Back to blog
EventsCommunityChurConfCommunity Over Code

Java and Apache open source communities unite for first ChurConf Sydney and Community Over Code Sydney, November 18–19, 2026

Conference · 1 October 2026

Sydney, Australia – October 1, 2026 – For the first time, two community-first conferences are coming together in Sydney: ChurConf Sydney, the International Java Conference’s Australian debut, and Community Over Code Sydney 2026, the Apache Software Foundation’s flagship open source event. Both take place November 18–19, 2026 at Stone & Chalk Tech Central, bringing Java practitioners and Apache open source builders into a shared, vendor-neutral space.

The partnership reflects a simple idea: modern software runs on open source, and the JVM ecosystem is one of its strongest pillars. ChurConf’s community-first, city-by-city Java conference meets Community Over Code’s ASF tradition—talks selected on merit, grounded in real production experience, and open to anyone who contributes to, maintains, builds on, or relies on open source software.

“Open source underpins nearly all modern software, and this event is about both sides of that: the technology and the practice,” the Community Over Code Sydney organisers note—covering the JVM and enterprise ecosystems, data and cloud infrastructure, emerging technologies, and engineering craft, alongside the communities, governance, and culture that keep open source sustainable.

A strong speaker lineup across the Java and open source ecosystem

ChurConf Sydney’s announced speakers span enterprise Java, Quarkus, Jakarta EE, JVM performance, AI tooling, and production troubleshooting—drawn from organisations that shape how Java is built and run in the real world:

Phillip Kruger, Quarkus core contributor at Red Hat, presents Teaching AI Agents to Speak Quarkus. A Principal Software Engineer and creator of tools including the Quarkus Dev UI and the Chappie AI assistant, Kruger brings deep experience in cloud-native Java and developer experience.

Ivar Grimstad, Jakarta EE Developer Advocate at the Eclipse Foundation, delivers Augmenting AI with the Power of Jakarta EE. A Java Champion and PMC Lead for Eclipse Enterprise for Java (EE4J), Grimstad represents the Eclipse Foundation on the JCP Executive Committee and is a frequent voice for enterprise Java worldwide.

Gerrit Grunwald, Java Champion at Azul Systems, shares Scotty I need Warp Speed – Ways to improve the JVM startup/warmup. Founder of the Java User Group Münster, JavaOne Rockstar, and IBM Champion, Grunwald has been coding for around four decades and remains a tireless open source advocate.

Frederik Pietzko, Developer Advocate at JetBrains, talks Thinking in Tables: Replacing Hibernate Magic with Exposed Logic in Spring Boot, bringing a practical lens on data access and Spring Boot development.

Varsha Das, Developer Advocate at Amazon, presents Your REST API Already Speaks AI — Building MCP Servers in Java, focusing on the production-grade layer Java teams can build for AI agents—drawing on 7+ years across healthcare and fintech and a growing presence at events such as MCP Dev Summit India and GIDS.

Ram Lakshmanan, founder of yCrash, covers JFR ❤ AI — Ultimate Combo for Troubleshooting. An architect behind large-scale banking and travel systems used across North America, Lakshmanan advises startups, Fortune 500 enterprises, and governmental organisations on critical technology initiatives.

Mihaela Gheorghe-Roman, Software Architect at Systematic, presents Unlocking Java’s Code Maze. With a Ph.D. in artificial neural network algorithms and more than 13 years across telecom and defence, she brings architecture depth grounded in production Java and related stacks.

Daniel Sagenschneider, creator of OfficeFloor, delivers Code Your AI Agent Can Actually Read: Explicit Function Orchestration in Spring Boot. Drawing on nearly 30 years of enterprise Java and the Inversion of Coupling Control pattern, Sagenschneider explores function orchestration as an alternative to layered application architecture.

Additional speakers will be announced as the programme continues to take shape. Community Over Code Sydney runs two streams across themes including Modern JVM & Enterprise Technologies, Data, Streaming and Search, Software Engineering Craft, Open Source Culture & Community, and Emerging Technologies.

Community partners

ChurConf Sydney is backed by local and global community partners, including the Sydney Java User Group, the Bulgarian Java User Group, and the Apache Software Foundation—underscoring that this is a community gathering first, not a vendor showcase.

Tickets and venue

Both events share the same venue and dates:

Stone & Chalk Tech Central
Level 1/477 Pitt Street, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia

Ticketing for the colocated conferences is managed via Community Over Code. Registration is open now. Until October 19, 2026, early-bird pricing is US$175; after that, general admission is US$350.

About ChurConf

ChurConf is the International Java Conference—community-first, city by city. After launching in Auckland, ChurConf continues in Sydney in partnership with Community Over Code, bringing developers, speakers, and companies together for talks grounded in real Java and open source practice. Learn more at https://churconf.com/.

About Community Over Code and The Apache Software Foundation

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is the global home for open source software, powering some of the world’s most ubiquitous software projects. Established in 1999, the ASF advances software for the public good. Learn more at https://apache.org.

The ASF’s Community Over Code event is where open source technologists convene to share best practices and use cases, forge critical relationships, and learn about advancements in their field: https://communityovercode.org/.

© The Apache Software Foundation. “Apache” is a registered trademark or trademark of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.