7 Reasons to Attend Archer Summit 2026

Every risk and compliance leader eventually runs into the same wall: a problem specific enough that no vendor pitch deck covers it, and no amount of googling turns up someone who's already solved it. That's the gap Archer Summit is built to close. Join more than 1,000 risk and compliance leaders working through exactly those problems together, September 14 to 17 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

The agenda this year reflects something Archer has picked up from running this event year after year: the sessions people actually remember aren't the ones where they sat and listened. They're the ones where they walked out with an answer to something they'd been stuck on for months, or a name and number for someone who'd already been through it. That's the design principle behind all 40+ sessions this year, more than 25 of them led by customers rather than Archer staff, spanning keynotes, hands-on labs, sector-specific user groups, and a new Innovation Showcase. Here's what makes it worth clearing your calendar for.

1. A first look at where Archer's AI roadmap is headed

The Welcome Keynote and Product Roadmap sessions kick things off with a look at what's coming next, and this year the center of gravity is AI built specifically for second-line risk and compliance work. That sounds abstract until you see it in action.

If your team is still figuring out how much to trust an AI-generated finding, or you've been putting off writing an internal policy for how AI gets used in the risk program, this is likely to be the most useful hour of the week. And it doesn't end there. The Powered by AI track picks up the same thread across several other sessions, so there's room to go deeper on whichever piece of the puzzle matters most to you.

2. Case studies from the people who actually lived them

The practitioners presenting these case studies built the programs they're talking about, and they're refreshingly candid about the parts that didn't go according to plan: the deadline that arrived faster than expected, the data problem that surfaced mid-project, the plan that had to change when leadership priorities shifted. Nobody presenting is selling anything. They're telling you what worked, what didn't, and what they'd do differently if they had it to do over.

Pfizer, one of the featured speakers, share walking through its move from reactive compliance to a predictive, standardized GRC operating model, a shift a lot of large enterprises are attempting right now. Mastercard, DTCC, SMBC Group, EY, Liberty Mutual, and First National Bank of Omaha are among the other companies presenting this year, and the full customer lineup stretches well beyond that, touching financial services, healthcare, insurance, and plenty of industries in between.

3. Hands-on time in the platform itself

The Archer Learning Labs put attendees directly inside the platform, working through real configurations alongside Archer specialists. If there's a module your team has never quite gotten comfortable with (issue management workflows, controls testing, a reporting setup that's never behaved the way you wanted), this is the fastest way to actually fix it, with the people who build the product sitting next to you while you do.

4. A mainstage conversation with Manulife

Amir Ramezanpour, Global Vice President of Risk Technology and Intelligence at Manulife and author of Beyond Controls: Reshaping Risk Into Intelligent Advantage, joins Archer for a fireside chat on the mainstage.

The keynote is framed around a question a lot of risk leaders are quietly asking themselves: what does it take to build risk technology around a live, continuously updating view of risk, instead of a snapshot that's already out of date by the time it's published. Ramezanpour spends his day job running risk technology at one of the largest insurers in the world, so this is a chance to hear that question tested against a program with real scale and real constraints behind it, not just argued in a book.

5. A new Innovation Showcase

New this year, the Innovation Showcase track pairs live product demos with customer stories across compliance, AI risk management, audit, third-party risk, and operational risk, all in one place. It's the fastest way to get a full picture of what's possible on the platform, rather than piecing it together from a dozen scattered breakout sessions.

As Kayvan Alikhani, Archer's Chief Product and Technology Officer, puts it, the goal is to show how AI is moving risk and compliance from reactive and manual to proactive and intelligent. This track is where that idea gets demonstrated, not just talked about.

6. CPE credits that actually move your career forward

All keynotes and breakout sessions will counts toward Continuing Professional Education credits, so the three days do double duty: real skills you'll use the following Monday, and a credential requirement checked off without having to carve out separate time for it later in the year. A lot of CPE-eligible training is generic and disconnected from the tool your team actually runs day to day. Because Archer Summit sessions are built around the platform you already use, the hours count toward something you'll genuinely apply.

7. It's Orlando

Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are both a short ride away, and International Drive has more restaurants than you'll get through in three nights. The Marriott World Center itself isn't short on ways to unwind either, with its own golf course, water park and a mile-long lazy river.

Programming runs during the day, and the evening events are organized enough that the networking doesn't feel forced, which is rarer at industry conferences than it should be. A Welcome Reception opens the week, and a customer appreciation event closes it, so the three days have a real shape instead of just a stack of back-to-back breakouts.

There's also a guest pass option for someone who wants to be in Orlando without sitting through sessions. It covers hotel meals and evening events, though not keynotes, breakouts, or meetings.

Registration is open

Registration for Archer customers and partners is open now. The full agenda and speaker list are available at www.thearchersummit.com.

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