Sat 28 NovDay Zero
Make things
Two full-day sessions, both optional, both worth the early flight.
- Hackathon
- Zine-making workshop
- Opening dinner
Splice Beta 2026: Fork It!
The (tentative)
Program
We’ve been getting questions about what Splice Beta 2026: Fork It will actually look like. Here’s the shape of the program.
If you’ve been to Beta before, a lot of this will feel familiar. But we’re forking the format too. The biggest change is that we want more people walking out with something in hand: a tool, a plan, a piece of work, a new collaborator.
Get involved
It’s community-led — tell us what you want to see, run or help with.
Three days at a glance
Sun 29 NovDay One
Talks & workshops
Talks and workshops run in parallel, all day.
- Talks — 1 hour each
- Lightning talks — 10 mins each
- Workshops — 3 hours each
- Clinics
- Dinners, self-organised
Mon 30 NovDay Two
More, then home
The same shape as Day One, and a proper send-off.
- Talks
- Lightning talks
- Workshops
- Clinics
- Closing dinner
Day Zero
is for making
Saturday 28 November. Two major activities, both optional but highly recommended. Come for one, come for both.
Full day
The hackathon
A full day of building tech to solve problems media organizations actually face — with the people who have those problems in the room, working beside the builders.
If you’ve ever had an idea for a tool but not the technical skills to make it, this is your room.
Full day
Zine-making
A full day for anyone who wants to lean into DIY and craft. No design experience required — that’s rather the point of a zine.
The Splice Beta program booklet gets made here: written, designed and photocopied by the people in the room, there and then.
Day Zero ends with the opening dinner
Days One
& Two
Sunday 29 and Monday 30 November. The two main days combine the talks you know with new hands-on formats.
45–60 min
Talks
Our standard sessions run 45 minutes to an hour, including Q&A. Speakers and sessions announced as we lock them in.
10 min each
Lightning talks
A one-hour block of 10-minute talks — for sharing a concept, finding collaborators, or testing an idea on the community.
A great entry point for first-time speakers.
3 hours
Workshops
Hands-on sessions running in parallel to the talks, built around one principle: you walk in with a need and walk out with something real.
Topics announced as we confirm them.
1-on-1 with experts
Clinics
Book time with people who know their stuff and talk through a specific problem — one-on-one, or in a small group.
Dinners
Both evenings
Sun 29 Nov
Self-organised
No official Beta dinner — everyone is encouraged to make their own plans. Find your people at the end of the day and go.
Mon 30 Nov
The closing dinner
Hosted by us, and we’ll try to keep the tradition of having it by the Ping river. We’re running lean this year, so food’s on us, beer’s on you.
Want to contribute to the dinners or other events? We’re happy to accept sponsorships, and to acknowledge them properly.
27 Nov & 1 Dec
Before & after Beta
Can’t get enough hanging out with the Beta community? Feel free to organise your own pre and post Beta events! We can help facilitate rooms and activities the day before or after Beta.
180
Keeping it small
We’re capping this year’s Beta at 180 people. That’s what the space can hold, and in our experience it’s also the right size for Beta: small enough that talks stay intimate and you actually get to meet people.