Program Chair's Welcome

Dear Participants,

As the program chair, it is my pleasure, on behalf of the Program Committee, the FIRST Board of Directors, and the conference organizers, to welcome you to Denver, Colorado, for the 38th Annual FIRST Conference.

Founded in 1858 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, Denver began as a mining supply settlement on the South Platte River in the Kansas Territory. The city was named after James W. Denver, the Governor of the Kansas Territory. While initial gold deposits were small, Denver thrived by serving as a supply hub for miners heading to the mountains and it quickly became a vital regional hub for trade and railway connections. When Colorado became a state in 1876, Denver was named the capital.

The theme of this year's conference, Peak Defense: Building Adaptive Systems for Modern Threats, was inspired by the several iconic mountain peaks located near Denver. The section of the Rocky Mountains that is nearest to Denver is called the Front Range. The most prominent mountains close to Denver are Pikes Peak to the southwest, Mount Evans directly to the west, and Longs Peak northwest of the city. Mount Bierstadt and Torreys Peak are both fairly prominent, as well, and Grays Peak is the highest peak in the Front Range. Grays Peak, Mount Evans, Longs Peak, and Pikes Peak are all over fourteen thousand feet above sea level!

The theme also emphasises the purpose of the conference: adaptability means having the capacity to change to suit new conditions and enhance survival. Key characteristics include flexibility, resilience, and a willingness to learn, which are instrumental to building adaptive advanced capabilities to defend against newly emerging threats. Please use the opportunity during this week to meet and (re)connect with friends, both new and old. Remember to introduce new connections to old friends (and old friends to new connections) at the welcome reception, other social events, birds of a feather (BOF) and special interest group (SIG) side-meetings, the breaks between sessions, or by going out together in the evenings.

It was an honor and privilege to serve with the 28-member Program Committee, who diligently reviewed all of their assigned submissions. There were over twice the number of submissions than speaking slots available, which made the selection process challenging due to the many high-quality submissions. The goal was to create a program that matches the diversity of the FIRST community along with the right balance for different-sized organizations, regional diversity, and the breadth of technical as well as organization/policy related subjects. I hope we reached that goal.

I encourage all of the participants to create a personal agenda prior to arriving and to take advantage of all of the networking opportunities. I also hope you take the opportunity to visit the many good restaurants and bars, and perhaps even get to experience some local culture and entertainment.

It takes a team to build a program and I'd like to express my thanks to everyone who was instrumental throughout this process. To the program committee – thank you for your time and dedication, especially during the holiday season when many of the reviews were completed. To the events team – thank you for providing guidance, answering all of my questions, and supportng me throughout the process. Lastly, a thank you to all who submitted talks, as a program would not exist without the top-notch content you create.

I look forward to meeting you all in Denver.

Merike Kaeo
FIRSTCON 2026 Program Chair