Boston AI Week sets 2026 dates and names inaugural board

Boston AI Week will return Sept. 24-Oct. 2, 2026, with more than 300 events and 30,000 projected participants across Massachusetts. The festival also launched its inaugural board to support governance, workforce development, and wider AI adoption across the state. Why it matters: - Boston AI Week is trying to turn Massachusetts into a more coordinated AI economy, not just a place where AI is researched or demoed. - The festival is pairing programming with workforce development, sponsor alignment and civic engagement to push responsible AI adoption across industries. - Organizers estimate the 2026 festival could generate $45 million to $55 million in tourism and hospitality impact. What happened: - Boston AI Week announced that its 2026 festival will run Sept. 24-Oct. 2, 2026. - Organizers project more than 300 events and 30,000 participants statewide. - The organization also formed its inaugural board to support governance, continuity and long-term economic and workforce impact. - Boston AI Week is headquartered in Boston’s Seaport and spans communities across Massachusetts. The details: - Boston AI Week operates as a platform with hundreds of partner-led events, not as a single conference. - Startups, enterprises, universities, investors, workforce groups, cultural institutions, nonprofits and public-sector partners host events that are organized into one unified calendar. - The 2026 theme is “AI in Business and in Life,” with a focus on applied AI in core operations, education, culture and everyday work. - Planned core experiences include a Seaport HQ campus, the AI in Massachusetts Workforce Development & Career Fair, and anchor partner conferences and cultural events across the city and statewide. - The workforce pillar centers on a career fair that brings together employers, job seekers and training partners. - The board includes Carol Meyers, Chris Jennings, David Chang, Debbie Millin, Elyas Tecle, Gregory Raiz, John Holmes, John Werner, Jonathan Corbin, Kara Peterson, Nevin Stevens, Patricia Geli, Paul Baier, Samantha Perrone, Scott Weller and Yanni Tsipis. - Board members come from venture capital, global technology companies, operating roles, founding teams and place-based partners with Massachusetts ties. - How to participate: Organizations can host, partner or sponsor Boston AI Week 2026 through aiweek.boston . - Hosts can submit event proposals for calendar inclusion at the same site. Between the lines: - The board formalizes stewardship around a festival that is growing fast and now needs stronger governance as well as programming consistency. - The lineup of board members shows an effort to connect venture capital, cloud providers, operators and local institutions around one regional AI agenda. - The event’s framing suggests a shift from AI hype toward deployment in hospitals, schools, businesses, utilities and city government. - Boston AI Week is also positioning Boston’s Seaport as a visible hub for a broader statewide innovation network. What’s next: - Boston AI Week will publish and fill out its 2026 partner-led calendar ahead of the Sept. 24-Oct. 2 festival. - Organizers will use the board to guide partnerships, programming integrity, sponsor alignment, civic engagement and workforce development. - The festival is expected to continue expanding its role as a convening point for employers, educators, investors and public-sector leaders. The bottom line: - Boston AI Week is scaling from a local event series into a statewide AI platform with bigger economic ambitions and a new governance structure to match.