Knowledge 2026 is May 5-7 at the Venetian Expo and Wynn in Las Vegas. If you're going, here's what actually matters this year — beyond the keynote hype and the expo floor swag.
The Big Theme: AI Agents Everywhere
ServiceNow has been building toward this for two years. Now Assist was the appetizer. Knowledge 2026 is the main course.
Expect every keynote, every breakout, and every demo to involve AI agents in some form. The question isn't whether ServiceNow is going all-in on AI — it's whether the platform is ready for what they're promising.
What to watch for:
- Now Assist adoption numbers — ServiceNow hit $600M in AI-related ACV. Are customers actually using it, or just buying it?
- Agent orchestration — How do AI agents interact with Flow Designer, IntegrationHub, and ITOM?
- Skill Kit updates — Custom AI skills are the unlock for enterprise AI. How mature is the developer experience?
Sessions Worth Your Time
Architecture & Platform
If you're a technical architect or senior developer, skip the intro sessions. Look for:
- Deep dives on Xanadu/Yokohama platform changes — The stuff that actually affects your upgrade
- CMDB and CSDM evolution — ServiceNow keeps pushing CSDM maturity. What's new?
- Performance engineering — Instance performance tuning sessions are always gold
ITOM & Infrastructure
ITOM is quietly having a renaissance. With AI agents + ITOM, you get autonomous remediation — not just alerting.
Shameless plug: I'm presenting SES6133 — "Stop Babysitting Your Infrastructure: AI Agents for ITOM Automation" with Selva Arun. If you want to see how AI agents can actually do infrastructure work (not just summarize tickets), come find us.
Integration & Development
IntegrationHub keeps expanding. Look for sessions on:
- New spokes (especially cloud providers)
- Custom spoke development
- Integration patterns for AI agent workflows
The Expo Floor Strategy
The expo floor is overwhelming. Here's how to work it efficiently:
- Hit the ServiceNow Labs area first — This is where the product teams show unreleased features. Best intel at the conference.
- Skip the big vendor booths — They'll scan your badge and spam you for months. Not worth it unless you have a specific need.
- Find the partner demos — Smaller partners often have the most innovative solutions. They have to — they can't coast on brand recognition.
- Talk to the engineers, not the sales reps — Every booth has both. The engineers will tell you what actually works.
Networking That Actually Works
Knowledge isn't just sessions and demos. The real value is connections.
Do:
- Attend the CTA/architect meetups (if you're at that level)
- Join the evening events — this is where real conversations happen
- Connect on LinkedIn at the event while faces are fresh
- Ask specific questions ("What's your CMDB strategy?") not generic ones ("What do you do?")
Don't:
- Spend all day in sessions — you can watch recordings later
- Skip meals to attend more sessions — that's how you burn out by day 2
- Ignore the CreatorCon workshops — hands-on labs are worth more than lectures
What to Do Before You Go
- Plan your sessions NOW — The good ones fill up. Use the session catalog and build your schedule.
- Update your LinkedIn profile — You'll connect with dozens of people. Make sure your profile reflects your current role.
- Prepare your questions — What are you stuck on? What decisions are you facing? Knowledge is 10x more valuable when you come with specific problems.
- Book dinners early — Vegas restaurants fill up during Knowledge. Make reservations for the nights you want team dinners.
The Honest Take
Knowledge is expensive — conference pass, flights, hotel, meals. A week in Vegas isn't cheap.
Is it worth it? Yes, if you work it. The sessions are good but not irreplaceable (recordings exist). The real ROI is:
- Face time with ServiceNow product teams
- Connections with other practitioners
- Early access to roadmap information
- The energy of being around 20,000 people who care about the same platform
If you just attend sessions and walk the expo floor, you could have stayed home and watched YouTube. If you network, ask questions, and engage — it's the best investment you'll make all year.
See you in Vegas. 🎰
Follow OnlyFlows for more ServiceNow insights, and find us at Knowledge 2026!