Speaker Guide

FinOps X 2026 Call for Proposals (CFP): NOW CLOSED

Review this Speaker Guide to better understand our guidelines and expectations for becoming a Speaker or Chalk Talk Co-Facilitator.

Content sessions are generally classified into one of two broad areas: FinOps Topics (current themes in FinOps that inform Foundation activities and Framework improvements), or FinOps Capabilities (from the FinOps Framework).

Topic examples are shown below, and the full list is available on the FinOps Topics page.

• FinOps for AI: Planning for, estimating, allocating, optimizing, and reporting on the cost of AI services that have token-based usage and cost models
• AI for FinOps: Using AI agents and MCP-connected services to augment and enhance FinOps practices
• Data Cloud Platforms: Managing technology spend from Data Clouds, like BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake, and Databricks, and more
• FinOps Scopes: Managing technology spend to include SaaS, PaaS, licensing, data center, private cloud costs, and more
• Optimizing for Value: Advanced-level optimization, cost governance, and unit economics at enterprise scale
• FinOps-Enabled Executive Decisions: The alignment between FinOps practices and data with executives to drive value-based technology decisions
• Adopting FOCUS: The unifying format for cloud bills with native support from all four major cloud providers
• Public Sector: Industry specific challenges include more restrictive funding processes, defining the value of cloud spending without profit or revenue incentives plus mandates and regulatory restrictions

You can also align your session proposal with a FinOps Capability from the FinOps Framework.

Watch previous FinOps X Breakout Sessions to get a better idea of how to address and speak to these topics.

Session Types

Choose which type of session you would like to propose. FinOps X features three types of content formats:

• Breakout Sessions: 45-minute presentations including Q&A (Practitioner, End-Users only)
• Chalk Talks: 1.5-hour moderated workshops and discussions (Practitioner, End-Users only)
• Lightning Talks: Short talks on a various FinOps Topics and Capabilities (Open to all roles)

These formats cover FinOps best practices and cater to various ways practitioners and the community want to learn.

Session Experience Levels

Submissions have now closed. Email cfp@finops.org if you have any questions regarding speaker proposals.

Tell Data-driven Stories

We use a range of levels to help attendees find the most appropriate content for their experience level. FinOps X tends to focus on advanced sessions, including tangible examples of business outcomes from longstanding practices, real world experiences (and consequences), and technical deep-dives into key topics.

• 100 – Introductory: These talks define FinOps subject matter, topics, which include key considerations, challenges and activities.
• 200 – Intermediate: These talks add more depth and data to FinOps subject matter and topics, including details on actionable steps and data examples (e.g. dashboards, reports), and how they affected your organization.
• 300 – Advanced: These talks dive deeply into specific Topics, Domains or Capabilities, citing real-world examples, architecture diagrams, extensibility, code or video of workings.

Focusing on Speaker Diversity

Make sure to have actionable points for the audience and share real-world examples and data. Secure proper permissions or attributions to use data examples in your sessions. Speakers may choose to anonymize data or redact sensitive things in order to still use data to support their topics.

Use findings from the State of FinOps annual survey to support your talk. We also encourage speakers to reference and cite past FinOps Foundation materials to help us grow our body of knowledge.

Creating Safe Spaces for Discussion

The FinOps Foundation welcomes stories and lessons from practitioners of all walks of life. We encourage organizations to support diversity with speaker representation, including other FinOps personas from underrepresented groups. Speaking with a co-speaker can broaden the perspectives shared at the event, but please ensure any panel submissions (3 or more speakers) are not all-male (per Linux Foundation guidance).

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Chosen speakers will be supported and encouraged to take the Linux Foundation’s free inclusive speaker training, preparing them to build a safe, welcoming, and thoughtful space during FinOps X.