Conference News: MWC Shanghai “Zones” Out; Speak about AI Infrastructure; Davos Discourse
Get in the Zone: Mobile World Congress Shanghai returns to the SNIEC, Shanghai from 24-26 June. In order to ‘focus on the future technology value chain’ the GSMA has created 5 new zones for exhibitors which will offer a more targeted audience. These include: Mobile AI Innovation Frontiers (AI adoption within major mobile operators); Constellations of the Future (satellite industry); the 6G Zone; Digital Transformation Verticals Zone(next wave of industrial transformation) and the Global Innovation Pavilion (international collaboration with Asia’s dynamic tech market).
Exchanging IO for AI: For years AdExchanger has hosted its Programmatic I/O conferences on the East and West Coasts. As they continue to evolve and stay relevant, the organization has announced that they are launching Programmatic AI, a new spring industry event debuting 18–20, May 2026 in Las Vegas. According to the announcement, “Programmatic AI extends AdExchanger’s long-standing role as a trusted resource for the programmatic community, creating a dedicated forum for leaders and practitioners navigating the practical realities of AI-driven advertising transformation.” AdExchanger will continue to host the flagship fall event, Programmatic I/O New York, which will be held from 28-29 September.
Submission Opportunity: The AI Infra Summit a full-stack AI Infrastructure conference will return to Santa Clara in September (15 – 17) 2026. Originating as the AI Hardware Summit back in 2018, the summit has evolved from a semiconductor conference into a full-stack AI infrastructure event. If you have a relevant topic or best practice to share related to one of their four tracks – Hardware & Systems, Physical AI Infrastructure, Enterprise AI, & AI Data Center – you can share your ideas here ASAP.
Lunchtime Learning: The speeches and dealmaking that happen at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum dominate the headlines for a week each January. While few of us are privy to the meetings that happen behind closed doors between business and world leaders, anyone with connectivity can watch selected talks from WEF’s forum agenda, which can be filtered by day and by forum theme. And several of the fifteen outlets that participate in official WEF media sessions share their sessions online, including Fortune and Bloomberg. Fun fact: You can even watch the opening concert, featuring Jon Batiste and renowned violinist Renaud Capuçon!
Coming Up Next Week: Web Summit Qatar is held 1-4 February at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC). One of Web Summit’s newer locations, the event is expected to draw 30k attendees. On 3 February, the J.D. Power Auto Summit is held in Las Vegas alongside the auto industry’s NADA Show. The Interactive Advertising Bureau holds its IAB Annual Leadership Meeting from 1-3 February in Palm Springs, to tackle some of the digital media’s most pressing topics, including AI, measurement & addressability, privacy, commerce media, the creator economy. Silicon Slopes Summit puts the spotlight on Utah founders and leaders from 4-7 February in Salt Lake City. And at the Future Talent Forum’s Mexico City edition (4-5 February), hosted at the Universidad de la Libertad, attendees can expect to meet 200 cross-sector executives and academic thought leaders and collaborate on solutions needed to build a future-ready, AI-literate, and human-centric workforce.