Overview

Ruby Central invites you to submit a proposal to speak at RailsConf 2025!

The conference will take place from Tuesday, July 8th to Thursday, July 10th, 2025, in Philadelphia, PA.

This is your chance to be part of RailsConf’s legacy and help shape the future of Rails development. We are looking for talks on topics ranging from technical deep dives, innovative applications of Rails, community building, and more.

We envision this event to be something that commemorates all of Ruby on Rails’ history and future. RailsConf 2025 will be an opportunity to reflect back, celebrate where we are now, and imagine the world of tomorrow.

Timeline

• CFP Closing Submissions: February 28, 2025
• CFP Coaching Sessions: February 17th at 9AM,18th at 12PM, & 19th at 4PM (EST)
• CFP Reviewal Period: March 1 ~ 10th, 2025
• CFP results sent out March 11 - 24th, 2025

All accepted Speakers must comply with our Conference Policies and Speaker Agreement. Please read our policies all the way through before submitting a proposal.

Theme

Our theme of the event is "The Past, the Present and the Future of Rails". We welcome submissions that address (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• The history of Rails and key lessons learned.
• Important aspects of Rails today that developers should know.
• The future of Rails in 1, 5, or 10 years, and the evolution of software development.

We are accepting submissions for all levels of expertise, and talks can explore these themes and beyond.

Submission Guidelines

Session Talk Format

Talks are up to 30 minutes, with the opportunity (but no obligation) for a few minutes of Q&A.

Workshop Format

Workshops are up to two hour time blocks on Wednesday only (July 9th, 2025). These are typically hands-on sessions where attendees bring their own apps to work on, or are walked through exercises on, their own laptops. Think more structured, focused, training on specific topics.

• Please submit your abstract by February 28, 2025.
• Include your full name, institutional affiliation (if applicable), and a brief bio (100 words max) with your submission.
• If you are submitting a workshop proposal, please write “WORKSHOP PROPOSAL” at the top of your proposal description.
• If you’d like additional support while drafting your proposal or brainstorming ideas, consider joining our virtual CFP Coaching Sessions (Zoom meeting)!
  Application form for signing up is found here.

Review Process

Our Program Committee is made up of hardworking volunteers representing a variety of experience levels. Our first round of review is anonymous, meaning reviewers will not see your name or biographical information, only the title, description, notes, and track. Please keep any potentially identifying information out of these fields.

If your proposal is not accepted, please don’t let that discourage you from submitting! We receive hundreds of submissions and there is only so much we can add into our schedule.

Selected papers will be informed by mid-March 2025.

Speaker Benefits

Each accepted speaker will receive:

• Gifted ticket to the event
• Covered accommodations in the conference hotel for three (3) nights

NOTE: If your session has more than one speaker, ticket and accommodations benefits will have to be shared between the group. Speaker groups can decide how to split the benefits amongst themselves.

You will also have the opportunity to be paired with a Speaker Coach to help you with talk prep. Mentors are granted upon request but highly recommended, especially for new speakers. During the conference, you will be paired with a Speaker Liaison to ensure that your needs are met.

Contact

For any questions or more information, please contact railsconf@rubycentral.org or visit our website at railsconf.org.

Thanks for submitting a proposal, and good luck!!

3 hotel nights covered, fully gifted ticket to full event*