Cloud Connections 2026 gathers 250 industry leaders in Delray Beach for three days of strategic sessions, technology showcases, and high-value networking. If you’re attending, you’re investing significant time and budget — and the return depends on how well you prepare.
This isn’t a conference where you passively absorb content and collect business cards. The attendee list includes CEOs who’ve built and exited companies, Channel Chiefs managing major partnerships, CTOs architecting next-generation platforms, and investors evaluating the market. The conversations you have here can shape partnerships, inform strategic pivots, and surface opportunities you won’t find anywhere else.
This guide helps you navigate the full agenda, understand the strategic themes driving this year’s event, identify which sessions matter for your role, and maximize your ROI. We’ve analyzed the schedule, mapped the key topics, and highlighted where the most valuable conversations will happen.
Cloud Connections 2026 is the flagship annual conference of the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA), bringing together 250+ leaders in UCaaS, CCaaS, CPaaS, and AI-driven cloud infrastructure. This is an intimate, high-stakes gathering designed for decision-makers — CEOs, Founders, Channel Chiefs, CTOs, and Private Equity investors — who are actively shaping the future of cloud communications.
The event takes place January 21-23, 2026 in Delray Beach, Florida and is primarily structured across two days: Day 2 (Thursday) focuses on strategic transformation and emerging technology, while Day 3 (Friday) shifts to tactical execution, channel economics, and route-to-market strategies.
“Cloud Connections 2026 isn’t just another industry event, it’s a strategic checkpoint for cloud communications leaders. This is where the real conversations happen about AI disruption, business model reinvention, and who’s actually positioned to win over the next 12-18 months. If you want signal over noise, context over hype, and access to the people shaping the market rather than reacting to it, this is the room to be in.”
— Rob Scott, Publisher, UC Today
Cloud Connections 2026 attracts over 250 attendees from 37 companies representing the full cloud communications ecosystem, with a significant concentration of C-suite executives, channel leaders, and financial decision-makers. The event provides direct access to emerging business models 12-18 months before mainstream adoption, enabling leaders to evaluate strategic pivots, meet potential acquisition targets or buyers, see live technology demonstrations, and build roadmaps for navigating AI disruption.
The conference offers keynote insights from industry veterans including Clark Peterson (CCA Chairman) on the state of the industry, Mike Tessler (True North Advisory) on building lean AI-driven UC businesses, Janet Schijns (JS Group) on the new economics of partnering, and a closing analyst panel featuring Irwin Lazar (Metrigy), Catharine Trebnick (Rosenblatt Securities), and Joshua Reilly (Needham & Company).
AI orchestration platforms sit above existing UCaaS/CCaaS stacks to actively facilitate business outcomes rather than just enable communication. Unlike traditional AI features embedded in collaboration tools (meeting transcription, noise cancellation, sentiment analysis), orchestration platforms use AI to understand context across multiple systems, automate workflows, route information intelligently, and convert unstructured conversations into structured business actions without human intervention.
Key session: From Fog to Focus: Building a Lean, AI-Driven UC Business (Thursday 9:00 AM) with Mike Tessler explores how providers can shift from feature accumulation to orchestration platforms that deliver measurable ROI.
Evaluation criteria: When assessing your orchestration strategy, ask: Does our AI actively drive customer workflows or passively assist? Can we demonstrate ROI beyond “nice to have”? Are we building proprietary orchestration or relying on Microsoft/Zoom to own that layer?
The traditional SaaS model — selling software licenses per user per month — is under existential threat from Agents as a Service (AaaS), where AI agents perform work autonomously and customers pay for outcomes rather than seats. This shift fundamentally disrupts pricing models, capacity planning, and go-to-market strategies that have defined cloud communications for the past 15 years.
Key session: SaaS Down, AaaS Up: How LLMs and Agents as a Service Are Killing the SaaS Model (Thursday 1:00 PM) with Jake Leidy (Spectrum VoIP) provides a provocative look at how AI agents are replacing traditional SaaS economics.
Evaluation criteria: Test your business model: What percentage of our revenue comes from seats that could be replaced by AI agents? How quickly can we pivot pricing models? Do we have the data infrastructure to price based on outcomes rather than usage?
vCon (virtual Conversation) is an emerging standard for capturing, storing, and analyzing communication data across voice, video, and messaging in a structured, portable format. Unlike proprietary recording systems locked into specific platforms, vCon creates a universal conversation data layer that enables AI analysis, compliance automation, and workflow integration across any communication channel.
Key session: vCon Changes Everything (Thursday 1:50 PM) featuring industry legend Jeff Pulver alongside Kevin Nethercott (Creo Solutions) and Dag Peak (Alianza) explores how vCon fundamentally changes the value of communication data.
Evaluation criteria: Assess your conversation data strategy: Are we capturing structured conversation data or just raw recordings? Can our data be analyzed across platforms? Do we have a roadmap for monetizing conversation intelligence?
The traditional channel model is breaking down as AI reduces seat counts, customers demand outcome-based pricing, and vendors seek direct relationships. The new economics of partnering requires channels to deliver strategic value (implementation, change management, AI optimization) rather than transactional sales.
Key sessions:
Evaluation criteria: Ask your channel team: What percentage of partners are profitable under current commission structures? How are partners reacting to AI-driven seat reduction? What value do partners deliver beyond order-taking?
M&A activity in cloud communications is accelerating as private equity seeks exits, strategic buyers consolidate market share, and smaller providers face increasing pressure to scale or sell.
Key sessions:
Evaluation criteria: Assess your position: Are we a buyer, seller, or independent operator? What is our realistic valuation in current market conditions? What strategic gaps could we fill through acquisition?
Clark Peterson (CCA Chairman)
State of the Industry (Thursday 8:40 AM) sets the strategic baseline for 2026, covering market consolidation, AI disruption, and regulatory challenges.
Mike Tessler (True North Advisory)
From Fog to Focus: Building a Lean, AI-Driven UC Business (Thursday 9:00 AM) provides a strategic framework for moving from AI hype to practical, profitable AI implementation.
Brian Kornmann (Q Advisors)
Building the AI-Powered Provider: Strategy, Scale & the Road to 2030 (Thursday 9:35 AM) offers a long-term strategic roadmap for providers navigating AI transformation.
Paul Spencer (T-Mobile)
T-Mobile Keynote (Friday 8:40 AM) brings the major carrier perspective to channel strategy, network infrastructure, and enterprise partnerships.
Janet Schijns (JS Group)
Economics of Partnering (Friday 9:10 AM) and moderating What Agents Really Want (Friday 9:25 AM) makes Janet the definitive voice on channel transformation at the event.
Analyst Panel: Irwin Lazar, Joshua Reilly, Matt Townend, Catharine Trebnick, Clark Peterson
State of the Cloud: Analyst Perspectives (Thursday 4:20 PM) delivers investment-grade market analysis, valuation perspectives, and strategic recommendations for providers and investors.
What this block delivers: Strategic context for the entire event. These sessions set the baseline for market conditions, AI strategy, and long-term planning.
What this block delivers: Media and analyst perspectives on industry trends, plus a deep dive into the foundational role of data in AI strategies.
Strategy: Choose Track B if you’re focused on business model disruption; choose Track A if you’re focused on product differentiation.
Strategy: Choose Track A if you’re building platform strategy; choose Track B if you’re focused on revenue optimization and compliance.
Strategy: Choose Track A for tactical revenue strategies; choose Track B for technical AI implementation.
What this block delivers: Hard market data, valuation perspectives, and M&A insights.
What this block delivers: The definitive word on channel transformation. If you work with or through channels, this is your priority block.
What this block delivers: Practical tools and frameworks for partner success.
Strategy: Friday’s lighter schedule creates opportunities for 1:1 meetings. Book breakfast and lunch meetings with key contacts.
Visit cloudcommunications.com/cc26 to learn more about registration, sponsorship opportunities, and the full agenda.
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