BlenderDay & Summer School 2025 return to Mannheim

From July 25 to 27, 2025, the Blender Summer School and BlenderDay conference return to the Mafinex Technologiezentrum (Map)in Mannheim. The German-language conference BlenderDay takes place over the weekend on July 26 and 27, and is framed by the Summer School beginning Friday, July 25. And, as you might have guessed, it’s all about Blender!

A producer takes the mic

Keynote speaker Laura Körting, co-founder and producer at LAB132 GmbH, presents on indie game production. She’ll discuss funding sources, project acquisition, staffing, and how to professionally prepare a game for release.

Focused feature talks

Sven Wanner from Artificial Pixel explains how to train generative AI systems using photorealistic Blender renders captured from multiple angles. The talk covers camera setups, lighting uniformity, and asset variation.

Timo Hilger walks through the development of “Starboost”, a sci-fi spaceship racing game built entirely in Blender. Topics include modeling, animation, environment design, and game asset workflows.

Benjamin Çoban breaks down the friction between Blender and Git. He shares techniques for converting .blend files into Git-compatible formats and outlines version control best practices for teams.

Deline‑Isabeau Kremer, a student in game design, gives an insight into horror game development, exploring atmosphere, mechanics, and storytelling.

Michael Wetzel and Andreas Lohmann from DF Automotive present their rendering workflows for photorealistic automotive visuals in Blender. They cover light rigs, camera systems, and optimized shaders.

Workshops in detail

The Blender Summer School, running July 25–27, features 20+ three-hour workshop sessions which are organized in different tracks:

Game-engine track: This year’s main topic. Explores Blender’s role in interactive game design. Sessions tackle level layouts, asset pipelines, and integration into real-time engines.

Beginner track: For 3D newcomers, these workshops introduce Blender’s interface, object modeling, materials, and basic rendering using Cycles and Eevee.

All the workshops: Selection of workshops for all kind of skill levels. Offers artistic topics like sculpting or technical deep-dives into scripting with Python in Blender, Unity shader development, and procedural design using Geometry Nodes. There is even a workshop where you can create a pro quality printout of your Blender artworks.

And there’s even four workshops by yours truly! In one of them I’m bringing the sparks—literally. In my workshop “Feurig-magische Effekte mit Geometry Nodes und Point Rendering”, we’ll dive headfirst into the glowing chaos of sci-fi blasts, magical flares, and digital firestorms. If it glows and flickers, we’ll tame it—with Geometry Nodes, not garden hoses. Expect plenty of shiny points, nerdy laughs, and techniques you’ll actually use. Bring a GPU and an open mind.

Another workshop to look out for is “Realistic Urban Scenes with Kitbashing & Modifier Techniques” with Larry (Vavrinec Foltan). In this three-hour workshop, Larry demonstrates how to build believable urban environments in Blender using kitbashing and modifiers – no need for complex modeling of plants or rocks. The focus is on buildings, street elements, and efficient workflows to bring city scenes to life. Perfect for artists who want to create detailed urban spaces quickly and effectively.

Community & competitions

Social side-events include a modeling contest—sponsored by Digital Production. The top three winners receive a one-year subscription. Evening events with burgers, lightning talks, and feedback sessions round out the schedule.

Location & logistics

The venue, Mafinex, is within walking distance of Mannheim Hauptbahnhof. Multiple workshop rooms and lecture halls support a flexible learning environment. Youth hostel options are available nearby.

Links