IDC Ushers in AI Era at 60th Year of its Directions Conference

AI-fueled business strategies take center stage at premier conference for IT executives, tech suppliers, and market analysts

IDC Ushers in AI Era at 60^th Year of its Directions Conference

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IDC announced it will celebrate 60 years as the trusted leader in technology intelligence at its flagship conference, IDC Directions, on April 2, 2025, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. This year’s conference theme, "Transforming Business for an AI World," will explore the pivotal role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in today's business landscape and provide actionable strategies for success.

IDC Directions has long been a cornerstone event for technology leaders, providing a first-hand look at the latest research, industry expertise, and solutions that guide business decisions in today’s most competitive sectors. With the transformative impact of AI rapidly accelerating, this year's conference aims to equip businesses with the knowledge, data, and strategies necessary to thrive as AI-Fueled Enterprises.

“This is the year of the great AI pivot,” said Meredith Whalen, chief research & data officer at IDC. “After two years of intense experimentation, we are witnessing a significant decrease in AI costs to the point that technology suppliers are now delivering AI capabilities at scale, and enterprises are strategically organizing themselves to roll out AI across operations. Enterprises that align their leadership, governance, and tech stack for a company-wide transformation will begin to distinguish themselves from their competition.”

Highlights of IDC Directions 2025:

Exclusive Keynotes: This year’s content-packed program features more than 50 speakers, including ServiceNow Chairman & CEO Bill McDermott, NASA engineer Adam Steltzner, executive advisor, CEO of The Athena Alliance, Coco Brown, and Marykay Wells, CIO of Pearson, among others.
Expert Engagement: More than 75 IDC analysts will be on-site to connect with attendees and share personalized guidance via pre-scheduled private meetings.
VIP Access to Content: Attendees will receive access to exclusive event content, resources, and ongoing discussions to support their AI integration journey.

The conference will also offer customized breakout tracks, allowing attendees to choose sessions that align with their specific roles and organizational needs. Tracks will feature leading IDC analysts covering popular technology trends such as agentic workflows, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, and data management, as well as guest speakers from a wide variety of industries. Highlights include:

Transforming Technology – Speakers will dive into how AI is disrupting workflows, industries, service delivery, and more, along with what it will mean for the future of the tech stack, operations, and investment planning.
Transforming Marketing – Sessions will explore how AI is transforming marketing and brand engagement; plus, what organizations must do to ensure their marketing programs align with changing customer needs and industry dynamics.
NEW: Transforming CIO Strategies - New this year is an exclusive track for CIOs and IT leaders that will address critical success factors for today’s IT executives. Designed in partnership with the editorial team at CIO.com, the track will include analyst insights, executive interviews, and peer networking to help leaders unpack the challenges and opportunities of AI and gather best practices for strategic planning, investment buy-in and ROI optimization.

Registration Information:

Registration for the event is open. Visit https://directions.idc.com/ to register and view a full list of speakers, analysts, and session details.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.