Get ready for Google I/O 2016

Posted by Mike Pegg, Head of Developer Marketing

Google I/O is almost here! We’ll kick-off live from the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View at 10AM PDT next Wednesday, May 18th. This year’s festival will focus on key themes that matter to you: Develop, to build high quality apps; Grow & Earn, to increase user engagement and create successful businesses; and What’s Next, a look at new platforms for future growth.

While we’re putting the finishing touches on the keynote, sessions, and code labs, we wanted to provide you with some tips to get ready to experience I/O, either in-person or offsite.

Navigate the conference with the Web & Mobile apps

To get the most out of Google I/O, make sure to install the Android or iOS app and add the web app to your mobile homescreen. The apps will help you plan your schedule (even while offline!), view the venue map, and keep up with the latest I/O details.



Attending in person?

Badge pick-up starts on Tuesday, May 17th, between 7AM - 7PM at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. Keynote seating will be pre-assigned on a first come, first served basis during badge pick-up so plan to come by early on! Remember to bring your ID, the QR code that will be emailed to you before the conference, proof of academic eligibility if you registered for an Academic badge, and your best look for the badge photo! Find the full badge pick-up schedule here.

After the keynote ends, in addition to attending technical sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to talk directly with Google engineers throughout the Sandbox space which will feature multiple product demos and activations; during Code Labs where you can complete self-paced tutorials; and at Office Hours where you can get specific questions answered by Google specialists.

Don’t forget to bring your (comfortable) party shoes! On Day 1, we’ll have an After Hours Concert from 7-10PM that will include dinner, drinks, and feature some exciting musical performances we think you’ll enjoy! On Day 2, we’ll have an After Hours Party from 8-10PM which also includes food, drinks and lots of fun activities. Enjoy the time to explore the venue at dusk - it will look quite different than during the day. We recommend bringing a jacket for the evening festivities as it can get chilly after dark.

Attending remotely?

Whether you’re looking to experience I/O with other devs in your neighborhood, or if you’ll be streaming it live from your couch, here are some ways you can connect with I/O in real-time:

  • I/O Extended: Find an I/O Extended event happening in your community. There’ll be over 450 events taking place around the world organized by Google Developer Groups, Student Ambassadors, and local developers who will be watching the I/O keynote together, participating in hackathons, code labs, and much more.
  • I/O Live: Tune into the live stream throughout the 3 day festival on google.com/io and via the Android and iOS app. If you want to bring the live stream and the #io16 conversation to your audience, you can customize and embed our I/O Live widget on your site or blog.
  • #io16request: Send us your I/O questions on May 18-20 via public english posts on Google+ or Twitter that include the #io16request hashtag. A team of onsite Googlers will do their best to track down an answer in real time for you.
  • I/O in photos: Be sure to check out real time photos from Mountain View on all three days of the event.

We’re looking forward to having you with us for 3 days of I/O fun, soon!

Don’t forget to join the social conversation at #io16!