Felix Pinkston
Apr 09, 2026 02:53
GitHub Universe returns to San Francisco October 28-29, 2026. Speaker proposals and nominations accepted via Might 1 for the annual developer convention.
GitHub has opened speaker submissions for Universe 2026, its flagship developer convention returning to Fort Mason Heart in San Francisco on October 28-29. The deadline for proposals and speaker nominations is Might 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
The Microsoft-owned platform is soliciting periods throughout three codecs this 12 months: demo-style shows together with product showcases and a brand new “Ship & Inform” format aimed toward startup founders, thought management tracks that includes breakout periods and panels, and interactive workshops the place attendees construct alongside presenters.
Ship & Inform represents a notable addition for 2026. The format targets builders who wish to share scaling tales—what shipped, what broke, what labored—quite than polished product demos. It is a recognition that failure narratives usually educate greater than success tales.
GitHub highlighted a number of previous periods as examples of what resonates with Universe audiences. A 2025 discuss by Pillippa Pérez Pons framed Git troubleshooting via a “cat’s 9 lives” metaphor, masking sparse checkouts, partial clones, and reflog restoration strategies. One other session forged CI/CD safety as a fantasy quest, with “historic scripts” as monsters and provide chain vulnerabilities as dragons.
Martin Woodward’s 2025 keynote challenged typical productiveness metrics, arguing that the shrinking hole between thought and shipped product calls for a shift in how builders take into consideration experimentation. “For those who can dream it, you’ll be able to construct it,” he advised attendees.
The 2024 convention featured a Kubernetes safety session delivered completely via tabletop RPG roleplay, and a cinematic “mission briefing” on GitHub Copilot’s AI-powered safety remediation instruments.
For these submitting proposals, GitHub’s steerage emphasizes combining real engineering classes with distinctive presentation types. Classes that merely rehash documentation not often make the reduce. The choice committee seems to be for audio system with a transparent standpoint and willingness to indicate character.
Potential audio system can submit proposals or nominate others via GitHub’s submission portal. The corporate’s information breaks down content material tracks, session varieties, and what distinguishes sturdy functions from the pile.
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