Do you have great ideas or unique experiences that you want to share? If you do, then we want to hear from you!

The Kansas City Developer Conference looks to offer sessions covering topics across the entire spectrum of software design, development, and delivery. Whatever your passion may be, if it relates to technology professionals, then we could have a spot for you at the conference.

Our hope and expectation is to move toward 2000+ participants in September 2026. Now entering our eighteenth year, we are one of the premier community-driven software conferences around. 

The KCDC EXPERIENCE in 2026

The Kansas City Developer Conference is an in-person event held at the Kansas City Convention Center. In 2026, we are returning to our traditional setup with pre-conference workshops followed by two days of sessions. The schedule is as follows:

Wed., September 9th, 2026 – Pre-Conference Workshops

Thurs., September 10th, 2026 – Conference Day

Fri., September 11th, 2025 – Conference Day

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please review the expectations for each track before submitting on the Track Descriptions page.

We accept submissions for one-hour standard breakout sessions, as well as for 4-hour and 8-hour hands-on workshops.

To maximize the likelihood of your selection to present at KCDC 2026, please keep the following important information in mind:

• Speakers are often asked to present two talks during the event, but only rarely more than that.
  
  
• We look for speakers with a passion for teaching their areas of expertise. To that end, while not a hard-and-fast rule, we encourage you to be more specialists than generalists in your submissions.
  
  
• For both of these reasons, if you only submit a single abstract to us, your chances of being selected will be greatly reduced.

BENEFITS

Presenters at KCDC 2026 can look forward to the following benefits:

• Conference Pass: All accepted speakers receive a complimentary three-day pass to KCDC 2026, including access to the September 9th workshop day. The pass is not transferable to any other attendee.
  
  
• Lodging: KCDC will pay for TWO NIGHTS at the Hilton President or the Hotel Kansas City, our two official conference hotels, both of which are nearby the conference venue. Speakers presenting a half-day or full-day workshop will receive coverage for a third night at the hotel. You are welcome to extend your stay for additional days at our rate.

• Travel: KCDC will pay for economy class airfare for your trip, up to $500 domestic, with slightly more for international speakers.*
  
  
• Speaker Dinner: All speakers are invited and encouraged to attend a VIP dinner full of awesome Kansas City BBQ—as well as quality vegetarian options—on the evening of Wednesday, Sept 9, 2026. This special event offers a great opportunity to network and visit with your peers from around the globe. Don’t miss it!
  
  
• And More: All of this is in addition to KCDC's overall world-renowned, legendary speaker hospitality. You need something? We'll do our best to have you covered. We can promise you that for the duration of your stay in Kansas City, day or night, you'll have a great time and will never be bored.
  
  

* Travel reimbursement is paid out 30 days after the event, and requires preapproval from our travel team. Any speakers who are performing their role as formal developer advocates are excluded from reimbursement.

** Following speaker selection, we will circulate an information form. Based on each individual's responses, we will be happy to reserve your KCDC ticket, book your hotel reservation, and manage certain other logistics on your behalf to streamline your participation.

We can't wait to hear from you and see your submissions!

Please check out our Code of Conduct before submitting.