RenderATL tech conference returns to Atlanta with a Caribbean twist

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RenderATL Founder and CEO Justin E. Samuels (right) pictured alongside a featured speaker at the 2024 RenderATL tech conference.

Credit: RenderATL

RenderATL is a tech conference in Atlanta fusing culture and code with a Caribbean twist, where innovation meets identity, and ends in a festival.

This year’s RenderATL tech conference is embracing a theme called “Carnival of Code,” blending cultural expression with technology and design.

Founder Justin E. Samuels said that’s intentional. 

“And with things like AI now, you're able to change that and get from point A to point B quicker, which is the main thing that Render is trying to accomplish this year,” he said.

Held June 11 through June 13, the event includes speakers, workshops, and networking, but it closes with RenderFest, a Caribbean-style music festival featuring artists like Alison Hinds, Wayne Wonders, and Elephant Man.

Samuels said blending celebration with innovation creates space for deeper community building. 

“We wanted to expand on the relationship piece of this year and partnering with ATL Tech Week has allowed us to create other movements around the entire city that allows people to continue the conversation,” he said.

Dancehall pioneer Wayne Williams is among this year’s performers. He says he’s excited to share his sound with a new audience. 

“Go on and express yourself, share the culture," Williams said. "It's always a good thing.” 

RenderATL continues to position itself as more than just a tech gathering.

Samuels said it’s a movement, one that reimagines what innovation looks like in the South. 

“I want to act as a lightning rod for other great entrepreneurs to eventually do the same exact thing in technology of all type of nationalities and creeds,” he said.

And with RenderFest built into the ticket, organizers say joy is part of the experience, not just the afterparty.