.jpg)
School systems are entering a moment where decisions about AI will shape teaching, learning, and operations, often faster than teams have time to fully prepare for. Leaders want reliable information, educators want practical support, and communities want clarity about how new tools fit into real classrooms and daily school life.
We’ve put together a guide to the top AI in education conferences in 2026. These events offer space to slow down, learn with peers, and make sense of how AI can support meaningful student outcomes. From national gatherings to virtual summits, each one provides a different lens on where education is headed and how to move forward with purpose.
AI in Education Conferences in 2026
These conferences offer district leaders concrete ideas, guidance, and real examples for implementing AI in meaningful ways. Events are listed in chronological order.
FETC 2026: Future of Education Technology Conference
Date: January 11–14, 2026
Location: Orlando, Florida
Description: FETC is one of the largest gatherings of education technology leaders in the country, drawing district administrators, instructional leaders, and IT teams for workshops, sessions, and peer learning. It is not solely focused on AI, but it remains an important space to understand how AI-enabled technologies are beginning to shape K-12 planning and operations.
Panoramic 2026: Panorama's Virtual Summit on AI in K-12
Date: February 26, 2026
Location: Online
Description: Panoramic 2026 is Panorama’s annual virtual summit created specifically for K–12 teams navigating AI implementation. It centers real district experiences, practical demonstrations, and clear frameworks teams can apply right away. Because it is free and fully virtual, entire teams can join and build shared understanding around how AI can support teaching, learning, and student support.
Save Your Seat!
SXSW EDU
Date: March 9–12, 2026
Location: Austin, Texas
Description: SXSW EDU is a four-day conference and festival that brings together educators, innovators, and leaders from across the country. With hundreds of sessions and workshops, the event explores the future of learning broadly. While not exclusively an AI conference, it often includes sessions related to emerging technologies and how they intersect with instruction and engagement.
The AI Show @ ASU+GSV Summit
Date: April 11–13, 2026
Location: San Diego, California
Description: The AI Show @ ASU+GSV is an immersive three-day exploration of the AI revolution in education, scheduled for April 11–13, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center. It brings together educators, technologists, and policymakers for hands-on workshops, keynotes, and demonstrations focused on AI’s role in teaching and learning.
CoSN 2026 Annual Conference
Date: April 13–April 15, 2026
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Description: CoSN’s Annual Conference is a national convening for K–12 technology and systems leadership. Technology leaders and district teams come together to explore infrastructure, data systems, and planning. As districts consider AI readiness and responsible adoption, CoSN provides a leadership-level space to examine how emerging tools fit into secure, sustainable systems.
Date: June 26–July 1, 2026
Location: Orlando, Florida
Description: ISTELive is one of the most established gatherings for educators focused on instructional technology. Teachers, coaches, and district leaders attend for hands-on learning, classroom strategies, and opportunities to explore new digital tools. Its broad edtech focus makes ISTELive a valuable space to see how AI-enabled approaches are being integrated into teaching and learning practice.
Don't Miss These Regional Tech & AI Events in 2026
In addition to national conferences, many of the most practical conversations about technology and AI happen at state and regional events. These gatherings bring together educators and district teams who are navigating implementation in real-world contexts, often alongside peers facing similar challenges.
In 2026, you’ll find the Panorama team at several tech- and AI-focused regional conferences, including:
- CoSN State Chapter Conferences
- GaETC (Georgia Educational Technology Conference)
- CUE (California Association of Leading Innovation in Education)
- CITE (California IT in Education)
- NYSCATE (New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education)
- MASSCUE (Massachusetts Computer Using Educators)
These conferences may not be exclusively focused on AI, but they’re important spaces for seeing how districts are using emerging technologies in practice. They’re also where meaningful conversations happen about what’s working, what’s challenging, and how teams are adapting AI tools to support teaching and learning.
Catch You Out There!
We’ll continue updating this list as more AI in education conferences in 2026 take shape, so feel free to bookmark it as you plan professional learning for the year ahead.
The most important thing in 2026 isn’t attending every event. It’s choosing the spaces that help your team learn together, ask better questions, and move forward with confidence. Wherever you plug in, these conferences offer opportunities to learn from peers and explore how AI can support the work that matters most in schools.
Register for Panoramic 2026: Free, Virtual Summit for K-12 Leaders and Educators
