Conference News: Changes at SaaStock; Sustainable Brands seeks Speakers; CES Talks
Fall-ing on New Dates: Brands & Culture Summit has quickly become one of the definitive events exploring how brands can make, shape and create culture. They host events in London and alongside Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In 2026 they are moving their US conference from spring to the fall. This year’s Brands & Culture Summit NYC will take place on 5 November. More details will be available soon!
New at SaaStock USA in 2026: SaaStock USA has continued to grow because, according to the organizers, “In the era of AI, we are providing human to human interactions.” They are adding new content and new networking opportunities in 2026 when the conference returns to Austin from 15 – 16 April. They will add a Startup Day on 14 April which offers a one-day private forum for leading AI and B2B software investors to connect, collaborate, and curate high growth opportunities in the new era of tech. They will also add more Tabletalks – which are roundtable discussions where speakers, partners and attendees sit down together and chat about the challenges and opportunities they are facing within their role/company. And they just introduced Meetup at SaaStock USA – a one-to-one meetings program of 12,000 pre-scheduled, 15-minute intro meetings for startups, scaleups and investors.
Submission Opportunity: Sustainable Brands (SB’26) San Diego brings together sustainability, brand, and innovation leaders to help their teams understand how to “integrate sustainability into core business strategy, unlocking new opportunities through regenerative business models, circular systems, and next-generation governance.” The conference, which happens from 8 – 10 June at the San Diego Town & Country Resort, is now seeking speakers who “offer fresh insights-unique perspectives, timely trends, breakthrough innovations, or business case studies that have not been publicly presented elsewhere.” If you have a topic that fits that criteria, submit before the 20 February deadline via their online form.
Lunchtime Learning: CES makes headlines every January, showcasing what products and technologies consumers can expect over the coming year, and 2026 was no exception. Over the past couple of decades, the show has increasingly become important to enterprise innovators as well. As AI blurs the lines between the technology we use at home and at work, last week’s CES 2026 keynotes explored some of the most pressing issues, delving into the building blocks of AI, matters of AI ubiquity, and the intersections of human teams and AI working together. Check out the full keynotes of CES’ featured AI leaders here.
Coming Up Next Week: All eyes turn to the 56th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, which officially runs 19-23 in Davos, Switzerland and is known for the “who’s-who” roll call of world leaders from government, business, civil society, and academia that attend. WEF’s 2026 theme – “A Spirit of Dialogue” – abbreviates the five global challenges this year’s meetings will address, including cooperation in a congested world, new sources of growth, investing in people, responsibly deploying innovation at scale, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries. In addition to WEF’s official programming – some of which will be livestreamed – major media and other organizations host their own meetings, lunches, dinners, and other receptions to convene selected groups of executives based on a particular issue or affinity group, offering sought after dealmaking and newsmaking opportunities.