All 2026 Conference Sessions

Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2026 dives deep into key topics for CIOs and IT leaders around AI, executive leadership, cybersecurity, operating models and more to help you address your organization's mission-critical challenges.

2026 Conference Theme

Ignite Intelligence

AI is no longer a differentiator — it’s now part of the foundation. CIOs must take the artificial out of intelligence, combining human ingenuity with AI to unlock value, drive agility and navigate disruption. A human-centered approach is key to leading the intelligent enterprise. 

Explore our conference sessions below, all developed with this theme in mind.

Hear from a long-term Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo attendee on why he keeps coming back.
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Monday, October 19, 2026

12:05 PM - 12:25 PM EDT

Island: Responsible AI Enablement - Balancing Innovation, Governance, and Control
Matthew Pour, DIRECTOR, SALES ENGINEERING, Island
CIOs are under pressure to unlock generative AI's value while safeguarding governance, visibility, and compliance. As browser-based AI tools spread unchecked across the workforce, Shadow AI creates real risk of direct data leakage and compliance exposure. This session equips CIOs with practical strategies to govern AI use, protect sensitive data, and set policies that balance productivity with control, without sacrificing security or compliance. ... Show More Show Less

02:45 PM - 03:15 PM EDT

AI-Native Development: From Vibe Coding to Teams of Coding Agents
Mark O'Neill, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
AI-native development platforms range from vibe coding platforms to AI assistants, though to teams of AI coding agents. CIOs are excited about this technology because it improves developer productivity, enables innovation and holds the potential to replace off-the-shelf software with custom-built alternatives. ... Show More Show Less

02:45 PM - 03:05 PM EDT

Hype Cycle for Generative AI, 2026
Arun Chandrasekaran, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
Generative AI technologies and techniques are evolving at an unprecedented pace, accompanied by a significant hype, making it challenging for leaders to navigate this dynamic landscape. CIOs can leverage this Hype Cycle to identify the innovations worth pursuing as they shape and execute their AI strategies. ... Show More Show Less

03:45 PM - 04:30 PM EDT

CIO Boardroom: Unlocking Enterprise Value with AI Governance, moderated by Lenovo
Art Hu, Cio, Lenovo
Effective AI governance today is about enabling confident innovation, not just control. Global CIOs must navigate the growing complexity of scaling AI while protecting data, managing risk and achieving business goals across diverse regions.

In this session, you’ll explore:

Designing AI governance that balances innovation and risk
Scaling AI beyond IT for cross-functional results
Strengthening data, governance and operating models for AI ... Show More Show Less

03:45 PM - 04:15 PM EDT

Microsoft: The Foundation of Frontier Transformation
Mike Hulme, General Manager, MICROSOFT - AI
As software becomes increasingly agentic, the AI platform is expanding beyond models and tools. Microsoft General Manager Mike Hulme explores how Azure's connected cloud and AI system powers Frontier Transformation across silicon, infrastructure, data, AI, developer tools, security, and operations. Discover how this platform compounds value with every workload and prepares organizations to build and operate the next generation of AI applications. ... Show More Show Less

03:45 PM - 04:15 PM EDT

Superhuman: Access Isn’t Adoption: What AI Needs to Unlock the Superhuman Potential in Everyone
AI access does not equal adoption. IT sanctions AI tools that sit underused while employees quietly adopt their own instead. That shadow AI isn't just a compliance problem—it's a demand signal showing where AI actually fits the work. Walk away from this session knowing what that signal actually looks like in practice and hear from Superhuman's CISO on how it's shaping the governance and design decisions behind Superhuman Go. ... Show More Show Less

04:30 PM - 04:50 PM EDT

Automation Anywhere: Autonomous IT Service Desk: Turning Agentic AI Ambition into Measurable Outcomes

Agentic AI is transforming the IT service desk into an autonomous operation that resolves requests with minimal human intervention oftentimes before issues are event reported. This session outlines how to deliver zero-ticket autonomous resolution in even the most complex enterprise environments. See how Autonomous IT Service Desk has automated 90%+ of service requests for enterprises without compromising security, reliability, or trust. ... Show More Show Less

04:30 PM - 04:50 PM EDT

Verizon Business: The New Operational Reality of Public Safety Technology
Lamont Copeland, Senior Director - Sales Engineer, Verizon Business
As operational complexities mount, public safety agencies are rapidly shifting their perception of emerging tech from future luxury to essential lifeline. This session explores the increased integration of AI, drones, and robotics into daily operations. Attendees will learn how these tools are augmenting human intuition to improve emergency response outcomes and why network resilience has become an increasingly vital aspect of mission success. ... Show More Show Less

04:30 PM - 04:50 PM EDT

​AWS: The Next Wave of Modernization: From Cloud-First to Agent-Ready

Shally Stanley, Vp Professional Services North America, AWS
The modernization challenge has shifted: making your cloud estate agent-ready. Most enterprise data stores weren't built for agents to discover and act on, and legacy code resists the speed agents demand. The answer isn't rip-and-replace—it's targeted modernization so agents can work with what you've built. Learn how to evaluate agent-readiness and how agents accelerate the journey. ... Show More Show Less

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“It really helps you get away from the operational things you’re doing every day, and think about what’s next.”

JR Williamson
Senior Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer, Leidos

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