Merge Conference 2026

Grand Rapids, MI May 08, 2026

https://merge.softwaregr.org/

CFP closes at  February 22, 2026 09:25 UTC
  (Local)

Merge will be held in Grand Rapids, MI on May 8th, 2026. Merge is a single-day conference for software practitioners: The developers, designers, operators, and product managers involved with delivering software. Our mission is to elevate the practice of building effective software. We think software is important to the long-term success of West Michigan, and the broader region. It’s critical to our ability to complete nationally and globally.

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Conference Date: May 8, 2026 Call for Papers Due Date: February 22, 2026 Speakers Notified: March 6, 2026 Theme: AI at Work: Practical Intelligence for Software Teams

Merge Conference: Connecting Code, Design, and Product is where product managers, designers, and developers come together to explore the overlaps between their disciplines and build exceptional software as one team. Our theme for 2026, “AI at Work: Practical Intelligence for Software Teams,” focuses on the real-world integration of AI into how we build software—not the hype, but what actually works. Through engaging talks and networking, the Merge Conference empowers teams to navigate the evolving landscape of AI-assisted development, design, and product management to craft better software, and better outcomes, together.

Are you working at the intersection of AI and software development? Merge is seeking speakers to share practical insights around “AI at Work: Practical Intelligence for Software Teams.” We’re looking for talks that explore how teams are actually using AI in their workflows, from code review to prototyping, from product discovery to accessible design.

CFP Description

Speaking Logistics

We offer two speaking formats:

  • Main Stage Talks (45 minutes): Deep dives into your experiences, methodologies, and lessons learned
  • Lightning Talks (5 minutes): Got a 5-minute lightning talk that doesn’t fit the AI theme? Submit it anyway—we love a good ‘extracurricular’ lightning talk to keep the energy high and the ideas flowing.

While we’ve provided example topics below, we encourage you to surprise us! Share your unique perspective and experiences that could help teams work better with AI. Whether you’re a product manager, designer, developer, or someone who works across these disciplines, we want to hear your story. We’re looking for real experiences and practical insights, not sales pitches. While we love hearing about tools and technologies you’ve used, talks focused primarily on promoting a specific product or service won’t be accepted.

Speakers receive complimentary admission and an invitation to our speaker dinner.

Merge is a regional, in-person conference, but we’d love to connect with speakers based in the US and Canada who can join us in Grand Rapids.

To keep our event accessible and sustainable, we’re limiting our speaker pool to those based in the United States and Canada.

Example Topics

  • Designing for Uncertainty: UX Patterns for AI-Powered Features
  • AI-Assisted Code Review: What Actually Works
  • AI Pair Programming: Lessons from Real Teams
  • AI-Powered Prototyping: Accelerating the Design-Dev Cycle
  • When Not to Use AI: A Product Decision Framework
  • AI Product Discovery: Using LLMs to Understand Your Users
  • Accessibility and AI: Building Inclusive Intelligent Interfaces
  • The Human Review Layer: Designing Oversight Into AI Workflows

Submit your presentation no later than February 22, 2026! You’ll hear back from us by March 6th, 2026.

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