Agenda
Thursday, December 3, 2026
All times are listed in Central Standard Time.
AI & Data Summit Dallas
One Day Event
Registration and Networking
Pre-registration required to attend, please pick your badge up at the Registration Desk. The first 50 attendees to check in will receive an exclusive IDC gift.
IDC Welcome Remarks
IDC Keynote: Agentic AI at Scale: Accelerating Innovation While Managing Risk
Agentic AI is unlocking new levels of enterprise innovation by enabling autonomous decision-making and adaptive workflows at scale. Balancing this potential with robust risk management is essential for ensuring trust, compliance, and sustainable value as organizations operationalize agentic systems across critical functions.
Shari Lava | IDC
Group Vice-President, AI, Data, and Automation
Shari Lava
Shari Lava is Group Vice-President, AI, Data, and Automation. Ms. Lava’s core research coverage includes the fast-evolving AI software market, as well as the Automation and Data foundations essential for deploying AI at enterprise scale. This includes deep analysis of market dynamics, adoption trends, and how these technologies converge to deliver superior business outcomes. She is based remotely in Toronto, Canada.
Previously at IDC, Shari led the integration and AI enablement research program within the AI, Data and Automation group, alongside the Small and Medium Business (SMB) program, enabling technology suppliers to better navigate the SMB ecosystem. Prior to IDC, she was Vice President, Marketing Intelligence at Greystone Managed Investments, an asset management firm, where she leveraged data analytics to drive success across the customer journey. Before that, Ms. Lava led the Vendor Advisory Services practice at Info-Tech Research Group, delivering actionable market insights to technology vendors. Earlier, she was a management consultant with Deloitte’s CRM and Information Management practices, specializing in implementing and integrating applications for clients of all sizes across diverse industries
Event Sessions
One Day Event 10:10 am
IDC Keynote: Agentic AI at Scale: Accelerating Innovation While Managing Risk
Agentic AI is unlocking new levels of enterprise innovation by enabling autonomous decision-making and adaptive workflows at scale. Balancing this potential with robust risk management is essential for ensuring trust, compliance, and sustainable value as organizations operationalize agentic systems across critical functions.
Unlocking AI Value Through Intelligent Integration
AI success depends on more than models: it requires seamless access to trusted data, applications, and processes across the enterprise. This session explores how organizations are using intelligent integration, automation, and API management to connect disparate systems, eliminate silos, and create the foundation for scalable AI and data-driven innovation.
The Intelligence Layer: How Modern Analytics Powers Enterprise AI
AI is becoming the new interface for enterprise data. This session examines how organizations are creating an intelligence layer that connects data, analytics, and AI to deliver trusted insights, accelerate decisions, and unlock new business value.
Hosted Discussion Groups
Integrating Agentic AI with Enterprise IT: From Legacy Systems to Unified Platforms
Measuring AI ROI and Business Outcomes
Designing AI Governance Models
Future-Proofing Data Architectures
Data as a Strategic Asset
Data is emerging as a core driver of enterprise strategy, fueling innovation, operational excellence, and competitive differentiation. Organizations that treat data as a strategic asset are positioned to unlock new value, enable intelligent decision-making, and build resilient, future-ready business models.
Rob Tiffany
Research Director, Cloud and Infrastructure Services, IDC
Orchestrating Data for Real-Time AI and Business Operations
AI initiatives often stall when data is fragmented across applications, warehouses, and operational systems. This session explores how modern enterprises are using data orchestration to unify customer, operational, and transactional data in real time. Learn how connected systems, automated workflows, and trusted data synchronization are enabling organizations to operationalize AI and deliver faster business outcomes.
Building the AI-Ready Enterprise: Scaling AI Across the Enterprise
Organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation and into enterprise-scale deployment. Success requires more than models, it demands a modern foundation that brings together data, infrastructure, governance, and operational excellence. This session explores how enterprises are designing AI-ready architectures that span edge, data center, and cloud environments to deliver secure, scalable, and business-driven AI outcomes.
Networking Lunch & Solutions Showcase
Trustworthy AI – Ethics, Bias & Transparency in Practice
Building trustworthy AI requires embedding ethics, bias mitigation, and transparency into every stage of the AI lifecycle. Organizations that operationalize these principles not only strengthen compliance and stakeholder trust but also position themselves for responsible innovation and long-term success.
Kathy Lange
Research Director, AI, Data, and Automation Software, IDC
The Next Phase of Enterprise AI: From Experimentation to Transformation
As AI moves beyond pilots and proofs of concept, organizations are shifting their focus to scaling adoption and delivering measurable business value. This keynote explores the key trends, challenges, and success factors shaping the next phase of enterprise AI
The Human Side of AI and Data
As AI and data reshape the enterprise landscape, human insight, adaptability, and collaboration become critical differentiators. Organizations that prioritize culture, upskilling, and ethical engagement empower their workforce to thrive alongside intelligent technologies and drive sustainable transformation.
Cybersecurity Meets AI and Data
The convergence of cybersecurity, AI, and data is redefining how organizations anticipate, detect, and respond to evolving threats. Leveraging intelligent automation and advanced analytics, enterprises can strengthen defenses, accelerate incident response, and build more resilient security postures in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Responsible AI in Practice
Operationalizing responsible AI requires embedding ethical frameworks, governance, and accountability into every stage of the AI lifecycle. Organizations that implement these practices at scale not only mitigate risk and ensure compliance but also unlock sustainable innovation and stakeholder trust.
Digital Sovereignty and Data Governance
Digital sovereignty and robust data governance are becoming critical imperatives as organizations navigate regulatory complexity, cross-border data flows, and evolving digital ecosystems. Leaders who prioritize control, transparency, and compliance in their data strategies will be best positioned to safeguard assets, build stakeholder trust, and drive sustainable growth in a rapidly shifting global landscape.
Closing the AI Delivery Gap: From Idea to Production
Modern Infrastructure for an AI-Driven World
Reimagining Enterprise Operations in the Age of AI
Networking Break
The Autonomous Enterprise: AI’s Next Frontier
Driving Business Value with AI & Data
AI & Data in 2030 – What Leaders Must Prepare For
AI and data will fundamentally redefine competitive dynamics, business models, and workforce expectations. Leaders must anticipate disruptive technological shifts, invest in adaptive strategies, and cultivate organizational resilience to harness the full potential of an AI-driven future.
Megha Kumar
Research Vice President, Analytics & AI, IDC
Networking Reception
Enjoy more food and drinks with our partners and new contacts
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