2026 GDC – Details, Registration and How to Submit a Session

The 2026 Global Digital Collaboration planning is in full swing. This post intends to provide the details of the event, the process for proposing a session (including , GDC Task Forces that our community members can participate in.

2026: Global Digital Collaboration

Details:

When: September 1-3, 2026

Where: Geneva, Switzerland

Agenda / Important Dates

Day 1 – Sept 1, 2026 – Keynotes, big panels

Day 2-3 – Sept 2-3, 2026 – Breakout sessions

GDC Website: https://globaldigitalcollaboration.org/

GDC Session Proposal Form (aka GDC Airtable): Link

Ticket Registration for LF Group : https://luma.com/6u3xl5x1 

(tickets are free but limited and our allocation is filling up)

GDC Newsletter: https://globaldigitalcollaboration.org/#newsletter

If you have any issues or questions, reach out to gdc2026@lfdecentralizedtrust.org.

Session Proposal Process

There is a limit to the number of sessions, time slots and rooms. We want to keep this process lightweight and transparent, but not all submissions will be accepted. LF Group will review session proposals with other co-organizers and may recommend combining them with other sessions, making substantive changes to the proposal or rejecting a proposal.

Session Planning Dates:

June 1, 2026: A first draft agenda of Days 2 and 3 will be published. 

July 31, 2026: Deadline for session proposals (under exceptional circumstances, submissions can be made after this date)

GDC has a number of topic priorities for 2026. This is the current list :

• Governance & Trust Infrastructure
  • Trust registries / trusted lists / certification / state sovereignty
• Interoperability & Cross-jurisdiction Recognition
  • Mutual recognition of credentials; DTC/mDL / QEAA alignment; DC API; interoperability playground
• Sectoral Use Cases
  • Age assurance; Digital Health; Banking KYC (account opening); Trade credentials; mobility of professionals
• Privacy & Security
  • Data minimization; selective disclosure; decentralized identifiers; privacy‑enhancing tech for KYC/AML; post-quantum ZKP; hardware resilience
• Inclusion & Deployment Considerations
• Developing country needs (offline, multi-device, affordability)

If you have a suggestion for different priorities/topics, feel free to reach out to gdc2026@lfdecentralizedtrust.org.

Recommendations/Suggestions for proposing a session:

1. If you have questions about your session proposal, send an email to gdc2026@lfdecentralizedtrust.org
2. If you have general questions about the GDC (tickets, event info, schedule, etc.) go to https://globaldigitalcollaboration.org/
3. Fill out the Session Proposal form completely
   1. If you do not have all of the information ready for your session, do not submit it
   2. There is no “edit” function in the form
   3. The LF Group is not responsible for incomplete submissions
   4. Do not submit the same session multiple times
4. Consider the action you want attendees of your session to take
   1. What concrete “next-actions” can they take with what they learn from your session
   2. Have a “call to action” 
5. No “pitches from the stage”, we are here to learn, plan, collaborate and get things done. 
   1. This is not an opportunity to sell a product or service.
6. If you have a demo we want you to share it! 
   1. Please note, a demo is not a session. 
   2. We will have an expo floor and options for demos to be shared at a future date
7. Reach out to the Co-Organizers you have listed for your session
   1. Every session must have 2 or more organizers. 
   2. Please make sure to let the co-organizers you have listed on your proposal know they are involved 
      1. Co-organizers have their own community sessions to review and manage 
      2. Co-Organizers are under no obligation to participate in your session
      3. Email gdc2026@lfdecentralizedtrust.org if you want LF Group as a co-organizer on your session proposal. If you do not we may not approve it. 
   3. Please let us know if you need a co-organizer
      1. A specific co-organizer or the type 
      2. LF Group will try to connect your proposal with them
8. Strategic Alignment with GDC Priorities (list above)
   1. This is a required field
   2. Every session proposal needs at least one. “TBD” is not a priority
   3. If you have more than one, feel free to add it – this helps evaluators AND attendees understand the session you are proposing.
   4. If you do not see a GDC Priority listed, feel free to recommend one in the “Other” category. There may be other session proposals with similar Requirements and it might be added to the list.
9. Public / Private Balance
   1. A session needs at least two co-organizers. 
   2. Where possible, we would like to see session proposals that feature engagement across the GDC community. 
   3. While not a requirement, this may help the chances of your session proposal being accepted.
   4. If you need help finding a co-organizer reach out to gdc2026@lfdecentralizedtrust.org
10. Target Audience
    1. This is required. 
    2. This is a global community, there will be lots of sessions competing with each other. 
    3. This is your chance to connect the community your session hopes to reach. 
11. Proposed Speakers and Moderators
    1. This is required
    2. The breakout session’s duration will be 50 minutes – consider your goals and objectives for the session and how many panelists will make that work vs being “too many”
    3. If you are proposing a panel and your entire speaker list is TBD, it may hurt your chances of being accepted.
    4. This will need to be finalized before the final agenda is confirmed
12. Estimated Room Capacity
    1. This will help the selection committee understand the expected demand of your session. 
13. A/V Tech Requirements
    1. GDC is an in-person event. 
    2. Breakout sessions will not be livestreamed and we will probably not have the required bandwidth for remote presenters in the Breakout rooms
    3. Rooms will have screens and, depending on the size, microphones.
    4. If your session is accepted and a room assigned, it will be too late to request some AV resources so please think this through

Task Forces

The GDC has empaneled two Task Forces that the GDC Community will be actively working on leading up to and after GDC:

Trust Registries Task Force

Age Assurance Task Force

Note – there may be more Task Forces coming. We will update this blog post and the newsletter when there is more information.

Trust Registries Task Force

Scope and Objectives

The primary aim of the Task Force is to bridge the gap between technical infrastructure and governance frameworks. The scope of work includes:

• • Developing a comprehensive framework for globally interoperable digital trust registries.

  • Addressing both the technical specifications and governance requirements essential for these registries.

  • Facilitating the secure and privacy-preserving verification of identity information in digital wallets across diverse digital ecosystems.

  • Promoting greater alignment through a common approach to reduce fragmentation within the digital landscape.

Who Can Participate?

• • Primary Participants: All GDC Council members, co-organizers, and their respective communities are eligible and strongly encouraged to actively participate.

  • Ad Hoc Participants: Liaisons, external experts, and observers may be invited to serve as knowledge partners or subject matter experts.

  • Other Stakeholders: Organizations actively implementing relevant digital trust solutions are welcome to express their interest.

How to participate?

Please submit your expression of interest to the Co-Leads through the Secretariat at secretariat@globaldigitalcollaboration.org

Age Assurance Task Force

Scope and Objectives

The Task Force aims to identify shared principles that guide technical decisions and take into account major legislative and regulatory trajectories, defining a minimum common basis for compatibility to support global interoperability and trust.

Its work will focus on:

• • Developing a shared set of principles to guide technical decisions while taking into account major legislative frameworks and policy intent behind safety regulations.

  • Driving Cross-Border Interoperability for age-related proofs across online, unattended remote, and in-person scenarios, actively avoiding fragmented digital ecosystems.

  • Prioritizing Privacy & Safety by enabling privacy-preserving verification (e.g., “>18” without exposing PII) through technologies like Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP), where appropriate, while avoiding premature commitment to a single architecture or technology stack , balancing safety needs with privacy preservation and avoiding overly centralized identity systems.

  • Supporting Proof-of-Concept Projects and Pilots, such as the Pilot / Playground Track, to test and document learnings from existing solutions for cross-border interoperability. These pilots would be used to generate practical learning, not to pre-select a single architecture, provider, or solution

  • Fostering Document & Issuer Agnosticism to support diverse credentials and issuers, promoting inclusivity and preventing vendor lock-in.

Who Can Participate?

• • Primary Participants: All Council members, co-organizers, and their respective communities are eligible and strongly encouraged to actively participate.

  • Ad Hoc Participants: Liaisons, external experts, and observers may be invited to serve as knowledge partners or subject matter experts.

  • Other Stakeholders: Organizations actively implementing relevant age assurance solutions are welcome to express their interest. Solutions should remain multistakeholder-driven and not perceived as dominated by any single commercial entity.

How to Participate?

The Secretariat will support the process by collecting expressions of interest, helping organize participation, maintaining shared documentation, and supporting coordination between the Co-Leads and participants. Please submit your expression of interest to secretariat@globaldigitalcollaboration.org no later than May 13th.