GTIA has announced the agenda for ChannelCon 2026, with a programme focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and business growth.
The event will feature keynote sessions, breakout discussions and a Channel Visionaries Power Panel that brings together senior executives from across the IT channel.
Panellists include ConnectWise Chief Executive Officer Manny Rivelo, Evergreen Services Group M&A Advisor Craig Fulton, Ingram Micro Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Jennifer Anaya, Nucleus Networks Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Roy and Thrive Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Development Kirti Gavri. Carolyn April, GTIA Vice President of Research & Market Intelligence, will moderate the session.
The agenda reflects growing pressure on IT service providers, vendors, distributors and consultants to turn interest in artificial intelligence into commercial results while addressing security risks and changes in workforce structure. The programme is built around practical issues facing channel businesses rather than broad technology themes alone.
Several sessions focus directly on the commercial use of AI, including "MSP AI Evolution: Moving from Prompts to Profit" and "AI Regret: Chasing the Hype is Setting You Back Years." Both suggest a more cautious discussion about returns on AI investment and the gap between experimentation and sustained revenue.
Other sessions examine go-to-market and management challenges across the channel, including "The Messy Middle: Why Most Partner Programs Stall Before the First Real Deal," "How I Hacked My Way to Sales Success (and You Can Too)" and "CHRO Fireside Chat: The Channel's Role in the Evolving Hybrid Workforce (Humans + AI Agents)."
The wider programme spans sales, leadership and workforce change alongside cybersecurity and AI. GTIA represents a broad cross-section of the global IT channel, and the agenda points to a continued emphasis on peer learning as companies reassess where to invest and how to adapt their business models.
Dan Wensley, Chief Executive Officer of GTIA, described the event as a place for direct exchange across the sector.
"ChannelCon is where the IT channel community connects like no other place. This year, we're delivering more. More depth, more relevance, more practical insights that can be applied the moment attendees return to their businesses," said Dan Wensley, Chief Executive Officer, GTIA.
Industry questions
The panel line-up highlights the issues shaping channel strategy. ConnectWise is a major software supplier to managed service providers, while Ingram Micro is one of the sector's largest distributors. Evergreen and Thrive bring perspectives from acquisition strategy and services consolidation, and Nucleus Networks adds the view of an operating service provider working directly with customer demand.
That mix reflects a channel market in which consolidation, partner economics and vendor relationships face closer scrutiny. It also underlines how far AI has shifted from a technical talking point to a business issue involving pricing, staffing, differentiation and risk management.
Cybersecurity remains a central theme in the programme, although GTIA did not detail individual security sessions to the same extent as its AI discussions. Including security alongside AI and growth shows that channel companies are still balancing new service opportunities with client concerns over resilience, compliance and operational exposure.
Awards launch
The event will also introduce the first GTIA Innovate Awards, which aim to recognise member-led solutions with measurable business impact. This year's awards will focus on AI projects already in production, with finalists presenting their work and winners chosen through expert judging and peer voting.
The addition of an awards programme suggests the association wants to spotlight practical deployments rather than early-stage claims. In a market crowded with AI messaging, that approach may help distinguish between experiments and implementations that have delivered clear outcomes for providers and customers.
The agenda also includes keynote speakers from outside the channel industry, with filmmaker Ron Howard and author Alex Banayan set to speak on leadership, storytelling and performance. Entertainment is also part of the wider programme.
For some attendees, however, the value lies less in headline speakers than in the chance to test market claims in person. Corey Kirkendoll, President and Chief Executive Officer of 5K Technical Services, described the role of peer discussion in assessing what is actually working in the market.
"ChannelCon gives me a chance to pressure-test what I've been hearing from vendors in webinars and sales calls. I get to ask real questions in person and read the room on what's gaining traction versus what's just marketing. For me, the biggest value has always been validation and calibration. ChannelCon reminds me that I'm not out there alone. The peer conversations alone are worth the trip," said Kirkendoll.