Codegarden 2025, Celebrating 20 Years

This June, I travelled to Odense, Denmark, for the 20th anniversary of Codegarden, the official Umbraco conference. As both a long-time attendee and a newly awarded Umbraco MVP, this year was particularly special — not just for the milestone, but for the innovation, collaboration, and strong community spirit on full display.

It was also a proud moment for our team at uSkinned, as uSkinned Site Builder was once again awarded a place in the Umbraco Package Hall of Fame for 2025. To see our product recognised among the best in the ecosystem is incredibly rewarding, and a real motivator for what comes next.

Here’s my recap of an inspiring week.

Sunday: A Rainy but Relaxed Arrival

Arriving in Odense on Sunday, I found a quiet park café to unwind before the busy week ahead. A sudden downpour kept me there for a couple of hours, but the setting was scenic, the atmosphere chilled, and the drinks menu surprisingly varied — not a bad place to get stuck!

Monday: MVP Summit

This year marked the first-ever MVP Summit, a dedicated day for Umbraco MVPs to share ideas, feedback, and experiences before the main event kicked off.

Key themes included:

🔧 Bellissima Backoffice Development

Reassuring to know that many of us are still adjusting to the new backoffice stack. The session was full of practical advice and mutual encouragement — true community collaboration.

🤖 AI in Umbraco

AI was a hot topic, particularly the potential of the new Umbraco MCP server to reduce tedious tasks down to seconds. Everyone agreed that AI should be used intentionally — not just for novelty — and this balance was a big talking point.

🧩 Content Modelling Techniques

Block Grid vs. Block List remains a lively debate. It was useful to hear how others customise experiences for their editor personas. At uSkinned, we design and develop for a wide audience, so the challenge is balancing power with clarity — these conversations gave me a lot to take back to the team.

Tuesday: Padel, Docker & Community Energy

We kicked off Tuesday morning with a quick game of padel. I paired up with Søren Kottal and managed to win a very competitive set against Matt Swain and Steve Temple. Great fun and a solid start to the day.

That afternoon, I joined Carl Sargunar’s Docker Workshop — a brilliantly clear, hands-on session that I’d recommend to anyone working with modern development workflows. The full workshop is online:

👉 Umbraco Docker Workshop on GitHub

In the evening, the Codegarden pre-party offered a chance to reconnect with friends from the Umbraco community and meet new faces — pirate hats and all.

Wednesday: MVP, Architecture & Hall of Fame

🏅 MVP Recognition — A Personal Highlight

Wednesday kicked off with something truly special: being recognised as an Umbraco MVP.

It’s a huge honour to be part of a group that represents the best of the community — people who give back, share knowledge, and support the growth of the platform. I'm incredibly grateful to be named an MVP. Huge thanks to Umbraco HQ and everyone in the community who make being part of this world so rewarding.

🥃 A Toast to Umbraco — Whisky Meets DXP

One of the day’s standout talks was “A Toast to Umbraco: Crafting the Perfect Whisky Experience.”
A deep dive into how a whisky brand built a smart, scalable DXP on Umbraco. The infrastructure was impressive, the delivery polished, and it gave a great look at how thoughtful architecture powers real-world results.

🏆 Hall of Fame Moment for uSkinned

Later in the day came another proud moment: uSkinned Site Builder retained its place in the Umbraco Package Hall of Fame for 2025.

To be recognised again among the most impactful tools in the Umbraco ecosystem is a huge achievement for our team. It means the work we put into making flexible, editor-friendly and accessible websites is truly helping people, and that’s what it’s all about.

👋 Conversations & Community Vibes

The rest of the day was filled with exactly what makes Codegarden great: casual chats, in-depth tech convos, and reconnecting with familiar faces in the community space.

From insightful hallway discussions to spontaneous meetups around the venue, it was the kind of day that reminds you why this community is so strong.

Thursday: Search Talks, Boat Tours & Big Celebrations

Thursday featured a strong lineup of talks, with two that really stood out:

• Advanced Search 101 – Callum Whyte
• The Future of (Umbraco) Search – Kenn Jacobsen

Both offered clear strategies for evolving search in Umbraco projects — something we’re actively exploring in our roadmap.

In the afternoon, we enjoyed a relaxing boat trip through the Odense docks, and in the evening, the Codegarden dinner brought the whole community together for food, fun, and plenty of surprises — from live organ music to a choir performing Michael Jackson. A joyful way to celebrate 20 years of open source magic.

Friday: The Journey Home

Friday morning didn’t quite go as planned — train cancellations meant I had to skip the final sessions and head straight to the station. But in true Codegarden spirit, I found myself navigating the journey alongside a bunch of fellow attendees, helping each other find the right connections. A fitting reminder of the kind of community we’re all part of.

Final Thoughts and Looking Ahead to 2026

As Codegarden 2025 wrapped up, the big reveal came:

Codegarden is returning to Copenhagen in 2026, for the first time in 10 years.

There was a real buzz about it, and I can’t wait to see what the team has in store. A new setting, a fresh chapter, and more opportunities to celebrate what makes Umbraco so special.

Codegarden 2025 reminded me — once again — why the Umbraco community is like no other. From deep technical dives to casual catch-ups over coffee (or padel games), it’s always about sharing, supporting, and moving forward together.

As an Umbraco MVP and co-founder of a Hall of Fame product, I’m incredibly proud to contribute to this ecosystem — and even more excited about what’s coming next.

See you in Copenhagen!

#h5yr