With SAS Innovate 2026 approaching, it’s a good time to step back and look at what this year’s agenda says about the state of data and AI.
As in any year, speakers and presenters will cover a wide range of topics, from platform fundamentals to emerging ideas just entering production. The schedule moves between deep technical learning, big-picture thinking and the kinds of sessions that give you space to step back, recharge and connect with the broader community that makes SAS Innovate what it is.
Where do you start? What sessions give you the biggest picture of where SAS is going without getting lost in technical depth too early? These seven sessions stand out as strong starters for planning your SAS Innovate experience.
1. Opening session: Where data and AI strategy meet reality
Why it matters:
Every SAS Innovate starts with a big-picture view, but this year the conversation feels different. AI has moved past experimentation. The focus now is execution, governance and measurable outcomes. SAS Chief Technology Officer Bryan Harris opens the conference with a look at where SAS sees data and AI creating real impact right now and what comes next.
What you’ll learn:
Expect product updates, demos and real customer examples showing how AI is being put to work across industries. You’ll hear how SAS® Viya® continues to evolve across the analytics life cycle, from preparing data to building models to putting decisions into action.
Who should attend:
Everyone. If you want context for the rest of the conference, start here.
2. Agentic AI, built into SAS® Customer Intelligence 360
Why it matters:
Agentic AI is a huge topic right now, but a lot of the conversation still lives in demos and theory. This session shows what it looks like when agents are built directly into everyday workflows, not as a separate tool, but as part of how work gets done.
What you’ll learn:
You’ll see how SAS Customer Intelligence 360 assists with journey creation, campaign orchestration and insight discovery in real time. More importantly, you’ll see how SAS approaches agentic AI with governance and control built in, which is a critical difference as organizations move from experimentation to production.
Who should attend:
Anyone trying to understand what AI agents look like once they move beyond hype and into real use.
Learn more about SAS Customer Intelligence 360 in our blog posts
3. Your quantum AI journey begins: Introducing the SAS Quantum AI Toolbox
Why it matters:
Quantum computing has long felt like a problem for the future. That’s starting to change. This session introduces how quantum AI can solve problems beyond what classical AI methods handle well and where organizations should realistically begin.
What you’ll learn:
You’ll get an applied look at quantum AI concepts and how hybrid approaches combine classical AI with emerging quantum techniques. The session introduces the SAS Quantum AI Toolbox, including roadmap direction, demo examples and how SAS is working to help researchers and developers move from experimentation toward real-world use without needing a physics background.
Who should attend:
Analytics leaders, innovation teams and anyone trying to separate real progress from hype in the quantum AI conversation.
See where SAS' Bill Wisotsky thinks quantum AI is headed
4. Digital twins meet conversational AI: real-time deployment at enterprise scale
Why it matters:
AI conversations often focus on models and predictions. This session looks at what happens when AI connects directly to operations. Digital twins are becoming a practical way to simulate environments, test decisions and respond to change in real time across complex systems.
What you’ll learn:
You’ll see how SAS combines conversational AI, AutoML and IoT capabilities to help users design and deploy digital twins without heavy coding. The session shows how real-time data, natural language interaction and governed workflows come together to make real-time AI practical at scale.
Who should attend:
Innovation teams, operations leaders, IoT practitioners and anyone interested in how AI moves beyond dashboards and into real-world environments.
Read: Understanding digital twin technology
5. How SAS® Intelligent Decisioning powers the AI-driven enterprise
Why it matters:
AI models don’t create value on their own. The value comes from decisions that reach customers and operations. This session focuses on how SAS Intelligent Decisioning connects models, rules and workflows so AI moves beyond analysis and into action.
What you’ll learn:
You’ll follow how a decision moves from question to deployment and real-time execution, and how outcomes can be monitored once it’s live. The session also looks ahead at where SAS Intelligent Decisioning is going next, including generative AI-assisted rule creation, causal AI and expanded integrations designed to reduce friction in building and scaling automated decisions.
Who should attend:
Data scientists, business analysts, architects and anyone responsible for turning analytics and AI into real-world outcomes.
What is SAS Intelligent Decisioning?
6. Dude Perfect x SAS Innovate
Why it matters:
Not every session at SAS Innovate is about code or architecture. Sometimes stepping outside the usual analytics conversation gives you a different perspective on creativity, teamwork and how ideas scale. This session brings a different kind of energy to the agenda while still connecting back to innovation and impact.
What you’ll learn:
Expect an interactive, show-style experience with audience participation, along with a conversation on how Dude Perfect built a global brand through experimentation, collaboration and creativity. Along the way, SAS experts connect those ideas back to technology and real-world innovation.
Who should attend:
Anyone who wants a reset between technical sessions or a reminder that innovation isn’t always linear.
7. The midday reset with Mel Robbins and Jenn Chase
Why it matters:
Conferences can be a lot to process. This session intentionally slows things down and shifts the focus to mindset, momentum and decision-making – something that applies just as much to leadership and innovation as to technology.
What you’ll learn:
Mel Robbins joins SAS Chief Marketing Officer Jenn Chase for a candid conversation about breaking through hesitation, building better habits and acting when it matters. The session also reconnects those ideas back to the work, with customer stories and updates showing how organizations are turning data and AI into real outcomes.
Who should attend:
Everyone. Especially if you need a moment to step back, reset and come into the second half of the conference with a clearer head.
Start here, then explore
SAS Innovate covers a lot of ground, from introductory analytics to advanced AI architecture. These seven sessions won’t cover everything, but they give you a strong starting point and a sense of where SAS and the broader industry are heading right now.
Once you understand the themes shaping this year’s conference, the rest of the agenda becomes much easier to navigate.
And chances are, you’ll leave with more than just technical knowledge. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of how data and AI move organizations forward.
