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Fedora community event owner: Perry Rivera (primary) OpenSuSE community event associate: mir (support)
About
Fedora and openSUSE are planning to co-locate and attend the annual Data Con LA 2026 event. As mentioned by their website, it's "A full-day event covering data science, AI/ML, data engineering, business analytics, and data careers. Sessions are designed for everyone from high school students to seasoned industry experts. Multiple tracks, panels, keynotes, and networking — all for a fraction of what comparable conferences charge."
Data Con LA 2026—the 14th year of this Expo—takes place on August 22, 2026, in Long Beach, California, United States.
- Website: www.dataconla.com
- Location: California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, California, 90840, United States
- Time Zone: US Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), or UTC-7
- Schedule: 8/22/26
- Fedora Talks & Speakers: see below
- Format: In-person participation only
Duration and Location
1 day
California State University, Long Beach
33°46'37.5"N 118°06'47.3"W
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
United States
Fedora-approved hotel
12 minutes away from CSULB is the Residence Inn By Marriott Long Beach.
The conference does not appear to specify lodging on the website.
We encourage Fedora contributors to stay at the same hotel to foster community and simplify informal social gatherings throughout the week.
Visas
This information is provided as a guide and is not legal advice. All travelers are responsible for checking the most current regulations with an official U.S. government source, such as the U.S. Department of State or their local U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
All travelers entering the United States from a foreign country must have a valid passport. All international attendees are strongly advised to verify their specific U.S. entry requirements with their local U.S. Embassy or Consulate well in advance of Data Con LA 2026.
For the purpose of attending a conference or business event, travelers will typically require a B-1 Visitor Visa (for business) or, if eligible, authorization under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
Mexico
Mexican citizens are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program and must have a valid visa to enter the United States.
- B-1/B-2 Visa & Border Crossing Card (BCC): Most travelers from Mexico will use a Border Crossing Card (BCC), often called a "laser visa." This card functions as both a B-1/B-2 visitor visa and a BCC.
- Air Travel: If flying into an airport (like LAX or San Diego), the BCC (or a B-1/B-2 visa stamp in a passport) is sufficient. An I-94 Arrival/Departure Record will be issued upon entry, permitting travel anywhere in the U.S.
- Land Travel (crucial): If driving across the border, the BCC alone restricts travel to a limited zone (typically 25 miles from the border in California). Since the Raleigh Convention Center is outside this zone, travelers must stop at the port of entry, declare their intent to travel further, and obtain a Form I-94 to legally travel to other parts of the Unitd States.
- Application: The application process is the same for a B-1/B-2 visa (Form DS-160, fee payment, and an in-person interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Mexico). Wait times for appointments in Mexico are historically very long; apply early.
Canada
Canadian citizens generally do not need a visa to enter the U.S. for temporary business or tourism.
- Required Documents (By Air): A valid Canadian passport or a valid NEXUS card (when used at a designated NEXUS kiosk).
- Required Documents (By Land/Sea): A valid Canadian passport, NEXUS card, FAST card, or an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL).
- Permanent Residents: Please note that Canadian Permanent Residents who are not citizens of Canada are not visa-exempt. They must obtain a U.S. visa or, if eligible, an ESTA authorization based on their country of citizenship.
All other countries
Travelers from all other countries fall into two categories:
- Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Countries:
- Citizens of approximately 42 participating countries (such as the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and most European Union nations) do not need a visa for stays of 90 days or less.
- Travelers must have a valid e-passport and obtain an approved ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) online before traveling.
- An approved ESTA is typically valid for two years.
- Non-VWP Countries: At this time, we do not recommend citizens of Non-VWP Countries to travel to the United States.
Rationale
This rationale serves as a guide for event organizers and community members. The following questions are designed to make us think critically about why we attend All Things Open and how we measure our success. Continuously evaluating the impact of our outreach is essential. It helps us understand if we are effectively reaching our goals and provides the data we need to decide whether to continue investing budget and travel for Data Con LA 2026.
Why Attend?
Data Con LA 2026 covers a region that spans the Southern California area, but also may include guests commuting in worldwide. We as Ambassadors see the event as a focal point that draws visitors from all over the state of California and around the world. Since this event is located in a strategic geographical area, we provide Fedora outreach and education to the Greater Los Angeles area. Most of the attendees are from locations that have and participated in Linux User Groups locally as well as from neighboring states and countries.
Each year, we bring forth the vision that Fedora is more than just another distribution. We interact with guests to see how they find Fedora useful, versatile, and feature-rich in their daily lives and bring the Fedora community together. Also the venue is in proximity to Long Beach Airport (LGB), drawing locals, neighboring communities, and international guests.
Additionally, openSUSE coordinator Mir joins us this year to share expert perspective on the benefits of developing data science within Open Source distributions.
Our Focus & Activities
This section outlines the Fedora Ambassador Team's specific goals and activities for Data Con LA 2026. It covers what we demonstrate, the topics we discuss, and how we present the Fedora project and community to attendees.
We plan to share table space with openSUSE and provide demonstrations of the distribution and to entertain feedback and discussion. Our goal is to educate attendees about the various spins and environments available. General topics may include: Fedora Linux 44 and above, GNOME 50 and KDE Plasma 6.6 improvements, Linux Kernel improvements, DNF5, NTSYNC, TLS Certificate Handling and Faster Boot Times, Toolchain refresh (GCC 16.1 Prerelease, glibc 2.43, and more..).
Outreach & Onboarding
A key goal of attending is to grow our community. This section explains how our presence at Data Con LA 2026 helps us attract new users and contributors, and how the event fits into our pipeline for onboarding new people to the Fedora project.
We also plan to distribute Fedora swag items throughout the day.
Our enthusiasm to educate inspires guests to contribute their time and expertise to teach and help with Fedora and to give back to the community.
Measuring Our Impact
To ensure our efforts are effective, we must evaluate our success. This section details how the Fedora Ambassador Team measures the impact of our outreach at Data Con LA feedback to determine the value of our attendance for future years.
Our outreach and networking fosters awareness that Fedora provides a positive addition to the Linux realm.
Table visitors have the opportunity to provide verbal and written input about Fedora.
Registration
Data Con LA is a ticketed event. All attendees are required to register and purchase a pass to gain entry to the conference. According to the official event website Eventbrite Registration for Data Con LA, registration is a two-part process involving selecting a ticket type and completing payment. As of the last update, the following ticket types are available (note that pricing may fluctuate due to "Early Bird" type temporary pricing and event fees:
- Student ($50.00): Available to .edu email addresses. INCLUDES ADMISSION ON SAT, AUGUST 22.
- Advance Ticket ($75.00): INCLUDES ADMISSION ON SAT, AUGUST 22. 25% off advance pricing through June 21.
- General Admission ($100.00): INCLUDES ADMISSION ON SAT, AUGUST 22.
Attendees must register and pay directly Eventbrite Registration for Data Con LA.
Exhibitor Passes for Fedora
TBD: Historically, the organizers of the Data Con LA graciously provide the Fedora Project with a non-profit exhibitor booth. This includes a limited number of free exhibitor passes or entry. These passes are strictly reserved for members of the Fedora community who are directly involved in the organization of Data Con LA 2026, are committed to volunteering at the Fedora booth, and are included in the official Fedora Mindshare Committee budget request for the event.
If you are not part of the pre-approved Fedora booth staff, you will need to purchase your own ticket to attend the conference.
Fedora presence
Are you a Fedora contributor attending Data Con LA 2026? Add yourself to the table below. Please use the "Comments" column to specify your role in the Fedora community.
| Name | FAS | Sat, Aug 22 | Travel itinerary | Languages | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example Attendee | example8 |  |
ATL<=>LGB | en (native), es (intermediate) | Fedora Community Architect |
| Perry Rivera | lajuggler | |
Rental Car Needed for Event Box | en (native), es (intermediate) | Fedora Ambassador |
| Rob McBryde | rmcbryde | |
Driving down from Arcadia | en (native) | [] |
: present
: absent
: undecided
Speakers
The following is a list of presentations, birds of feathers, workshops, talks and discussions organized by Fedora community members. If you are a part of the Fedora community and have a session that is selected for Data Con LA, edit the table below to add an entry with the details.
| Name | Date | Time (PST) | Speaker(s) | Track | Description | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example Talk: Fedora Rocks! | Thu, March 5 | 09:00 – 10:00 | Example User | FOSS @ HOME | Come hear why Fedora is the best Linux distro ever with the friendliest and most-welcoming community. | TBD |
Booth
The Fedora Project plans to host an official table with openSUSE team at Cal State University Long Beach. Our "booth" serves as a central hub for Data Con LA attendees to connect with the Fedora community, see the latest release of Fedora Linux in action, and get their questions answered. Historically, our booth is staffed by a diverse group of experienced Fedora Ambassadors, developers, and other project contributors who are also attending the event. This mix of community members makes our booth the perfect place for visitors to have in-depth conversations about the Fedora operating system, our governance model, and how to get involved in the community.
- Fedora Booth Location: TBD
The success of our presence at Data Con LA depends entirely on the dedication of our volunteers. To ensure the booth is always staffed and welcoming to guests from opens to close, it is crucial that all members of the Fedora Ambassador Team sign up for shifts. However, it is a small to mid-size event, and co-ownership with the openSUSE team will likely make our outreach a success.
Sat, Aug 22: Arrival & Setup and Day 1 and Tear Down
| Time | Ambassadors on duty | Task | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:30 AM (Setup Shift) | Perry + Rob | Morning setup. Prepare booth for expo hall visitors. | |
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Shift 1) | TBD | TBD | |
| 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Shift 2) | TBD | TBD | |
| 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Shift 3) | TBD | TBD | |
| 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Shift 4) | TBD | TBD | |
| 6:00 PM (Breakdown Shift) | Perry + Rob | Strike the booth. Secure laptops and displays for return shipment and send courier with Fedora event box to FedEx or similar. Safe travels all! |
To be considered for funding, this budget proposal must be finalized and submitted to the Mindshare Committee for review by TBD, 2026. All budget-related discussions must be concluded to meet this deadline. Deadline extensions are not possible.
This section contains the official Fedora Mindshare Committee budget proposal for All Things Open 2026. It is used for the administrative planning and tracking of our event presence, including the proposed budget, actual funds spent, and the final event reports from funded attendees. This information is submitted as part of the formal "Large Event" review process. The wider community is encouraged to review this section, but please contact the Fedora All Things Open 2026 event owners before making any direct edits to the budget tables.
Lodging plans
| Name | FAS | Location | Dates (Arriving - Departing) | Number of nights | Booked (Yes/no) | Rate at booking | Cost per night | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Rivera | lajuggler | Residence Inn By Marriott Long Beach | 8/21/26 to 8/23/26 | 2 | No | 225.00 | $450 |
Budget proposal
This table represents the proposed budget to the Fedora Mindshare Committee. Note that once the the amount proposed below is submitted to the Mindshare Committee, the value is final. That is, all travelers will NOT be reimbursed for more than what is proposed below. Remember, it is always better to overestimate and underspend, and not underestimate and overspend.
The Fedora All Things Open event owners are responsible for maintaining accurate totals in the tables below, but anyone who modifies this table can help the Fedora All Things Open event owners by double-checking the totals column adds correctly after entering their data.
Please estimate all prices in USD. Use latest market rates for approximate conversions from MXN to USD on xe.com.
| Name | FAS | Airfare ($USD) | Fuel/Rental ($USD) | Hotel ($USD) | Parking ($USD) | Total ($USD) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Rivera | lajuggler | $0 | $120 | $0 | $30 | $150 | |
| Rob McBryde | rmcbryde | $0 | $20 | $0 | $30 | $50 | |
| Totals | -- | $0 | $140 | $0 | $360 | $200 | -- |
Budget actuals
| Name | Budgeted Travel ($USD) | Actual Travel ($USD) | Budgeted Hotel ($USD) | Actual Hotel ($USD) | Budgeted Total ($USD) | Actual Total ($USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Rivera | $300 | $0 | $450 | $0 | $750 | $0 |
| Rob McBryde | $50 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $50 | $0 |
Actual Budget Utilization: 0% ($0 spent of $750 budgeted)
Event Reports
See the Late Event Report Policy for more context on deadlines and requirements for reimbursement by Fedora.
| Name | Date published | URL |
|---|---|---|
| Perry Rivera + Rob McBryde | TBD | TBD |
