Arrow
Illuminate

Revealing AI’s potential to power the extraordinary

Tuesday, August 5 – Wednesday, August 6 | Chicago

Register to attend

Event Details | Agenda | Register

We’re excited to have you join us for Arrow Illuminate, powered by IBM, a two-day experience designed to uncover the transformative power of AI in today’s dynamic business environments.

The deadline for our complimentary hotel block has passed.

*This benefit was available for Arrow and Arrow Business partners

This exclusive event brings together bold thinkers, technical innovators and industry trailblazers from Arrow and IBM to explore how AI is reshaping what’s possible for your business and customers. From trusted frameworks and secure architectures to intelligent automation and business-driven data strategies, Illuminate is designed to deliver real-world insight you can act on.

What you can expect at Arrow Illuminate

Whether you’re just beginning your AI journey or ready to scale, you’ll leave with:

Proven strategies to deploy AI securely and responsibly
Best practices for unlocking automation, insight and innovation
A front-row seat to live demos and expert-led sessions

Direct access to peers and pioneers who are building the AI future
A chance to experience the magic of Wrigley Field with peers

Locations

Tuesday, August 5

11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Happy Hour (On Site)

IBM Innovation Studio
71 S Wacker Drive, 22nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

Wednesday, August 6

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT

IBM Innovation Studio
71 S Wacker Drive, 22nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

Wednesday, August 6

1:20 – 4:20 p.m. CT

Wrigley Field Rooftop
1044 W Waveland
Chicago, IL 60613

Agenda

Tuesday, August 5

11:30 a.m. | Registration Opens

12:15 p.m. | Welcome and Kickoff: The Partner Advantage

Arrow and IBM Ecosystem Priorities
Eric Barnhart, Vice President, Sales, Arrow
Josh Kropf, Director, IBM Americas Ecosystem – Arrow, IBM

1:10 p.m. | The State of AI

Today you are stepping into the future of business innovation as we uncover the essential building blocks of artificial intelligence—machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI—through compelling industry use cases that demonstrate how AI is fundamentally reshaping what’s possible for your organization and customers. This opening session establishes the foundation for the trusted frameworks, intelligent automation, and business-driven strategies you’ll explore throughout Illuminate, preparing you to discover actionable insights that will define your competitive advantage in this AI-driven future.

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Panel: Real world AI Infused Solutions

Illuminating real world success with IBM watsonx and beyond.

3:15 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. | Modernized Infrastructure for AI

Discover how modernized infrastructure forms the backbone of successful AI initiatives as industry experts explore critical storage, protection, and recovery strategies for AI workloads. This session will address the unique challenges of managing AI data lifecycles, from high-performance storage solutions to navigating hybrid cloud versus on-premises deployment decisions for optimal efficiency. Learn how to effectively manage large-scale AI datasets while ensuring security and seamless recovery, positioning your organization to maximize AI investments and drive competitive advantage.

Sam Werner, Vice President, Product Management, Storage, IBM
Vanessa Ashford, US Software Services Sales Executive (TLS), IBM

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Networking Happy Hour at IBM Office

Wednesday, August 6

8:30 a.m. | Day 2 Start

8:40 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. | AI Trust & Transparency

Establish robust AI governance frameworks as industry experts guide you through essential security considerations for generative AI deployments in enterprise environments. This hands-on whiteboarding session will address common security risks, data privacy requirements, and compliance frameworks while demonstrating best practices for securing AI models and infrastructure. Explore real-world case studies and learn how to build trustworthy AI systems that maintain transparency, accountability, and regulatory compliance across your organization.

Frank Welder, Sr. Technical Solutions Architect, Arrow (IBM Champion)

Sean Toomey, Sr. Director, Partners, HashiCorp an IBM Company

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Intelligent Automation: Optimizing IT Operations and Financial Management

The power of AI-driven automation to transform your IT operations and financial management as industry experts explore cutting-edge solutions for Technology Business Management, FinOps, and observability. This session will demonstrate how infrastructure automation can streamline IT lifecycle management and identity access management, enabling organizations to reduce manual overhead while maintaining security and compliance. Learn how to leverage automated workflows, intelligent resource optimization, and integrated financial visibility to accelerate digital transformation and maximize operational efficiency across your entire technology stack.

Lisa Kreutz, Sr. Director – GSI Alliance Partner, Apptio an IBM Company

Sean Toomey, Sr. Director, Partners, HashiCorp an IBM Company

12:30 p.m. | Closing Remarks and End of Content

12:30 p.m. | Shuttle to Hotel (departing from IBM Office)

1:00 p.m. | Shuttle Departure to Wrigley (departing from Arrow Hotel Block, Hilton Chicago)

1:20 – 4:20 p.m. | Wrigley Rooftops: Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds