Hungary recorded one of the lowest shares of women ICT specialists in the entire EU in 2024, at just 15.2%, according to Eurostat. The trend isn’t isolated to Hungary, either. Across Europe, women’s share of core tech jobs fell from 22% to 19% in a single year, McKinsey research reported by Euronews found. The Compass Access Program exists to push back on gaps like these. It offers a limited number of complimentary tickets to Compass AI & Tech Summit for people who would otherwise struggle to attend.
Access to knowledge shouldn’t depend on your bank balance. That belief sits at the center of this new program. Compass AI & Tech Summit brings together CTOs, AI leaders, and engineering teams from across Europe for two days of technical depth and honest, practitioner-level conversation. The Access Program simply makes sure that price never becomes the reason someone misses out.
What Is the Compass Access Program?
The Compass Access Program offers a limited number of complimentary conference tickets to Compass AI & Tech Summit. It targets individuals who would otherwise find it difficult to attend, whether because of cost, career stage, or personal circumstances.
Every application gets reviewed individually. There are no rigid boxes to check. Instead, CraftHub looks for one thing above all: would attending the Summit make a real difference to this person’s professional journey?
Who Can Apply to the Compass Access Program?
The program welcomes applications from a wide range of backgrounds, including:
- Students starting out in software engineering, AI, or data
- Women entering or advancing in technology – a group still significantly underrepresented across the region
- Job seekers looking to build connections and stay current in a fast-moving field
- Individuals with limited financial resources who want access regardless of their circumstances
- Career changers moving into tech from another field
- Anyone else whose personal situation makes attending the Summit challenging
There’s no single “right” profile here. If attending would genuinely move your career forward, CraftHub wants to hear your story.
Why the Compass Access Program Matters Right Now
The numbers above aren’t abstract. They show up directly in who’s in the room at most tech events. A typical conference ticket also carries a real cost, and that cost quietly filters out students, career changers, and people between jobs – exactly the people who’d benefit most from being there.
That’s why access and diversity programs have become standard practice across the industry, not just at CraftHub. Google runs conference scholarships for underrepresented groups in tech. ACM-W funds travel for women attending computer science conferences. Regional developer events like JSCamp run their own diversity scholarship tracks for the same reason. The Compass Access Program follows that same logic, adapted for Central Europe’s tech community.
Interestingly, some Hungarian regions already show what’s possible: Nyugat-Dunántúl recorded the highest share of women in high-tech employment of any EU region in 2025, even outnumbering men. Progress isn’t out of reach. It just needs the right access points.
What’s Included
- One complimentary Summit Pass
- Full access to two days of keynotes, technical talks, and practical sessions
- Networking with AI, engineering, product, UX, and data professionals from across Europe
- Complete access to the Compass community
What’s not included: travel, accommodation, meals, visa costs, and other personal expenses. Attendees arrange these themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Compass Access Program? Students, women entering or advancing in tech, job seekers, people with limited financial resources, career changers, and anyone else facing a genuine barrier to attending.
Is there a strict eligibility checklist? No. CraftHub reviews every application individually and looks at each applicant’s story rather than a fixed set of categories.
What does the complimentary ticket cover? Conference admission only. Travel, accommodation, food, and visa costs aren’t included.
How often are applications reviewed? Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, so you can apply whenever you’re ready.
Ready to Apply for the Compass Access Program?
If attending Compass AI & Tech Summit would make a real difference to where your career goes next, CraftHub wants to hear from you. Share your story and apply for the Compass Access Program today.