Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) Europe is the European flagship event of OSGeo - an open, grassroots and dynamic community. We are looking for novel and original submissions on development, use, and advocacy for FOSS4G over a wider array of topics ranging from state-of-software to specific use cases, from building and sustaining an inclusive community to running a successful business around FOSS4G technology, from software technical details to democratic processes and policy making.

Whether you are a seasoned FOSS4Ger or it is your first time presenting, we welcome all contributions - the conference and the FOSS4G community at large flourishes on knowledge and experience shared by diverse voices.

As this is the European regional OSGeo event we are in particular seeking to create dialogue and discussion on developments, opportunities and challenges for the European OSGeo community. As we live in an interconnected world, we are also eager to give space to learning from global perspectives and foster exchange going beyond European borders.

Please keep in mind this is a Free and Open Source Software conference. Submissions promoting restricted license / closed source software will not be accepted.

Session types

• A regular talk is allocated to a 30 minute slot: 20 minutes for the talk, 5 minutes for questions and answers, and 5 minutes for the participants to change rooms and next speaker setup.

• A lightning talk is a 5 minute speaker slot, with 4 minutes for the talk, and 1 minute for the next speaker setup.

Guidelines

There are no formal indications when preparing your contribution for the conference, but please consider the following suggestions:

• FOSS4G is - first and foremost - about open source, so make sure you clearly indicate which projects are essential in your talk

• If your talk is about developments in or a completely new project, please point to the appropriate repository (or repositories)

• Your talk would not be about development of software? Yes! Although software development is in the heart of FOSS4G it is not the only purpose of the conference. The goal is to bring together developers and users, policy makers and open community advocates over the broad sphere of geospatial to share experiences and showcase the power and reach of free and open source software.

• Although we expect many different languages to be present at the conference, the working language for the event is English.

• The more suitable the selection of topic, theme and technical complexity are, the better shaped the final program will be. So, please, help us optimize your time and make the best out of the conference.

• Although we are working hard to provide you with good internet connectivity at the venue, please don’t rely solely on it during your presentation. Things tend to break exactly at the moment of live demonstrations.

• We believe in equality, therefore please keep in mind the talk slot lengths when preparing your presentation. But at the same time be prepared that the hallway discussions on your presentation might continue until the early hours of the morning.

• FOSS4G is an open community of people from various, diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. This is what makes us strong and we care for each other’s well-being. Please keep in mind that a derogatory attitude towards other people or their work is not welcome.

• We are working on making streaming of presentations a reality, however the conference presenters would be expected to be on-site

• And lastly, the success of this event lies in the responsible actions of all participants and organizers alike. If you have confirmed your participation but later on you or none of the co-authors are no longer able to present, please let us know as soon as possible.

Review process

FOSS4G Europe is a community event and therefore the selection of talks will be predominantly based on an open community voting process. The highest-scoring talks will automatically be included in the program, while others will be reviewed by the FOSS4G 2024 Europe volunteer Program Committee.

We will make sure that the conference program will be well-balanced and diverse. Moreover, the Program Committee will work hard to ensure that every OSGeo project has its proper representation. If you are part of some FOSS4G project and want to propose a special session, contact us to make sure we consider the proposal carefully.