The top 2026 data conferences to plan enterprise strategy

As AI moves deeper into the enterprise, data is the key driver behind that shift. The challenge for organizations is to advance AI initiatives while meeting data non-negotiables -- governance, compliance, quality, protection, recovery, optimization and security -- across multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments.

Which data technologies and tools actually solve problems rather than create new ones? How do data leaders turn vendor promises into real results in AI, analytics and other applications? As the volume of data in IT systems continues to grow, how can enterprises balance data strategy with operational reality?

Attending data conferences is one way for teams to connect with peers and industry experts, see live demos of products and learn how to avoid the pitfalls that stall AI and analytics work. These shows also highlight ways to protect valuable data and build systems that can withstand constant change.

Here's a global list of notable data conferences that can help enterprises shape their strategies in 2026.

AI & Big Data Expo Global
Feb. 4–5 in London
This conference focuses on AI and its intersection with data, covering topics such as enterprise deployment and data governance. One of seven co-located shows under the TechEx umbrella, the event features product demos from vendors and case studies from companies moving their AI initiatives from testing to production. Sessions center on scaling AI systems, improving data security, supporting modern DevOps practices and managing the power demands of large data centers. This in-person-only conference draws about 8,000 attendees. Separate versions of the event aimed at attendees in North America and Europe will take place May 18-19 in San Jose, Calif., and Oct. 20-21 in Amsterdam, respectively.

Tech Show London
March 4–5 in London
This show connects about 20,000 technology decision‑makers, developers and industry leaders with more than 450 vendors at five co‑located exhibitions, including a Big Data & AI World event focused on data and AI strategies. Sessions center on zero-trust security, automated incident response and cloud data protection, as well as topics such as data literacy, data governance and responsible AI adoption.

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2026
March 6–7 in Boston
This 20th annual event will bring together sports executives and data professionals to discuss how data-driven trends are shaping the sports industry. The sessions cover the use of big data in performance analytics, decision science and fan engagement. For data professionals, the conference offers technical deep dives on generative AI (GenAI), predictive modeling and computer vision. The event is in-person only with a capacity of 2,500 and typically sells out.

Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 2026
March 9–11 in Orlando, Fla.
Organized by consulting firm Gartner, this year's conference focuses on the technical and organizational shift from traditional data management to AI-based operations. The event aims to help data and analytics teams move beyond the experimental stage to building production-ready autonomous systems. This is an in-person-only show that draws more than 5,000 chief data and analytics officers, AI leaders and other data technology professionals.

DRJ Spring 2026
March 15–18 in Orlando, Fla.
Held by Disaster Recovery Journal (DRJ), this in-person-only event caters to leaders concerned with business continuity and data protection. The program encompasses several areas, including ransomware recovery, integrating autonomous AI into disaster response plans and aligning IT risk management with regulatory standards. More than 600 attendees are expected.

Domopalooza
March 24–27 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Hosted by cloud-based BI and data analytics vendor Domo, this event centers on using the Domo platform to build AI-based tools and automate daily tasks. This year's program features several sessions that describe how to connect different data sources and turn them into a finished product. The show typically draws more than 1,500 attendees. There is no virtual option.

Qlik Connect
April 13–15 in Kissimmee, Fla.
The in-person-only user conference held by data integration and analytics vendor Qlik focuses on the technical requirements for AI deployments using reliable data. This year's program features sessions on building open data architectures, automating data quality checks and tracking the history of data as it moves through a system.

Google Cloud Next
April 22–24 in Las Vegas
This in-person-only conference is expected to draw more than 20,000 developers and IT leaders for sessions on building and managing cloud-based AI systems. The program focuses on deploying Google's Gemini AI model, using tools to build autonomous agents and modernizing software to run more efficiently in the cloud.

SAS Innovate 2026
April 27–30 in Grapevine, Texas
Hosted by analytics and AI platform vendor SAS Institute Inc., this event focuses on how organizations can modernize their data systems and use AI to improve business decisions. This year’s program features sessions on applying data science to daily operations, building responsible AI systems and updating older software to work with modern cloud technology. For remote users, SAS will offer live streaming and on-demand videos of the general sessions and some breakout sessions.

ODSC AI East 2026
April 28–30 in Boston
Originally known as the Open Data Science Conference, this event is expected to draw about 2,500 attendees for technical training and sessions on the latest AI, data science and data engineering advances. This year's program centers on building and managing advanced AI systems, including instruction on using autonomous agents, improving data science workflows and ensuring ethical use of AI tools. The show will be available both in person and virtually. A companion ODSC AI West 2026 conference is scheduled for Oct. 27-29 in Burlingame, Calif.

DGIQ + EDW 2026
May 4–8 in San Diego
This event combines two conferences that focus on technical and structural processes for managing data: the Data Governance & Information Quality Conference and Enterprise Data World. The program covers areas such as data strategy, data architecture, data engineering, privacy and metadata management, to help attendees build a dependable foundation for analytics and AI in their organizations. This show typically draws about 1,000 data professionals. It's in-person only, but online access to recorded sessions is typically offered after the event.

Tableau Conference 2026
May 5–7 in San Diego
The data visualization and analytics platform vendor, which is part of Salesforce, is expected to draw more than 10,000 attendees to its annual user conference. This year's event focuses on the intersection of analytics, data visualization and AI. Sessions cover building automated, AI-based dashboards for the Tableau platform, along with other data and analytics topics. Select keynotes and sessions will be available online.

Data Summit 2026
May 6–7 in Boston
This vendor-neutral forum for data, analytics and AI professionals focuses on managing information systems and data platforms, with an emphasis on moving from testing to production. In addition to data engineering and architecture, this year's conference features sessions in newer areas, such as agentic AI and working with semantic layers. The event is in-person only and usually draws about 1,500 attendees.

Tech Show Frankfurt
May 6–7 in Frankfurt, Germany
The second conference in the Tech Show series, this brings together four co-located shows related to big data and AI, data centers, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity, with a focus on moving from experimenting with AI to deploying compliant workloads. Other topics include developing a sovereign cloud strategy and dealing with GenAI's high compute resource demands. The event, which typically attracts more than 8,000 attendees, is in-person only.

Data Innovation Summit 2026
May 6–8 in Stockholm
This hybrid event covers core AI topics related to machine learning operations (MLOps), data engineering and sovereign infrastructure, together with sector-focused applications in finance, manufacturing and healthcare. Sessions dive into building AI agents and workflows, data governance for GenAI and working with zero-trust security for cloud architectures. The summit, which usually brings in more than 3,500 attendees, will be held in person along with online access. Versions of the event are also scheduled for March 12 in Singapore, May 20-21 in Dubai and Sept. 17 in Sydney.

World Data Summit Europe
May 20–22 in Malta
This in-person-only conference for data technology professionals focuses on the governance and ethical management of data, specifically on using AI while maintaining compliance and privacy standards. The program explores frameworks and best practices for responsibly managing machine learning and large language models , including improving data transparency, maintaining privacy and regulatory compliance, and using automation to modernize data systems. An APAC version of the conference will be held Oct. 29-30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Data-Centric Architecture Forum
June 9–11 in Fort Collins, Colo.
This in-person-only conference addresses the shift in software development from application-centric to data-centric design. This year's program highlights semantic data modeling and knowledge graphs to build interoperable systems. The show typically draws about 500 attendees.

Snowflake Summit 26
June 1–4 in San Francisco
This show hosted by the cloud data platform provider concentrates on the development, deployment and distribution of AI applications using Snowflake and partner products. The agenda covers building GenAI applications and custom workflows, while prioritizing secure data sharing. The conference, which usually attracts 20,000 attendees, is tailored for on-site participation, but the main keynotes will be livestreamed.

Databricks Data + AI Summit
June 15–18 in San Francisco
The data and AI platform provider's annual show focuses on using its products to move from data lakes to integrated data lakehouse systems and the development of autonomous AI agents. The summit  showcases new tools used to build and check AI agents, improvements to data and model governance, and advances in architecture to combine analytical and operational data.  Specialized tracks cover MLOps, data modernization and database design. The show is expected to attract more than 22,000 attendees and will offer a hybrid format for virtual access to keynotes and some sessions.

MIT Chief Data Officer and Information Quality (CDOIQ) Symposium
July 21–23 in Cambridge, Mass.
About 2,100 senior data leaders are expected to attend this event that focuses on moving organizations from basic data management to producing an advanced AI ecosystem. The show covers improving data quality, building agentic AI systems and designing automated quality checks for more accurate AI output. It offers a hybrid format for attendees.

Disney Data & Analytics Conference (DDAC)
Sept. 14–16 in Orlando, Fla.
The program highlights the ways the entertainment company applies data science to its business challenges in areas such as theme park operations, content streaming and tracking consumer behavior. The conference focuses on AI and data skills, agentic AI training, prompt engineering and data storytelling. The main sessions cover how to use data in decision-making, including using machine learning to set flexible prices and predicting customer demand through advanced forecasting. This show is expected to draw about 2,500 attendees. There is no virtual option.

DRJ Fall 2026
Sept. 27–30 in Grapevine, Texas
Like its companion event in March, this show focuses on business continuity and the technical means required to avoid disruptions during a crisis, with an emphasis on using automation and AI to improve disaster recovery times. The sessions detail how to build more secure IT systems, respond to a ransomware attack and use machine learning to anticipate system failures. The in-person-only event typically draws more than 1,500 attendees.

Tech Week Singapore
Sept. 29-30 in Singapore
Another event in the Tech Show series but branded as Tech Week, it combines Big Data & AI World Asia with four other co-located shows, as in London. The program centers on the data lifecycle and applying AI to deal with rapid change. Sessions cover the transition to cloud infrastructure built for AI and the use of agentic AI to streamline work, as well as defending against AI-based cyberthreats and adopting more sustainable options to control machine learning resource demands. This in-person-only event is expected to draw more than 29,000 attendees.

Tech Show Madrid
Nov. 4-5 in Madrid
This in-person-only edition of the Tech Show series is expected to draw about 27,000 attendees across its five co‑located events covering a range of digital transformation efforts, including big data and AI ones. The program highlights include exploration of new data center designs tailored to power large-scale AI training, cloud‑native data protection, decentralized data governance and the use of agentic AI to automate work in industries such as banking, healthcare and retail.

Tech Show Paris
Nov. 18-19 in Paris
Like the other Tech Show events, this combines separate shows related to data and AI technologies, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and DevOps. The program centers on three business challenges: AI preparation, digital sovereignty and cyber resilience. Sessions address topics such as how to build and secure AI‑ready systems, data management and infrastructure maintenance for AI systems. The event is expected to bring together about 8,000 attendees. There is no virtual option. 

BCI World Hybrid 2026
Nov. 10–11 in London
Hosted by the Business Continuity Institute (BCI), this hybrid-format show covers business continuity and organizational resilience practices that align with ISO 22301. The agenda focuses on strategies to avoid disruptions during a crisis, such as a cyberattack or a natural disaster. More than 1,500 attendees are expected. The event also offers a virtual attendance option.