As 2025 comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the Xtreme Online Conferences we produced this year – XtremeJ, XtremeJS, and XtremePython. These events once again proved the strength of the global developer community and its appetite for learning, discussion, and challenge. At the same time, they offered valuable lessons that will shape what comes next. Looking ahead to 2026, the Xtreme family will grow: alongside XtremeJ, XtremeJS, and XtremePython, we will launch XtremeAI, bringing the total to four online conferences, each with a more explicit focus and sharper identity.
Gratitude to Our Global Community
First and foremost, my sincere thanks go to everyone who made these conferences possible. More than 40 speakers and panelists from around the world took part, contributing their expertise, experience, and time. In addition, many others worked behind the scenes to ensure each conference ran smoothly. The international scope and professional depth of these events would not have been possible without this collective effort, and I am deeply grateful for it.
Competitions: Lessons Learned
Each conference featured multiple competitions, aiming to engage attendees in different ways. In practice, however, this proved to be too much. Feedback showed that many participants were not enthusiastic about the competitive programming challenges, and the overall experience suffered from having too many parallel competitions. The conclusion is clear: going forward, each conference will host a single, well-designed competition. Another important takeaway concerns prizes. In 2026, prizes should be more meaningful, and I openly invite companies to consider sponsoring high-value rewards that truly reflect participants’ efforts.
Xperts Panels and a Clearer Focus
We hosted an Xperts Panel in each conference, and while the discussions were insightful, their conclusions were remarkably similar—especially around the influence of AI on coding. This has led to a strategic decision: future XtremeJ, XtremeJS, and XtremePython conferences will no longer host panels focused on AI’s impact on software development. That topic deserves a dedicated stage. From now on, discussions about AI’s influence on coding will be centralized within the XtremeAI conference, while the other conferences will focus on domain-specific topics relevant to their ecosystems.
2026 Conference Websites Are Live
Planning for 2026 is already well underway. The websites for all four conferences are now live. Check them out at https://xtremej.dev, https://xtremejs.dev, https://xtremepython.dev, and https://xtremeai.dev. Each website includes initial information and will continue to evolve as we approach the events.
The Call for Papers is Open
The Call for Papers for all four 2026 conferences is officially open. Speakers interested in contributing can find detailed information and submission guidelines at:
https://tinyurl.com/xtreme2026. I warmly encourage practitioners, educators, and industry experts to submit proposals and be part of the next chapter.
Producing the Xtreme conferences is a continuous learning process, and 2025 provided both validation and valuable insights. I am excited about refining the format, sharpening the focus, and expanding the community in 2026. As always, I would be glad to hear your thoughts, feedback, and ideas. These conferences exist for the community – and they grow stronger through open dialogue and shared vision.
