ILTACON 2026 is over, but observations about the conference continue! At the end of the conference, I reached out to many of the people I met with for their observations about the conference. So, here are their crowdsourced ILTACON 2026 observations!

FYI, I’m publishing their crowdsourced ILTACON 2026 observations in the order they provided them to me and splitting them over three posts.

After 22 years of consulting on legal tech, after nearly 8 years of experience as a litigator, the role of those involved in legal technology is more impactful to society as whole than ever before. Humanity increasingly relies on technology and the role that those play in governing those solutions has never been more vital.  The risk posed by technology has also never been higher; the spate of cyber incidents evinces that. AI innovation has great potential to provide cost-effective solutions to reduce risk; however, the implementation of such solutions requires a cautious approach. Joe Bartolo, J.D., Director, Discernis.ai

ILTACON 2026 felt bigger, louder and more competitive than ever, and from a PR and marketing perspective, it was fascinating to watch. With AI seemingly everywhere and vendors competing for attention through increasingly elaborate booths, events and announcements, the real challenge wasn’t getting noticed, it was being remembered. The companies that broke through weren’t necessarily the ones making the most noise, but the ones that could clearly articulate what makes them different and why anyone should care. Vicki LaBrosse, Managing Director, Edge Marketing, Inc.

My takeaway from the ILTA conference is that the conversation around AI has moved from angst and fear to professional skill. Its value now depends on the skills around it—strong communication, technical ability, and the judgment to put it to work. Shannon Bales, Senior Manager Legal Technology Support, Munger Tolles

Speaking as a conference committee member, I was pleased to note how high the attendance was for the educational sessions.  The audiences were noticeably denser than in years past.  While this may simply be a function of the high attendance (5707, at last count), I think there was more genuine interest.  We had dozens of people in many of the last sessions on Thursday, for heaven’s sake!  That’s not been the norm. A surprising number of the company names on the booths in the exhibit hall were unfamiliar to me and likely new since last year.  How refreshing for us oft-jaded legal tech folks! I certainly had my fill of chicken and rice… Gordon Moffat, Manager, eDiscovery and Litigation Technology, Tennessee Attorney General’s Office

The attendance was high with electric-activity, as usual.  The sessions were lopsided around AI and DIY reporting with the defined metrics, reminds me of the TAR craze from 10 years ago – your session was a highlight.  Getting together with old friends and colleagues was plentiful.  For me tons of new companies and start-ups were in the exhibitor hall.  It was easy to get lost. William Moreno, Sr eDiscovery Solutions Manager, Lexbe

ILTACON 2026 reminded us this year of our resiliency reflecting to 9/11. Twenty-five years ago, some of the attendees were in the thick of tragic personal loss or dealing with data recovery in the twin towers. Others were in the military battling terrorist attacks, and some were not even born yet. Although as we in the legal technology community reflected back with sadness, there was much joy in the present seeing our industry peers at networking events, discussing AI workflows we can bring back to the office, as well as discussing how to spread positivity channeling Dolly Parton. We all walked away feeling there are amazing technology developments happening and on the horizon! Julie Lewis, President & CEO, Digital Mountain, Inc.

Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.

Focus is shifting from finding and implementing the best AI tools to being able to defend and explain the resulting work product.  The Women in eDiscovery session: “Leading in Every Direction: Women Shaping Legal’s AI-Enabled Future,” was a great example. Moderated by Maribel Rivera with Beth Finkle, Emily Bartkowicz, Nicole Rapp, Freya Zhou, and Amanda Sabia, it focused on strategies that real leaders are using to succeed in this cutting-edge climate.  Another session that I loved was “Preparing Today’s Neurodiverse Legal Professionals,” with Charisma Starr, Jessica Rubin, Jannise Vinson, Jamie Liberatore, and Samuel Porter—a highly inclusive space offering truly practical solutions and perspectives.  Both sessions focused on the people navigating this transformation rather than just the technology driving it, which is exactly how we figure out what the future looks like, together. Melissa Heidrick, Founder & CEO, mmData

With over 5700 attendees, 29 countries represented, and the largest exhibit hall I have seen since my days at Volvo, ILTACON was truly successful. But what made it successful was the positive vibe, the connections and reconnections, the education and the business partners showing up and showing big. I am extremely proud of my team this week and all that was accomplished putting together an event of this size. What struck me most though was the positive energy that ran through everyday, all day long, even through the closing event. ILTANs are in a class of their own. What an amazing community, I am truly proud is to be a part of it. Dawn Hudgins, Chief Experience Officer, International Legal Technology Association (ILTA)

I don’t know that there’s a better conference than ILTACON for the valuable networking. I had more interesting conversations this year in four days than I’ve had in the first eight months of the year! The location was great, the education inspiring, and that keynote . . . had me in tears. Mike Quartararo. President, ACEDS

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” Dolly Parton

Dolly passed away while we were at ILTACON in Nashville. Her words feel particularly fitting, where so many conversations centered on challenging how things have always been done and building what comes next. A pretty powerful reminder from Nashville: when the road needs to change, start paving. And judging by the conversations at ILTACON, there are a lot of people ready to do exactly that. Amy Juers, CEO of Edge Marketing

My greatest takeaway from ILTACON 2026 was the absolutely outstanding job ILTA did on the 9/11 Memorial.  With such a sensitive and tragic event, there’s a tremendous danger of something going wrong when attempting educational programming commemorating it.  ILTA’s Joy Heath Rush, Dawn Hudgins, and Rebecca Christensen made it a respectful remembrance.  I was honored to be part of it, and pleased that we could coordinate the 9/11 Memorial with the legal and technological implications of 9/11 in ILTACON’s annual eDiscovery Roundtable. David Horrigan, Discovery Counsel & Legal Education Director, Relativity

There were so many people who provided crowdsourced ILTACON 2026 observations that I couldn’t fit it all into one post! I’ll post more comments I received tomorrow and more on Thursday! Thanks to all who crowdsourced ILTACON 2026 observations for me – you saved me writing three posts this week! 😀

So, what do you think? Did you attend ILTACON 2026? If so, feel free to comment with your own observations below! And please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.