite a continuous onslaught of alternatives, and regularly make our lives quite miserable. Databases, no matter their flavor, obey a known set of hard limitations, but the understanding of those has become almost arcane knowledge as the barrier to entry in software development keeps dropping.
Let's shed some modern perspective light on these mythical beasts and help you scale your apps with ease.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
10:10-10:55(45 min)
Transforming Developer Experience from Challenges to Excellence
- Dubravko Bogović
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountNone
In the fast-paced world of software development, the experience of the developer is a crucial factor that significantly impacts productivity, job satisfaction, and overall workflow efficiency. This tech talk will delve into the multifaceted importance of developer experience (DevEx) and explore strategies to enhance it. We will discuss how optimizing workflows, ensuring ease of work, and maintaining a clear separation of responsibilities can lead to happier and more productive developers. Additionally, we will highlight the mental relief that comes from a well-setup development environment compared to the chaos of an unstructured one. Join us to learn how to create a thriving development culture that not only meets business goals but also keeps developers motivated and satisfied.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
11:05-11:50(45 min)
Pixel Pushing or Problem Solving? Making UX Work in Agile
- Gordon Cindrić
- Anja Logožar
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountNone
Teams often struggle with integrating UX into Agile development, often reducing it to an afterthought or drowning it in rigid SCRUM rituals. This talk explores how to raise UX maturity in your team—whether you're starting from zero or looking to refine your approach—without inflating budgets or timelines.
We'll share real-world experiences from years of product design work, highlighting the top pitfalls that derail UX efforts in Agile teams, and practical strategies to avoid them.
We'll discuss:
- How to effectively collaborate with UX designers and avoid “solutioneering”
- How to give UX teams the right input at the right time for maximum impact
- How to keep the process user-centered instead of pure assumption-driven
- How to optimize Agile workflows for better UX outcomes
- How UX can improve the QA process
- How to ensure UX work and communication is transparent
- How to navigate organizational politics, even when stakeholders resist change or misunderstand the value of UX.
This session is designed for product owners and team leads who want to enhance their UX processes, make smarter product decisions, and ultimately create better user experiences—all while keeping business goals in focus. Designers can also learn about managing workload and influence, navigating challenges, keeping burnout at bay, and thriving in cross-functional teams.
We'll share real-world experiences from years of product design work, highlighting the top pitfalls that derail UX efforts in Agile teams, and practical strategies to avoid them.
We'll discuss:
- How to effectively collaborate with UX designers and avoid “solutioneering”
- How to give UX teams the right input at the right time for maximum impact
- How to keep the process user-centered instead of pure assumption-driven
- How to optimize Agile workflows for better UX outcomes
- How UX can improve the QA process
- How to ensure UX work and communication is transparent
- How to navigate organizational politics, even when stakeholders resist change or misunderstand the value of UX.
This session is designed for product owners and team leads who want to enhance their UX processes, make smarter product decisions, and ultimately create better user experiences—all while keeping business goals in focus. Designers can also learn about managing workload and influence, navigating challenges, keeping burnout at bay, and thriving in cross-functional teams.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
12:00-12:30(30 min)
The Dark Art of Code Optimization
- Miroslav Jonaš
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountLight
Performance topic is very trendy right now. Chance is you already heard it - use lazy loading, prefetch everything with partially hydrated server-side rendered static islands. Ship zero bytes of JavaScript! But what if your code is not running in the browser or your performance is bad at runtime?
This talk will share several (un)conventional tricks you can apply to speed up the application when the size of your data grows. I will show you how to measure performance and squeeze out those last excessive milliseconds.
Learn how usual "bad practices" can become your ally when battling performance.
This talk will share several (un)conventional tricks you can apply to speed up the application when the size of your data grows. I will show you how to measure performance and squeeze out those last excessive milliseconds.
Learn how usual "bad practices" can become your ally when battling performance.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
12:40-13:25(45 min)
5 Elasticsearch failure stories and lessons learned
- Miroslav Šafarić
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountNone
Practical Lessons from the Real World: Challenges, Anecdotes, and Insights on Working with Elasticsearch
This talk takes you through real stories, challenges, and anecdotes from working with the Elasticsearch. Instead of focusing on theory, the emphasis is on practical experiences - the unexpected situations that arise in real-world project work.
Through these examples, we won’t just learn about Elasticsearch as a tool, but also draw broader lessons applicable to software development and problem-solving in general.
One key topic will be the danger of relying on default settings. Too often, in the rush of development, we leave default configurations in place, assuming they will be "good enough." I’ll share a concrete example where default settings led to unexpected issues.
Another crucial aspect I’ll highlight is that good architecture doesn’t automatically mean the system will work as expected. An architecture might look perfect on paper, with well-structured components and best practices in place, but under real-world load and unforeseen usage patterns, things can start to break down.
The third key point of this talk is the importance of periodically re-evaluating system architecture and configurations. Systems and their requirements evolve - what worked six months ago may no longer be optimal today.
We’ll go through cases where neglecting regular system reviews proved to be a costly mistake, and discuss how to avoid blaming the tool alone, how to critically assess our own solutions, and why we shouldn’t fear stepping back to reassess fundamental decisions.
Whether you’re a developer, architect, or someone responsible for system maintenance, this talk will provide valuable insights and practical advice to help you avoid the pitfalls we encountered - or at least recognize them more easily when you do.
This talk takes you through real stories, challenges, and anecdotes from working with the Elasticsearch. Instead of focusing on theory, the emphasis is on practical experiences - the unexpected situations that arise in real-world project work.
Through these examples, we won’t just learn about Elasticsearch as a tool, but also draw broader lessons applicable to software development and problem-solving in general.
One key topic will be the danger of relying on default settings. Too often, in the rush of development, we leave default configurations in place, assuming they will be "good enough." I’ll share a concrete example where default settings led to unexpected issues.
Another crucial aspect I’ll highlight is that good architecture doesn’t automatically mean the system will work as expected. An architecture might look perfect on paper, with well-structured components and best practices in place, but under real-world load and unforeseen usage patterns, things can start to break down.
The third key point of this talk is the importance of periodically re-evaluating system architecture and configurations. Systems and their requirements evolve - what worked six months ago may no longer be optimal today.
We’ll go through cases where neglecting regular system reviews proved to be a costly mistake, and discuss how to avoid blaming the tool alone, how to critically assess our own solutions, and why we shouldn’t fear stepping back to reassess fundamental decisions.
Whether you’re a developer, architect, or someone responsible for system maintenance, this talk will provide valuable insights and practical advice to help you avoid the pitfalls we encountered - or at least recognize them more easily when you do.
60 min
Midday Break & Lunch
Take a breather. Grab some lunch from Full Circle, say hi to someone new or visit the partner booths.
No rush - lunch will be available until 15:00.
14:25-15:10(45 min)
Unlocking Actionable Insights: Property Graph Databases
- Frank Blau
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountLight
Explore how property graph databases revolutionize the way we analyze and leverage complex relationships in data. By combining the fundamentals of graph theory with real-world applications, this session demonstrates why graph databases are an essential tool for modern analytics. Attendees will learn about key features, practical use cases like social networks, fraud detection, and recommendation systems, and see a live demonstration of graph querying and visualization techniques. This presentation is ideal for data professionals, developers, and decision-makers looking to harness the potential of graph-driven insights in their projects.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
15:20-16:05(45 min)
Clean Code in practice
- Filip Levačić
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountHeavy
„Clean code“ is an ever-present term in software development, often presented as an unatainable holy grail that only nit-picky developers care about. Clean code is often thought as a long list of rules to follow, so it is often sidelined or ignored entirely.
Without a clear understaing of the actual reasons clean code is important, and the very real problems the absence of maintainable code can lead to, software developers mix various guidelines, best practices and personal experience and education, which does not lead to a clean and readable codebase.
In this talk, I will talk about another way to understand and teach clean code. Rather than going through a list of practices to follow, this talk will present actual problems that bad code lead to, the consequences that followed, and how they were solved, all presented via code. This talk will also touch upon something not often discussed when it comes to clean code – how to effectively teach it to others.
Without a clear understaing of the actual reasons clean code is important, and the very real problems the absence of maintainable code can lead to, software developers mix various guidelines, best practices and personal experience and education, which does not lead to a clean and readable codebase.
In this talk, I will talk about another way to understand and teach clean code. Rather than going through a list of practices to follow, this talk will present actual problems that bad code lead to, the consequences that followed, and how they were solved, all presented via code. This talk will also touch upon something not often discussed when it comes to clean code – how to effectively teach it to others.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
16:15-17:00(45 min)
Video chat with Augmented Reality
- Dalibor Kofjač
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelNovice
- Code AmountLight
The research and development of Augmented Reality (AR), along with the exploration of its most practical applications, have become highly popular topics among IT professionals in recent years. While the gaming industry has primarily focused on AR applications for smartphones, such as Pokémon GO, the business sector is increasingly embracing smart glasses as the most effective medium for integrating AR across various industries.
In this lecture, we will start with a brief introduction to Augmented Reality, exploring its current use in the business world and the growing role of AR smart glasses in this evolving field. The main, technical part of the presentation will delve into the technologies used to develop AR applications, concluding with a practical demo of building a fully functional video chat app designed for seamless use across various modern AR smart glasses.
In this lecture, we will start with a brief introduction to Augmented Reality, exploring its current use in the business world and the growing role of AR smart glasses in this evolving field. The main, technical part of the presentation will delve into the technologies used to develop AR applications, concluding with a practical demo of building a fully functional video chat app designed for seamless use across various modern AR smart glasses.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
17:10-17:40(30 min)
Web Accessibility: The Importance of Tomorrow, Overcoming Challenges with Ease
- Stella Sajčić
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelNovice
- Code AmountLight
I will introduce the growing importance of web accessibility today, both as a brand and as a web specialist. I’ll highlight key accessibility cases that are often overlooked by developers and businesses, despite their significance. Additionally, we will briefly cover essential tools and I will share my personal experience applying WCAG standards to a popular Irish website with 300k monthly visitors, offering practical tips for integrating accessibility into your projects.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
17:50-18:20(30 min)
Technical Debt Autopsy: Real-world Lessons from Rescuing Challenging Projects
- Borna Matijanić
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountLight
A deep dive into the trenches of software engineering, revealing how teams can diagnose, strategically refactor, and resurrect legacy codebases plagued by technical debt. Learn from real-world case studies that showcase diagnostic techniques, pragmatic improvement strategies, and the art of transforming complex, inherited systems into maintainable, efficient software architectures.
Explore proven methodologies for untangling intricate code dependencies, identifying architectural vulnerabilities, and implementing incremental improvements without disrupting critical business operations. Gain insights from experienced engineers who have successfully navigated the treacherous landscape of legacy system rehabilitation, turning technical challenges into opportunities for sustainable software evolution.
Explore proven methodologies for untangling intricate code dependencies, identifying architectural vulnerabilities, and implementing incremental improvements without disrupting critical business operations. Gain insights from experienced engineers who have successfully navigated the treacherous landscape of legacy system rehabilitation, turning technical challenges into opportunities for sustainable software evolution.
10 min
Coffee Break
Powered bycWebSpace
18:30-19:00(30 min)
Beasts of burden: How motion design transforms UX
- Bruno Zagorščak
- LanguageEnglish
- LevelIntermediate
- Code AmountLight
This session explores the transformative power of animations in modern web design, offering a deep dive into their ability to enhance user experience, strengthen brand identity, and drive website performance. Attendees will learn about the strategic use of animations to improve navigation, guide user focus, and boost conversions—particularly in e-commerce contexts. The talk also addresses common pitfalls, such as poorly optimized animations that can harm load times and SEO, and provides actionable solutions.
19:00-22:00(180 min)
Dinner & After Party
Start with dinner from Full Circle, followed by music, drinks and easy-going social time.
Tickets
Tickets
Ensure your place at Weblica 2025 and become part of our community.
Student
Oct 1st, 2024 - May 9th, 2025
- Conference
- Workshops
- Snacks & drinks
- Breakfast, lunch i dinner
- After Party
- Lookout Mađerkin Breg
€30.00
Regular
Jan 1st, 2025 - May 9th, 2025
- Workshops
- Conference
- Snacks & drinks
- Breakfast, lunch i dinner
- After Party
- Lookout Mađerkin Breg
€150.00
Prices include VAT
Venue
Venue
Parking
Free parking is available for all participants within the facility where the conference will be held.
Accommodation
If you need help or recommendations regarding accommodation, feel free to contact us.
Accessibility
Access for people with disabilities is ensured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Weblica?
Weblica is a conference dedicated to web technologies and the IT sector that brings together various experts and enthusiasts from the entire region.
Do I need to have technical background to participate?
Our conference is designed for attendees of all knowledge levels. We select sessions that are accessible to a broader audience, but also include advanced topics for more experienced participants. Each session is labeled with the required knowledge level, so you’ll know in advance if it’s beginner-friendly or more suited to experts.
Where and when will Weblica 2025 be held?
Weblica 2025 will be held on May 9th, 2025, starting at 08:00.
It will be held at Cultural center Štrigova, Štrigova 103, 40312 Štrigova.
How to apply for participation as a speaker and what is the application deadline?
Applications for speakers end on February 28th, 2025 at midnight, and you can register via Sessionize platform
What is the target audience?
Weblica brings together experts from the IT sector, developers, programmers, designers, entrepreneurs and everyone who is passionate about web technologies.
How can I become a sponsor?
If you are interested in sponsorship, please send us an inquiry using this form.
How can I volunteer at the conference?
Volunteers are more than welcome. If you are interested in participating, please use this form.
Is participation free of charge?
Unfortunately not. Check out the tickets
Can I get a refund if I can not longer attend?
No, we do not provide refunds, but we can authorize ticket transfer.
Please contact us at [email protected].
Please contact us at [email protected].
How can I access Worklica workshops?
Regular Weblica ticket gives you access to all workshops, but you need to register in order to ensure your spot on specific workshop(s).
Will it be possible to park a car somewhere?
Yes, free parking is available.
Sponsors & Partners
Sponsors & Partners
History
Testimonials
Testimonials
Frank
Data Architect
The tangible "startup energy", crowd enthusiasm, and passion for engagement with all the participants was a real boost for me. While a lot of the content was in Croatian, everyone I talked to in groups and in person made an effort to communicate in English (and a bit of German!). The food, weather and setting were also wonderful!! I look forward to following your growth and returning again next year!
Ivan
Developer
At Weblica, I learned many new and useful things that I use every day, and besides the lectures - the team and the food are great.
Marko
Developer
Weblica is synonymous with top-notch speakers, the latest trends in IT, loads of fun, and networking with colleagues. That's why you should definitely put Weblica in your calendar and see you in May in Čakovec.
Tomislav
Designer
Weblica is one marvelous experience because it is attended by people like you, people who do the same job and who have succeeded in the career we all share. There's so much to learn not only from the lectures but also from direct communication with the speakers because they aren't just some ethereal people from around the world - they are people from our environment who know their job. I think Weblica is a great opportunity to learn something new and advance in your career.
The team organizing Weblica, who stands behind it, is awesome. The atmosphere is fantastic and you can see that people work with passion. I recommend the conference to everyone, there will be no shortage of good fun, food, or drinks.
Kristina
Developer
Weblica 2024 was a very interesting experience. The sessions I joined were really informative. I confirmed some things I already knew and learned a lot of new ideas. Honestly, the food was way better than I expected. Good variety, and I didn’t go hungry.
Davor
Developer
I have been coming to Weblica since its second edition. In my opinion, this is the best event in this region regarding the programming and design industry. Hope to see you at the gathering with beers and the rest.
Viktor
Developer
I come to Weblica every year. I like networking and socializing with people, the team is great and so are the lectures. I would be glad if there were more topics related to Java programming.
Nikola
Developer
I've attended Weblica since 2019, and the 2024 one was the best so far. The venue was good, and having two parallel tracks made it easy to pick sessions that suited me. Some sessions could have gone a bit deeper into the subject, but overall, it was definitely worth the visit. And, of course, catching up with fellas from the industry made it all the more special and memorable.
