tl;dr

CFP submissions are 2-minute videos.

Conference talks come in two flavors: Main Stage (25 min) or Lightning Stage (10 min)

CFP closes on Jan 4, 2026

We provide support and mentorship for new speakers.

Submission Guidance

We are a web + AI conference and are looking for talks that explore the cutting edge of how web developers build modern applications and experiences. We invite presentations on anything in the web + AI space that you feel passionate about, here are some topics we think are exciting:

• Computing and inference on the edge
• WebAssembly and LLMs on device
• Modern frontend tooling: Vite, Turbopack, Bun
• TypeScript and agentic frameworks
• Real-time web with WebSockets and WebRTC
• Web performance optimization and Core Web Vitals
• Security, authentication, and modern OAuth flows
• AI agents running in the browser
• Evaluating and debugging LLM-based systems
• Real-time streaming AI responses for UX
• Securing web apps against prompt injection
• OAuth and identity for autonomous agents
• Generative design systems for frontend developers
• Multimodal AI: text, vision, and audio
• AI-native web standards and emerging technologies

Presentations do not need to fall into the categories above to be accepted and applicants are welcome to submit more than one idea.

👍 Presentations should:

• Teach developers about something new in the web + AI ecosystem
• Tell the story of a problem and how it was solved
• Inform developers of a way they can help themselves or their teams, companies, projects, etc.
• Share a unique/creative experience building using the web and/or AI

👎 Presentations should not:

• Pitch a product or company (How to use product X)
• Replicate "getting started" information
• Focus on negatives (All the things I hate about Z)

If you're uncertain if your presentation qualifies for the conference, submit anyway!

Speaker Perks

If we accept your proposal to speak, you'll receive:

Full VIP ticket to CascadiaJS

Parking or ride share reimbursement

For Main Stage speakers, we cover:

Transportation to Seattle (up to $500 for domestic flights, up to $1,000 for international flights)

Lodging for 3 nights

Invite to Friends of Cascadia dinner

How to Submit

First, make sure you're available to speak at the conference. It will be held on June 1 - 2, 2026.

Talk submissions are done as 2 minute videos. Your goal here is not to produce a perfectly executed mini-talk, it is to describe your talk idea informally. What's the topic? How do you want to approach it? Why is it interesting?

We won't make the videos public, so no need to worry about random Internet people seeing them. But we feel this is a good opportunity to start building a comfort level with talking about your idea in front of an audience.

Once you’ve recorded your 2-minute video, just upload it to a public but obfuscated place. Some suggestions: Youtube (mark as unlisted), Dropbox, S3, your own web host.

We’re here to help!

There are a million reasons why you might not think you’re qualified or capable of giving a talk, let alone at CascadiaJS. We are here to prove you wrong. If all you have is a gut feeling that you have something important to share with people, we are here to help you hone your idea and craft a great submission. We are happy to connect you with experienced speakers to help prepare your submission. Just join our Discord and head over to the #cfp channel.

If you are a new speaker, once your talk has been accepted we will commit to working with you to give an awesome talk. This includes reviewing and advising on slides and helping you practice giving your talk. We can hook you up with local groups or set up a stage for you and a bunch of friends in advance, so you can practice in front of a friendly crowd. Again, whatever else you might need, we’re here to help.

The selection process

• Jan 4 - The CFP closes
• Jan 11 - Review complete
• Jan 18 - Final decisions made, emails sent out

Past Talks

Sometimes it helps to see what kind of talks we've selected in the past! Check out our YouTube Page for all the page talks, and feel free to subscribe to get notified when new ones get posted!

CFP FAQ

Can I submit if I've never spoken at a conference before?

This CFP is open to both experienced speakers and folks who have never given a big conference talk. The criteria we will use for evaluating submissions will be the same, and no added weight will be awarded to folks just because they've spoken before. Some of the best talks given at past CascadiaJS events have come from folks giving their first conference talk.

EVERY DEVELOPER HAS A STORY: about how they got into this industry, how their team solved a problem, how they used the open web to create an amazing experience. We hope that you’ll tell us about yours!

I've never done a video submission, what am I shooting for?

Below are a couple of submissions from two of our past speakers. These videos are not meant to be templates, they're just here to illustrate a few goals: be clear about your topic, share some context for why you care, and please be yourself!

If you're still hesitant about the video, here's a suggestion. Forget recording for now. Stand up, in a place where no one can hear you, and describe your talk idea out loud. When you're done, start over and do it again, ten times in a row. With a two-minute limit, ten tries only take about 20 minutes. After your tenth try, you may feel much more confident.

Can I submit a proposal in ASL?

If you would like to deliver your talk using American Sign Language, we are here to support you! Once your proposal has been accepted, we will work with you to figure out the best way to make sure your talk is delivered appropriately to folks in our audience who don't understand ASL.

For the purposes of the CFP, please record the 2-minute video using ASL and include an attached transcript. Our Talk Review Committee will use both the video and the transcript to evaluate your proposal.