BlockDown Festival Dubai 2027

⌖ Breda · Breda Campus, Breda, Netherlands (BUas)

Hosted by University of Central Florida (UCF) & Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas)

Teaching with AI in Europe: UCF & BUas Conference is a two-day, in-person unconference in Breda (Netherlands) on 19–20 October 2026 that brings together university professionals, lecturers, researchers, and policymakers to explore practical AI adoption in higher education. The core value is clear: you’ll walk away with actionable, field-tested ideas for integrating AI into pedagogy, digital learning, and safeguarding academic integrity within European Higher Education Area classrooms. This is not a traditional conference; it’s an unconference designed to be driven by attendees, with dialogue-driven sessions, collaborative workshops, and dynamic exchanges across disciplines. Key details and what to expect: - Dates and place: Breda Campus, Breda, Netherlands, 19–20 October 2026. The event is face-to-face only with no virtual option. - Audience: university professionals, lecturers, researchers, librarians, policymakers and other educators across Europe and beyond focused on practical AI use in teaching and learning. - Session format: two formats for presentations – 30-minute sessions intended to spark discussion and poster sessions for visual presentations (digital or print). Attendees may participate in up to two presentations, with certain sponsorship-related restrictions. - Tracks and topics: Practical AI Tools/Agents and Implementation; Ethics, Policy, and Governance; AI in Pedagogy and Curriculum Design; Institutional Strategy and Leadership; Assessment and Academic Integrity; AI Applications in the Workplace; AI Fluency and Faculty Development; Universal Design and Accessibility with AI; and related sessions on Art, Design, Media and more. The emphasis is on practical ideas and take-aways attendees can apply in diverse disciplines. - Proposals: the call for proposals is open for 2026. Submissions can cover classroom or library practices across modalities (face-to-face, blended, and online). Proposals should demonstrate transferable ideas and concrete take-aways. Deadline details: proposals close 15 May 2026 (11:59pm); acceptances issued after 29 June 2026. - Registration and pricing: registration is required for all attendees including presenters. Presenter and Early Bird registrations are €350 (deadline 10 August 2026); General registration is €375 (deadline 12 October 2026). - Agenda and logistics: an agenda-at-a-glance exists with a detailed two-day schedule including openings, keynote, concurrent sessions, meals, networking, and closing activities.

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⌖ Location TBC · Voco Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Hosted by Confer Global

Riyadh is set to host a landmark summit bringing together infrastructure and AI leaders from across the region. Taking place October 19–20, 2026 at Voco Riyadh, this executive-level gathering will address the critical intersection of AI infrastructure, data centers, and the energy systems that power digital transformation in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Why This Summit Matters As Riyadh positions itself at the forefront of digital innovation, this summit addresses the fundamental infrastructure challenges that enable AI deployment at scale. The event brings together decision-makers working on AI strategy, cloud architecture, power management, cooling solutions, and sovereign AI initiatives — the essential building blocks of modern AI capabilities. What to Expect Attendees will gain access to strategy sessions focused on market insights, infrastructure planning, and enterprise AI deployment. The summit creates a unique environment for executive networking with regional and international leaders shaping the future of digital infrastructure. Topics span the full spectrum from data center design and energy efficiency to AI workload optimization and regulatory frameworks. The event caters to multiple stakeholder groups: - Delegates can access strategy sessions, market intelligence, and networking opportunities with infrastructure and AI decision-makers - Speakers can showcase expertise on AI infrastructure, data center innovation, energy solutions, and digital growth strategies - Sponsors and Exhibitors can connect directly with enterprise buyers, strategic partners, and technology leaders driving AI adoption - Media professionals can cover breaking developments and access industry leaders shaping the region's digital infrastructure landscape Who Should Attend This is an executive-level summit designed for: - AI infrastructure architects and platform engineers - Data center operators and facility managers - Cloud services providers and hyperscale operators - Energy and cooling solution providers - Government officials working on digital transformation initiatives - Technology vendors supporting AI deployment - Investment professionals focused on digital infrastructure The summit addresses the unique challenges of building AI infrastructure in the Middle East, including sovereign AI considerations, energy sustainability, and regional m

⌖ Belfast · Queen's University Belfast

Hosted by Queen's University Belfast

Explore how universities can adopt AI responsibly and at scale at Queen’s University Belfast on 19–20 October 2026, with sessions on tools, research and strategy. Building an AI-ready institution Hosted by Queen’s University Belfast in Belfast, this two-day conference examines what universities need to become genuinely AI ready,not simply experimenting with new technology, but understanding where it creates value, how it can be implemented across an institution, and where its risks and limitations demand caution. Universities occupy a distinctive position in the AI landscape. They develop and research AI systems, train people to build and use them, assess students and researchers on the quality of their own thinking, and operate complex organisations whose workflows may themselves be transformed by automation. The conference brings these overlapping responsibilities into one conversation, combining practical questions about tools and systems with wider strategic and ethical reflection. The programme is organised around four sessions: - AI in Modern Higher Education , exploring AI’s evolving place across university life - What AI Tools Really Offer , looking beyond the hype to capabilities, limitations and practical value - AI-Powered Research , considering how AI is changing research activity - AI for Scholarly Productivity , examining its role in academic and knowledge work Why attend? The event responds to a clear implementation gap. While organisational use of AI and experimentation with AI agents are widespread, the conference notes that many institutions have not yet scaled their adoption. Attendees will consider the education, training, policies and institutional strategies required to move from isolated trials towards informed, responsible implementation. This will be particularly relevant to university leaders, academics, researchers and professional-services staff involved in digital transformation, research practice, teaching, governance or organisational workflows. It should also interest anyone responsible for shaping institutional approaches to AI use, including questions of academic evaluation and ethical policy.… Register for this event

◎ Online

Agentic Azure Insights is an online conference focused on AI agents on Azure, running from 19–25 October 2026. The week-long virtual event is relevant to developers, AI practitioners and technical teams interested in agentic systems built with Microsoft Azure. The published event page does not currently provide a detailed agenda, speaker line-up, session format, experience requirements or timezone, so prospective attendees should check the listing for updates before booking. View the event page and register.

⌖ Amsterdam · Amsterdam RAI

Hosted by LabLab AI

Build and showcase real-world AI applications at this two-day, in-person hackathon, held at Amsterdam RAI on 19–20 October 2026 alongside a major tech expo. The TechEx Amsterdam Hackathon, organised by LabLab AI, brings developers, engineers, founders and technical teams together for two focused days of building, collaboration and live demos. Running from 9am to 6pm each day in Amsterdam, the hackathon takes place alongside AI & Big Data Expo Europe, giving participants the chance to present practical work in front of a large enterprise technology audience. What you’ll build Teams will create AI agents, cybersecurity tools and enterprise solutions across a broad range of tracks: - Artificial intelligence and machine learning, including generative technologies - Cybersecurity and cloud solutions focused on resilience, governance and operations - IoT and connected systems involving devices, sensors and intelligent infrastructure - Edge computing that brings intelligence closer to users and devices - Intelligent automation and robotics for workflows, augmented teams and autonomous operations - Digital transformation tools for modernising processes and decision-making - Data infrastructure, analytics, accessibility and operational intelligence - Physical AI, including robotics and systems that perceive, reason and act in the physical world Format and experience Day one, 19 October, is Build Day, with hands-on development, team collaboration, mentorship and technical guidance. Day two, 20 October, centres on demos and awards, with selected teams invited to present their projects live on stage. The programme also includes panels and talks from industry experts. Pawel Czech, CEO of NativelyAI and founder of lablab.ai, is listed as a speaker. This event is designed for AI engineers and developers creating production-ready applications, founders exploring enterprise AI products, and builders working with agents, automation or data systems. LabLab AI describes itself as a global platform connecting more than 300,000 developers and having delivered over 100 hackathons worldwide.… Register for this event

Sponsors: TechEx Europe

⌖ Singapore · Lifelong Learning Institute

Hosted by Claude SG Community

Learn to plan, write and launch a complete AI-assisted marketing campaign with Claude at this hands-on workshop in Singapore. Taking place on Monday 19 October 2026, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm GMT+8, the session is designed to move beyond one-off caption prompts. Claude SG Community and Lifelong Learning SG will show you how to use Claude as a practical marketing partner, from researching an audience and competitors to producing ready-to-post campaign content. What you’ll learn - Set up Claude Projects with your brand, audience and tone - Turn an initial idea into a campaign brief with goals, messages and channels - Brainstorm hooks, angles and campaign names - Draft social posts, emails, adverts and landing-page copy - Adapt messaging for LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and email - Build content calendars and posting schedules - Improve outputs through brand voice guides and effective feedback - Fact-check AI content and consider privacy, copyright and disclosure A live demonstration and guided practice will take you through building a mini campaign from scratch. Bring a product, service or event to market, and you can leave with a campaign draft you can use. No technical background is required. The workshop is suitable for marketers, content creators, social media managers, SME owners, solopreneurs and AI-curious attendees at any skill level. Bring a laptop if possible, create a free Claude account beforehand, and optionally prepare something you would like to promote. The event is held in the Level 2 Lecture Hall at Lifelong Learning Institute, 11 Eunos Road 8, Singapore 408601. Registration requires host approval. Request approval and register for the workshop

Claude

Sponsors: Lifelong Learning Institute