Why Umbraco is the Friendly CMS – Our Highlights from Codegarden 2025
When people talk about Umbraco as “The Friendly CMS,” it’s easy to assume it’s just a nice bit of branding. But after attending Codegarden 2025—the 20th anniversary of Umbraco’s flagship event—we can confirm: the tagline lives up to the hype.
Our team at Koben Digital had the chance to experience it firsthand, and what made it so impactful was seeing it through three completely different lenses. We sent a junior developer, a senior developer, and our founder (and long-time Umbraco MVP). Each of them had a different experience. But they all came back with the same feeling: this is a community worth being part of.
The Friendly CMS in Action
From deep-dive technical sessions to casual chats over coffee, Codegarden was full of the kind of openness and optimism that’s rare in the tech world. The sense of belonging wasn’t reserved for seasoned pros or speakers—it extended to everyone in the room. And that’s exactly what makes Umbraco feel so different: it’s not just a platform, it’s a people-first community.
Here’s how that looked through our team’s eyes:
Noah, our Junior Developer: “I Thought I’d Feel Out of Place—But I Didn’t”
I honestly thought I was going to feel way out of my depth at Codegarden. I expected it to be super serious, really corporate, and full of people way ahead of me in their careers. I didn’t think I’d fit in.
But it wasn’t like that at all. It was relaxed, fun, and way more welcoming than I expected.
The sessions were definitely deep dives—made for people who really know Umbraco—but that actually helped me learn a lot. Instead of feeling lost, I felt like I was being invited into the bigger picture.
What surprised me most was how strong the Umbraco community is. You really feel like part of something. People were open, friendly, and genuinely wanted to connect.
If I could bring anything back to the office, it’d be the energy. Everyone was excited to share, to help, to build cool things together.
Also—random highlight? Hammerschlagen. Never played it before, but turns out I’ve got a knack for it. Best tip? Don’t try to smash the nail. Just hit it clean and stay consistent. Weirdly good advice for work too.
Jake, our Senior Developer: “It’s Not a Cult. But It’s Pretty Special.”
This was my first Codegarden—and I picked a good one. It was the 20th anniversary, so there was a real buzz around the event from the moment we arrived.
One of the biggest highlights for me was a talk by Steve Temple from Gibe. He walked us through building a custom media picker experience for the backoffice. I’ve always considered him a seriously skilled developer, and it was refreshing to hear him speak so honestly about the process—even critiquing some of the challenges in Umbraco’s core code. That takes guts, especially in front of a room full of Umbraco die-hards.
What stuck with me was how real it felt. Steve openly admitted how tough it was to build something that seems simple on the surface. That gave me a bit of hope, to be honest. It reminded me that it’s okay if something feels hard—you’re still learning, and it’s still worth doing.
More than any single session, it was the whole week that shifted my perspective. Meeting people I’ve only ever seen online—core team members, contributors, other devs—made everything feel more connected and real. The energy, the openness, the community spirit… it’s hard not to come away feeling positive about where Umbraco is headed.
If I could bottle the energy of Codegarden and bring it back to the office, I’d use it to build more packages. That "let’s just try it" vibe was everywhere, and it really lit a fire under me. The platform is so extendable, and seeing others push the boundaries made me want to contribute more.
Another thing I noticed was just how mixed the crowd was. It wasn’t just developers. I met people from sales, marketing, and even clients who came along with their dev teams. That says a lot about Umbraco—it’s genuinely approachable, even for those outside the tech bubble. “The Friendly CMS” isn’t just about the code base. It’s the people, too.
Oh—and just to be clear: it’s not a cult!
Peter, our Founder: "Returning to Codegarden, A Full Circle Moment"
I have been using Umbraco since the very beginning. Around twenty years ago, when it first launched as an open-source CMS. In those early years, I joined the Umbraco HQ team, back when there were only about ten of us. I was responsible for training and evangelism and Cherie was on the Marketing team during that formative period. Walking into HQ in Odense this year and seeing over one hundred staff was surreal. The scale of growth is remarkable.
This year marked my return to Codegarden after a long break. I had attended most years until the pandemic, but like many others, travel paused and priorities shifted. Returning in 2025, I was curious to see what had changed. The answer: quite a lot, and mostly for the better.
I started with the MVP Summit, an invite-only event for Umbraco MVPs. I am a four-time MVP, and this year was particularly special because Cherie, my wife and co-founder, was also awarded an MVP again. Unfortunately, she could not attend Codegarden this year, which was a real shame. Everyone missed her. Cherie has been deeply involved in the Umbraco community, both through direct contributions and her time working at Umbraco HQ. Her recognition as MVP was well deserved, and it would have been great to celebrate that milestone together. We have always attended Codegarden side by side, so it felt very different without her.
After the MVP summit, I joined the Business Summit, which brings together agency leaders and technical stakeholders who are building serious digital platforms with Umbraco. I had the honour of sitting on a panel discussing community in business, alongside Jen from Moriyama, Kyle from Marcel Digital, and Emma from Umbraco HQ. Mats facilitated the discussion. Kyle and I go way back, when he first came into the Umbraco space, I took him under my wing at his first CG. All these years later, we are still good mates. We reflected on that early connection during the session and talked about the power of community and why it still matters today.
The main conference had a number of standout moments. AI was a dominant theme, with several talks covering its role in digital experience. A key announcement was the introduction of the official Umbraco MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, which originally began as a community-led initiative. Another was the upcoming orchestration product—though the name escapes me—that will allow Umbraco to integrate and surface data from external sources as native content. It is a smart move and one that will unlock a lot of flexibility in how we architect solutions.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Codegarden without the social chaos. From evening dinners to bingo and Hammerschlagen, to a scavenger hunt with floppy disks for lanyards, the energy was exactly what you’d hope for. Completing the digital hunt earned you a pair of socks.
That kind of detail sums up the spirit of Codegarden: thoughtful, creative, a little weird, and always community-focused.
A few speakers had to cancel due to the conflict between Israel and Iran, including one from Jordan. Having just spoken at UDUF, I offered to step in. I had my deck ready, and the team gave me the green light. I delivered my talk on bridging the gap between design and development to what felt like a full room. The feedback was strong, and I was grateful for the chance to contribute in a meaningful way.
One last highlight was seeing all the Aussies somehow gravitate to the same table at every event. We came from different agencies but shared a common background and similar challenges. It made for great conversation and good connections.
Codegarden 2025 was a reminder of why I have stuck with Umbraco for two decades. It is not just about the CMS. It is about the people, the shared values, and the ongoing commitment to building something great, together.
Looking to harness the power of the Friendly CMS?
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