Welcome PHPolks 🐘
🎉 It is happening again!
The community event for PHP developers and beyond is back in Dresden!
Join us for a day packed with talks, networking and fun on September 19, 2025.
Why Attend?
- Community & networking – Connect with PHP devs from diverse backgrounds: open-source maintainers, framework experts, architects, and beginners .
- Top-tier content – Talks range from cutting-edge tools and best practices to architecture, testing, and sustainability.
- Local charm – Held in Dresden, with opportunities to explore the local scene—breakfast, lunch, and even a stroll by the Elbe.
Speakers
Talk/Workshop
Agentic Applications with Symfony
Abstract
Let's dive into the world of GenAI and have a look at the basic concepts, common use cases and hands-on examples of integrating LLMs and other AI models into our apps. We will discuss and discover features beyond chatbots or plain text generation, while working with your favorite programming language PHP. By the end, you will be ready to bring agentic functionality into your own products and tools.
Bio
Christopher Hertel is a seasoned PHP software engineer, Symfony expert, and active speaker in the international tech community. With a strong background in software architecture, agile development, and a deep curiosity for GenAI, he shares practical insights at conferences and meetups across Germany and Europe. As Head of Technical Program at AMCS Group, he drives innovation in enterprise software while contributing to open source and mentoring developer teams.

Talk
Simplify Your Dev Workflow with DDEV
Abstract
This session explores how DDEV enhances your development workflow by providing a standardized yet customizable approach to containerization. DDEV allows easy setup and management of your PHP application in a containerized environment, simplifying deployment and ensuring a consistent setup for all team members. Using DDEV enhances collaboration and reduces onboarding time for new developers, helping deliver projects on time, confidently, and efficiently.
Bio
Stephan Hochdörfer is the Head of IT Business Operations at bitExpert AG, a company that specializes in pro-code and low-code software development. In his role, he oversees the software development processes, technical operations, sales, and strategic planning.
Schedule
There may still be changes to the schedule.
Venue
move elevator GmbH
Königsbrücker Straße 76, 01099 Dresden, Deutschland
The venue is located in the Dresden Neustadt, close to the tram stop "Bischofsweg".
The conference talks will take place in the move:elevator lounge. The workshops will be held in the move:elevator workshop rooms.
If the weather is fine, we will have an socializing after the conference on the terrace

Tickets
Sponsors
You can support our community event by booking one of our sponsorship partner packages.
What is a partner package?
- 3 x free tickets
- The first 3 sponsors are also room sponsors
- Company banner at the venue
- Logo and link on our website
- Post on our social media channels
- Visibility in the event app
- Announcement at the opening
- Promotional material including job advertisements
Price: 400,- €
Price for active sponsors of the user group: 300,- €
You want more?
We offer individually priced additions to the partner package:
- Company booth (2x2 meters with 2 representatives)
- Badge and key band sponsor
- Food, cake and drinks sponsor
- Speaker sponsor: Small gifts are presented in the name of the sponsor
- Own slide at the opening
- Exclusive 90 seconds speaker slot at the opening
- Own lecture slot (if the topic fits)
- Use of CONFGAMES: 50 guaranteed conversations
- 1x mobile app sponsor — Look&Feel of the app in your design
Meet the team
Jan Männig

Marcel Führer

Alexander Hippe
Michael Pokladek
