The Kubernetes Community Days (KCD) program has blossomed over the past two years thanks to the incredible efforts of our community. We at CNCF have been honored to support these events by offering valuable resources and tools, and along the way we’ve listened to feedback from past organizers and thought hard about what we could do to make KCDs even better.

After a lot of consideration, we’re going to roll out some exciting changes to the Kubernetes Community Days program that will offer even more support to members – including financial, structural, and organizational, among others. We think these new event-hosting benefits can make KCDs more fun, more available, and more useful to local communities than ever before.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Goals of the KCD Program

We aim to support fun, locally-defined events that help grow and sustain Kubernetes and other Cloud Native communities. Drawing inspiration from the DevOpsDays model, we strive to simplify the organizing process to ensure a high-quality experience for all attendees.

What’s New with the Program?

CNCF is enhancing the KCD program with several new event-hosting benefits. We now offer monetary support, core branding, centralized tools, and regular support meetings to assist organizers. 

Critical updates include limiting the number of KCDs to 30 per year to ensure balanced distribution and quality, capping registration at 500 attendees to maintain a close-knit atmosphere, requiring the use of the CNCF registration system, and incorporating the KCD-approved logo standards. These changes aim to foster deeper connections and provide a more engaging experience.

Learn more about the changes by reviewing our FAQs.

Terms and Conditions

To ensure consistency and sustainability, all organizers must sign and adhere to the terms and conditions set forth by CNCF for the KCD program. These terms outline several vital responsibilities and regulations the Community Host must follow. The Linux Foundation (LF) grants the Community Host a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to strictly use the CNCF name and logo to promote the KCD. All events must be not-for-profit, and trademarks must comply with LF’s guidelines. Additionally, Community Hosts must adhere to privacy obligations, ensuring personal data is processed lawfully and securely. The event must follow a designated Code of Conduct, maintain sufficient insurance for in-person events, and avoid conflicts with official CNCF events. Any breach of these terms may lead to the termination of the license. These conditions ensure the integrity, security, and community focus of all KCD events.

 Request and Approval Process

To host a KCD, submit your proposal using the application process. We will notify you of your application’s status via email the week of September 22. If your KCD is not selected or you miss the deadline, there will be opportunities to apply for the following year. We encourage collaboration with neighboring KCDs and maintain engagement through local meetups.

One technology, many communities

We know “change” isn’t anyone’s favorite thing. But we truly believe that by adding financial and structural support to KCDs around the globe, we can continue to bring the cloud native community closer on a regional scale. And, we’ll keep listening to feedback from the community and making necessary improvements to ensure the program remains community-focused. We can’t wait to see what the next year of KCDs brings to the community!