Executive Dinner
Overcoming AI Implementation Barriers: Practical Strategies for Real-World Success
October 14, 2026 at 5:00 pm | Vancouver
AI adoption is accelerating, but organizations still face barriers to scaling AI, from fragmented data and legacy infrastructure to unclear business alignment and evolving governance requirements.
Success requires more than technology. Organizations must align AI with business priorities, modernize infrastructure for scale, and embed responsible AI practices and governance from the start.
Join Dell and IDC for an interactive dinner focused on the real-world challenges of implementing AI workloads. Through peer discussion and practical insights, leaders will explore how to:
- Align AI initiatives with measurable business outcomes
- Build scalable infrastructure and standardized deployment approaches
- Strengthen governance and cross-functional collaboration
- Turn early AI initiatives into repeatable, production-ready strategies
Connect with peers to share experiences, address implementation barriers, and uncover practical strategies for accelerating AI adoption and impact.
The challenge is no longer experimenting with AI.
It’s moving AI from proof of concept to production and measurable impact.
A peer-to-peer dinner roundtable
Why Attend
Join Dell and IDC for an interactive session featuring practical strategies to overcome AI implementation challenges and accelerate workloads from concept to production.
What are the main barriers organizations face when moving AI workloads from pilot to production, and how can these be overcome?
How can AI initiatives be effectively aligned with core business objectives to ensure measurable outcomes?
What are the best practices for starting small with AI (such as prototyping and POCs) and scaling successful pilots?
How can responsible AI, governance, and compliance be embedded from the outset of AI projects?
What To Expect
An executive dinner led by a skilled moderator
An intimate gathering of senior IT leaders from diverse industries, grappling with similar issues
A secure, private conversation open only to a carefully vetted group
Your hosts
Matthew Eastwood
Senior Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure, Cloud, Telecom, Security, Developers, Channels and Enabling Technology
IDC
Read bio
Matthew Eastwood
Matthew Eastwood is Senior Vice President of IDC’s enterprise infrastructure, cloud, telecom, security, developers, channels and enabling technology research groups. Mr. Eastwood and his team research people, process and technology trends affecting the enterprise technology marketplace worldwide. Mr. Eastwood first joined IDC in 2000 as part of the server team and his responsibilities have evolved and expanded during his tenure. In his current role, he leads a team of more than 100 analysts providing insights and analysis to IT suppliers, buyers, investors, and distributors through more than 75 syndicated research programs. Mr. Eastwood also leads IDC’s BuyerView primary research programs which are focused on defining emerging trends in cloud, developers, service providers, edge, AI and security.
Mr. Eastwood joined IDC in 2000. He provides in-depth market analysis, research, and consulting on all aspects of the enterprise infrastructure marketplace to IT professionals, investors, resellers and technology suppliers. During his tenure at IDC, Mr. Eastwood has led IDC primary research focused on emerging trends in enterprise systems and data centers. This primary research allows IDC to make continuous assessments regarding how customers are deploying and using enterprise infrastructure power digital transformation. Recent topics covered in Mr. Eastwood’s research include: Software Defined Infrastructure, Integrated infrastructure, Convergence, Disaggregated Infrastructure, Virtualization & Automation, Cloud Computing, High Availability, Platform Migration and Datacenter Workloads. Mr. Eastwood also serves as IDC’s lead analyst covering Dell and VMware.
Prior to joining IDC, Mr. Eastwood worked for twelve years as a senior project manager and environmental consultant at CDM Smith in Boston. Mr. Eastwood was responsible for managing the planning and design of large environmental infrastructure projects including wastewater collection and treatment facilities. In addition, Mr. Eastwood served as Operations Manager of the firm’s New England practice.
Mr. Eastwood received a bachelor’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston and earned his MS in Engineering Project Management from WPI in Worcester, MA. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Massachusetts.
Agenda
IDC Executive Dinner in partnership with Dell Technologies, Vancouver
One Day Event
Networking Reception
A private reception bringing together senior executives and industry analysts to connect, exchange perspectives, and set context for the evening’s discussion.
Dinner & Discussion
A moderated, off‑the‑record discussion over dinner focused on real‑world execution challenges, emerging industry priorities, and their implications for enterprise leaders.
Event Concludes
The evening concludes with brief closing remarks and informal follow‑up conversations, reinforcing key takeaways and ongoing peer engagement.
Partner
Sponsored By
Dell Technologies
At Dell Technologies, our mission is to be our customers’ most trusted partner in unlocking the power of data and AI, delivering secure, sustainable and innovative technology that turns bold ideas into real outcomes and drives human progress in a connected world.