WMF 2026 to bring 1,000 speakers and 90 stages to Bologna

By AI, Created 12:55 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – WMF 2026 will return to BolognaFiere June 24-26 with more than 1,000 speakers, over 90 stages and a broad program on AI, tech, marketing, geopolitics and innovation. The event is positioning itself as a global training and networking hub for professionals, startups, institutions and creators.

Why it matters: - WMF 2026 is aiming to be one of the largest global events focused on AI, digital marketing, technology and innovation. - The program mixes training, business, networking and public debate across multiple sectors, making it relevant for companies, startups, policymakers and creators. - The event comes as AI, automation and geopolitics are reshaping skills, business models and public policy.

What happened: - WMF - We Make Future will take place June 24-26 at BolognaFiere in Bologna, Italy. - The 2026 edition will feature more than 90 stages and over 1,000 international speakers. - The event is built around three days of content on AI, tech, digital marketing, innovation and related topics. - Search On Media Group conceived, organized and produced the event. - WMF is held under the patronage of the European Commission and the Municipality of Bologna. - The event has support from MAECI, ITA - Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian enterprises, and the Emilia-Romagna Region. - WMF partners with Visit Emilia-Romagna and collaborates with BolognaFiere, Cineca and ESA - European Space Agency. - Main sponsors for 2026 include Philip Morris, Dell Technologies and Intel.

The details: - WMF says the event will gather professionals, companies, startups, creators, students, journalists, activists, institutions and innovators. - The content program covers Artificial Intelligence, governance, cybersecurity, digital transformation, digital health, fintech and digital assets, and new business models. - The Premium Stages will be limited to Full Ticket holders and focus on advanced training. - AI is the central theme of the Premium program, with 12 vertical stages covering Machine Learning, Agentic AI, AI Marketing, AI Commerce and AI & Business Transformation. - Speakers on AI include Corey Ching of OpenAI, Yuval Dvir of SandboxAQ, Debanshu Das of Google, Julian Wood and Salih Güler of Amazon AWS, plus other experts on AI agents and AI-native software architecture. - Governance and regulation sessions will include Brando Benifei, co-rapporteur of the AI Act at the European Parliament, along with legal, privacy and digital innovation experts. - Additional Premium topics include Advertising, Brand Strategy, UX & UI, Social Advertising, E-commerce, Content Marketing, Backend & Cloud, Cybersecurity, Legal Tech and Work & HR. - New 2026 stages include Robotics & Physical AI, Search & AI, AI Commerce, AI & Business Transformation, Agentic AI, Fintech & Digital Assets, AI Tourism, Vibe Coding, Audio & Visual Production, Automation & CRM, Video & Connected TV, Management & Leadership, Geopolitics, Startup Arena and Query The Future. - Speakers on robotics and physical AI include Marco Pavone of NVIDIA, Marcello Majonchi of Arduino and Giorgio Metta of IIT - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. - The Discover Stages will be open to Full Ticket and Visitor Ticket holders and focus on business, entrepreneurship and market opportunities. - Discover sessions include “Defining What Matters in the Age of Generative AI and Geopolitical Competition” and panels on European innovation, the Italian startup ecosystem and technological corridors between Europe, India, Canada, Brazil and Africa. - Discover topics include Startups, SMEs & VCs, Tech for Business, Digital Marketing & Business Solutions, Entrepreneurship, Tourism & Travel, Impact to Business and Content Creation. - The Startup Arena will feature more than 140 selected startups from Italy and 80 other countries. - The Open Stages will be open to Full Ticket, Visitor Ticket and Fiera Ticket holders and focus on dissemination and interdisciplinary discussion. - Open Stage tracks include Start the Future, Music & Art, GovTech, EduTech, Space Economy, Book Presentation, Innovation Film Fest, Geopolitics, Gaming & Esports and AI for Civil Engineering. - The Start the Future stage will include Sasha Luccioni, Siyabulela Mandela, Pegah Moshir Pour, Cosimo Accoto, Federico Cabitza and Davide Dattoli. - The GovTech stage will address institutions and digital geopolitics with Lucia Borgonzoni, Alberto Barachini, Luigi Di Maio, Marco Cappato and other policy and public innovation figures. - The EduTech stage will focus on the future of education and skills with Piero Dominici, Alessandra Antonaci, Ioannis Chatzigiannakis and Jessica Redeghieri. - The Space Economy stage is powered by ESA - European Space Agency. - The Music & Art stage is run with Billboard Italia and will feature Enzo Mazza, Carlo Durante, Massimiliano Montefusco, Michelangelo Guarise, N.A.I.P. and others. - The Innovation Film Fest stage will include Frankie Caradonna, Matteo Lolletti, Chiara Baschetti and representatives from the Bisacquino Film Fest. - Gaming & Esports will include Antonio Moro and Carlo Santagostino. - Book Presentation and Geopolitics will include authors, journalists and analysts such as Davide Casaleggio and Domenico Guzzo. - The Mainstage will host global leaders, institutions, companies, creators, artists, researchers and journalists over three days. - Mainstage guests include Henna Virkkunen, Michiel Scheffer and UAE Ambassador to Italy Abdulla AliAlSubousi. - Mainstage speakers also include Alberto Sangiovanni Vincentelli, Marco Pavone, Daniele Pucci, Francesco Ubertini and Chris Bangle. - Companies represented on the Mainstage include Klarna, Trade Republic, Microsoft, Dell Technologies, Intel, LG Nova and Google. - The Mainstage will also feature Cecilia Sala, Enrico Mentana, Corrado Formigli, Francesca Albanese, Nicola Gratteri and Stefano Massini on information, geopolitics and the social impact of technology. - Other Mainstage guests include Brunello Cucinelli, Guest of Honor Mathew Knowles, Alec Ross and Uljan Sharka. - Creators and performers on the Mainstage include Pierluca Mariti, Guglielmo Scilla, Gabriele Vagnato, Camihawke, Awed, Filippo Caccamo, Dardust, Ditonellapiaga, N.A.I.P., I Patagarri, Valerio Lundini & I VazzaNikki and Francesco Cavestri. - WMF says the 2025 edition drew over 73,000 attendees from 90 countries, more than 700 exhibitors, 1,000 speakers and international guests, over 2,800 organized B2B meetings and a network of 3,000 startups, investors and partners.

Between the lines: - WMF is broadening beyond a conference into a multi-track ecosystem that mixes professional training with policy, culture and entertainment. - The heavy emphasis on AI, governance and geopolitical competition suggests the event is positioning innovation as both a business issue and a public policy issue. - The startup, international and cross-sector lineup signals an effort to turn BolognaFiere into a global meeting point for dealmaking and idea sharing.

What’s next: - WMF 2026 runs June 24-26 at BolognaFiere. - Attendees with different ticket types will access different parts of the program, with Full Ticket required for Premium Stages. - The event is expected to keep releasing detailed session programming and speaker lineups ahead of the June opening.