What are we looking for?

SlashNEW 2025 is currently looking for speakers. We’ll be running over 2 days in May, Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29, at NEX in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. SlashNEW is a community-run, non-profit, 2-day 3-track conference that has sold out (400+ tickets) in the 2 years that it has run.

For SlashNEW 2025, we’ve designed the schedule to accommodate 45-minute talks. The topics you can present are as varied as the technology community; if you love it then we think we’ll love it. We’re welcoming talks by everyone, from first-time speakers to seasoned professionals. We know passionate people give the best talks and build the best atmosphere, so we want you to bring your whole self to present

Along with a variety of topics, we’re also after a variety of difficulty levels for talks. Our aim for the conference is to have something everyone can learn from. There are spaces for entry-level topics approachable to all audiences and deep, expert-level talks from domain experts. If you want to get more interactive with your audience, we’ve also catered for that; we’ll be running interactive sessions in a brand-new third room, so feel free to submit for that as well.

The Call for Papers closes at midnight on 31st January 2025. To give all submissions an equal chance, we will review papers after the deadline closes. You can expect to hear from us by the 28th of Feburary, 2025. If you have any questions in the meantime or need to amend your submission, please reach out to [email protected]

Our conference values diversity and inclusion, and we aim to amplify voices from all backgrounds. If you identify as part of an underrepresented group in tech or academia, we’d love for you to mention that in your proposal. While optional, this information will help us create a platform that welcomes a wide range of perspectives.

Before Submitting

Before submitting a presentation, please consider the following:  

  • You are welcome to submit at most 3 unique talks (i.e. each one in a different topic/category)
  • We have an enforced code of conduct to ensure a friendly atmosphere.
  • You will likely be speaking to an audience of between 50-150 people.
  • Your talk slot will be 45 minutes – you’re welcome to leave part of this time at the end to allow for questions. 
  • You are welcome to submit a talk with a co-presenter or as a team.
  • Presentations are not sales presentations although you are welcome to have a slide or two about yourself and your company.
  • You will probably have internet access, but you should have a backup plan in case it’s unavailable.
  • If your presentation gets voted in and you agree to present, then this is a serious commitment.
  • We will provide you with a free ticket to both days of the conference. Unfortunately, because we are non-profit and volunteer run, we are unable to cover travel and accommodation.  If your employer is able to cover your travel we are open to including that cost as part of a sponsorship discussion.

Ready to submit?

Submit a Paper

We are looking for speakers who want to share their passion and expertise with our vibrant community, we’d like to hear about what every your passionate about. If you’re looking for inspiration. In 2025, we have these focus areas:

Technical Deep-Dives
  • Architecture: design software meant to last
  • DevOps: Bridging the gap between Development and Operations
  • Front-End development: so much more than CSS
  • Demystifying Micro Front-End patterns: Creating scalable and modular front-end architectures
  • Cloud Architecture: Best Practices and Strategies for Scalable and Resilient Systems
  • Kubernetes: Orchestration and Scaling for Modern Applications
  • Open Source Software Development
  • Cybersecurity in a digital age
  • API design, functionality and security
  • Data analytics and visualisation: the good, the bad and the ugly
  • Game Development: tools for making the Next Indie Hit
  • Flearning; your personal experience building real software
  • Data pipelines: creating a no-leaks system
Product Development
  • Design: MVP to market-ready
  • Product development; how to find your niche
  • Human-Centered Design
  • UX – make your interactions memorable (for the right reasons)
  • Startups in a climate of uncertainty
  • Scaling manufacturing locally
  • How technology can improve accessibility for people with disabilities
  • The Role of Tech in Global Challenges
  • Space Exploration and Technology
Industries powered by technology
  • Everyday AI: Harness the power of AI in your business
  • Clean Energy and Technology
  • HealthTech – how to live better and longer with technology
  • Offshore wind: more than just hot air
  • Smartcities; how technology is changing the way we live
  • The rise of the social media giants; how our data feeds the beast
  • The recipe for a software unicorn
  • Business analysis; getting value out of the data that matters
  • Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Applications
Professional development and workplace skills
  • The Future of Work: Remote, Hybrid, and Beyond
  • Moving from IC to leadership
  • How to create high-performing, sustainable teams
  • Managing burnout
  • Overcoming conflict in teams
  • Modern development practices
  • Lean, XP, and Agile Methodologies
  • Managing projects in a post Agile world
  • Software Methodologies and Practices
  • Teams, people, roles and how we work.
  • Ethics in software development
  • Tech Career Development