Gartner’s North American IT Symposium/Xpo runs October 19 to 22 in Orlando. It draws more CIOs than any other event in Gartner’s calendar, and for many IT leaders it’s where next year’s budget conversation really starts.
The 2026 agenda is built around the AI-ready enterprise. That means less about whether to use AI and more about what has to change underneath it: data, governance, skills, cost control and the operating model. Gartner analysts run the keynotes and the one-on-ones, and the one-on-ones are the part regulars guard most closely.
This is also where Gartner traditionally releases its top strategic technology trends for the year ahead. Vendors build their messaging around that list for months afterwards, so the Orlando keynote ends up shaping a lot of pitches you’ll hear in 2027.
Go to Orlando if you set technology strategy for a large organization. It’s a week of benchmarking yourself against peers who have the same problems at the same scale.