CMS Connect 26 conference program

Let’s make digital experiences better

The conference is tailored for digital leaders and features 2 packed days with a carefully curated mixture of talks, workshops, activities and world class facilitators, thought-provokers, speakers and session leads.

Unlike many other conferences, this one is not about speakers talking endlessly about their own work. Rather than being talked at, this is for active participation and connecting with your peers with the goal to move things forward.

The below is still a work in progress. Improvements will happen

Program

Tuesday, August 4

9:00 - 9:30: Breakfast and registration

Join us early, get the conversation started, make some new friends and enjoy some freshly brewed coffee and tea.

9:30 - 9:45: Welcome & Opening

- Our host Janus Boye, Boye & Co

The future of digital experience is starting to feel a little like science fiction. AI agents can already search, compare, decide, recommend, and increasingly act on behalf of users. But beneath the hype, a much bigger shift is underway: the transformation of content, platforms, and digital operations for an agentic world.

In this opening keynote, analyst Matt Garrepy shares new research and market observations on the next phase of digital experience: the move from page-centric systems to context-aware, agent-ready ecosystems. As AI assistants become participants in customer journeys, organisations face a new challenge: building content and platforms designed not just for humans to browse, but for intelligent systems to interpret, evaluate, and act on.

The session explores how content management and digital experience architectures are evolving, why composable and automation-focused systems continue to gain ground, and what happens when context becomes more important than pages. Matt will also examine how organisations can rebuild their content engines for a world where AI agents influence discovery, transactions, support, and decision-making.

You will learn:

• What the rise of agentic AI means for content, discovery, and customer relationships

• How the web content management stack is evolving

• Why context-rich content becomes a competitive advantage

• How to think about content built for AI agents, not just human audiences

• What organisations need to rethink now in workflows, governance, and digital operations

Part analyst briefing, part glimpse into a near-future that increasingly feels sci-fi made real, this keynote connects emerging technology shifts with the practical decisions organisations need to make today.

More details coming soon

More details coming soon

11.00 - 11:30 Coffee & networking

More details coming soon

More details coming soon

More details coming soon

12:30 - 13.30 Lunch

1:30 - 2.30 Roundtables

Come join 2 x 25 minutes of informal roundtable discussions to get answers on your specific questions or help others by sharing your expert knowledge.
Each table has no more than 10 attendees and is assigned a specific topic and moderator.
First come first served: you don’t get to see who’s at the table until you get there.

After the initial 25 minutes are up, you get to pick another table for the next 25 minutes of discussion.

Tables:

1. AEO, GEO and SEO

2. AI agents

3. Content design

4. The new agency model
   more coming soon

2:30 - 3:00 Coffee & networking

more details coming soon

more details coming soon

More details coming soon

4:30 - 5:00 Coffee & networking

5:00 - 6:00 CMS Summer Idol 2026

Help crown the next “2026 Summer CMS Idol”! In this fast-paced, entertaining competition, contestants will have 6 minutes to showcase their system and try to win your vote.

If you like short demos, pithy commentary, and expert analyses, then look no further. This is the session for you. You'll hear thoughts from an expert panel of judges, but it's up to you to decide the winner.

Host: Matt Garrepy, CMS Critic

Judges:

• coming soon

6:30 - 10:00 Social event

Join us for an informal networking dinner. Everyone is welcome!

We’ll also announce the CMS Idol winner and even do a CMS Experts Quiz!

Venue: TB D

Wednesday, August 5

7:00 Morning Run

We meet in front of Montreal CoWork for a fun and memorable minute up Mont Royal. We’ll run the charming route through the park and make it to the amazing viewpoint.

9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast and networking

Join us early, get the conversation started, reflect on what you’ve already learned and enjoy some freshly brewed coffee and tea.

9:30 - 9:45: Morning welcome

A brief opening by
- Our host Janus Boye, Boye & Co

More coming soon

more details coming soon

More details coming soon

10:45 - 11:15 Coffee & networking

more details coming soon

more details coming soon

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch

more details coming soon

A brief interactive wrap-up of the two days. Join us for key lessons learned, big questions for 2026, perhaps a few answers and what happens next.

2.45 - 3:00 Goodbyes and see you next year!

Thanks for joining us. Continue the conversation over a cup of coffee or tea before leaving Montreal