IDC CIO Summit Series 2027

The CIO mandate is being rewritten in real time. AI is moving from pilot to production, boards are asking for measurable value instead of activity, and the role is shifting from technology operator to the architect of enterprise transformation.

For technology vendors, the addressable conversation has never been bigger:

• CEOs have already picked the CIO’s two jobs for 2027 — CEOs say their CIO’s primary focus today should be modernizing IT to align with the business for better outcomes (34%), while also leading digital and AI transformation with a focus on new revenue streams (26%).¹
• Execution, not ambition, is what’s keeping CIOs up at night — 46% of CIOs name digital and AI execution gaps and legacy system modernization as the factors with the greatest impact on their ITOps in 2027, alongside cybersecurity threats and regulatory risk (44%) and talent and skill shortages (31%).²
• The mandate is shifting under them — By 2028, 70% of G1000 CIO roles will be held by transformational leaders who can implement AI-fueled business models with enterprise-wide consistency while modernizing IT to meet AI’s new demands.³

A shift that big doesn’t reward the vendor with the loudest pitch. It rewards the one CIOs already trust when the shortlist gets written.

That’s where the IDC CIO Summit Series comes in. Partnering with us gives you an analyst-led platform to:

• Shortlist your priority markets amongst 26 summits worldwide | 29 countries | 4,000+ senior attendees
• Connect directly with the CIOs, CTOs, CDOs and business leaders writing 2027 technology budgets
• Showcase your expertise against the eight event themes already on every CIO’s agenda — from agentic governance to sovereign architecture
• Build trust where shortlists actually form: invitation-only rooms, analyst-set agendas, and IDC-facilitated 1:1 meetings