All 2026 Conference Sessions

Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 2026 dove deep into key topics for data and analytics around topics and more.

Session Takeaways

Dive into some of the key takeaways you may have missed from Gartner Data & Analytics Summit.

Day 1: Gartner Opening Keynote: Navigate AI On Your Data & Analytics Journey to Value

Speakers:

  • Adam Ronthal, VP Analyst Gartner
  • Georgia O'Callaghan, Director Analyst Gartner

Key takeaways

  • Success with AI in Data & Analytics requires a clear vision, strong foundational capabilities, and empowering your workforce—not just rapid implementation.
  • Sustainable value comes from aligning ambition, governance, and talent around a unified AI strategy, including clear goal-setting, modernized governance, and skill investment.
  • The organizations that thrive will be those that blend human expertise with machine intelligence to drive impactful outcomes.

AI Governance: How to Design an Effective AI Governance Operating ModelSpeakers:

  • Svetlana Sicular

Key takeaways

  • Focus governance on your AI portfolio
  • Define levels of use-case criticality to focus AI governance on what matters the most
  • Pace AI governance with your AI speed 

Signature Series: State of D&A 2026Speakers:

  • Michael Gabbard, Sr Director Analyst 

Key takeaways

  • Most D&A teams aren’t fully equipped for current and future AI demand, but scaling impact is still possible.
  • Reallocate resources to top enterprise priorities to maximize AI-driven value.
  • AI can overhaul your operating model, improving solution delivery, data management, and code generation.

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      Look back at 2026 conference sessions

      Hundreds of conference sessions were presented each day at the 2026 Gartner Data & Analytics Summit. While we work to develop this year's agenda, filter to see sessions that align with your role and interests.

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      Monday, March 09, 2026

      09:30 AM - 10:15 AM EDT

      Gartner Opening Keynote: Navigate AI on Your Data & Analytics Journey to Value
      Adam Ronthal, VP Analyst, Gartner
      Georgia O'Callaghan, Director Analyst, Gartner
      AI is accelerating new possibilities for data and analytics everywhere. Success isn’t always about being the fastest, but about finding your own path to value, while managing risk and cost. Join our Gartner’s Opening Keynote to discover how a thoughtful approach to speed and direction helps you prepare for what’s next, no matter where you are today. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT

      5 Things That Cause Sleepless Nights for Heads of Governance
      Stephen Kennedy, Director Analyst, Gartner
      We will discuss the latest issues that heads of data governance must address and provide recommendations to manage and capitalize on emerging opportunities. By understanding key drivers and trends, leaders will be equipped to optimize their data governance strategies. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT

      Advance Your AI Strategy For Success in an Era of Constant Change
      Arun Chandrasekaran, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
      The enormous potential business value of AI will not materialize spontaneously. AI leaders should guide their organizations toward an era in which AI is not only creating tangible business value but goes beyond to become a critical competitive differentiator and industry disruptor. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 11:45 AM EDT

      Ask the Expert: AI-Driven Acquisition Management Solutions for Government D&A Leaders
      George Sellner, Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
      Learn how AI accelerates acquisition while strengthening compliance and transparency. This session explores AI-powered tools for requirements, solicitation integrity, evaluation and contract management, aligned with government mandates. Leave with a practical roadmap to cut cycle time and reduce protest risk without sacrificing oversight. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 11:45 AM EDT

      Ask the Expert: How to Design and Optimize RAG
      Sumit Agarwal, VP Analyst, Gartner
      RAG has emerged as a powerful approach for building advanced AI systems that combine the strengths of large language models with external knowledge sources. However, RAG solutions struggle with reliability and require a lot of experimentation. This session will address key questions to help determine the best design pattern and optimization for RAG implementations. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 11:45 AM EDT

      Ask the Expert: Negotiating Snowflake and Databricks Contracts
      Aaron Rosenbaum, Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
      Snowflake and Databricks have become significant vendors to many enterprises, with increasing product offerings and broad array of use cases. This session provides attendees with strategies and tactics to negotiate the best contractual deal with Snowflake or Databricks and to pose questions when it comes to dealing with them. D&A leaders need to understand how their organization can best estimate future usage needs, mitigate risk when negotiating with the vendor, discover how to best attain leverage, what is and is not leverage in Salesforce's view, etc. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 11:45 AM EDT

      Ask the Expert: Tactics, Strategies and Tools for Governing AI Agents
      Gary Olliffe, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
      AI agents come in all shapes and sizes, are developed, deployed or embedded in an increasing number of platforms, and can be applied to anything from fun ad hoc tasks to mission-critical business processes. Among all this diversity, the big question is, "How do we govern agents within our organization?" In this session, we answer your questions about ways to help your organization mitigate risk and establish control over the agents in your environment. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

      CDAO Circle Leadership Exchange: Exchange Lessons From CDAO Agenda Survey 2026
      Michael Gabbard, Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
      Join an interactive executive discussion on emerging trends from the 2026 CDAO Agenda Survey, highlighting cost optimization for D&A, scalable design patterns and the use of AI to improve D&A operations. Discover how these insights can drive efficiency and innovation across your organization. ... Show More Show Less

      11:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT

      Data Lake, Lakehouse, Warehouse: How to Choose?
      Masud Miraz, Sr Principal Analyst, Gartner
      Data lakehouses continue to be hyped, but do they replace or complement data lakes and data warehouses? Where do we stand from an architectural perspective? What is hype, and what is real? What should be expected in the coming years? ... Show More Show Less

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      “The conference open our minds to an entire world of analytics opportunities for improving data decision making of the companies.”

      Eliza Urgiles
      Inter American Development Bank

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