IDC & Zoom Roundtable
When the Meeting Ends: Redefining Virtual Experience for the AI Era
Hosted By
Your communication platform is no longer just where conversations happen. It’s becoming the intelligent
execution engine where work gets done, actions get triggered, and increasingly, customer and user experience are shaped. AI is what’s making this possible, moving from assistive to autonomous, now able to execute multistep work rather than just summarize or assist.
By 2027, IDC expects 60% of organizations to manage multiagent experiences that span multiple channels, applications, and suppliers, enabling more seamless and context-rich experiences.
IDC and Zoom are hosting an exclusive roundtable for senior IT decision makers in Saudi Arabia to understand what this shift demands of your organization: how your platform strategy, customer experience approach, and governance decisions need to evolve as AI takes on more of the work.
These sessions focus on delivering a clearer view of the decisions ahead, grounded in IDC research, and the chance to compare notes directly with peers already navigating the same shift.
Key Discussion Areas
What Your Platform Should Actually Be Doing For You
Communication platforms are moving past hosting meetings and messages. They’re becoming the layer that triggers work and drives outcomes, and that changes what you should expect from yours.
How Ready You Are For Autonomous AI
AI is moving from assisting work to executing it. Get a clear read on where your organization stands today, and what preparing for that shift actually involves.
Where Automation Should Meet CX
The platforms pulling ahead are the ones connecting internal automation directly to customer experience, not treating the two as separate investments. See what that integration looks like in practice.
Trust, Industry Fit, And Interoperability, Together
As platforms take on more autonomous action, governance and security become as important as capability. The same goes for industry fit: the strongest platforms pair vertical-specific workflows with real interoperability across your stack, not a trade-off between the two.
Agenda
IDC & Zoom Roundtable
One Day Event
Registration & Networking
IDC Keynote: Preparing for the Agent Economy: Acceleration, Orchestration and Resiliency
We have moved past the “Great Implementation.” As we enter 2026, the global enterprise has reached a critical inflection point where the sheer volume of data, the complexity of multi-cloud ecosystems, and the velocity of agentic AI have outpaced traditional human management. The mandate for the IT executives has fundamentally shifted: it is no longer about managing technology, but about architecting autonomy.
Eren Eser
Associate Research Director, Türkiye, IDC
AI as the Engine, Not the Assistant
AI used to play a supporting role- drafting, summarizing, answering on the side. That’s changing. Leading enterprises are moving AI from the sidelines to the center, powering core workflows instead of assisting around their edges. This keynote explores where the opportunity is moving, and what it takes to help enterprises move from experimenting with AI to running on it.
Mohannad Al Kalash
Vice President of Zoom for the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Pakistan (METAP), Zoom
Panel Discussion: When the Meeting Ends: Redefining Virtual Experience for the AI Era
AI is transforming meetings from bounded events into continuous, intelligent workflows- capturing decisions, driving follow-ups, and extending collaboration long after the call ends. This panel explores what virtual experience means in an AI-first world: balancing automation with human connection, rethinking meeting culture, and preparing teams for a future where “the meeting” is just one touchpoint in an ongoing, AI-augmented process.
Eren Eser
Associate Research Director, Türkiye, IDC
Mohannad Al Kalash
Vice President of Zoom for the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Pakistan (METAP), Zoom
Wael Almarzouki
General Manager for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Zoom
Summary & Closing
Dinner & Networking
Speakers
Eren Eser
Associate Research Director, Türkiye
IDC
Read bio
Eren Eser
Eren is a seasoned analyst with 20+ years of experience in the ICT sector. He directs all IDC ICT research and consulting engagements in Türkiye, and all sustainability research and consulting projects across the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa (META).
Based in Istanbul, Eren has been involved in projects ranging from market forecasts to strategic consulting engagements on market entry, competitive analysis, go-to-market strategies, technology marketing, and end-user studies. Eren’s vast experience in the IT services, cloud, software, and telecommunications domains helps IDC clients understand the impact of technology-enabled, sustainable transformation processes in the context of sustainable digital business strategies, operations, products, and services. In addition to his research and consulting activities, Eren is a speaker at industry events.
Prior to joining IDC in 2017, Eren spent more than a decade in IT industry roles spanning portfolio management, channel and business development, pricing, and software development at companies including Turk Telekom and TAI.
Eren earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering and an MBA focused on technology road mapping for strategy and innovation, both from Middle East Technical University. He received a master of science in information systems, with a thesis on modeling mobile telecommunications services, from Middle East Technical University. During his academic endeavors, he studied for one semester at the University of Copenhagen, and for one semester at Harvard University. He is pursuing a marketing PhD focused on sustainability.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 7:45 pm
Panel Discussion: When the Meeting Ends: Redefining Virtual Experience for the AI Era
AI is transforming meetings from bounded events into continuous, intelligent workflows- capturing decisions, driving follow-ups, and extending collaboration long after the call ends. This panel explores what virtual experience means in an AI-first world: balancing automation with human connection, rethinking meeting culture, and preparing teams for a future where “the meeting” is just one touchpoint in an ongoing, AI-augmented process.
One Day Event 7:00 pm
IDC Keynote: Preparing for the Agent Economy: Acceleration, Orchestration and Resiliency
We have moved past the “Great Implementation.” As we enter 2026, the global enterprise has reached a critical inflection point where the sheer volume of data, the complexity of multi-cloud ecosystems, and the velocity of agentic AI have outpaced traditional human management. The mandate for the IT executives has fundamentally shifted: it is no longer about managing technology, but about architecting autonomy.
Mohannad Al Kalash
Vice President of Zoom for the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Pakistan (METAP)
Zoom
Read bio
Mohannad Al Kalash
Mohannad Al Kalash is the Vice President for Middle East and Africa at Zoom and a distinguished cybersecurity entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the field. As the founder of CyberX World, a leading multinational cybersecurity awareness platform, he has been a pioneering force in advancing digital security across the Arab world. Mohannad Al Kalash innovative leadership and commitment to raising cybersecurity awareness have positioned him as a key advocate for securing cyberspace and empowering Arab youth with essential skills and knowledge.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems and Networks and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Manchester. Mohannad al Kalash’s passion for technology began in his youth, where he eagerly embraced the latest advancements, using his time to explore and learn from cutting-edge devices.
Through his work, Mohannad Al Kalash aims to ensure that the Arab youth play a crucial role in enhancing cybersecurity, envisioning a future where they are instrumental in fortifying cyberspace against evolving threats and challenges.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 7:45 pm
Panel Discussion: When the Meeting Ends: Redefining Virtual Experience for the AI Era
AI is transforming meetings from bounded events into continuous, intelligent workflows- capturing decisions, driving follow-ups, and extending collaboration long after the call ends. This panel explores what virtual experience means in an AI-first world: balancing automation with human connection, rethinking meeting culture, and preparing teams for a future where “the meeting” is just one touchpoint in an ongoing, AI-augmented process.
One Day Event 7:20 pm
AI as the Engine, Not the Assistant
AI used to play a supporting role- drafting, summarizing, answering on the side. That’s changing. Leading enterprises are moving AI from the sidelines to the center, powering core workflows instead of assisting around their edges. This keynote explores where the opportunity is moving, and what it takes to help enterprises move from experimenting with AI to running on it.
Wael Almarzouki
General Manager for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
Zoom
Read bio
Wael Almarzouki
Wael brings with him over two decades of extensive experience in the ICT sector, with a strong background in sales management, business development, and project management. Throughout his career, he has successfully led numerous strategic initiatives and played a pivotal role in supporting government entities and telecom sectors in accelerating their digital transformation journeys.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, USA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from King Saud University.
Event Sessions
One Day Event 7:45 pm
Panel Discussion: When the Meeting Ends: Redefining Virtual Experience for the AI Era
AI is transforming meetings from bounded events into continuous, intelligent workflows- capturing decisions, driving follow-ups, and extending collaboration long after the call ends. This panel explores what virtual experience means in an AI-first world: balancing automation with human connection, rethinking meeting culture, and preparing teams for a future where “the meeting” is just one touchpoint in an ongoing, AI-augmented process.
Partner
Zoom
Zoom (NASDAQ: ZM) is a system of action for modern work, turning live collaboration into completed results. From entrepreneurs to global enterprises, customers choose Zoom to seamlessly collaborate, communicate, and drive outcomes across meetings, phone, contact center, and more — all with the built-in assistance of Zoom AI Companion. Founded in 2011, Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, visit zoom.com.
