Making the Most of the 2026 Internet2 Technology Exchange

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Five Ways to Maximize Your TechEX26 Experience

The 2026 Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX26) is on its way. Think one week, four tracks, and countless opportunities to engage peers in research and education (R&E).

With a packed program and no shortage of new faces, intentionality is key, and crafting a plan that maximizes your learning and interactions is essential.

We understand and have pulled together five actions to consider when making the best of both worlds: 

1. Make a game plan. The program is intentionally rich and consists of four key topic areas: Advanced Networking, Cloud Technology, Identity & Access Management, and Information Security. Review the session abstracts and presenters before reaching Minneapolis, then download the Internet2 mobile app the week before to build your agenda and catch any room changes in real time. Talk your picks over with Internet2 staff and veteran attendees to find sessions aligned with your goals. Presenting? Review the Presenter Guidelines so you walk in prepared.
2. Engage in hallway conversations. One of the hallmarks of TechEX is the organic exchange that occurs among the R&E community outside of the general session rooms. Key points from presentations linger beyond the session’s end. Grab coffee with another attendee, and treat these casual conversations like a general session. Ask presenters questions after their presentations. Strike up conversations with community members and Internet2 staff. Tons of learning occurs at TechEX, both inside and outside the conference room.
3. Come with a problem. TechEX is designed for real-time problem-solving, so bring actual questions and challenges from your institution. Maybe you are building AI-assisted network troubleshooting workflows or navigating identity proofing and need to know where to start. The room is full of people tackling similar challenges, and many of the hands-on tutorials and workshops are designed to work through problems like these together.
4. Propose a poster session. Working on something interesting – a pilot, a migration, a lesson learned? Sharing your work is one of the fastest ways to build professional relationships, and poster session proposals are open through Sept. 16. These sessions are feature presentations that do not fit into a single focus area or category, allowing you to present your findings in smaller groups and in a conversational way.
5. Take advantage of an unconference. Immerse yourself in a part of TechEX where you and your peers write the script. Propose a topic, raise questions, and collectively build a day aligned with your strategic goals and objectives. The day tends to be high-energy and collaborative, but TechEX is fueled by breakfast, lunch, and midday refreshment breaks to keep the momentum going.

TechEX26 has two opportunities to jump in and experience an unconference event:

• Peer-to-Peer: The Advanced Networking Unconference, new to TechEX26, features discussions on advanced networking, cloud, AI, automation, and security throughout the week, concluding with a Thursday evening report-out.

• Advance CAMP (ACAMP), the IAM community’s unconference, takes place Thursday and Friday and features conversations on digital solutions, emerging trends, and challenges in identity and access management.