The best tech events in the world in 2026 include CES (Las Vegas), SXSW (Austin), LEAP (Riyadh), Hannover Messe (Hannover), COMPUTEX (Taipei), IBC (Amsterdam), Slush (Helsinki), gamescom (Cologne), ISE (Barcelona), MOVE (London), Intersec (Dubai), and CCW (Berlin), plus developer flagships like Google I/O and Microsoft Build (dates not defined yet). Together, they define the global tech calendar across AI, hardware, startups, enterprise, industrial tech, media, security, mobility, CX, and gaming.
About Move:
MOVE is a high-density mobility event focused on EV infrastructure, automotive software, smart cities, fleet technology, and the future of transport. It attracts OEMs, charging providers, logistics operators, startups, and public-sector stakeholders, making it strong for partnership-led conversations. The format combines conference sessions with an expo that supports vendor comparison and direct commercial discussions. MOVE is especially effective if your product touches real-world mobility systems where regulation, infrastructure, and deployment matter as much as innovation.
Main event information
Who should go
Mobility startups, EV infrastructure teams, OEM partnerships, fleet and logistics operators, smart-city and transport policy teams.
About CES:
CES is the world’s largest consumer technology showcase, where global brands, hardware startups, and platforms reveal product roadmaps and future trends. It spans devices, AI-powered consumer experiences, automotive tech, health, smart home, and retail ecosystems. CES is less about deep technical sessions and more about market positioning, partnerships, press, and distribution. The scale is massive, so value comes from pre-booked meetings rather than wandering the show floor. If visibility, trend awareness, or distribution partnerships matter to your strategy, CES remains unmatched.
Main event information
Who should go
Hardware brands, product leaders, retail and distribution teams, media, investors scouting consumer tech, innovation and design teams.
About Intersec:
Intersec is a global marketplace for security and safety technology, with strong participation from enterprise buyers, governments, and integrators. The focus is on physical security, fire and rescue, surveillance, and critical infrastructure protection, making it highly relevant for regulated and compliance-heavy industries. The expo format supports procurement-driven conversations, demos, and vendor evaluations. Dubai’s position as a regional hub attracts audiences from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, which is valuable if you are expanding into those markets.
Main event information
Who should go
Enterprise security vendors, integrators, public-sector suppliers, smart-city teams, safety and compliance leaders.
About Leap:
LEAP is one of the largest technology platforms in Saudi Arabia, covering AI, cloud, fintech, enterprise software, and emerging technologies. It brings together global tech companies, startups, investors, and government-linked initiatives, making it particularly relevant for MENA expansion. The scale is significant, so a focused meeting strategy is essential. For companies targeting enterprise clients or public-sector partnerships in the Gulf, LEAP can accelerate market access and ecosystem understanding.
Main event information
Who should go
AI startups, enterprise tech, founders expanding into MENA, corporate innovation teams, investors, procurement-adjacent teams.
About IBC:
IBC is the leading global event for broadcasting and media technology. It brings together broadcasters, OTT platforms, and vendors focused on production workflows, streaming infrastructure, content distribution, and media cloud solutions. Unlike trend-driven tech conferences, IBC is highly operational, with many attendees evaluating solutions for live deployment. If your product supports video, media operations, or broadcast-scale infrastructure, IBC offers direct access to decision-makers responsible for real systems.
Main event information
Who should go
Media tech vendors, broadcasters, OTT platforms, video infrastructure teams, production and post-production operators.
About Slush:
Slush is designed for efficient founder–investor interaction rather than expo browsing. It attracts a dense concentration of startup operators, VCs, and ecosystem builders, supported by matchmaking tools and curated side formats. The programme is useful, but the real value comes from pre-booked meetings and informal networking around the city. If your primary goal is fundraising, partnerships with startups, or hiring entrepreneurial talent, Slush consistently delivers high signal.
Main event information
Who should go
Founders fundraising, VCs, accelerators, corporate innovation teams, early-stage operators.
About ISE:
ISE is Europe’s leading event for professional AV and systems integration. It covers collaboration tools, digital signage, smart buildings, control rooms, education and healthcare AV, and the integrator networks that deploy them. The audience is highly practical, with many attendees evaluating suppliers for real projects. If your product is sold into AV-heavy enterprise environments, ISE can generate direct pipeline and high-quality partnerships.
Main event information
Who should go
AV vendors, systems integrators, smart-building teams, enterprise IT, venue and retail operators.
About gamescom:
gamescom is Europe’s largest gaming event, combining B2B industry meetings with massive public engagement. It is ideal for studios and publishers seeking distribution, platform partnerships, and media exposure, as well as for gaming technology providers selling tools and infrastructure. Much of the real business happens in private showcases and side events across Cologne, making advance planning critical.
Main event information
Who should go
Studios, publishers, game tech vendors, creator economy teams, marketing and community leads.
About SXSW:
SXSW is a city-wide festival where technology intersects with culture, media, startups, and brand storytelling. It is particularly valuable for consumer-facing products and teams exploring how technology enters mainstream culture. The density of side events, brand activations, and informal networking often outweighs the value of individual sessions. SXSW rewards thematic planning rather than rigid schedules.
Main event information
Who should go
Consumer tech founders, brand partnerships, creators, product marketers, media and innovation teams.
About Hannover:
Hannover Messe is one of the most important global platforms for industrial technology. It focuses on automation, robotics, industrial IoT, energy systems, and manufacturing software. The audience is procurement-driven and operational, making it especially valuable for B2B enterprise sales. If you sell into factories, utilities, or industrial engineering teams, Hannover Messe offers concentrated access to buyers with real budgets.
Main event information
Who should go
Industrial automation vendors, IIoT platforms, robotics companies, manufacturing SaaS, energy systems teams.
About Microsoft Build:
Microsoft Build is Microsoft’s flagship developer conference, centred on cloud, developer tooling, and platform direction. It is strategically important for teams building on Azure or integrating deeply with Microsoft products. For 2026, dates and venue have not been defined yet, so it should be treated as a watchlist event until official confirmation is released.
Main event information
Who should go
Software engineers, cloud and DevOps teams, enterprise developers, Microsoft partners.
About IBC:
CCW is a major European event focused on customer experience, contact centers, and AI-driven service transformation. It attracts enterprise buyers responsible for large-scale service operations, making it highly relevant for B2B CX platforms. Discussions are grounded in operational KPIs such as efficiency, cost-to-serve, and customer satisfaction.
Main event information
Who should go
CX leaders, AI customer service vendors, enterprise SaaS sales teams, contact center operators.
About Google I/O:
Google I/O is Google’s flagship developer event, focused on Android, web, cloud, and AI platforms. It is especially valuable for teams building on Google’s ecosystem or tracking platform direction. For 2026, the dates are not defined yet, so travel planning should wait for official confirmation.
Main event information
Who should go
Android and web developers, AI product teams, cloud builders, startups using Google platforms.
About Computex:
COMPUTEX is a cornerstone event for the PC and compute ecosystem, tightly connected to OEMs, ODMs, and component manufacturers. It is particularly relevant for hardware partnerships, AI compute infrastructure, and manufacturing decisions. If you operate near hardware or supply chains, COMPUTEX offers direct access to the companies behind production.
Main event information
Who should go
Hardware brands, OEM and ODM partnerships, component manufacturers, AI infrastructure teams.
The best tech events in 2026 include CES (Las Vegas), SXSW (Austin), LEAP (Riyadh), Hannover Messe (Hannover), COMPUTEX (Taipei), IBC (Amsterdam), Slush (Helsinki), ISE (Barcelona), gamescom (Cologne), MOVE (London), Intersec (Dubai), and CCW (Berlin). Developer-focused flagships like Google I/O and Microsoft Build are also key, but their 2026 dates are not defined yet.
Slush is the most founder- and investor-focused event, designed around curated meetings and fundraising efficiency. SXSW is also valuable for consumer startups, brand partnerships, and early-stage discovery, especially when storytelling and distribution matter.
Hannover Messe, IBC, Intersec, ISE, and CCW are the strongest enterprise-driven events. These conferences attract buyers with real procurement needs, making them ideal for industrial tech, media infrastructure, security, AV systems, CX platforms, and enterprise software.
CES and COMPUTEX are the most relevant global events for hardware, devices, and compute. CES focuses on consumer electronics and product launches, while COMPUTEX is deeply connected to OEMs, ODMs, components, and the AI compute supply chain.
Google I/O and Microsoft Build are the most important developer-focused events, especially for teams building on Google or Microsoft ecosystems. Dates for 2026 are not defined yet, so they should be treated as watchlist events until officially confirmed.
LEAP, Hannover Messe, Google I/O, Microsoft Build, CCW, and CES all have strong AI components. The right choice depends on whether your focus is enterprise AI, developer platforms, applied AI in industry, or consumer-facing AI products.
gamescom is Europe’s most important gaming event, combining industry meetings, platform partnerships, creator engagement, and large-scale community exposure. It is especially valuable for studios, publishers, and gaming technology providers.
If you can only attend two events in 2026, a strong strategy is:
This combination covers both market visibility and targeted business outcomes.
Yes. Most major tech events now function as full event weeks, where side events, private dinners, meetups, and partner activations often generate more value than the main conference itself. This is especially true for SXSW, Slush, gamescom, CES, and LEAP.
For major global tech events:
Always wait for official date and venue confirmation before booking non-refundable travel.
No. While many 2026 dates are confirmed, some events such as Google I/O and Microsoft Build have not published official dates yet. Always verify details on the event’s official website before finalising travel plans.
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