Explore this year’s topics

View topics for CIOs and IT executives and dive into last year’s sessions while we work on the full 2026 agenda.

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Conference Topics at a Glance

The 2026 agenda delivers the latest technology, strategy and leadership insights most critical to CIOs and their teams.

Agentic AI

Agentic AI is redefining automation and digital work with autonomous, learning agents. CIOs must pilot risk-appropriate use cases, build staged autonomy roadmaps, embed governance-by-design and upskill teams to ensure safe, measurable adoption with robust controls, observability and oversight.

AI Technology and Infrastructure

AI technology demands resilient data foundations, composable architectures and security-centric design. CIOs must balance buy/build decisions, invest in talent, and integrate observability and TRiSM to scale AI safely across platforms and domains.

Cybersecurity and Enterprise Resilience

Prepare for the next era of CIO and executive leadership. Harness AI to lead more strategically and manage less. Gain practical insights from case studies, balance change with continuity and secure a lasting seat at the C-suite table by driving rapid, impactful results.

Emerging Technologies

Anticipating disruption means evaluating the impact of emerging technologies on your organization. CIOs must identify adoption timelines, assess business value and integrate technology trend insights into strategic planning to maintain a competitive edge.

Operating Models

IT operating models are the engine of digital transformation. CIOs must align models to enterprise ambition, balance governance with agility and AI, and empower cross-functional teams to ensure IT delivers measurable business outcomes, adapts continuously and drives growth.

Strategic Planning and Execution

Strategic planning and execution means more than setting direction. CIOs must unite IT and business, integrate AI for measurable outcomes, address change fatigue with structured management and orchestrate agile plans, governance and talent to deliver sustained business value.

Look back at 2025 conference sessions

Hundreds of conference sessions were presented each day at the 2025 Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo. 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, October 20, 2025

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM EDT

Gartner Opening Keynote: Walking The Golden Path to Value

Daryl Plummer, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
Alicia Mullery, VP Analyst, Gartner
AI isn't everything, but it's touching everything. To achieve the next level of value, you must navigate the blinding hype surrounding AI readiness and the lagging progress of human readiness. Join Gartner’s Opening Keynote to discover how CIOs, AI leaders and IT leaders can chart their own "golden path" – navigating vendor choices, reimagining the workforce and redefining organizational identities – to be agents of change. ... Show More Show Less

05:00 PM - 05:45 PM EDT

Guest Keynote: Leadership and Happiness

Dr. Arthur Brooks, Harvard Professor and Best-selling Author
Most people think success is the key to happiness, but they are wrong. Happiness is the key to success. According to research, to be successful in life, one should understand happiness and manage to it—our own and others’. Unfortunately, most people have to learn this fact by hard experience. Happiness expert Arthur C. Brooks shows that behind this problem lies an enormous opportunity for businesses to improve happiness practices internally, thus raising workplace engagement, facilitating recruitment, and increasing retention and productivity. Indeed, companies can establish a culture of meaning, purpose, and life satisfaction–and can thus prosper in highly-competitive labor markets where culture and quality of life are so critical. ... Show More Show Less
Tuesday, October 21, 2025

09:00 AM - 09:45 AM EDT

Guest Keynote: A Gartner Interview with Marc Benioff

Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce
Yvonne Genovese, EVP, Business and Technology Insights, Gartner
Join us for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation with Marc Benioff, Chair, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Salesforce. Show Less
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

09:00 AM - 09:45 AM EDT

Guest Keynote: A Conversation with Angela Ahrendts DBE on Leading with Humility, Humanity, and Heart

Angela Ahrendts DBE, Former SVP, Apple Retail; Former CEO, Burberry; Chair of the Board, Save the Children International
Mandi Bishop, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
Join us for a conversation with Angela Ahrendts DBE, where we delve into the intersection of technology and leadership. As former Burberry CEO and SVP Apple Retail, Angela became a master of leading global teams, and will share her insights on bridging the digital and physical worlds, emphasizing the crucial role of human creativity in the age of AI. She will explore how innovation can be harnessed to create seamless experiences that connect and inspire. The conversation will also touch on leadership, highlighting the importance of leading with purpose and putting people first. Angela will discuss how emotional intelligence can drive transformation and foster a culture of empathy and empowerment. This session will offer valuable perspectives for CIOs and IT executives looking to navigate the complexities of today's rapidly evolving landscape. ... Show More Show Less
Thursday, October 23, 2025

09:00 AM - 09:45 AM EDT

Guest Keynote: Generate Impact: Finding Purpose Through Service to Leave Your Imprint on this World

Justin Wren, Humanitarian, Author, MMA Fighter, Mental Health Advocate, and Non-Profit CEO/Founder
What happens after you hit rock bottom? Sometimes you find a calling that changes your life forever. You just might become a hope dealer that empowers sustainable change for others.
The Pygmies,
a marginalized and forgotten people, became the catalyst for my journey of purposeful service. Through my experiences with these incredible individuals, I witnessed firsthand the immense impact we can have when we dedicate ourselves to a cause greater than ourselves.
Together, we will explore the power of service, the profound difference we can make in the lives of others, and the ripple effect that extends far beyond what we can imagine– including the transformation that occurs within ourselves when we choose to serve selflessly.
Above all, this talk is about hope. How to become a hope-dealer from one of the world’s greatest hope dealers turned change makers. It is a reminder that we each possess the power to create a better world, one act of kindness at a time. By leaving our imprint on this world through purposeful service, we can inspire others to do the same, sparking a chain reaction of love and compassion that reverberates far and wide.
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