Experience an objective, strategic digital retail perspective

To anticipate how retail and consumer goods experiences will evolve over the next 20 years, CIOs, IT and business executive leaders must explore how physical experiences intertwined with digital experiences, delivered through AI-infused immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, machine customer and Agentic AI, will reshape consumer interactions and likely redefine shopping.

Program highlights 

Whether you’re looking to validate your strategy, enhance your professional network or simply reconnect with peers face-to-face, the conference journey is curated to provide guidance in the areas most meaningful to your organization.

View a top-rated session from the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2024:

Retail and Consumer Goods: Generational Change Demands Channelless Engagement for Competitive Advantage

Robert Hetu, VP Analyst, Gartner

Connect with retail technology experts and peers

Industry Content

Industry-Specific Sessions:

  • Hype Cycle for Retail Technologies 2025
  • Retail & Consumer Goods Roundtable: Sharing Data Insights to Enhance Resilience
  • Retail and Consumer Goods: Future Experiences in the Next Two Decades
  • Retail: How Agentic AI Will Revolutionize Back Office and Store Operations in Retail
  • Retail and Consumer Goods Peer Meeup: How Are You Fostering a Culture of Innovation?

With over 350+ sessions, there’s more to explore. Top-trending sessions include:

  • 4 Generative AI Skills to Master in 2025
  • AI Agents: Are You Ready to Set Your AI Free?
  • The New Gartner Cybersecurity Benchmark
  • The CIO's Cybersecurity Radar for 2026
  • Leadership Greatest Hits – 2025 Edition: A Playlist of 10 Tactics Executives Used to Boost Impact
  • How Successful Innovation Leaders Mitigate Risks and Assess Failure
  • Agent, Please Stop Spending: Navigating Agentic AI Cost Strategies
  • How To Make IT Cost Optimization a Business Decision
  • The CIO's Guide to Evaluating Emerging Technologies
  • Catalysts for Change: Future Impact of Emerging Technologies on Industries

View the Full Agenda

*Agenda as of June 2025

Industry Networking

Connect with retail industry peers - across organizational size and specialty - through a variety of networking gatherings. 

Join large-group keynotes setting the stage for emerging technology and trends, and sessions featuring Gartner retail experts and external thought leaders. Discuss topics impacting the retail industry in smaller-setting roundtables and workshops. You have a variety of ways to discover new insights, engage and validate your strategy, and walk away ready to make smarter, faster decisions.

Industry Interactive Sessions

Engage with a small group of industry peers - facilitated by a Gartner expert - covering specific topics and issues most relevant to retail*

Conference Networking Activities

Take advantage of curated, relaxed environments to connect - from CIO-exclusive lunches to informal breaks and evening receptions, such as our Welcome Reception Block party - featuring Industry Neighborhoods to connect with peers before the conference begins.

Throughout the conference, choose from multiple opportunities to meet peers and build lasting connections.

Connect 1-1 with Industry Peers

Start connecting before the conference and plan your onsite schedule to grow your professional network. Download the Conference Navigator app and opt in to Attendee Networking. Search for peers by role, organization size, industry sector, and region.

View all Receptions and Special Events

*Pre-registration is required. These sessions are not available to vendors; space is limited.

 

Meet a Gartner Expert

Meet with a Gartner retail expert at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo.

Each conference ticket includes two one-on-one meetings with a Gartner expert to discuss any topic you choose. Address your most pressing goals, dive deeper into your conference session takeaways, discuss your technology roadmap, or get practical solutions to accelerate your organization’s technology strategy.

View the full speaker lineup

*Speakers as of June 2025

**Gartner One-on-One Meetings are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and availability cannot be guaranteed.

Conference Highlights

Get fresh perspectives and collaborate with industry leaders and experts as you access exclusive Gartner research, solve shared challenges, and engage in unique experiences.

  • Join the Gartner CIO Circle Program—designed for Chief Information Officers, offering exclusive sessions tailored to your priorities to explore new strategies, share ideas, and grow your peer community.

  • Discover critical insights for the year ahead in Gartner Signature Series sessions, including Top Strategic Technology Trends, Top Strategic Predictions, and the CIO and Technology Executive Agenda.

  • Participate in industry roundtables to connect with peers from leading organizations, inspired by the latest research and hosted by a Gartner expert.

  • Attend industry-specific sessions tailored specifically to retail.

  • Meet one-on-one with a Gartner expert to address your key initiatives and challenges with actionable outcomes.

  • Engage in peer networking events for natural conversations during meals, receptions, and a special event at Magic Kingdom® Theme Park—reserved exclusively for this conference.

  • Access the IT Xpo to connect with leading technology providers, explore innovative, cost-effective solutions, and attend the Gartner Hype Cycle for Retail Technologies 2025.

"Gartner works to create a personalized experience that is shaped to guide your solution path. They make deep industry leading talent openly accessible to you."

Tammerra McCormack
Enterprise Business Architect, Macy's