More than 21,000 attendees and 1,600 sessions made Cisco Live 2026 Amsterdam the most successful event in Cisco EMEA’s history.
In February 2026, the conference, held at RAI Amsterdam, brought together customers, partners, employees and technology professionals for a programme combining education, networking, live technology demonstrations and entertainment.
The record-breaking event exceeded its attendance, broadcast and sponsor targets, achieving 99% attendee satisfaction and taking home the Best Conference award at the micebook Awards 2026.
Building for the AI era
By February 2026, the conversation around AI had shifted: the question was no longer if AI would transform enterprise infrastructure, but who would provide the sovereign, scalable foundation to make it happen.
Cisco Live was designed to position Cisco at the centre of that conversation, demonstrating how its technology could power critical infrastructure for the AI era while helping attendees develop their knowledge, build connections and prepare for what comes next.
At the same time, the conference needed to meet the needs of a broad audience, from senior executives and IT managers to technical engineers working across a wide range of industries.
Designing the attendee journey
The conference was shaped by a customer-first design philosophy, directly informed by years of valuable attendee feedback. By thoughtfully refining every touchpoint—from registration and navigation to networking and essential services—the Cisco Live team crafted a seamless attendee journey.
The experience began before attendees reached the venue. On arrival in Amsterdam, they received a welcome notification through the Cisco Live mobile app, which also provided interactive maps and indoor navigation throughout the RAI.
A new visual identity, introduced for the first time in Amsterdam, aligned Cisco Live more closely with the wider Cisco brand. The identity was featured throughout the attendee journey, from registration and wayfinding to content, networking spaces and essential services, creating a consistent story across the event.
The Keynote production was a masterclass in scale and immersion. A 52 metre, two-million-pixel screen was installed,—the largest in the RAI’s history—to set the stage for our global vision. With dynamic lighting and integrated live hardware demos, the production reached an EMEA-record audience.
Across the five days, more than 1,600 sessions included a three-day programme for IT managers, a dedicated day for C-suite attendees, more than 500 breakout sessions and technical seminars, as well as a full programme of labs and clinics.
The World of Solutions show floor brought together more than 100 sponsors and a range of interactive experiences, while the Cisco Showcase gave attendees direct access to information and demonstrations covering the company’s products and solutions.
Technology in action
Rather than simply talking about network security, Cisco used the event itself as a live demonstration.
A fully operational Security Operations Centre and Network Operations Centre monitored and defended the conference network in real time, giving attendees an at-scale view of the complexities involved in securing an event of this size.
Networking was also carefully considered within the design. Dedicated meeting areas balanced energetic communal spaces with quieter zones for focused conversations, enabling more than 3,200 meetings to take place during the event.
The event culminated in the Cisco Live Celebration, featuring four themed zones and a large-scale stage production designed to thank customers and partners while providing another opportunity to connect.
Putting sustainability into practice
Sustainability was embedded into the planning and design of Cisco Live rather than treated as a standalone element. Since the event first took place in Amsterdam in 2023, the team has focused on designing out waste through its choice of materials, exhibition structures and attendee behaviour initiatives.
In 2026, the event achieved a 24% reduction in carbon emissions compared with the previous year. Visitor waste per person fell by 12% year on year and by 26% compared with 2023, while the installation of single-use carpet was reduced by 28%.
Automated waste sorting helped increase the recycling of drinks cans by 65%, and general waste accounted for less than half of total waste for the first time since Cisco Live came to Amsterdam.
The use of reusable serviceware saved 853,425 pieces of disposable tableware and cutlery. A further 1,950 meals were donated to three local charities, while more than 2,000 items and 40 boxes of graphics, cables, furniture and clothing were distributed to charities, schools and artists’ collectives.
A social impact activation with NoWa invited attendees to dismantle more than 300 unwanted mobile phones. The process recovered over 1,400 grams of gold, silver and copper that would otherwise have gone to waste, with the materials subsequently transformed into jewellery.
Elsewhere, Cisco Crisis Response equipment and an interactive globe of social impact projects demonstrated how the company’s technology is used to support digital resilience and communities during emergencies.
Record-breaking results
Cisco Live 2026 Amsterdam welcomed more than 21,000 attendees, exceeding all targets. The event also generated 47.8 million broadcast views, almost 15 million above its original goal.
Engaged more than 100 sponsors on the show floor, making this our largest ever partner-led exhibition with a 17% uplift from 2025.
Overall attendee satisfaction reached 99%, while 95% of those surveyed said attending had strengthened their relationship with Cisco.
Feedback highlighted the value of combining technical education with access to experts and opportunities to connect with the wider technology community.
“I have learned more about AI here in one day than ever,” said one attendee. Another described the event as “invaluable for my career”, while a returning attendee said their previous experiences had encouraged them to bring additional team members in 2026.
The micebook Awards judging panel praised the event’s ability to balance its considerable scale with education, networking, infrastructure demonstrations and spectacle.
One judge described it as “a huge-scale flagship event delivered with exceptional operational confidence”, while another highlighted the achievement of delivering for an audience of that size while securing such strong attendee feedback.