Conferences are where you get hands-on with innovations, learn directly from industry experts, and, most importantly, build the connections that stick. With 2026 drawing to a close, there are still plenty of tech and innovation events left on the calendar. So which ones deserve a spot in yours? Here are five worth your time.
1. OxyCon
Focus areas:AI-driven data extraction and automation, scalable data infrastructure, and web scraping governance and ethics.
Hosted by Oxylabs,OxyConbrings together data professionals sharing real-world insights on web scraping and where the industry is heading. This year, the agenda is built around three core themes:
- AI-native extraction & autonomous workflows– see how AI is transforming the way web data gets extracted. From AI-guided datasets to practical automation use cases, discover how teams are building smarter, self-driving data pipelines.
- Adaptive real-time data & scalable infrastructure– explore what’s next in infrastructure built for fast, adaptive access to web data. Compare approaches to modern browser automation and learn how businesses are scaling their data operations.
- Governance, compliance & strategic value– get to grips with the new rules of data collection in 2026. From shifting regulations to ethical scraping and real-world outcomes, see how compliance and strategy work together.
Sector:Web data collection & scraping infrastructure.
2. Gartner Application Innovation & Business Solutions Summit
Price:€3,725 + VAT (standard); €2,925 + VAT (public sector)
Focus areas:Enterprise applications, software engineering, leadership, modernization, and cost optimization.
Bringing together senior enterprise application and software engineering leaders, this year’sApplication Innovation & Business Solutions Summitspans a broad agenda. Among the key areas in the program:
- Enterprise applications– examine how core business applications are evolving, from GenAI enablement to modernizing the systems your organization runs on. Learn which investments deliver real business value and which don’t.
- Software engineering– explore how engineering teams are adapting their tools, practices, and structures in an AI-accelerated world. Get field-tested frameworks and KPIs you can apply directly to your own initiatives.
- Enterprise architecture– understand how architecture leaders are navigating rapid technological change, balancing modernization against complexity, and building strategies that hold up under scrutiny.
Sector:Enterprise software & IT leadership.
3. Open
Focus areas:Cloud and orchestration, open AI and data, Linux and embedded systems, and digital trust.
Hosted by the Linux Foundation,Openntributors. The 2026 program runs across eleven tracks – a few of the standouts:
- Cloud & orchestration– dive into the infrastructure layer of modern open source, from cloud-native tooling to orchestration at scale.
- Open AI + data– explore open source approaches to AI and data, covering the tools and practices behind openly built AI systems.
- Linux & embedded systems– get into the kernel and the embedded ecosystem, including a dedicated Embedded Linux Conference track.
- Digital trust– examine security, provenance, and trust across the open source supply chain.
- OSS enabling & management– understand the organizational side of open source, from adoption and governance to running programs effectively.
4. World Summit AI
Location:Amsterdam, Netherlands
Focus areas:Enterprise AI adoption, AI sovereignty, and building AI systems.
World Summit AIgathers the global AI ecosystem of enterprise, big tech, startups, investors, science, and academia in Amsterdam. Highlights from this year’s multi-track program include:
- Shaping the new AI paradigm– join the economic, societal, technological, and ethical dialogues shaping the new paradigm of AI.
- Adopt AI– see the very best in global enterprise AI adoption and deployment.
- Sovereign AI– follow high-level dialogue around how nations, regions and sectors are achieving AI sovereignty through controls over AI infrastructure, data, and rules.
- Pathfounders– meet the founders revolutionizing AI, alongside insights from the global VC investors backing them.
Sector:Artificial intelligence.
5. Customer Contact Week Summit
Price:€2,299 + VAT (In House Customer Management Leaders package); €3,999 + VAT (Solution Providers & Consultants package)
Focus areas:AI & automation in customer service, customer journey design, and data-driven operational strategy.
CCW Europe Summitis Europe’s largest gathering of senior customer management leaders, with 125+ sessions across three days. Some of the biggest themes on the agenda:
- AI & automation in customer contact– see how AI is reshaping the way service teams operate. From automated support to AI-assisted agents, discover how organizations are deploying these tools at scale without losing the human touch.
- Customer journey design– explore how leading brands are rethinking the end-to-end customer experience, and learn what it takes to design journeys that hold up across channels and genuinely reduce friction.
- Data-driven decision-making– get to grips with turning customer data into operational decisions. From measurement frameworks to service models, see how teams balance digital transformation with human-led service excellence.
Sector:Customer experience & contact center technology.
Final thoughts
Rather than sticking to the usual big-name tech events, this list deliberately spans different corners of the industry – from the infrastructure and data layer to openk. That’s the point: innovation looks different depending on where you’re standing, and the most useful conference is not always the biggest one. Pick the one closest to your work, and book it before the year runs out!
