The technical conference for Umbraco developers.

As a single-track conference for Umbraco developers and technical specialists, we are looking for technical, practical and developer-focused talks. Sales pitches and marketing presentations are not accepted. 

Talks beyond Umbraco are welcome if they are relevant to Umbraco developers. 

The Umbraco community is very friendly and welcoming, and a great environment for presenting. First-time speakers are welcome.

Submissions close on Friday 8 January 2027 at 11:59 PM GMT.

What We're Looking For

We want technical, hands-on content and real-world Umbraco practice. We’re also interested in content related to innovation and new technology that Umbraco developers would find interesting.  

Talks can suit any experience level, from quick wins that developers can use straight away to complex architectural patterns for seasoned engineers. You do not need to be an expert or have a groundbreaking topic, as a small, practical lesson from a real project is exactly what we are after.

We welcome both back-end and front-end topics, for example:

• Umbraco & Core Tech: Deep dives into Umbraco, modern JS frameworks and backend architecture.
• Integrations & Architecture: Headless setups, mobile app backends, third-party product integrations and composable architectures.
• DevOps & Tooling: Containerisation, CI/CD pipelines, debugging strategies, performance optimisation and deployment tooling.
• Custom Code & Packages: Real-world case studies, package development, testing strategies, custom tooling and interesting or unusual technical builds.
• AI & Developer Tooling: Practical, honest accounts of using AI in development, such as agentic coding tools, AI-assisted testing and AI features in Umbraco projects, including what did not work.
• Front-End Engineering & Web Vitals: Building accessible, high-performance and eco-friendly web applications through practical front-end architecture and measurable optimisations.

Session Formats

• 45 minutes: Comprehensive deep dives, full architectural overviews and detailed technical breakdowns.
• 30 minutes: Focused talks on specific tools, patterns or real-world project builds.
• 15 minutes (lightning): A quick win, or a fast-paced introduction to a new technology, library or technique, with clear directions on where to explore further.

Key Details

• Speaker notifications: Speakers will be notified no later than 31 January 2027 (invitations may start earlier).
• Selection: A technical panel will review submissions based on technical value, relevance and topic balance.
• Format: In-person only in Bristol. Sessions will not be recorded or live-streamed, and remote speaking is not available.
• Presentation theme: All presentations must be delivered in Light Mode, so they are readable on all screens.
• Slides: We will ask accepted speakers to share slides after the conference.

Speaker Perks

• Free conference ticket for all accepted speakers.
• Accommodation for the night before and the night of the event for non-local speakers.
• Accepted speakers who have already bought a ticket will receive a full refund or can transfer it to someone else.
• Travel costs are not covered.

Alongside the Main Track

The Umbraco Package Jam will run for attendees on Thursday 18 March 2027. Those who attend can finish their packages and bring them to the Package Jam Award session at the end of the conference. The Package Jam is booked separately through Meetup, and sign-up details will be announced soon.

Questions or Talk Ideas?

• Want feedback or to bounce ideas around before submitting? Email spark@umbracofoundation.co.uk.
• All speakers are expected to follow our code of conduct.
• Find out more and follow updates at umbracospark.com.