Conference News: SaaStock Meetup; New M360 in APAC; Privacy Event CFP
Taking Stock of your Connections: In 2026, SaaStock USA will create a space for more meaningful networking opportunities based on feedback from the 2025 event. The conference has announced Meetup at SaaStock USA which they are describing as “the game-changing, one-to-one meetings program” with more than “12,000 pre-scheduled, 15-minute intro meetings that are all about making moves, fast.” Meetup will be the SaaS industry’s largest meetings event for startups, scaleups and investors. The idea is to help attendees by facilitating collaborations on a larger scale.
GSMA’s Again Gone Globe Trotting: The GSMA began the M360 Series years ago as a way to cultivate “regional engagement through topics that are impacting the mobile industry on both a localized and global scale.” These gatherings have been hosted around the world – Europe, Latin America, Africa and in 2026 they are planning a new destination – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the launch announcement, M360 ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur will lay the foundation for a “more resilient and people-centered digital future” by “bringing together governments, mobile operators, and technology innovators… to accelerate collaboration, investment, and inclusive connectivity across all countries of ASEAN.” Dates still TBD but it will happen in September.
Submission Opportunity: IAPP Global Privacy Summit, which will happen in Washington D.C. on 30 – 31 March 2026, is self-described as “a must-attend event for professionals seeking solutions to strategic issues and day-to-day challenges in privacy, artificial intelligence governance, and digital responsibility.” They host dozens of sessions on privacy and data protection and are now accepting speaker suggestions for next year’s programme. Previous coverage has included talks on U.S. state privacy law development, regulation and enforcement; International legislative and regulatory updates; Employee data privacy law; Risk and vendor management and more. If you have a session idea submit it via their online form here, before the deadline of 17 August (23:59 EDT).
Lunchtime Learning: Now in its 28th edition, Africa Tech Festival 2025 will take place from 11 to 13 November 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The conference organizers plan to align the sessions with key global dialogues on technology and innovation, as it coincides with the prestigious G20 Leadership Summit and expect more than 15,000 technology leaders, policymakers, investors, startups, and visionaries to attend this year. Relieve the keynotes from last year’s event which focused on the most pressing topics in African tech and telecoms including: How AI and Resilient Networks Are Transforming Connectivity in Africa; Big Tech & Telcos: Collaborating on Digital Infrastructure Investment and Strengthening Connectivity for the AI Era.
Coming Up Next Week: SIGGRAPH runs 10–14 August in Vancouver, offering the “latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques from industry-leading researchers, artists, technologists, and practitioners.” At eTail East (11-14 August in Boston), brands can expect networking and best practice content centered on the theme “Power Your Growth.” Bloomberg holds its latest edition of The Business Value of AI on 12 August at Atlanta’s The Whitley Hotel Buckhead, gathering business and technology executives to share their experiences and provide insight into their strategies for deploying AI that “achieves a desirable ROI.” More than 12k attendees are expected at this year’s Ai4 event – held 11-13 August at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – which was established in 2018 and has grown into one of the largest events for the global AI ecosystem. And on 11 August, the CIO 100 Symposium & Awards gets underway in Scottsdale, convening hundreds of CIOs for strategic sessions and closed-door roundtables on AI, data, talent, innovation, and leadership.