CFP Landscape for a First-Time Laravel Speaker Targeting Laracon US 2027

Researched May 18, 2026. Verify all deadlines before acting — conference schedules shift.

1. Laracon US 2026

Date: July 28–29, 2026 Location: SoWa Power Station, 550 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118 Source: https://laracon.us/

CFP Status: OPEN — There is a public CFP. The call is framed as "Calling builders who ship. Come share the story behind your work." Submit at https://lrvl.co/laracon-us-cfp (redirects to a Notion form). No closing deadline was publicly posted as of this research.

How speakers are selected: A mix of curated invites (Taylor Otwell, Aaron Francis, Nuno Maduro, Kent C. Dodds were on the initial announced slate) plus CFP submissions. The announced speakers suggest the curation tier is reserved for well-known community figures. The CFP tier is where an unknown speaker could land.

Talk genres in 2025 (Denver) — proxy for 2026 tone:

Taylor Otwell keynote (framework state-of-the-union)
Framework-specific deep dives (Pest 4, Livewire 4, Prism and AI)
Philosophical/manifesto talks ("You Can Just Do Things," "AI Will Not Replace You")
UI/craftsmanship ("Making It Feel Right")
Technical case studies (design patterns, Git workflows)
Cross-ecosystem speakers (Evan You / Vue, Adam Wathan / Tailwind, Jeffrey Way / Laracasts)

The program leans heavily toward talks that are either (a) Taylor-tier announcements or (b) opinionated, inspiring, story-driven talks that connect a technical insight to a broader developer mindset. Pure tutorial talks ("here is how to use X feature") are underrepresented at the main stage.

Laracon EU 2026 (already occurred, March 2-3, Amsterdam): Technical deep dives, practical guides, and product showcases. More purely technical than US. Source: https://laracon.eu/

ACTION: If you want a 2026 slot, submit the CFP NOW. The event is July 28-29. Even if you do not land 2026, submitting establishes your name in the system and gives you feedback. Go to https://laracon.us/ and click "Apply to speak."

2. Laracon US 2027

Announced date/venue: NOT YET ANNOUNCED as of May 2026.

Historical pattern: 2024 New York. 2025 Denver (July 29-30). 2026 Boston (July 28-29). Taylor Otwell announced on X in January 2026: "Laracon US venue and dates will be announced at Laracon EU." Since Laracon EU 2026 ran March 2-3, the 2027 US announcement could come at Laracon EU 2027 (likely February-March 2027). The city rotates; Taylor called 2026 a "totally new city." Source: https://x.com/taylorotwell/status/1882146486261297407

CFP for 2027: Almost certainly will follow the same model — a mix of curated invites plus a public CFP. Based on 2026, the CFP typically opens when the event is announced (roughly 4-5 months before the conference). Expect it to open around March 2027 if the pattern holds.

Is it invite-only? No — there is a public CFP. But Taylor and co curate the headliner/keynote slots independently. The "keynote" slot (the opening talk each day) goes to known community figures. The CFP feeds the regular session slots. A first-time speaker can realistically land a session slot via CFP; the keynote slot requires being known first.

ACTION: Watch @LaraconUS on X and laravel-news.com/events. The 2027 CFP will likely open January-March 2027. When it opens, you want to already have: one or two talks on record (Laracon Online, AU, or a regional conference), and some community visibility (podcast appearances, OSS contributions, blog traction).

3. Laracon EU 2027

Announced date: NOT YET ANNOUNCED as of May 2026.

2026 edition: March 2-3, 2026, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. Source: https://laracon.eu/ Historical pattern: Always Amsterdam, always late February/early March. EU typically announces well ahead — the 2026 dates were announced in May 2025 via @LaraconEU on X.

CFP for 2026: Was public (via Typeform). No speaker fee. Travel/accommodation not confirmed in the CFP listing. The CFP closed around March 2, 2026 (the conference start date itself, suggesting it was a rolling/early CFP that closed when the lineup was locked). Source: https://cfp.watch/cfps/2026-laracon-eu/

CFP for 2027: No announcement yet. Based on history, watch for a 2027 date announcement from @LaraconEU in late 2026 (possibly at Laracon US 2026 in July or Laracon AU in November), with CFP opening shortly after.

ACTION: Follow @LaraconEU on X. When the 2027 CFP opens, submit. EU is slightly more technical in tone than US — talks on database optimization, architecture, and framework internals land well there. The EU audience tolerates longer technical arguments.

4. Laracon Online

Current status: ON STANDBY. The laracon.net site says "status: standby — we'll keep you posted" and "Could it come back? Honestly... maybe." There is no confirmed next event date.

Historical format (last known active edition):

Free on YouTube
18 speakers total: 8 main talks (40 minutes each) and 10 lightning talks (15 minutes each)
Taylor Otwell keynote on state of Laravel
CFP was via Google Form (discovered from a 2022 Laravel News article announcing open submissions)
Source: https://laravel-news.com/laracon-online-is-now-accepting-speaker-submissions

Probability assessment: Laracon Online historically was a lower-barrier entry point for first-time speakers. If it returns, a 15-minute lightning talk slot would be the highest-probability first talk at a Laracon-branded event.

ACTION: Watch laracon.net and @LaraconUS. If Laracon Online resumes, submit immediately for a lightning talk slot. The Google Form CFP pattern suggests minimal friction to apply.

5. Laracon AU and Laracon India

Laracon AU 2026

Date: November 4-6, 2026 (Day 0 workshops on November 4) Location: Brisbane, Australia CFP Status: CFP closed April 17, 2026. Speakers will be announced. 2026 focus: Deep technical content — practical architecture, production patterns, scaling queues, resilient design, performance tuning. Explicitly welcoming first-time speakers: "Whether you're an experienced presenter or stepping on stage for the first time." Source: https://laravel-news.com/laracon-au-returns-for-2026 and https://laracon.au/

For 2027: Historically runs annually in Brisbane in November. Watch laracon.au for the 2027 CFP announcement, likely mid-2027.

ACTION FOR 2027: This is one of the most first-time-speaker-friendly Laracon events. The CFP is public and the organizers explicitly encourage new speakers. Target this for your first Laracon-branded conference talk. The technical focus (architecture, production patterns) aligns well with an AI-tooling talk if it emphasizes real-world implementation.

Laracon India

2026 edition: January 31-February 1, 2026, Gujarat (GUCEC). Over 1,000 attendees, 20+ speakers, open CFP, 185+ international attendees from 20+ countries. Source: https://acquaintsoft.com/blog/from-attendee-to-speaker-laracon-india 2027 edition: March 20-21, 2027, Goa. CFP appears open — site has "Propose a Talk" button. Source: https://laracon.in/

ACTION: Laracon India 2027 CFP appears active NOW. Visit https://laracon.in/ and click "Propose a Talk." This is a legitimate Laracon-branded event with Taylor Otwell keynotes and an international audience. Geographic distance means less competition from Western-hemisphere applicants.

6. Adjacent PHP Venues Active in 2026-2027

php[tek] 2026

Date: May 19-21, 2026 (PAST — already occurred) Location: Sheraton O'Hare, Rosemont, IL (Chicago area) CFP Status: CLOSED — "Speaker selection is complete." For 2027: Watch https://phptek.io/ for a 2027 announcement. Historically runs in May. CFP typically opens in late fall. Source: https://phptek.io/

Longhorn PHP 2026

Date: October 15-16, 2026 (tutorial day Oct 15, main conference Oct 16) Location: Austin, TX CFP Status: OPEN until June 30, 2026, 11:59pm Central Submit at: https://cfp.longhornphp.com/ Speaker perks: Hotel covered (3 nights), airfare covered for out-of-state speakers. Source: https://cfp.longhornphp.com/

ACTION: Submit NOW. Deadline is June 30, 2026. This is a legitimate PHP conference in the US with travel covered. A Laravel/AI-tooling talk fits the audience. This is a high-value rep for your speaker resume before targeting Laracon US.

Madison PHP

Status: CFP portal exists at https://cfp.madisonphpconference.com/ but 2026 dates/deadline not confirmed in research. Portal appears accessible. ACTION: Check https://cfp.madisonphpconference.com/ directly for 2026 status.

Laravel Live UK 2026

Date: June 18-19, 2026, Shaw Theatre, London CFP Deadline: June 1, 2026 — LIKELY CLOSED (deadline was June 1, event is June 18) Source: https://laravel-news.com/laravel-live-uk-2026 For 2027: Watch https://laravellive.uk/ — strong first-time-speaker venue with 350+ attendees.

Laravel Live Denmark 2026

Date: August 20-21, 2026, Copenhagen (Werkstatt at Reffen) CFP Deadline: March 15, 2026 — CLOSED Notable: Taylor Otwell x DHH fireside chat. 16 speakers. 300+ attendees. Source: https://laravel-news.com/laravel-live-denmark-returns-to-copenhagen-in-august-2026 For 2027: Watch https://laravellive.dk/ — worth targeting for 2027.

php[world]

Status: No active 2026 event found in research. The conference has had gaps in its schedule. Cannot confirm it is running in 2026-2027. ACTION: Check https://phpworld.com/ directly to verify current status.

International PHP Conference Berlin

Date: June 8-12, 2026 (and Munich October 26-30, 2026) Note: Broad PHP/web audience, not Laravel-specific. Useful for reach. Source: https://phpconference.com/

7. Practice Venues for a First-Time Speaker

Laravel Worldwide Meetup

The official Laravel online meetup at https://meetup.laravel.com/. Monthly cadence. Submit via a simple form (Full name, Email, Proposal). No visible CFP bureaucracy — the lowest-friction way to give your first talk to a live Laravel audience. This should be your FIRST stop.

Upcoming event noted: April 28 at 16:00 UTC — "I Didn't Know Laravel Could Do That" by Jim Seconde. The meetup accepts rolling talk proposals.

ACTION: Submit a talk proposal at https://meetup.laravel.com/ this week. Getting one of these monthly slots puts you in front of thousands of Laravel devs with minimal risk.

Regional Meetups

Active groups in 2026: Laravel Germany (Frankfurt, meetup May 21), Laravel Copenhagen, Laravel Toronto (198 members), Laravel Vienna (Frameworkers), Laravel Serbia (online and live), Laravel Stockholm. Find them at https://www.meetup.com/topics/laravel/ and the official list at https://laravel.com/community.

ACTION: Find your nearest active group and offer to speak. Local meetups are no-pressure, no-stakes reps.

Podcasts — How to Get On

Laravel News Podcast (podcast.laravel-news.com) — covers ecosystem news, interviews makers. No public guest submission form; DM @laravelnews on X with a specific angle/story.
North Meets South Web Podcast (northmeetssouth.audio) — hosted by Jake Bennett and Michael Dyrynda. Discussion-based, occasional guests. DM either host directly on X.
The Business of Laravel (businessoflaravel.com) — interviews Laravel entrepreneurs and educators. Relevant if the AI-tooling talk has a business angle.
Laravel Creator Spotlight — featured Aaron Francis early; look for similar community interview shows.

The pitch formula: "I have a 10-year perspective on Laravel" is not a pitch. "I reduced deploy-day regression rate by 60% using LLM-assisted code review built on Laravel — here is exactly how" is a pitch. Be specific, lead with the outcome.

Written Presence

Post on the Laracasts forum and the official Laravel Discord
Submit articles to Laravel News (check laravel-news.com for contributor guidelines)
Publish detailed write-ups on personal blog, then submit to the Laravel Weekly newsletter
Written pieces that get shared build credibility before a conference slot

8. Realistic Path to a Laracon US Keynote

Probability of a cold CFP submission landing the keynote slot at Laracon US: near zero.

The keynote at Laracon US is not a CFP slot. It is a curated invite to a known community figure. Look at the evidence: Aaron Francis (MC in 2025, "You Can Just Do Things" opener) was visible for years of OSS work, content creation, and a strong X presence before appearing on the Laracon US stage. He did not apply for his first slot — he was invited because the community already knew who he was. He described his approach: "lift people up," "stay positive," "share what you're doing" — three years of intentional public output from 2021-2024 before becoming the Laracon MC. Source: https://laravel.com/blog/you-can-just-do-things-the-artisan-of-the-day-is-aaron-francis

The actual path:

Phase 1: Build a public record (now, months 0-6)

Write 3-5 high-quality technical posts demonstrating your specific angle (AI tooling, 10-year production experience, concrete results)
Contribute to a visible OSS Laravel package, or publish one of your own
Give your talk at the Laravel Worldwide Meetup (online, accessible now)

Phase 2: Get podcast reps (months 6-12)

Appear on North Meets South, Business of Laravel, or Laravel News Podcast
A podcast appearance where you say something interesting gets quoted, spread, and remembered

Phase 3: Regional conference first talk (2026)

Longhorn PHP — CFP closes June 30, 2026. Submit now.
Aim for 1-2 in-person conference talks by end of 2026

Phase 4: Laracon-branded first talk (target 2027)

Laracon India 2027 (Goa, March 20-21) — CFP appears open now at laracon.in
Laracon AU 2027 — explicitly first-time-speaker friendly; CFP opens ~mid-2027
A good Laracon India or Laracon AU talk that gets shared on X moves the needle

Phase 5: Laracon US session slot (2027 or 2028)

With 1-2 conference talks on record plus podcast presence plus OSS visibility, a Laracon US CFP submission becomes plausible
The talk needs a strong story arc and a counterintuitive insight — not a feature walkthrough

Phase 6: Keynote (2028-2029 realistic horizon)

Keynotes go to people Taylor already knows and trusts to open or close the show
You need to be someone whose work people follow, not just someone who gave a good talk once
The path runs through being genuinely known in the community: OSS packages people use, content people share, conversations people remember

The honest benchmark: Aaron Francis spent roughly 3 years of intentional public output before becoming the Laracon US MC. Your 10 years of experience is the raw material; the next step is making it visible.

Quick-Reference Action Table

Venue	Deadline	Status	Action
Laracon US 2026 CFP	Not posted (event July 28)	OPEN	Submit at laracon.us now
Longhorn PHP 2026 CFP	June 30, 2026	OPEN	Submit at cfp.longhornphp.com NOW
Laracon India 2027 CFP	Not posted (event March 2027)	Appears open	Submit at laracon.in now
Laravel Worldwide Meetup	Rolling	Always open	Submit at meetup.laravel.com this week
Laracon AU 2027 CFP	~mid-2027	Not open yet	Watch laracon.au
Laravel Live Denmark 2027	~early 2027	Not open yet	Watch laravellive.dk
Laracon EU 2027 CFP	~late 2026/early 2027	Not open yet	Watch @LaraconEU
Laracon US 2027 CFP	~March 2027	Not open yet	Watch laracon.us
Laravel Live UK 2027	~early 2027	Not open yet	Watch laravellive.uk
Podcast pitches	Now	Always	DM @laravelnews, @jakebennet, @michaeldyrynda

Sources used in this research: