Data Con LA 2026

August 22, 2026

California State University, Long Beach

AI is reshaping the work. Not theoretically, not eventually — right now. Data engineers are rethinking pipelines. Analysts are questioning what's still worth doing by hand. Data scientists are watching tools do in seconds what used to take weeks. And everyone's trying to figure out where they fit.

Data Con LA 2026 is built around that question — the real, practical, sometimes uncomfortable conversation about what the data profession looks like from here. We're back at CSU Long Beach for our 14th year. Same community, same commitment to substance over hype.

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Tracks

AI/ML & Data Science Models, methods, and the evolving toolkit for applied machine learning and data science.
Data Engineering Infrastructure, pipelines, and the systems that make everything else possible.
Business Analytics & Reporting Turning data into decisions, and making sure the right people see the right information.
Data Career Development Navigating the profession: skills, hiring, growth, and what employers actually need.

Call for Speakers

If you've built something interesting, solved a hard problem, or learned something the hard way — we want to hear about it. You don't need a polished abstract — just tell us what you want to talk about and why it matters. We've simplified the submission process this year to make it easier to get your idea in the door.

Talks are 45 minutes, in-person only, and selected for substance over polish.

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Volunteer

Volunteer signups are now closed. We got a heartening number of responses – more than we have roles for. Thanks to everyone who raised their hand.

What's Coming

April Early bird tickets on sale. Call for speakers closes.
June Speaker announcements and full price tickets.
July Schedule published.
August 22 See you there.

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Event announcements, speaker lineups, early-bird tickets, and community news. No spam, no weekly blasts — only when it matters.