Agenda
Thursday, June 25, 2026
All times are listed in Mountain Standard Time.
AI & Data Summit Calgary
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
Our host welcome you to the AI & Data Summit Calgary. Setting the stage for the program, they’ll provide an overview of the strategic insights and tech trends you can expect to hear about during the day.
Erin Lawrence
Executive Editor, TechGadgetsInternational
IDC Keynote: Agentic AI at Scale: Accelerating Innovation While Managing Risk
How organizations are deploying agentic AI to drive rapid innovation, while navigating complex regulatory requirements around data privacy, security, and ethical AI
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 3:25 pm
Ask Analyst Anything: Live Q&A with IDC Analysts
An interactive, audience-driven Q&A with three IDC analysts — Shari Lava, Tony Olvet, and Megha Kumar — hosted by Erin. Powered by Mentimeter, this session puts Calgary’s CIO community in the driver’s seat. Submit and upvote questions live, respond to real-time polls, and get unfiltered analyst perspectives on the topics that matter most to Alberta leaders: AI governance, how organizations are using AI to liberate their people rather than replace them, what responsible AI looks like for energy and resource companies, and where the data says Canadian — and Alberta — enterprises are headed by 2030. No slides. No talking points. Just honest answers.
One Day Event 10:40 am
IDC Keynote: Agentic AI at Scale: Accelerating Innovation While Managing Risk
How organizations are deploying agentic AI to drive rapid innovation, while navigating complex regulatory requirements around data privacy, security, and ethical AI
Operationalizing AI: The New Rules of Tokenomics and Compute
Join Ivan and Darren as they discuss the latest trends emerging in the AI landscape, including the new rules of Tokenomics, the strategic role of Cuda in all of this, and how organizations like yours are Operationalizing AI.
Ivan Nekrasov
NVIDIA AI Field Product Manager, Dell Technologies
Darren Head
PreSales Solutions Consultant, Dell Technologies
Supply chain dependencies: Have you checked your blind spot?
Growing digital reliance makes supply chains a prime cyber target. Third-party breaches can halt operations, trigger downstream chaos, and blur the line between cyber, business, and financial risk. As the risk surface expands, businesses need to map digital and non-digital dependencies and deploy new resilience strategies to safeguard their operations.
This session will examine how organizations can identify hidden dependencies and build resilience beyond their own walls.
James Bracken
Territory Account Manager, ESET Canada
Data as a Strategic Asset
As data becomes the defining competitive differentiator, organizations are navigating the tension between governance, compliance, and the need to innovate at speed. This panel will examine how enterprise leaders are transforming data into measurable business value — building frameworks that are both rigorous and agile.
Tony Olvet
Group Vice President, Worldwide C-Suite and Digital Business Research, IDC
Dawit Haile
Dean, College of Engineering and Technology, Virginia State University
Networking Lunch, Solutions Showcase & Dell’s Tech Rally Bus
Responsible AI, Digital Sovereignty, and Compliance
Exploring how organizations can harness responsible AI while meeting Canadian regulatory requirements, ensuring digital sovereignty, and maintaining compliance in an evolving legal landscape.
Megha Kumar
Research Vice President, Analytics & AI, IDC
AI at the Edge: Bringing Intelligence Closer to Where Work Happens
As organizations move beyond AI experimentation, the conversation is shifting from models to outcomes. AI at the edge is emerging as a powerful way to deliver more responsive user experiences, improve privacy and security, and help organizations manage the cost of AI at scale.
Jon Crutchely
Sales Leader, HP Canada
Erin Lawrence
Executive Editor, TechGadgetsInternational
Security and Risk Management in AI Deployments
AI for Healthcare Innovation: Delivering Patient Outcomes with Trust and Compliance.
Networking Break
Time off to think, network and share insights.
Hosted Discussion Groups
GenAI in Practice, hosted by Dell Technologies
Agentic AI Readiness, hosted by Dell Technologies
Scaling AI in the Enterprise, hosted by HP
Supply Chain: Know Your Blind Spots, hosted by ESET
Interactive Roundtable, hosted by Qu Data Centres
Interactive Roundtable, hosted by Informatica
The Human Side of AI and Data
Technology transformation ultimately succeeds or fails on the human side. This intimate fireside conversation will explore how organizations are tackling the skills gap, reshaping culture, and leading meaningful change as AI and data become embedded in everyday operations.
Tony Olvet
Group Vice President, Worldwide C-Suite and Digital Business Research, IDC
Tushar Patel
VP of IT, Graham
Ask Analyst Anything: Live Q&A with IDC Analysts
An interactive, audience-driven Q&A with three IDC analysts — Shari Lava, Tony Olvet, and Megha Kumar — hosted by Erin. Powered by Mentimeter, this session puts Calgary’s CIO community in the driver’s seat. Submit and upvote questions live, respond to real-time polls, and get unfiltered analyst perspectives on the topics that matter most to Alberta leaders: AI governance, how organizations are using AI to liberate their people rather than replace them, what responsible AI looks like for energy and resource companies, and where the data says Canadian — and Alberta — enterprises are headed by 2030. No slides. No talking points. Just honest answers.
Shari Lava
Group Vice-President, AI, Data, and Automation, IDC
Tony Olvet
Group Vice President, Worldwide C-Suite and Digital Business Research, IDC
Megha Kumar
Research Vice President, Analytics & AI, IDC
Erin Lawrence
Executive Editor, TechGadgetsInternational
Closing Remarks
Hear a full summary of the days’ takeaways and what’s to come during these final remarks from our Event Host.
Erin Lawrence
Executive Editor, TechGadgetsInternational
Networking Reception
Enjoy more food and drinks with our partners and new contacts
Join Us!
Don’t miss the AI & Data Summit 2026 Calgary—Building Intelligence that Creates Real Value.