CONNECT 2026

The greatest hits from Austin

Three days of keynotes, breakouts, and hallway conversations, packed into a few minutes. Hit play to see what Connect 2026 felt like for the people who were there.

The big picture on MDM and AI, all in one place

Austin got loud. More than 450 data leaders packed the rooms with one thing on their minds: making MDM scale and getting their data ready for AI. The mainstage delivered the big news, with the launch of AgentWorkx and the introduction of the Stibo Systems MCP Server.

The best ideas didn't stay on stage, though. Customers opened up about what they've built and what they'd do differently. Conversations spilled into the Genius Bar and the Connection Lounge, and plenty of people flew home with a plan for Monday morning.

Connect 2026 by the numbers

450+

Attendees

17+

Countries represented

60+

Learning sessions

20+

Hands-on demos

18+

Customer speakers

15 +

Sponsors

Catch the mainstage sessions again

Rewatch, on demand, the mainstage presentations that set the tone for the event. Feel free to share with your colleagues who weren’t there.

Why curiosity is the key to building trust in AI

Leadership teams keep asking the same AI questions about getting a return, keeping costs predictable, and the impact on their workforce. Get an honest take on all three and see why trusting AI comes down to data, context, and governance as you give it more control.

The hidden cost of AI and how to build trusted intelligence

Many companies are paying for AI twice, once for the technology and again in the hours teams spend checking its output. A survey of 400 data and AI professionals shows the size of that hidden cost. Learn how connected, governed data cuts it so you can give agents more autonomy.

Ready-to-use and custom AI agents for MDM with AgentWorkx

Some teams want AI agents ready to put to work. Others want to build their own. See how AgentWorkx gives you both, with custom agents built on the same framework our engineers use and every agent running inside the governance and security controls you already have in STEP, our trusted intelligence platform.

How AI agents enrich product content and onboard suppliers

See the first two AgentWorkx agents in a live demo. Content Optimizer turns everyday product data into content AI search engines want to recommend. Upload Anything lets suppliers send data in whatever format they have, so products reach market faster. Then hear design partners' lessons on scaling agents.

How ams OSRAM expanded from product data to multidomain MDM

After 25 years of managing product data in STEP, ams OSRAM is adding supplier master data as it moves to SAP S/4HANA. Get practical advice on expanding MDM one domain at a time and see why connecting domains is what makes your data ready for AI.

Give your AI agents trusted master data with MCP

Your support, sales, and procurement agents are only as reliable as the facts they draw on. See how the Stibo Systems MCP Server gives every agent trusted master data and business context from STEP without a custom integration for each one, and how agents will soon send governed updates back.

How Mitchells & Butlers puts trusted data and AI agents to work

The UK pub chain used AI to score 3,000 recipes for kitchen complexity at a cost of £39. By hand, it would have taken one person almost two years. Discover how 16 years of trusted data in STEP made that possible, and the agent they're building to turn chefs' photos into recipes.

Why master data management is now a strategic differentiator

For years, master data was important plumbing in the back office. AI has changed that. Hear why the quality of your product and customer data now shapes everything your company can do, and what Turn It Up means for the trusted data foundation behind every AI initiative.

What we announced and who we celebrated

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Use our agents or build yours

AgentWorkx brings AI agents into STEP, our trusted intelligence platform. Put ready-made agents to work on tasks like supplier onboarding and product content or build your own on the framework our engineers use. Every agent follows your existing access rules and leaves a full audit trail. Upload Anything and Content Optimizer arrive in December.

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Plug AI agents into STEP

The Stibo Systems MCP Server connects any AI agent in your business to trusted master data in STEP, with no custom integration per agent. Agents get the relationships and business context behind each fact, and every response traces back to its source. Soon, agents will also send governed updates back.

MCP Server Diagram Animated

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Customer innovation awards

Five customers took home awards for showing what trusted data can do, from AI innovation to standout product and customer experiences. Congratulations to all of them, and thank you for raising the bar for the whole Stibo Systems community.

connect-in-a-box-awards

Kimberly-Clark
AI Innovator of the Year
Shionogi
Best Master Data Strategy
Scania
Customer Experience Excellence
ams OSRAM
Platform Innovator of the Year
Eaton Corporation
Product Experience Excellence

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Save the date

Next year, Connect moves to Vienna, Austria. Mark your calendar for September 21–23, 2027. We'd love to see you there.

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