While most people are just beginning to grasp how AI works, a growing number of developers are already diving into the tools that power it. I recently photographed an event that made this clear in the best way possible—a chill gathering that turned into a focused, hands-on workshop about MongoDB’s new Vector Search capabilities.
We started with drinks and conversations, then rolled straight into practical demos. The room was filled with devs, engineers, creatives, and tech enthusiasts—everyone vibing, learning, and connecting.
About Syntax Summit
Syntax Summit is a tech event in South Florida that connects people who care about building the future of the web—developers, AI engineers, designers, and founders. The vibe is open, collaborative, and built for genuine connection.
Instead of lectures, Syntax Summit events are more like tech meetups evolved: a mix of networking, short talks, and hands-on workshops with practical outcomes. If you’re looking to deepen your skills, meet smart quirky people, and explore what’s next in AI and development, it’s a space worth stepping into.
Event Recap: MongoDB Vector Search Workshop
This night kicked off like a laid-back happy hour—familiar faces, great conversations, and good vibes all around. One of the best parts about these events? They’re effortlessly chill. Whether you’re a backend engineer or a front-end WordPress dev with a camera (hey, that’s me), everyone fits right in.
The group gathered around as Hubert Nguyen, Lead Developer Advocate at MongoDB, stepped up to share what’s actually going on under the hood of modern AI tools. The focus: MongoDB Integrated Vector Search.
We’re talking about the kind of stuff that powers recommendation systems, semantic search, image matching, and personalized AI outputs. While the world chats about ChatGPT prompts, these devs are building the architecture behind the scenes.
Hubert’s resume speaks for itself—co-founder and CTO of Ubergizmo, former Manager of Developer Education at NVIDIA, and editor of the GPU Gems 3 book. But what stood out was his ability to make a deep topic feel clear and inviting.
He didn’t just present slides—he led a hands-on workshop, walking us through how MongoDB’s vector search works, why it matters, and how to implement it. There were live demos, code examples, and some genuinely helpful Q&A.
There was also Storyblok swag—including the now-iconic developer socks 🧦. Big win.
The whole night was a reminder: AI isn’t magic. It’s made of tools like vector databases, and the people who understand them will be the ones building the next wave of innovation.
Gear Used (Photo & Vibe Capture)
I shot this event using a hybrid kit:
- Canon EOS R8
- EF 24–105mm f/4L (via Canon EF–RF adapter)
- RF 70–200mm f/2.8L
This combo gave me range to capture both tight speaker shots and wider crowd scenes. The 24–105mm handled environmental portraits and group mingling, while the 70–200mm was perfect for isolating details—expressions, gestures, tech gear on tables.
Post-processing was done in Lightroom using AI masking tools for subtle contrast pulls and tone balance. No overediting—just enough to retain the natural lighting while highlighting the color and energy of the space.
