Event Preview: AI Agent & Copilot Summit returns in 2026 with a sharper focus on real business results

The AI Agent & Copilot Summit returns for its second year bringing together business and technology leaders who are moving past AI experimentation and into real-world adoption.

Taking place from March 17 to 19 at the Hilton Torrey Pines in San Diego and produced by Dynamic Communities and Cloud Wars, the AI Agent & Copilot Summit is designed for executive-level decision-makers who are responsible for shaping how artificial intelligence is applied inside their organizations. MSDW is a media partner of the event.

Dynamic Communities CEO John Siefert told MSDW his team is expecting significant growth as the event evolves this year. 

In 2025 the inaugural AI Agent & Copilot Summit welcomed about 500 business and technology professionals to San Diego, and the 2026 edition of the event is pacing to double that number, with C-level executives from IT, business, operations, and finance roles looking to scale their investments as they operationalize AI into workflow and processes.

This year's Summit focuses on what AI can actually deliver right now. Siefert describes Summit as a community-driven event, not a vendor sales conference. While Microsoft leaders and partners are involved, much of the content comes from people who are actually using AI inside their organizations. The result is a mix of voices, including Microsoft product teams, systems integrators, software vendors, and organizations that use the technology. The organizing team wants attendees to walk away understanding not just what AI tools do but how they improve day-to-day work, customer experiences, and the bottom line.

From hype to execution

According to organizers, the tone of the Summit has evolved as the market has matured. Early conversations about generative AI were driven by excitement and experimentation. Today, companies are more focused on getting the fundamentals right so they can put AI to work across the business.

That change shows up clearly in the event's themes. Sessions are designed to help attendees see where AI , which parts of the business it will affect, and how leaders can tell if it's working — whether that's through higher revenue, lower costs, more productive employees, or happier customers.

The event's audience consists of technology leaders from a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, retail, healthcare, energy, agriculture, and professional services. While many attendees are already Microsoft customers, the event is not limited to any single vertical or product line. Instead, it aims to serve organizations that are using — or planning to use — Microsoft's AI stack across Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, Azure AI Foundry, and Copilot Studio.

Main stage programming blends strategy and practice

The event's agenda offers a mix of main stage sessions and in-depth masterclasses.

Main stage programming runs during the mornings of March 18 and 19 and combines keynote talks, short-form case studies, panel discussions, and short presentations. Microsoft leaders take the stage alongside academics, partners, and executives who are already using AI in real-world environments.

The keynotes aim to set the big-picture direction, looking at how agentic AI and copilots are changing the way people work, engage with customers, and run their businesses. Those longer talks are balanced with shorter sessions that focus on real examples and what companies have learned from using AI in practice.

One new addition to this year's agenda is a series of short "industry accelerator" sessions that focus is on practical, real-world examples, not theory. In these talks, executives from different industries share how they're using AI to change how their operations run and, in some cases, redefine expectations within their markets. The 

Another new element is a series of short "AI innovation burst" presentations. In these five- to seven-minute talks, speakers show specific AI agents or solutions their organizations have built, often using Copilot Studio or Azure AI services. 

Deep dives through flexible masterclasses

Afternoons will offer a masterclass format that allows attendees to explore specific topics in more depth through multiple connected sessions.

This year's event includes 10 masterclass tracks covering areas including Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, governance and access control, agentic strategy, Model Context Protocol servers, data and Microsoft Fabric, WorkIQ in Microsoft 365, and AI agents within Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 F&SCM.

Each masterclass is structured as a multi-session learning path that moves from high-level concepts to detailed execution. Attendees can choose to stay within a single track for an immersive experience or move between sessions to build a customized agenda based on their priorities.

Who should attend — and how to register

The AI Agent and Copilot Summit is designed for organizations that are already working with AI or expect to soon. While some early exploration is included, most sessions are geared toward leaders who are choosing platforms, building internal skills, and getting ready to roll AI out more broadly.

Early Bird All Access registration pricing ends on January 31, but organizers note that companies can inquire about qualifying for potential discounts based on where they are in their AI journeys. More information about the agenda, speakers, and registration options is available on the event website.