Frequently Asked Questions

Conference Format & Experience

What is a track?

There are 15 primary themes at QCon. Each of the major themes is organized into what we call tracks. A track represents four curated talks and one panel. All of the sessions are led by domain experts who guide the selection process. If a track is sponsored by a vendor, it is separated from the main editorial tracks and labeled as sponsored. These are separate from the 15 editorial tracks at QCon. You will never find sponsored content hidden into the main editorial content at the conference.

What are the Workshops that you offer to in-person attendees? In-person ticket

QCon offers a wide reach of workshops on the two days following the conference. The workshop program will become available in July, all workshop attendees will be invited to select their workshops via email once the workshop program has been published.

If desired, workshop attendees can request a QCon Certified Certificate of Completion once they have successfully completed the workshop.

What is a Hallway Track? In-person ticket

QCon offers intentionally planned longer 25 Minute Breaks that we also call  “The Hallway Track”.

Longer breaks between sessions are a meeting space where you can continue the conversation after each session to connect with peers, attendees, speakers & sponsors - or take time out to re-energize.

What is an Unconference Session?

QCon features scheduled Unconference Sessions. These facilitated sessions are designed to bring together groups of individuals to work on a crowd-sourced agenda of topics. These provide valuable opportunities to learn and connect with peers.

What do you mean by "no hidden marketing"?

Outside of the main 15 tracks, QCon will offer additional sponsored tracks. If a track is sponsored by a vendor, it is separated from the main editorial tracks and labeled as sponsored. These are separate from the 15 editorial tracks at QCon. One of the core tenants of QCon is transparency, you will never find sponsored content hidden into the main editorial content at the conference.

Is there a call for papers?

We do not have a formal CFP and usually directly invite our speakers, however, we do have a submission form for spontaneous submissions.

What are the timings for QCon San Francisco?

QCon San Francisco takes place from Monday, October 2 to Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

QCon San Francisco Workshops will be held in-person only and spread out over two days, Thursday, October 5 and Friday, October 6. Badge pick-up opens on October 2 from 7:15 a.m.

Does QCon offer scholarships?

We are committed to creating accessible products for software developers from different backgrounds, and to be more representative of the present diverse software community.

Diversity Scholarships are available for senior developers from underrepresented communities in tech. The application for the QCon SF scholarship program is open until September 29th, 11:59 pm PST.

Which rewards does the QCon alumni program include?

You will automatically qualify as a QCon alumni when you have registered to attend any 2 or more QCon events (in-person or online).

If you attend QCon frequently, you will move up the QCon alumni tiers, unlocking more benefits.

You can read more about the alumni program and rewards on the QCon alumni page.

At the conference

When and how can I build my personal schedule?

All attendees will be emailed their login credentials a couple of weeks prior to the conference, once the schedule builder is available. 

  1. You will be emailed a one-time login and will need to set up your own password.
  2. Once you logged in, visit the schedule page where you can build and access your custom schedule.
  3. Click on the bookmark icon on the schedule page and it will turn yellow. This is your indication that it’s saved in your personal schedule. All saved sessions will be listed under “My schedule”. You can also save sessions to watch them later by clicking on the video icon.

While there are many talks from which to choose, there are only 21 time slots (including keynotes). In order to optimize your experience at QCon, we encourage you to pre-plan the talks that you would like to attend. If you have any technical questions please contact: webmaster [at] qconsf.comtarget="_blank".

How can I see the agenda for the conference whilst at the event?

During the conference, you can access the agenda with your mobile devices on the QCon website. You will also find TVs displaying the agenda of the day on all the event floors.

How do I collect my badge for QCon? In-person ticket

Badge pick-up will start at 7:15 a.m. on Monday, and at 8:00 a.m. from Tuesday to Friday.

Please arrive well in advance of the keynote. While we do our best to minimize the lines, there may still be some wait times. Attendees can enjoy a light continental breakfast before the first session.

A photo ID is required in order to pick up your badge.

Attendees may only pick up their own badges.

 

What Social & Peer Sharing Events does QCon offer? In-person ticket

To help you make connections with the world's most innovative senior software engineers, architects and team leads, we encourage you to participate in our QCon Conference Social, Women & Allies in Tech Breakfast, Exhibitor Reception, QCon Reception, Peer sharing in the Unconference sessions and Lunch Discussions Tables & Discussion Cafe. You can read more about them by clicking here.

How can I get help during the event?

If you need any support during the event, you can use the chatbot in the right corner of the QCon San Francisco website or email us at info [at] qconsf.com and a staff member will be happy to help you.

Will attendees get access to the presentation slides?

We are encouraging speakers to share their presentation slides to be able to make them available to QCon San Francisco attendees. If the speaker agreed to share their slides, they will be made available in the schedule and on the presentation page within days.

Will presentations be available on-demand?

QCon San Francisco attendees will get access to a majority of keynote and presentation recordings. Video recordings will be available within around two weeks and will remain available for 3 months. Talks can be accessed via the QCon San Francisco site. We recommend using Chrome or Firefox to watch session recordings as we frequently observe technical difficulties with Safari.

How can I give feedback on presentations I attend?

Please rate the presentations that you attend. Your feedback helps us improve our content and organization.

In-person attendees will be able to vote using the NFC sticker on their attendee badge upon exit at the door of the presentation room. Both online and in-person attendees will also be able to vote on the QCon website when logged into your QCon San Francisco account. You have the choice of selecting:

  • red: failed to meet any of my expectations
  • yellow: lacked fundamental expectations
  • green: met or exceeded expectations

You can then edit your vote and/or provide additional feedback on your voting trail.

 

Will wifi be available at the conference? In-person ticket

Yes, wifi will be available at QCon San Francisco. You will find wifi details on your attendee badge.

What is the QCon code of conduct?

We designed QCon as a place where everyone feels safe to express themselves, learn, and succeed in adopting new technology and practices. We enforce this through the QCon Code of Conduct to provide a safe and inclusive learning space for our thousands of inspiring attendees.

By joining QCon, you agree to our Code of Conduct. All QCon participants, speakers, sponsors, and staff are required to abide by our code of conduct.

What does QCon do to support diversity and inclusion?

At QCon, we want to foster an environment that is both diverse and inclusive. The ideas and thoughts generated within a diverse group tend to be more innovative and thought-provoking. This atmosphere characterizes the very essence of QCon. Some of the things we are doing at QCon San Francisco to make the environment more inclusive include:

  • Enforced Code of Conduct
  • Childcare stipends
  • Deconstructed menus (to cater to allergies or food preferences)
  • Access to all-gender restrooms
  • Prayer room 
  • Women and Allies in Tech events
  • Lactation Room
  • Quiet Area
  • Assistance and Guide Dogs are welcome
  • Wheelchair accessible

If there is something that would make you feel more welcome, you feel we’re missing at the conference, or would like more information on, please let us know at info [at] qconsf.com .

What are Lunch Topic Discussion Tables? In-person ticket

You can join one of the Lunch Topic Discussion Tables and share your insights and questions with fellow attendees. It’s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of every minute of your time at QCon by connecting with peers who are working with the same tools, constraints and challenges you are!

This is an incredible opportunity to bring up anything you’d like to talk about! You can have unstructured conversations and debates around some of the major topics presented at QCon.

What is the event hashtag?

Tag us using the #QConSF, #QCon and #QConCares

Find us here:

On Twitter, you can find us @QConSF

On LinkedIn you can find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/qcon-conferences/

On Facebook you can find us at https://www.facebook.com/QCon

On Instagram you can find us at https://www.instagram.com/qconconferences/

On Tik Tok you can find us at https://www.tiktok.com/@qconferences

What is the dress code for the conference? In-person ticket

QCon doesn’t have a formal dress code.

What is the QCon Video-Only Pass? Video-Only Pass

The Video-Only Pass allows you to watch most sessions that were recorded in-person at the QCon SF conference. 

These sessions will be made available approximately two weeks after the in-person event. 

Viewing time for all the technical content is around 60+ hours - you will be able to watch all these sessions at your own pace. Videos will remain available for 3 months.

 

 

What does the Video-Only Pass include? Video-Only Pass

The Video-Only Pass includes exclusive access to most sessions that were recorded at the in-person event. You will have access to these sessions by logging into your my account page.

 

When will sessions be available for Video-Only Pass holders? Video-Only Pass

The sessions will be available approximately two weeks after the in-person conference and will remain available for the duration of three months following the conference.

What live sessions are available for Video-Only Pass holders? Video-Only Pass

There are no live sessions or elements available with the Video-Only Pass. 

Most talks will be available in video format so you'll be able to catch up on the sessions you missed at the in-person event. Viewing time for all the technical content is around 60+ hours - all these sessions you will be able to watch at your own pace.

Will QCon San Francisco be available as a live stream for Video-Only Pass holders? Video-Only Pass

There are no live-streamed sessions.

 

How can I learn more about the sponsors at QCon? Video-Only Pass

All QCon San Francisco tickets include access to our Sponsor Areas. To learn more, you can visit our sponsor’s page.

About QCon

Who is behind QCon?

QCon is presented by InfoQ. We’ve been helping software development teams adopt new technologies and practices for over 17 years. The driving force behind every QCon conference is our passion to accelerate the software side of human progress.

Senior software developers rely on QCon and InfoQ to keep ahead of the adoption curve. One of the main reasons senior software engineers, software architects, and team leads tell us they keep coming back to QCon and InfoQ is because they trust the information provided and selected by their peers. Join a global professional engineering community and adopt the right software innovations and practices.

Who is QCon for?

QCon is designed for senior software engineers, software architects, and team leaders.

Why is QCon a conference for practitioners by practitioners?

At QCon, we prefer Engineers over Evangelists, Practitioners over Trainers/Coaches, and Team Leads over Consultants. That is not to say we don't find value on the people on the right, we just prefer those on the left. This simple mantra guides our editorial content. We want to hear from the people who are living with decisions and implementations. This is core to what makes QCon QCon.

What is a QCon software development conference?

QCon is an international software development conference for senior software engineers, software architects, and team leaders.

QCon focuses on emerging software trends and innovations in software development and technical leadership with all talks by software domain experts. Our Programming Committee identifies the key trends and creates a curated learning journey by selecting leading software practitioners to deep-dive on each topic.

Sessions are composed of keynotes from world-class practitioners, tech talks with leading authorities, Q&As, and an opportunity to engage with peers to help answer your questions. You’ll gain actionable ideas that you can take back to your team and implement right away.

Health and Safety

Will I need to wear a face mask at the conference? In-person ticket

Face Masks are Optional (in-person ticket). Please bring your own face mask if you would like to wear a face mask throughout the Event.

We follow government, venue as well as Event safety guidelines. Should new health guidelines or best practices be different from what is stated in our Terms, we reserve the right to change the Terms and we will communicate these changes to QCon participants via email as soon as they are put into place.

Can the Covid-19 Safety measures change? In-person ticket

In addition to the COVID-19 related safety requirements stated in the Terms, we follow government, venue and event safety guidelines that might be in place at the time of the event. Should new government/venue guidelines be different from what is stated in these Terms, we will communicate these changes to QCon participants via email as soon as we are made aware. Any attendee not complying with the health and safety requirements in place at the time of the Event, will be asked to leave the Event without a refund.

Food and Beverage

Do you cater to special dietary requirements? In-person ticket

Yes. We cater to many special dietary requirements including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. All food will be clearly labeled to show the dietary requirement and ingredients. If you have any dietary requirements outside of the ones mentioned or any questions, you can contact our team at info [at] qconsf.com. If you require a kosher lunch, please let us know. All kosher meal requests are due by September 15th, 2023. After this time, we will not be able to accommodate any additional requests.

Will Breakfast, Coffee Breaks & Lunch be Provided ? In-person ticket

A light continental breakfast is provided each morning prior to the scheduled start time of the daily sessions. A buffet lunch will also be provided as well as morning and afternoon refreshment breaks.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact us with any questions at info [at] qconsf.comclass="spamspan "

Code of conduct

We expect all participants to follow our Code of Conduct to ensure that all QCon participants can enjoy a safe and productive environment. Please review our code of conduct before the conference.