AI in Education Conferences 2026–2027

The events worth your time and budget this year, checked against each organiser's official site, with free and online options flagged.

By Dan Fitzpatrick, teacher, AI education specialist and bestselling author. Last updated .

Short answer: if you can get to one big event, Bett UK (20–22 January 2027, ExCeL London, free for educators) and ISTELive 27 (27–30 June 2027, Boston) are two of the largest education technology events for school staff. For a free, focused day without travel, the AI for Education Summit runs online on 7 November 2026. School and trust leaders in England should look at the Schools & Academies Show in Birmingham on 18–19 November 2026, which is free for schools.

Every date below was checked on the organiser's own website on 5 October 2026. Where an organiser has not yet announced the next edition, we say so and give the usual month rather than guessing. Programmes change, so check the official page before you book travel or ask for cover.

October to December 2026

The autumn term is busy, with three free options for teachers and the main UK leadership show in Birmingham.

  • EdTech Week 2026: 13–15 October, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. In person. Best for edtech founders, investors and district innovators.
  • EDUCAUSE Annual Conference Online: 14–15 October. Online and paid. Best for higher education IT and digital learning leaders.
  • Cambridge AI in Education Summit: 15–16 October, Hilton Cambridge City Centre, UK. In person. Best for assessment, research and policy professionals.
  • EDUtech Asia: 4–5 November (workshops 3 November), Sands Expo, Singapore. Exhibition and seminars free to attend; the conference is paid.
  • AI for Education Summit: 7 November, 10am to 3pm ET. Online and free, with same-day recordings. Built for teachers and school leaders.
  • GESS Dubai: 10–12 November, Dubai World Trade Centre. Free pass, with a large CPD programme for teachers in the Middle East.
  • OLC Accelerate: 16–19 November, Orlando, with an AI Summit on 17 November. Best for higher education online learning and instructional design teams.
  • Schools & Academies Show Birmingham: 18–19 November, NEC. Free for schools, trusts, colleges, universities and the public sector.
  • OEB Global (Online Educa Berlin): 2–4 December, Berlin. Paid, with two free pre-conference workshops. Best for higher education and corporate learning.
  • Hour of AI during Computer Science Education Week: 7–13 December. Free classroom activities for introducing AI to pupils.
  • Ditch Summit: free and online, usually from mid-December. The 2025 edition included AI literacy sessions; 2026 dates are not yet announced.

January to March 2027

The new year opens with Bett in London and the big US district conferences, then the UK further and higher education events in March.

  • Bett UK 2027: 20–22 January, ExCeL London. Free for educators. Best for UK teachers, school leaders and IT leads.
  • FETC 2027: 26–29 January, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. Paid, with group discounts. Best for US district technology leaders and coaches.
  • TCEA 2027: 31 January to 3 February, San Antonio, Texas. Best for US K-12 teachers, coaches and technology directors.
  • Digital Learning Day: 11 February 2027. A US awareness day rather than a single event.
  • Stanford AI+Education Summit: usually February (the 2026 summit was on 11 February). The 2027 date is not yet announced.
  • Good Future Conference 2027: 3–5 March, London. £200 standard or £100 community ticket. Best for UK teachers and leaders exploring AI in practice.
  • National AI Literacy Day: 5 March 2027. US awareness day with classroom resources and local events.
  • Jisc Digifest 2027: 9–10 March, ICC Birmingham and online. Best for UK further and higher education digital leaders.
  • SXSW EDU 2027: 13–16 March, Austin, Texas. Badges from $595 at the early rate.
  • AI in Higher Education Summit (ESCP): 16–17 March 2027, Paris, in English. Best for university staff and leaders.
  • Spring Forward (CALIE, formerly Spring CUE): 18–20 March 2027, Palm Springs, California. Best for California K-12 teachers and coaches.

April to June 2027

Spring brings the investor and district leadership events, then ISTELive closes the US school year.

  • EdTechTeacher AI in EDU Summit: 2 April 2027, Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Limited places. Best for K-12 teachers focused on classroom AI.
  • ASU+GSV Summit 2027: 4–7 April, San Diego. Best for edtech investors, founders and system leaders.
  • CoSN2027: 12–14 April, Orlando. Best for district CTOs and IT leaders.
  • Bett Brasil 2027: 4–7 May, Expo Center Norte, São Paulo. Includes an AI strand. Best for Latin American educators.
  • Learning Technologies 2027: 5–6 May, ExCeL London. Exhibition free; conference paid.
  • Schools & Academies Show London: 12 May 2027, ExCeL London. Registration opens in early 2027.
  • AI Awareness Day (UK): the 2026 day was 4 June; the 2027 date is not yet announced. Free classroom resources.
  • EduTECH Australia: 9–10 June 2027, ICC Sydney. Free expo; conference paid.
  • London EdTech Week: usually mid-June (2026 ran 15–19 June). 2027 dates not yet announced.
  • ISTELive 27 with ASCD Annual: 27–30 June 2027, Boston. Recordings available for six months. Best for teachers, coaches and edtech leaders worldwide.

July to December 2027

Several autumn 2027 events have not announced dates yet; we will update this list as they do.

  • Festival of Education 2027: 8–9 July, Wellington College, Berkshire. Paid, with a launch offer until 31 October 2026 and bursaries for state schools.
  • researchED National Conference: usually early September (2026 was 5 September). The 2027 date is not yet announced.
  • UNESCO Digital Learning Week: usually early September in Paris (2026 ran 8–11 September with AI as its theme). 2027 dates not yet announced.
  • Bett Asia 2027: 29–30 September, Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur. Best for ministry and system leaders in Asia.
  • EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2027: 18–21 October, Orlando and online. Best for higher education IT and digital learning leaders.
  • GESS Dubai 2027: usually November. Dates not yet announced.

Free and online AI events for teachers

No travel budget? These cost nothing to attend, and the online ones fit around a teaching timetable.

  • AI for Education Summit: online, 7 November 2026, with recordings the same day.
  • Hour of AI: free classroom activities during Computer Science Education Week, 7–13 December 2026.
  • Ditch Summit: free online sessions, usually from mid-December.
  • Bett UK: free in-person entry for educators, 20–22 January 2027.
  • Schools & Academies Show: free for schools and trusts, in Birmingham (November) and London (May).
  • GESS Dubai: free pass, 10–12 November 2026.
  • Back to School AI Summit: Dan Fitzpatrick's free two-day online summit for educators. The 2026 edition ran on 8–9 September; join the newsletter to hear when the next one is announced.

Live sessions from The AI Educator

Dan Fitzpatrick runs short live sessions for educators and school leaders through the year.

  • The Anatomy of an AI Agent: a live online masterclass on Monday 12 October 2026, 4pm to 5pm UK time.

How to choose the right AI conference

Start with the job you need the day to do, not the size of the event. The biggest shows have the most sessions, but a focused one-day event often gives a teacher more to use on Monday.

Before you book, check the published agenda for named AI sessions rather than AI-branded stands, whether recordings are included, and whether your school will count the day as CPD.

  • Classroom teachers wanting practical ideas: a free online summit, or the teacher strands at Bett UK or ISTELive.
  • School and trust leaders in the UK: the Schools & Academies Show, the Festival of Education or the Good Future Conference.
  • District and school IT leads in the US: CoSN, FETC or TCEA.
  • Further and higher education: Jisc Digifest, EDUCAUSE, OLC Accelerate, OEB Global or the ESCP summit in Paris.
  • Edtech founders and investors: ASU+GSV, EdTech Week or London EdTech Week.

Frequently asked questions

When is Bett 2027?

Bett UK 2027 runs from 20 to 22 January 2027 at ExCeL London and is free for educators to attend.

When and where is ISTELive 27?

ISTELive 27 runs from 27 to 30 June 2027 at the Thomas M. Menino Convention Center in Boston, alongside ASCD Annual.

Are there free AI conferences for teachers?

Yes. The AI for Education Summit (online, 7 November 2026), Hour of AI classroom activities (7 to 13 December 2026) and the Ditch Summit (online, usually from mid-December) are free. Bett UK and the Schools & Academies Show are free for educators and schools to attend in person.

What are the main AI in education conferences in the UK?

Bett UK (London, January), Jisc Digifest (Birmingham, March), the Good Future Conference (London, March), the Schools & Academies Show (London in May, Birmingham in November), the Festival of Education (Berkshire, July) and the Cambridge AI in Education Summit (October).

Which AI conference suits school leaders best?

In the UK, the Schools & Academies Show and the Festival of Education focus most on leadership, policy and operations. In the US, CoSN suits district technology leaders and ASU+GSV suits system leaders interested in investment and innovation.

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