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Strategic IT outlook: Tech conferences and events calendar
Tech conferences are a vital way for CIOs and IT leaders to keep abreast of trends and make real-life connections in a fast-changing business climate.
In today's climate of uncertainty and rapidly evolving technologies, the cost for CIOs of falling behind is higher than ever.
Technology industry conferences and events offer the best opportunities for CIOs to stay ahead of the curve and gain a deeper understanding of how to align emerging innovations with business value.
While there's a wealth of technical information you can gather at a quality technology conference, there are other good reasons to attend. Conferences provide opportunities to engage directly with peers, industry experts, potential vendors and other technology and business leaders to discuss similar challenges, build best practices and compare strategies.
Here are some conferences and events that CIOs will want to put on their calendars.
If you have a tech conference or event that you would like to appear in this calendar, email [email protected]. Check in frequently for conference calendar updates.
AWS Re:Invent
When: Dec. 1-5, 2025
Where: Las Vegas
Cost: $2,099, standard.
Topics covered include AWS cloud innovation strategy and roadmap, AWS cloud architecture, and AWS AI tools and agents.
Conference speakers include Matt Garman -- AWS CEO; Dr. Swami Sivasubramanian -- vice president for agentic AI at AWS; and Dave Brown, vice president of AWS Compute and Machine Learning Services.
Extras: re:Play party.
Register for AWS Re:Invent here.
TechLeader Summit
When: Dec. 3-5, 2025
Where: Clearwater, Fla.
Cost: $3,450, standard.
Topics covered include software engineering management, talent acquisition and training, leadership and AI.
Conference speakers include Pete Behren -- founder and CEO of Agile Leadership Journey; Robert Harris -- founder and CEO of Coded2Lead; and Erica Woods -- director of contractor programs and philanthropy at Apex Systems.
Extras: ticket includes 10 virtual workshop credits.
Register for TechLeader Summit here.
Gartner Identity and Access Management Summit
When: Dec. 8-10, 2025
Where: Grapevine, Texas
Cost: $3,993, standard; $3,425, public sector.
Topics covered include successful privileged access management deployment, workforce identity verification and AI use cases for IAM.
Conference speakers include Jesse Israel -- founder of The Big Quiet; Michael Kelley -- senior director analyst at Gartner; and Jen Easterly -- strategic adviser at Huntress.
Extras: exhibit showcase networking reception.
Register for Gartner Identity and Access Management Summit here.
Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference
When: Dec. 9-11, 2025
Where: Las Vegas
Cost: $4,750, standard; $4,025, public sector.
Topics covered include strategic roadmap for Infrastructure and Operations success, preparing for the next "CrowdStrike Like" incident and key trends in digital employee experience.
Conference speakers include West Richter Jr. -- director of global IT service delivery at Moog; Autumn Stanish -- director and analyst at Gartner; and Dennis Smith -- vice president and analyst at Gartner.
Extras: exhibit showcase networking reception.
Register for Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference here.
AI Summit New York
When: Dec. 10-11, 2025
Where: New York City
Cost: $2,599, VIP all access; $1,899, delegate; $2,299, solution provider delegate; $55, expo.
Topics covered include building inclusive and impact-driven AI, scaling agentic AI, and structuring AI for measurable impact.
Conference speakers include Artem Fishman -- chief technology officer at Dow Jones; Davood Shansi -- executive director of ML/AI at JP Morgan; and Morgan Vawter -- chief digital information officer at Unilever.
Extras: start-up and investor pitching competition.
Register for AI Summit New York here.
Gartner CIO Leadership Forum -- West
When: Feb. 23-24, 2026
Where: Phoenix
Cost: $4,725, standard.
Topics include scaling AI, culture and change, cybersecurity and risk management, digital business transformation, innovation, executive influence, and strategic planning and execution.
Conference speakers include Brandon Germer -- Gartner senior director and analyst; Mbula Schoen -- Gartner senior director and analyst; and Peter Skyttengarrd -- Gartner vice president and analyst.
Extras: sunrise yoga, meetups and a Southwest soiree.
Register for the Gartner CIO Leadership Forum here.
Gartner CIO Leadership Forum -- East
When: March 30-31, 2026
Where: Hollywood, Fla.
Cost: $4,300 early bird; $4,900, standard; $3,875 public sector.
Topics covered include leadership; AI ROI; operational and business resilience; emerging technologies; workplace culture; and workforce strategy.
Conference speakers include Mandi Bishop -- distinguished vice president and analyst at Gartner; Gene Alvarez -- distinguished vice president and analyst at Gartner; Brander Germer -- senior director and analyst at Gartner; and Christie Struckman -- distinguished vice president and analyst at Gartner.
Extras: one-on-one meetings with Gartner analysts; roundtables; workshops; sunrise yoga.
Register for Gartner CIO Leadership Forum 2026 -- East here.
Google Cloud Next
When: April 22-24, 2026
Where: Las Vegas, Nev.
Cost: TBA.
Topics covered include AI and cloud technology; application development; cloud and data security; infrastructure modernization.
Speakers have not yet been announced, but it is expected that there will be executive keynotes from Google Cloud leaders.
Find out more about how to register for Google Cloud Next here.
MIT Sloan CIO Symposium
When: May 19, 2026
Where: Cambridge, Mass.
Cost: $1,349, standard.
Topics covered include agentic AI; leadership; transformation; efficiency; and resilience.
Speakers have not yet been announced, but it is expected that the agenda will include CIOs from around the world and academic thought leaders.
Extras: CIO Leadership Award dinner; cocktail reception; roundtables.
Find out more about how to register for MIT Sloan CIO Symposium here.
American CIO and Cyber Security Summit
When: June 9-10, 2026
Where: San Francisco, Calif.
Topics covered include cybersecurity; AI; digital transformation; and data management.
Conference speakers include AJ Debole -- field CISO at Oracle; Lee Parrish -- CISO at Newell Brands; Roy Luongo -- CISO for U.S. Secret Service; and Jennifer Zmuda -- CIO at UnitedHealth Group.
Register for American CIO and Cyber Security Summit here.
