Over my last 13 years as Head of Salesforce Success at Bristol-based tech company Desynit, I’ve attended loads of tech events. They’re brilliant for getting in a room with like-minded people from many different industries, which you may never have come across in your own tech community.
You also get the opportunity to learn from industry experts, expand your network, and expand your ecosystem knowledge too – it’s so interesting seeing how everyone else is doing things.
Plus, tech events are great for brand awareness and building your own professional confidence. It’s hard putting yourself out there, but often these local tech events are small enough to ease you into the meetup world.
So if that’s got you excited to attend some meetups, here are a few of my favourite tech events in the South West.
This is a tech event for anyone, whether you work with Salesforce or are thinking of a career change – there really are no boundaries.
The meet-up events are held every 2-3 months, sometimes sessions are held here at the Desynit office, and sometimes they’re in a local Bristol pub.
We love the Salesforce Admin Group because not only do you get to learn the latest Salesforce features or deep-dive into a specific Salesforce tool, but you do it with your peers in a light-hearted, fun and friendly environment.
When: every 2-3 months
Where: central Bristol
Bookings: via Trailblazer Community
Similarly to the Salesforce Admin Group, the passion for all things code really shines at the Salesforce Developer Group. This South West tech event is also held every 2-3 months at the Desynit office or in a nearby Bristol pub.
The hosts really go above and beyond to make sure that not only is there amazing content being shared, but that everyone is welcomed and fed… normally with a pizza.
At both of the Salesforce events above, lots of Desynit people attend and speak. The events have also been a launch pad for people speaking at bigger Salesforce events like London’s Calling 2025, DreamOlé in Spain, and Portugal Dreamin’, and even inspiring them to create their own groups.
When: every 2-3 months
Where: central Bristol
Bookings: via Trailblazer Community
This is not necessarily a tech event, but it’s a great meet-up if you are looking for people from all different kinds of industries, for a bit of cross-industry pollination.
No.20 is a not-for-profit membership club, with all money going towards the upkeep of their listed building, but you don’t have to be a member to attend the excellent events that they host.
Those events range quite widely from things like business networking brunches, to feeding the animals at Bristol Zoo Project with the Bristol Bears! This month they have a Beaujolais Day and a Post-Budget Breakfast event.
The membership is quite a new feature, but the hosts tell you all the information about it at the events.
When: at least once a month
Where: No.20 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1HP
Bookings: No.20 Berkeley Square events
iO Meetups is a great tech event with a twist – each meetup is themed. For example, we attended a session about Work Burnout, where there was a presentation, as well as breakout sessions to talk about how burnout is prevented or dealt with at work, followed by an open Q&A with all participants.
We love them because they’re more than just a networking event – they’re a chance to learn about a specific topic, get involved in a group discussion, and learn what other tech companies are doing.
The iO Meetups are held all over the UK and the US, and there are some online sessions too. The Bristol iO Meetup is roughly every 2-3 months (sometimes more) at iO Associates in Lewins Mead.
When: every 2-3 months
Where: iO Associates, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NH
Bookings: iO Meetups events
It is really nice to see that there is a Women in Tech group in Bristol – we used to have to travel up to London for the Salesforce Women in Tech group.
This group is aimed at Science and High Tech industries; however, it really is a chance for women to come together and share knowledge and talk about struggles they have faced in the STEM industry.
When: TBC – sometime in mid-2026
Where: IOP Publishing, 2 Avon St, Bristol BS2 0GR
Bookings: follow on Eventbrite for updates
Bath Digital Festival is a free-to-attend 3-day festival of innovation, creativity and cutting-edge technology.
This is a great tech event to drop in and out of, to see what’s going on in the tech industry as a whole and meet like-minded people from all over the UK. Plus Bath is gorgeous, so a huge plus for location.
They always have a diverse lineup of interactive workshops, thought-provoking discussions, and engaging panels, as well as the opportunity to get hands-on with cutting-edge technologies.
When: yearly – next event 19th-21st May 2026
Where: Newark Works, 2 Foundry Lane, Bath BA2 3DZ
Bookings: tickets available from the TechSpark website soon
This is a great tech event if you want to be in a room with innovators, charities, and business and community leaders who drive positive social change and tackle real-life challenges through technology.
Tech4Good South West is a regional network bringing together charities, technologists, funders, and community leaders to co-create technology that works for people and the planet.
They hold regular events at various locations in Bristol, Bath, and Exeter, as well as online, and they also broadcast other events from across the ecosystem. They had the AI Summit 2025 in October, which looked at how AI can empower the charity sector – something that is close to our values here at Desynit.
I haven’t been to any Tech4Good South West events, but they were recommended to us. It’s a good place to get the lowdown on what’s happening in the tech community.
When: 1-3 times a month
Where: various locations in Bristol, Bath, and Exeter
Bookings: via the Tech4Good South West events calendar
This is an income-based paid membership-only site; however, for those in the charity sector, it offers a HUGE amount of opportunity for you. Whilst Desynit ourselves are not a charity, working with the 3rd sector frequently, this is something I recommend often.
Think of it like Eventbrite, but dedicated to the 3rd sector. Events range from leadership and governance, fundraising and finance, to marketing and communication, as well as general networking, that is, meeting people in your field of work. There’s always a wide range of free and paid-for events to choose from.
In fact, this site is more than events, it’s a community, it’s a platform for finding volunteers or trustees, it’s a resource bank, and more. And even with that, I am most likely underselling just how great this site is. So if you are in the 3rd sector, this is a membership you really need to have.
When: multiple events every month
Where: various locations in Bath, and North East Somerset
Bookings: 3SG B&NES Events Page
Writing this has got me eager to attend more tech events – if I’ve missed any events you love going to (or maybe you host one yourself), send a message to Desynit on LinkedIn and I’ll add it to my South West tech events round up.
While I’ve got you, make sure to check out our other blog posts about tech events, and browse the Desynit blog for advice and news about Salesforce.
Our independent tech team has been servicing enterprise clients for over 15 years from our HQ in Bristol, UK. Let’s see how we can work together and get the most out of your Salesforce implementation.
