KCD FAQ

Table of contents

Why are you refreshing the KCD program?

The CNCF KCD program has experienced remarkable growth over the past two years. The Foundation  takes pride in supporting these events and providing the resources and tools to both organizers and attendees as needed for their success.

As with any program, with success and growth come the challenges of rapid expansion. That’s why we are committed to a balance between local organizers and CNCF support. We have carefully reviewed the current program and gathered feedback from past organizers and attendees to develop the next iteration, aimed at providing enhanced support and resources to ensure a sustainable and successful program. The key change being that CNCF will now be providing monetary support to each KCD.

As we create a model that provides support across different geographical locations, we will continue to listen to feedback from the community and make iterations as necessary to ensure the program continue to be community focused. 

What are the goals of the KCD program?

Modeled after DevOps Days, the goal of the KCD program is to support fun, locally-defined events that help grow and sustain Kubernetes and other cloud native communities. Drawing inspiration from DevOpsDays, we aim to simplify the organizing process and ensure a high-quality experience for all attendees.

What are the benefits of hosting a KCD?

In addition to core branding, centralized tools, templates, monthly CNCF support meetings, and weekly assistance via email and Slack, CNCF is now offering monetary sponsorship for each KCD to help kick-start your event. This funding can be used for venue deposits, securing an event planner, or other initial costs. We are also introducing enhanced sticker options, currently in development, and providing recognition for organizers along with the association with CNCF’s brand.

This is the most significant change CNCF has implemented for our 2.0 program.

How does my KCD get approved now?

Please fill out this application form to make an official one-time submission for hosting a KCD in 2025. GitHub, the previous mechanism to request an event, will now serve primarily as an internal progress tracker, with issues created solely by CNCF staff. Please do not submit any GitHub issues to request new events.

What if I miss the deadline to apply, or what if our KCD is not selected?

To put it simply, there is always next year. We’ve seen inspiring examples like KCD Mumbai, which chose to step back to allow other KCDs in India to shine, offering their support to the new events. We highly encourage you to seize opportunities to collaborate with neighboring KCDs, whether as a program committee member, content reviewer, or speaker.

Maintaining momentum with your community group meetups is also important. We suggest hosting a local CNCG chapter meetup as a half-day event, free of charge, featuring multiple speakers and a few sponsors.

I have previously hosted a KCD, does that give us priority over new KCDs?

Not necessarily. Some regions have a high volume of submissions, so we will be limiting the number of KCDs per region to minimize competition and help CNCF allocate the larger support we aim to provide each event.

To foster program growth and support global communities, we may ask some KCDs to alternate years or adjust their event schedule. For instance, KCD Mumbai made room for new KCDs in India and two of its organizers went on to chair KubeDay India. Similarly, KCD Colombia supported other Latin American KCDs by contributing as speakers and in marketing, with one organizer becoming a co-chair for KubeDay Colombia. These examples illustrate how organizers can also assist neighboring KCDs and adapt to evolving opportunities.

What factors are considered when deciding on which KCDs move forward?

To find a balance among the KCDs that are selected, we consider the following factors:

Location

  • If your KCD new, and in a high-demand area for the cloud native community
  • If your KCD is needed, in the sense that is not feasible for CNCF to host a CNCF- Hosted event in your country or region. 

Timing

  • If your KCD is too close to a LF or CNCF-hosted event
  • If your KCD is two months away from another KCD in your country

Legacy

  • If the KCD hosted a successful event in the past
    • Success is not only positive feedback from attendees, sponsors, other organizers, but if you at least broke even with costs or came ahead

Organizers

  • Your team agrees to the terms & conditions as well as the standards for hosting
  • Well organized and diverse team in regards to expertise and background
  • If you have a team of 3 with overzealous goals
  • The KCD team is willing to work with a neighboring city, if the limits in one large country (for example) present a solution like a state-wide KCD
  • Your team is welcoming to new organizers if they are vetted by CNCF
  • Your team represented inclusion in the past, versus CNCF having to come in and help you after your agenda has already been published without approval

Goals

  • The history of an event your KCD wants to co-locate to can be a determining factor if it is not related to the cloud native ecosystem
  • The audience level the KCD is geared towards in comparison to the surrounding KCDs

What are the terms for hosting a KCD?

The terms for hosting a KCD will still live in the GitHub repository, and can be found here.

The prominent updates to ensuring this program is consistent and sustainable are the following:

  • Terms and conditions will be added to each KCD contract due for signing by the KCD fiscal sponsor. A high-level summary of these Terms & Conditions are:
    • Trademark usage terms
    • A requirement to use a CNCF provided registration system
    • That KCDs must be run not-for-profit
    • Data privacy obligations, insurance coverage requirements, and adherence to the CNCF CoC requirement
  • Limitation on the number of KCDs to 30 per year, ensuring a balanced distribution across all regions. This approach aims to maintain a global equilibrium and enhance the quality and impact of each event. See this question for more details.
  • A registration limit of 500 attendees, including organizers, speakers and sponsors is now in place. This will ensure the event remains focused on cultivating a sustainable community and fostering close, meaningful interactions. 
  • The 2024 change requiring the KCD logo to be used as a sub-logo alongside your main logo will remain in effect

Who signs the Terms & Conditions for our KCD?

The Fiscal Sponsor (legal entity handling funds) for your event should be the same signee of the Linux Foundation’s Terms & Conditions for KCDs. Events like KCDs inherently take on a risk, both financial and liability wise, so it is always recommended that an entity is used or created to manage both the fiduciary responsibilities, as well as hold the risk, as opposed to a single individual. Please note that the terms and conditions are just a piece of a contract that the fiscal sponsor will sign on behalf of the KCD.

Why does the Linux Foundation need to be named on the insurance?

The Linux Foundation also has an inherent risk by (1) running the KCD community event program and (2) by allowing the use of CNCF’s likeness since this is a CNCF program. The insurance clause is to support that The Linux Foundation can recover damages from their insurance if something creates liability for us onsite at a KCD.

Why is there a registration limit? Can we increase the registration limit?

KCDs are designed to be small, community-focused events that foster a close-knit, intimate atmosphere. This allows for deeper connections, meaningful interactions, and a more engaging experience for all participants. By keeping attendance under 500 people, we ensure a relaxed and enjoyable environment without the pressures of large-scale conferences. This approach also maintains manageable sponsor expectations, allowing us to focus on the quality and personal touch that make a KCD special. Please note, necessary exceptions will be made on a case by case basis. Considerations will be based on regions and additional factors that affect an event. Exceptions must be CNCF-approved.

Can my KCD be a co-located event?


The short answer is yes, but you MUST use all the tools set forth by the CNCF including all registrations must be hosted through the CNCF approved and hosted registration platform.

Why is there a limit to the number of KCDs held per year?

The new limit of 30 KCDs held in one year is being implemented to (1) reduce competition between KCDs in the same region and to (2) allow CNCF to provide financial and other types of support to approved KCDs.We are also looking to scale the program in the future based on lessons learned in 2025.

When and how will I receive a notification that my KCD is approved and ready for planning?

We will be notifying you via email, and will set up a kick-off call. A member of the CNCF team will then create a GitHub issue once a kick-off meeting has occurred. GitHub issues created by anyone outside of CNCF staff will be deleted (or closed if a legacy KCD). Please refer to this question for how the submission process works for those who have already submitted a GitHub issue for 2025.