Architect Your Own Experience: Creating Your Individual JCON 2026 Journey

The JCON EUROPE 2026, taking place from April 20 to 23 at the Cinedom Multiplex Cinema in Cologne, consistently focuses on a format that offers participants maximum flexibility. Instead of a fixed schedule, the individual design of one’s own conference experience takes center stage.

With a wide range of sessions, formats, and networking opportunities, visitors can decide for themselves which content, conversations, and contacts they want to focus on.

The central foundation for this is the JCON Schedule: participants can create their personal agenda, bookmark relevant sessions, and organize targeted 1:1 meetings with speakers or exhibitors. This turns the conference into something that is not just consumed, but actively shaped—depending on individual interests, projects, and professional priorities.

Direct Access to Leading Java Experts

A central component of JCON is the direct exchange with international top speakers. In the Mentorship Hub, participants have the opportunity to speak in small groups with Java Champions such as Bruno Souza, as well as other experienced developers, architects, and open-source contributors.

These sessions offer a rare opportunity to discuss specific technical questions, challenge architectural decisions, or address personal career questions directly with leading figures of the Java community.

In addition, individual meetings with speakers can be arranged to deepen specific topics in a targeted manner.

Alongside this direct exchange, current technological developments in particular are brought into focus at the conference.

Premium AI Track: AI in Production Use

With the new Premium AI Track*, JCON sets a clear focus on the practical use of artificial intelligence in Java systems.

On two conference days (April 21–22), deep-dive sessions are offered in a dedicated cinema auditorium, specifically aimed at teams that want to integrate AI into production applications.

The focus is on real-world challenges such as architecture, integration, and operation of AI systems—not theoretical concepts, but concrete solutions for use in enterprise environments.

At the core are, among others, the following sessions:

• Local Development in the AI Era (Kevin Dubois, IBM)
  Shows how AI models can be run locally and integrated into development processes—with a focus on control, costs, data privacy, and reproducible setups.
• Seven Habits of Highly Effective AI Java Coding (Jonathan Vila, Sonar)
  Best practices for the productive use of AI coding tools in Java projects—with a particular focus on code quality, maintainability, and responsible use.
• Design Patterns for Multi-Agent Systems (Brian Sam-Bodden, Redis)
  Comparison of different architectural approaches for agent-based AI systems—including concrete patterns such as routing, planner–critic loops, and tool integration.

Hands-on Introduction: The Workshop Day

Even before the official start, the conference begins on April 20 with a dedicated Workshop Day*.

Across a total of eight workshops, held in two time slots, participants work directly on concrete tasks and apply technologies in practice. The focus is clearly on hands-on experience.

Limited seats ensure a focused learning environment, allowing participants to deepen their understanding of the topics.

Key highlights include, in particular, workshops such as:

• Caching and Beyond – Smarter Data Processing with Java (Christian Kümmel)
  Focus on performance, efficient data processing, and scalable architectures—with direct relevance to real enterprise applications.
• Building Powerful GenAI Apps with Pure Java (Florian Habermann)
  A practice-oriented introduction to generative AI within the Java stack—without dependency on other programming languages.
• Think AI is Only for Python? Think Again (Don Bourne & Michal Brož, IBM)
  The workshop shows how machine learning and AI workloads can be implemented productively within the Java ecosystem.
• Modernizing Java Applications with AI Assisted Workflows (Bruno Borges & Sandra Ahlgrimm, Microsoft)
  Concrete strategies for modernizing existing systems—supported by AI-driven analysis and transformation tools.

Interactive Sessions and Direct Participation

During the sessions, participants can submit and prioritize questions via Slido. The most relevant questions are picked up and discussed live.

The JCON program is complemented by formats such as the Tessl & JAVAPRO Interview Booth, where Baruch Sadogursky conducts conversations with speakers on key conference topics as well as on technology, innovation, business, and culture.

At the same time, Frank Delporte (Foojay) speaks with participants on site and brings their perspectives and experiences into podcast formats.

Networking and Community

In addition to the sessions, JCON offers numerous opportunities for informal exchange. The Happy Hour on two evenings as well as the VIP event specifically create space for conversations with speakers, Java Champions, and other participants.

The expo area also focuses on exchange and discussion, complemented by live demos and direct conversations with technology providers and open-source projects.

Free Tickets and Participation

Participation in JCON EUROPE 2026 is free of charge for many members of the Java community, including JUG members, JAVAPRO readers, authors, and JCON alumni.

A JCON 3 Day Full-Conference Pass* can be booked free of charge using the code JAVAPRO!

For participants from commercial companies, the JCON 3-day full-conference pass* costs 699 EUR (plus VAT).

*Workshops and the Premium Track AI require an additional pass/upgrade.

Dates at a Glance

• Workshop Day: April 20, 2026
• Main Conference: April 21–23, 2026
• Premium AI Track: April 21–22, 2026
• VIP Event: April 22, 2026
• Happy Hour: April 21–22, 2026

Conclusion

JCON EUROPE 2026 combines technical content with direct access to experts, hands-on formats, and diverse networking opportunities. Participants can actively shape the conference and use it in a targeted way for their own goals.