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

PS: Stay around in Montreal for Decoupled Days 2026, which happens at the same venue on August 6 - 7

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

What does AI adoption look like when you're working with the opposite of a clean slate?

Our web platform at Concordia University has been evolving since 2013. It serves millions of users each year, supports thousands of pages, and is maintained by a small team working within years of accumulated content, governance, and technical decisions. It runs on Adobe Experience Manager, but the lessons extend well beyond AEM to any mature CMS.

Over the past few years, we've introduced AI not only into our code, but also into how we capture knowledge, review work before it ships, and help more people contribute with confidence.

This session is a candid practitioner's account of what AI adoption actually looks like in production. I'll share what worked, what didn't, and the lessons we learned along the way. You'll leave with practical ideas for introducing AI into an established CMS without losing sight of governance, quality, or the realities of running a mature platform.

11.00 - 11:30 Coffee & networking

More details coming soon

More details coming soon

Content systems, governance, workflows, and AI all shape how content performs. But underneath it all is the thing that determines whether content actually works: language.

In this session, Dayana Kibilds explores how overly complex language quietly creates friction in digital experiences through confusion, cognitive overload, inconsistent content, and barriers to action.

Using before-and-after examples from real-world communications, she’ll show how simple, intentional language improves usability, accessibility, and trust.

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