Call for Papers Submission Guidelines
Join us as a speaker at the Scrum Alliance Global Scrum Gathering® 2026, taking place in Vancouver, Canada, from May 3–6, 2026. This in-person event offers a vibrant blend of learning, networking, and local experiences.
Nestled between majestic mountains and the sparkling Pacific, Vancouver offers the perfect blend of breathtaking natural beauty and vibrant city life. From world-class dining to endless outdoor adventures, it’s a city that makes for an unforgettable experience.
We invite you to join us in this beautiful city to share your ideas and expertise by submitting a session proposal that will inspire, connect, and educate our community!
For this year’s gathering, we’re taking a new approach. Instead of pre-selecting themes, we’re looking to you to submit a session on the topics you think are the most important and valuable.
We don’t want to force you into predefined boxes. By removing constraints, we can discover what matters most to our community. Your ideas will guide the organic identification of themes, helping us build an event that truly reflects what’s pressing and inspiring right now.
Follow the instructions to fill out the fields
Submit your paper during the application period: September 23–November 2, 2025
PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE PRIMARY SPEAKER
The following fields must be completed in the submission form. All submissions must be in English. If you are making multiple submissions, please make sure that each submission is on a different topic.
Every speaker is limited to one session (whether you are a primary or secondary speaker). Sessions designed to promote the sales of products and services are not allowed.
In an effort to minimize bias and to create a fair review process, we will omit the submitter’s name during the review process. Therefore, please do not include speaker name(s) or identifying characteristics in any field other than “Speaker Details.” Violation of this may result in the exclusion of your submission from the review process.
If your submission is selected, the information you share may be used in marketing materials such as the event web page, mobile app, event platform, and social media.
Required fields:
1. Session Title — Your title should generate interest and draw people to your session. It needs to be consistent with the session content so that it shapes proper expectations. If accepted, we reserve the right to alter the title based on program needs. 20-word limit.
2. Session Topic — Select the topic(s) that best describe your session. Select all that apply.
- Leadership
- Coaching and Facilitation
- Team Dynamics, Collaboration & Psychological Safety
- Agile Practices, Methods & Scaling
- Enterprise Agility
- Innovation, Product Ownership & Value Delivery
- Future Trends: AI, Neuroscience & Emerging Practices
- Development practices, Building the actual product
- Tough Tradeoffs in Product & Organizational Development
- Industry Insights
- Other (please specify)
3. Target Audience - Who is the target audience for your session? Please select all that apply.
- Scrum Masters
- Product Owners
- Coaches
- Executives
- Developers
- Other (please specify)
4. Level of Audience Experience— Carefully consider the primary level of audience understanding and comprehension for whom your session is intended. Choose from the following:
- Foundational: for those, that are learning or consider themselves newer to the concepts
- Intermediate: for those that have working knowledge and have experience
- Advanced: for those who have crafting expertise or consider themselves more skilled and seasoned
5. Would you be able to adjust the audience level, if requested, to support flexibility in program planning?
6. Session Summary—Succinctly describe your session so attendees know what to expect. If your session is selected, the summary will be used in the event agenda. Please do not include your name or company in the session summary. 200-word limit.
7. Prerequisites — Please describe the prior knowledge and/or experience attendees should have in order to make the most of attending your session. If your session is selected, the prerequisites may be included in the event agenda.
8. Learning Outcomes — Describe the key learning outcomes and/or attendee takeaways. What will attendees learn, experience, or gain after participating? Examples include specific skills, knowledge, and/or practices that participants will be able to take back and apply to their work or life. 200-word limit.
9. Session Delivery — Describe how you will organize your session. Include an outline for your session with a list of key activities that will take place. Describe the instructional materials and/or method you will use to deliver your session. This could be a slide presentation, interactive workshop, game, panel discussion, etc. 300-word limit.
10. Session Time Block — Indicate the length of your session.
- 20-minute session — lightning talk
- 60-minute session — lecture
- 60-minute session — workshop (highly-interactive session)
- 90-minute session — workshop (highly-interactive session)
11. Would you be able to adjust the length of your submission, if requested, to support flexibility in program planning?
12. Speaker Details — If the session has more than one speaker, PLEASE LIST THE PRIMARY SPEAKER FIRST, followed by additional speakers. Please note: the primary and secondary speaker will receive different compensation packages (outlined below).
Provide the following information for each speaker:
- Name and email address.
- Location, company, and LinkedIn profile.
- A short biography. 250-word limit.
13. If your session has multiple speakers, please explain the role and focus area of each speaker for the presentation.
14. Have you presented this submission before? — If yes, include the event name and date.
15. Have you previously presented at a Global Scrum Gathering or Regional Scrum Gathering?
16. Will this be your first time presenting at a conference (any conference)?
The following optional questions will be used to help Scrum Alliance ensure that our events reflect the diversity of our global community. Your responses may be used in connection with program selection for this event and aggregated and anonymized analysis to inform our further diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
17. What is your gender identity?
18. Are you a member of the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and/or Intersex (LBGTQI) community?
19. What is your race or ethnicity?
20. What is your age range?
21. Do you identify as a person with a disability?
What’s Next?
Timeline of Events
Call for papers: September 23–November 2, 2025
Review period: November–December, 2025
Submitters notified of submission status: end of January 2026
Meets session guidelines: The minimum requirement for all accepted sessions is that they meet the requirements included in the submission guidelines.
Industry relevance: We are looking for sessions that have ready relevance within our agile industry. These can include emerging topics or tried and true fundamentals, but relevance is key.
Community demand: The best sessions align with topics that our community is currently engaging in. A topic that is in demand in our community goes beyond relevance; it’s what people are talking about now.
Format variety: We want to give our attendees a variety of ways to learn and experience content, which means offering a variety of session formats. Make sure that your session format and timing are clear.
Topic variety: We want to create a program that includes a variety of topics, ensuring there’s something relevant and engaging for everyone. Make sure your session clearly identifies its focus area(s) and how it contributes to the broader learning experience.
Diversification of speakers: Agilists want to hear and learn from diverse voices. We will be choosing sessions that balance the number of new voices with well-known fan favorites. To support speaker representation, speakers will only be approved to present one session per event.
Balance of experience levels: Our event attracts lifelong agilists as well as those just beginning their agile journey. As such, it is important that our program offers sessions appropriate for different levels of experience, from entry to advanced.
Information about the review process:
- Our Review Team includes approximately 75 participants with diverse backgrounds and experiences, who volunteer their time to review submissions.
Your submission will be reviewed multiple times, each time by a different Review Team member. Review Team members do not have access to any of the submission’s previous reviews.
Submissions can be edited up until the Call for Papers closes. No further edits will be accepted after this deadline.
The review process is supposed to be double-blind. Only information that ensures your anonymity shall be provided to reviewers to avoid bias.
Your submission will be reviewed based on the topic and its relevance to the conference theme, format, and learning to be gained from your session.
What to expect if your paper is selected:
- Once notified, you’ll have a week to register to confirm that you’ll attend the GSG to deliver your session.
By registering for the gathering, you agree to a Speaker Agreement that outlines your expectations and requirements.
We’ll be hosting an optional speaker kick-off meeting (date to be determined) during which we’ll discuss the speaker experience, expectations, and answer questions.
The program team is available for questions, help, and advice.
As we approach the gathering, we will ask you to submit additional information and provide information about travel and speaking logistics.
If your session is not selected, you are welcome to email us to request feedback on your submission. Feedback requests will be added to a queue and will be responded to in the order in which they were received.
Scrum Alliance is pleased to offer the following compensation to the primary speaker of each accepted presentation:
One (1) complimentary gathering registration and
One-night (1) accommodation at the gathering hotel during the event—must be booked directly through the Scrum Alliance room block
Secondary speakers will receive the following compensation:
One (1) complimentary gathering registration
You cannot accumulate complimentary registrations and we cannot offer splitting or transferring compensation to additional speakers. Complimentary registrations cannot be applied to previous or future gatherings. Complete compensation details will be sent to speakers upon selection of the submission.
If you have any questions, please contact: [email protected].