[afnog] Call for SIGCOMM 2026 Regional Pods -- Invitation to Host or Participate

[Caesar, Matthew Chapman]

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share an opportunity from ACM SIGCOMM, the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Data Communication. SIGCOMM is a leading global community for research and innovation in computer networking, and its annual conference is one of the most influential events in the field.

For SIGCOMM 2026, the community is issuing an open call for Regional Pods: locally organized gatherings that allow students, researchers, practitioners, and educators to participate in the SIGCOMM conference without needing to travel internationally. These Pods stream the main conference program and create a shared, local experience that supports discussion, learning, and community building. Hosting a Pod may strengthen your local networking community, create opportunities for students and researchers to engage directly with SIGCOMM content and attendees, and provide your institution with visibility and support through SIGCOMM’s official channels and infrastructure. Proposals from regions with limited prior SIGCOMM representation are very welcome.

SIGCOMM provides guidance, streaming support, visibility, and in some cases limited financial assistance for essential costs. Many successful Pods require only a room, internet connectivity, and a small team of volunteers.

To propose a Pod, organizers submit a short description covering the hosting site, local team, expected audience, activities, and any support needs. Proposals can be sent to pods at sigcomm.org .

More details are available at:
https://conferences.sigcomm.org/sigcomm/2026/pods/

If this opportunity resonates with you or your community, we encourage you to apply. It would be wonderful if you could also consider forwarding this message to colleagues or students who might be excited to organize a Pod.

Thank you,
Matthew Caesar
(on behalf of ACM SIGCOMM)