About Project Participation
Projects and Working Groups under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) umbrella have the opportunity to engage, network and collaborate with peers and like-minded people in the cloud native community at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Japan in Tokyo from June 16-17, 2025. Participating in this event allows you to gain valuable mind share of a targeted audience while engaging with developers, architects, and technical leaders.
We invite CNCF Chairs of TAGs and Kubernetes SIGs working groups and Maintainers from graduated, incubating, and sandbox projects to participate in the below project opportunities.
Dates to Remember
| Maintainer Track and Project Lightning Talk CFP Close | Sunday, February 23 23:59 JST (UTC +9) |
| Project Opportunities (tables + PR) Request Form Close | Sunday, February 23 23:59 JST (UTC +9) |
| Maintainer Track + Project Lightning Talk Notifications | Monday, March 17 |
| Maintainer Track + Project Lightning Talk Schedule Announcement | Wednesday, March 19 |
| Project Table Notifications | Monday, March 24 |
Description of Opportunities
Project Lightning Talks
Tuesday, June 16
Projects will have the opportunity to deliver lightning talks lasting 5-minutes during KubeCon + CloudNativeCon. This platform offers projects the chance to showcase their recent updates, features, and other highlights to their peers. The project lightning talks will be included in the conference schedule based on availability.
Maintainer Track
Tuesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 17
Leaders of CNCF Graduated and Incubating Projects and Activities (Such as members of Working Groups, TAGs, User Groups) can submit to host one 35-minute session during KubeCon + CloudNativeCon within the Maintainer Track. We highly recommend non-maintainers be put forward as speakers for your talk. Participation is subject to availability and submitting does not guarantee selection.
Each speaker can speak at only one Maintainer Track session. This does not count against the speaker limits for Kubecon + CloudNativeCon standard CFP.
In order to be considered, you must satisfy the requirements below:
We look forward to seeing your submissions! Please reach out to cfp@cncf.io if you have any questions.
Project Table
Tuesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 17
We believe in the value of face-to-face events and the connections + relationships that stem from them. An in-person table at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Japan 2025 provides the opportunity for the project to have an ambassador and/or maintainer available to engage with attendees in-person.
Tables near the Project Pavilion will be reserved for those interested in hosting impromptu meetings on-site.
Project table schedule will be announced end of April.
*Please keep in mind that projects will have the flexibility to choose their hosting hours. This means one project could opt for morning showcase hours, while another could prefer the afternoon slot.
As a representative of your project, we expect you to:
We encourage you to share your project’s use cases, and your organization’s involvement in the CNCF. However, you are prohibited from giving sales pitches to attendees about a product or company. If we hear a sales pitch being conducted, we reserve the right to ask you to leave and to deny future requests to participate in the project pavilion.
Table Inclusions: One (1) monitor and project logo signage only* (There is no storage available at the table.)
*Custom graphics are not permitted at the tables.
PR Support
KubeCon + CloudNativeCon events can provide a great platform for graduated and incubating projects to gain visibility with media and analysts. The CNCF PR team encourages and works with projects that want to take advantage of the captive media and analyst audience at each event to gain greater awareness of their work. The CNCF PR team is happy to work with you to help craft your communications and launch plans IF you can make your announcement at the show.
Opportunities for projects announcing during the event include:
The outcome of this would be increased media coverage for the project from top industry publications in Japan and the United States.
If you are a graduated or incubating project and are interested in PR Support, submit a request via the form below.
Request to Participate
The deadline for submitting your interest for all KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Japan 2025 Project Opportunities is Sunday, February 23, however, we encourage you to secure your spot today as space is limited and demand is high. Requests will be considered based on project maturity.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange a call to discuss project opportunities, please email ProjectsAtKubeCon@linuxfoundation.org.
FAQs + Contact
General Information
What is the value of participating in these project offerings?
CNCF Projects can benefit from participating in one or more project offerings by engaging with the open source community and teaching attendees about the project and how to contribute.
I am not a CNCF project. Can I still participate in these project offerings?
At this time, we are only accepting CNCF projects, TAGs, and SIGs to participate in the Project Pavilion.
If you are interested in contributing your project to CNCF or discuss how CNCF can help your project, please contact info@cncf.io and read the TOC repo.
Project Table
If we host a Project Table, do we receive passes for our table staff?
We do not offer complimentary passes to projects hosting a Project Table. This has been a practice of the event since 2017. CNCF provides need based scholarships, and we recommend reviewing and applying.
What does the Project Table include?
The table provided onsite will include a monitor and project logo signage. Any additional items/needs will have to be approved and ordered by the project.
How do I confirm what project logo will be used on signage?
The project’s horizontal color logo from the CNCF artwork repository will be used for signage. Please be sure to upload a high resolution logo at least 12 weeks prior to the event. If the required logo is not available in the repository at the time signage is ordered, CNCF staff will determine which logo to use.
What is the difference between a Full-Time table and a Half Day table?
A project hosting a Half Day table will share the table with another project. One project host the table during AM hours, and the other will host PM hours. A project hosting a Full Time table will host the table for the entire showcase hours during the week. Kindly note that Sandbox projects qualify to host a single table shift only (ie. Wednesday AM only).
Can custom graphics be added to our Project Table?
Custom graphics are not permitted at Project Tables.
Are pull-up banners and/or table cloths permitted for our Project Table?
Banners and tablecloths are not permitted as all Project Tables are to have a standard uniformed look.
Are we able to collect leads at our table?
Capturing leads is not a benefit of hosting an in-person table. The purpose of Project Tables is to educate the open source community on CNCF Projects, rather than present project or product sales pitches.
Is there an option to have a virtual booth?
There won’t be any virtual booths.
Miscellaneous
Can we use our project logo on swag (hats, pins, t-shirts, etc) to recognize project contributors without violating any CNCF trademark policies?
Please submit a service desk ticket with the CNCF team, sharing a mock-up and listing which item(s) are to be approved and information on who will be receiving these items. Please allow up to 5 business days for review. Note: Submitting a ticket does not guarantee approval.
What about project stickers?
Stickers will be provided for all projects participating in Project Tables and Project Lightning Talks, as well as a selection of projects with a high number of contributors in the location of the event. Please note that the size and design of stickers provided may vary as we carry over inventory from previous events and use multiple manufacturers. For new sticker orders, the project’s stacked color logo from the CNCF artwork repository will be used. Please be sure to upload a high resolution logo at least 12 weeks prior to the event. If the required logo is not available in the repository at the time stickers are ordered, CNCF staff will determine which logo to use.
I am a sandbox project graduating to incubating before the event. Can I participate in PR Support?
If you’re graduating to incubating before the event, the CNCF team will reach out to you when your project passes the TOC vote. We’ll be able to provide support and details at that time. Please note that projects have until four weeks before the event to qualify for the benefits associated with the next level of project maturity.
Who should I contact with further questions?
Please reach out to ProjectsAtKubeCon@linuxfoundation.org for further questions.
