SREcon26 Americas Guide: Everything You Need to Know

​SREcon Americas is an annual conference organized by USENIX, focusing on site reliability engineering (SRE), systems engineering, and the management of complex distributed systems at scale.

Join Spacelift at SREcon26! We’ll be at booth #210 in Fifth Avenue — be sure to stop by, chat with our team, and grab some swag.

Our guide covers everything you need to know about SREcon25 Americas:

1. What is SREcon?
2. SREcon 2026 – the basics
3. SREcon Americas 2026 recommended sessions
4. What can you expect at SREcon?
5. Tips for first-timers at SREcon26 Americas
6. Spacelift at SREcon26 Americas

SREcon is a series of global conferences organized by USENIX focusing on Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), DevOps, and software reliability. It’s hosted in different regions, including the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia/Pacific (APAC). These events bring together professionals from tech companies, startups, and academia to discuss best practices, challenges, and innovations in SRE and operational engineering.

Here’s what you need to know before this year’s edition:

When and where is SREcon taking place?

SREcon26 Americas is scheduled for March 24–26, 2026, in Seattle, WA, USA, at The Westin Seattle.. The conference will feature keynote talks, panels, workshops, and networking opportunities.

Registration

Registration fees for SREcon start at $1,100 for standard attendees and $775 for students. After March 10, 2026, late registration increases to $1,300 and $950, respectively. USENIX members can also receive discounts based on their membership level.

This registration pass lets you access all the sessions and networking events, including the Welcome Get-Together and the Conference Reception at the Sponsor Showcase.

Accommodation

SREcon26 Americas takes place at The Westin Seattle (1900 5th Ave). USENIX lists a hotel reservation deadline of March 2, 2026, and a conference room rate of US$249/night (single/double) while the block lasts.

Getting there

The closest major airport is Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA). From there, rideshare and taxi options, as well as public transit, make it straightforward to reach downtown Seattle and The Westin Seattle.

Curious about the must-see sessions at SREcon26 Americas? Here are some of our top picks:

1. Reliability in the Big Leagues: How SRE Powers America’s Pastime | Tuesday, 4:45 pm–5:30 pm | Jessica Johnson and Chris Alexander, Major League Baseball
2. Detecting Silent Failures through Mobile Client Observability | Wednesday, 4:00 pm–4:45 pm | Ace Ellett and Kylan Johnson, American Express
3. Observability for LLMs: Understanding What’s Happening Under the Hood | Wednesday, 4:50 pm–5:35 pm | Salman Munaf, TikTok
4. How Security Incidents are Different…and How They’re Exactly the Same | Thursday, 11:55 am–12:40 pm | Laura de Vesine and Alec Randazzo, Datadog
5. How We Built Protosockets to Go Beyond HTTP and gRPC | Thursday, 9:50 am–10:35 am | Pratik Agarwal, Figma

SREcon is a practical, engineer-driven conference that offers more than just high-level discussions. You’ll leave with actionable insights and strategies to enhance your work in site reliability and operational excellence.

• Deep technical talks – Expect expert-led sessions on critical SRE topics, including incident response, observability, chaos engineering, and reliability at scale. Talks often include real-world case studies from top companies that share their challenges and solutions.
• Interactive Discussion Tracks – Returning for 2026, the program includes a Discussion Track (plus “Ask Me Anything” sessions) with subject-matter experts, breakout group discussions on specific topics, and unconference sessions where participants drive the content.
• Networking and social events – From the Welcome Get-Together to the Conference Reception, SREcon fosters an inclusive community where professionals can build relationships, exchange ideas, and explore career opportunities.
• Sponsor showcase – Meet leading tech companies showcasing the latest SRE tools, monitoring platforms, and automation solutions. This is a great chance to discover new technologies and career opportunities.
• Focus on AI Integration – The conference will explore the impact of AI on SRE practices, addressing topics such as the realities of operating AI systems, unexpected changes resulting from new technologies, and the transformation of work when collaborating with AI and automation as co-workers.

Attending SREcon for the first time can be overwhelming, but with the right approach, you’ll maximize learning, networking, and overall experience. Here’s how to make the most of it:

• Plan your schedule in advance: Review the agenda and speaker lineup before arriving, and prioritize keynotes, discussions, and workshops that align with your interests and role.
• Network with purpose: Most attendees are engineers like you, so don’t hesitate to introduce yourself and start conversations. Be sure to attend the Welcome Get-Together and networking breaks to connect with peers in a casual setting.
• Explore the sponsor showcase: Check out SRE tools, monitoring solutions, and automation platforms from top companies.
• Take breaks and enjoy the event: Conferences can be intense, so schedule time for coffee breaks and meals to recharge and absorb what you’ve learned.
• Follow-up post-conference: Keep the momentum going by connecting with new contacts on LinkedIn, reviewing your notes, and applying key takeaways to your work.

Spacelift is excited to be at SREcon26! Our team will be in Seattle, so stop by to chat about how Spacelift helps platform teams stay in control, scale with confidence, and free up time for the work that truly matters.

Find us at Booth #210 in Fifth Avenue on Wednesday, March 25, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, and Thursday, March 26, 10:00 AM–2:30 PM.

Join us for great conversations, top-notch insights, and a little fun along the way!

SREcon Americas is not just another tech conference — it’s a highly focused event for SREs, software engineers, and technical leaders who face the challenges of running large-scale, distributed systems. 

Whether you’re looking to learn from industry pioneers, discuss reliability challenges, or connect with peers, SREcon delivers valuable insights and networking opportunities.

Missed SREcon26 Americas? Don’t worry, we keep an up-to-date list of DevOps conferences and events — there’s something happening somewhere almost every week.