A New Shopify Unite, Reimagined with More Opportunities for Developers to Connect

We've got a big announcement that's been months in the making—Shopify Unite is coming back. But the event isn't going to be the way it used to be. This year, our focus is about meeting and making connections in person. So, instead of a single event in one city, Shopify Unite 2022 is going to be a series of three, two-day events held in locations around the world. Learn more.

We've got a big announcement that's been months in the making—Shopify Unite is coming back. But the event isn't going to be the way it used to be.

This year, our focus is about meeting and making connections in person. So, instead of a single event in one city, Shopify Unite 2022 is going to be a series of three, two-day events held in locations around the world. "We just launched Editions, our new product showcase, as a way to share what we've done and where we're going," explains Dion Almaer, Shopify's VP of Engineering, Developer Experience, and a speaker at this year's events. "But that doesn’t mean we don’t think it's important to get together in person and share. We want to come together with the community to help everyone be as successful as they can be on the platform."

Shopify Unite 2022 locations: London, Toronto, and Melbourne

Shopify Unite 2022 officially kicks off in London, England, on September 12th and 13th. A month later, the series moves to Toronto, Canada, on October 12th and 13th, and wraps up with a final stop in Melbourne, Australia, on October 26th and 27th. "I think it's great that we're taking this event on the road, so it's more accessible for anyone who might be interested in joining,” says Megan Majewski, a Developer Advocate at Shopify and a first-time event attendee. “I'm excited to meet and connect with other Shopify developers. Getting in the same room with people in the community and hearing about what they’re building is so energizing.”

The agendas for the Shopify Unite 2022 series are currently being built, but each event will feature sessions led by Shopify on the latest products for Shopify developers—including Shopify Functions, our tool to extend and customize Shopify features, and Hydrogen, our framework for headless commerce—as well as guided hands-on workshops to help developers understand how to build on the platform. Each event will also feature one-on-one technical sessions, fireside chats, “unconference” time where attendees will decide the topics to discuss, and more.

Magic really does happen when our ecosystem comes together.

Liam Griffin, Senior Developer Advocate, Shopify

For another first time Shopify Unite attendee, Jan Emge-Triebel—who recently joined the company as a Developer Manager for the Developer Advocacy team—the focus on recent product releases is particularly important. "We've launched many features that have the potential to fundamentally change the way developers work with our platform," he says. "That's one of the main reasons why I think it's important for the community to come together to learn about these concepts and push commerce forward together."

He adds: "I want our developers to feel overwhelmed in the best way possible, and at the same time feel empowered to bring more features and brand new ideas to our merchants."

Building great software—and connections with the developer community

Liam Griffin, Senior Developer Advocate at Shopify, agrees that the product roadmap is important, but he's especially excited to talk to developers about it in person. "The one thing I've missed the most is connecting in-person with members of the Shopify developer community," he explains. "I'm really looking forward to sharing a coffee with developers, both new and experienced, to hear about their experiences and expectations. This year we'll have the opportunity to meet more developers from different regions around the world, and build connections in a way we've never done before."

A long-time developer advocate at Shopify, Liam gives a preview of what attendees can expect at the event series. "This year, Shopify Unite will be more interactive than ever," he says. "The Shopify developer community is a hugely collaborative one, and events like Shopify Unite make it possible for partners to connect, learn from each other, and build relationships. Prepare to make new friends and exchange ideas with some of the most talented and ambitious developers in the world. Magic really does happen when our ecosystem comes together."

Dion echoes Liam's comments, pointing out that Shopify Unite is most valuable and transformative—for developers, merchants, and the ecommerce industry as a whole–when the Shopify ecosystem shares and learns from each other. As he puts it: "I know that the events will be good based on the content. I want the events to be great, and that will only happen if our developers show up as a community and we explore ideas and work together."

Learn more

To learn more about Shopify Unite 2022, visit our event page. We’ll be updating and finalizing agendas and speaker lineups soon. We can’t wait to kick off Shopify Unite, reimagined for a new era in commerce.