DevOpsDays Wellington 2027¶

Status: Proposal revised; preferred scenario pencilled with the venue. Co-organisers confirmed (3 from 3 orgs). Seeking community feedback and volunteers.
Preferred scenario: Shed 6, 1-day (medium), Thursday 18 February 2027 — pencilled with Venues Wellington
Alternatives held open: Shed 6 2-day (large, 25-26 Feb)
Lead organiser: John Billings, john@opsdev.nz

Why¶

DevOpsDays has run in Aotearoa before. There is a record of events going back to 2016 at devopsdays.nz, and 2013 on the global DevOpsDays event page. The last was in Auckland in 2019, and before that Wellington in 2018 — an eight-year gap. The community needs a place to gather, and the role of DevOps has only widened: platform engineering, AI-assisted operations, security, and capability shaping the conversation. At NZTechRally (May 2026) the response was clear: people want this.

How¶

We are organising openly in the #devopsdays channel on DevOpsNZ Slack. Come join the discussion.

We are following the traditional DevOpsDays model, the same shape the Wellington and Auckland events ran and the same detailed organising guide the global DevOpsDays organisation publishes for every city. We are not inventing a format; we are bringing back a known one. See the 2018 Wellington and 2019 Auckland programmes for what that looks like.

Theme Ideas¶

We are exploring themes for the 2027 revival. Given it's a reboot, revival is the obvious thread. One question we're asking: Is DevOps Dead? A provocative title that gets at how the role has evolved and where it's heading. Someone jokingly suggested an AD&D theme, a nice parallel given tabletop roleplaying has seen its own revival in recent years (Stranger Things, anyone?). Nothing decided, just ideas being tossed around. Come add yours to the Slack channel.

The OpsDev.nz collective is also running a Software Freedom Day event at Victoria University this September. We will hold a mini planning session for DevOpsDays 2027 during the afternoon Bazaar. Come along and help shape the event in person.

Where¶

We have pencilled Shed 6 on the Wellington waterfront as our venue. We are holding the 2-day (25-26 Feb) alternative open in case sponsor response supports it.

Shed 6, Wellington Waterfront (Thursday 18 February 2027)¶

Shed 6 is our venue. Venues Wellington reached out about an $8,223.08 credit from the cancelled 2021 DevOpsDays NZ booking, which covers the venue cost. Professional conference venue, central city, surrounded by food options. Thursday 18 February 2027 is pencilled at first position: Hannah at Venues Wellington advises the 18^th is available at first pencil, and the 25^th at second (meaning a pencilled booking is in front of us on the 25^th). She recommends aiming for the 18^th for ease of booking; we can challenge the 25^th if needed, giving the other party 48 hours to confirm a deposit.

When¶

Venue Availability¶

February 2027.

Our preferred date — Thursday 18 February at Shed 6 — is pencilled at first position.

Shed 6 — Preferred (Medium pencilled, Large held open)¶

Thursday 18 February 2027 is pencilled at first pencil with Venues Wellington. The alternative Shed 6 date (Thursday 25 February) sits at second pencil (a pencilled booking is in front of us; we can challenge it, giving the other party 48 hours to confirm a deposit).

For a 1-day event (Medium): we are targeting Thu 18 Feb. For a 2-day event (Large): Thu-Fri 25-26 Feb, subject to Friday confirmation and strong sponsor response.

Student Timing¶

Victoria University Trimester 1 orientation typically begins late February. Our preferred date (Thu 18 Feb) falls during summer break, when fewer students are on campus — acceptable for a soft-restart event at a professional venue. Were we to move to the Large 2-day (25-26 Feb), that window catches students returning for orientation: an opportunity to invite student participation as attendees, volunteers, and session facilitators.

Why These Windows¶

Why Not Other Options¶

• Earlier (week of 5 Feb): Waitangi Day weekend; people extend the break; attendance risk
• Later (March): Clashes with Q1 delivery pressure
• Four-day format: far too much for a first event; organising burden and burnout risk

Still open for discussion, no date has been firmed up yet.

Other Wellington Events¶

We are tracking the local conference calendar to avoid clashes and spot opportunities to collaborate. February still feels right, but we are open to shifting if it makes more sense alongside something else.

Know of another event we should be aware of? Let us know in #devopsdays on Slack.

Event Format¶

Our format adapts to the scenario: one day or two. Both follow the same principle: morning talks draw people in, afternoon open space delivers the real value. The previous New Zealand DevOpsDays ran this shape and it worked well — see the 2018 Wellington and 2019 Auckland programmes for a feel of how a day flows.

A typical day runs roughly like this:

Morning: Scheduled Talks¶

• Mix of technical and cultural content
• Balance of local and out-of-town speakers
• Encourage new voices: DevOpsDays is a supportive environment for first-time speakers

Afternoon: Open Space (Self-Organised)¶

• Marketplace of Ideas: attendees write session topics, choose timeslots on the agenda wall
• Break-out Sessions: self-organised discussions in smaller rooms (10-40 people)
• Law of Mobility: if you are not learning or contributing, move to another session
• Closing Circle: brief reflections at end of each day

Ignites¶

Short, fast-paced talks (5 minutes, slides auto-advancing) near the end of the day — a chance for lightning ideas, calls to action, and humour.

This is our differentiator: DevOpsDays Wellington will be primarily an open space event. The morning talks are the draw cards; the afternoon is where the real community value lives.

Venue & Budget Scenarios¶

We have two Shed 6 options, with the Medium 1-day (Thu 18 Feb) as our preferred plan.

Preferred: Medium — 1 Day at Shed 6, Thursday 18 February 2027¶

A professional one-day conference on the Wellington waterfront, pencilled for Thu 18 Feb. An $8,223.08 credit from the cancelled 2021 DevOpsDays NZ booking covers the venue cost. Catering is optional: Shed 6 is surrounded by cafés and restaurants, so attendees can self-cater to keep costs down.

• Venue cost: $0 (covered by $8,223.08 credit)
• Location: Wellington waterfront, central city
• Capacity: 300+ theatre style, multiple breakout spaces
• Professional facilities included; AV team must be hired separately (Shed 6 requirement)
• Catering: Optional (surrounded by food options); budget below assumes provided catering

Cost-saving option: remove catering line and self-cater; reduces budget to ~$8,000.

Held open: Large — 2 Days at Shed 6 (25-26 February 2027)¶

The full DevOpsDays experience across two days, at the second-pencil window (Thu 25 – Fri 26 Feb). The $8,223.08 credit covers day one; we need to raise approximately $7,500 to cover the second day's venue fee. This window catches students returning for Trimester 1 orientation: an opportunity to invite Vic students as volunteers and attendees.

Go / No-Go Decision¶

We default to the Medium (Shed 6, Thu 18 Feb) plan. We shift to Large only if the evidence points there:

• Medium (preferred): confirm the credit applies and lock the pencil with a deposit, with sufficient sponsor interest for catering (or commit to self-catered)
• Large (ambition): requires strong sponsor response, Friday confirmation from Venues Wellington, and strong early-bird registration numbers

Sponsorship Tiers (NZD)¶

DevOpsDays sponsorship prices are intentionally lower than commercial conferences. These are localised from the USD/EUR benchmarks.

Target:

80%+ of budget from sponsorship. This allows us to keep ticket prices nominal. The budget target shifts with the scenario: ~\(12,000 (Medium), ~\)31,760 (Large).

Additional sponsorship options: lanyard sponsor, captioning sponsor, evening event sponsor, lunch sponsor, coffee break sponsor.

Ticket Pricing¶

• Do not make the event free: 30-40% of free-ticket holders do not show up
• Aim for 10-20% of commercial conference prices in the region
• Early-bird discount to encourage early sign-ups
• Free/discounted tickets for under-represented communities, students, and speakers

Proposed pricing (NZD):

Organising Team¶

Hard requirement: Minimum 3 organisers from 3 different organisations.

Current Status¶

How To Help¶

We have John, Colin, and Andres confirmed as our three organisers from three organisations — the hard requirement is met. We're now looking for:

• Volunteers for day-of coordination
• Session facilitators for open space
• Sponsorship liaisons

Timeline¶

Assuming event window of February 2027:

Fiscal Host¶

OpsDev.nz collective via StartMeUp.nz / OpenCollective

This event has its own project under the OpsDev.nz collective: opencollective.com/opsdevnz/projects/devopsdays-wellington-2027

This needs to be confirmed with the DevOpsDays global core organisers before proceeding. Initial contact has been made and the response was positive. Our OpenCollective setup should satisfy the fiscal host requirement; final confirmation pending.

Next Steps¶

Immediate (July 2026)¶

1. Recruit one more co-organiser from a third organisation ✅ Done (Andres LeonRangel, Spinnaker.io NZ)
2. Contact DevOpsDays global core organisers: ✅ Done (responded positively, we are the recognised group for Aotearoa)
3. Distribute work among organisers — highest priority now; three confirmed, time to divide responsibilities
4. Confirm venue and dates: confirm the credit applies to Thu 18 Feb at Shed 6 and place/pay the deposit to lock the first-pencil booking; keep 25 Feb as held-open alternative

Short-term (July-December 2026)¶

1. Hold Software Freedom Day Wellington in September — mini planning session for DevOpsDays in the afternoon Bazaar
2. Draft sponsor prospectus leading with the Medium (Shed 6, 18 Feb) plan, with Large (2-day, 25-26 Feb) as alternative
3. Lock in venue booking details (Shed 6 deposit)
4. Establish OpsDev.nz collective on OpenCollective ✅ Done (transparent project funding account now available)
5. Go / no-go decision: confirm Scenario + date based on sponsor commitments; expand to Large (25-26 Feb) if the evidence supports it
6. Contact Victoria University student groups for volunteer and participation interest (especially if moving to Large / orientation week window)

Resources¶

• DevOpsDays Organizing Guide
• DevOpsDays Sponsorship Guidelines
• DevOpsDays Open Space Format
• DevOpsDays Web Repo (for event PR)
• Pretalx: free CFP and talk management
• Vaultwarden: free credential management for organisers

Feedback¶

This is a draft proposal; we want your input. If you have thoughts on:

• Which scenario feels right for Wellington in 2027
• Dates and timing
• Format and structure
• Sponsorship approach
• Keynote topics
• Anything else

...please reach out to john@opsdev.nz or the DevOpsDay channel in the DevOpsNZ Slack.