SITS'26: Top 5 sessions you must have on your calendar

The Service Desk & IT Support Show (SITS) 2026 is too big an event to show up unprepared.

By lunch on day one, most IT leaders are triaging the agenda like a P1 queue. You figured you'd circle back to that booth at 11. Now it's 2 PM, and you're still running between sessions with a lanyard full of leaflets and no game plan.

We've put together this short guide to help you choose the right sessions to attend (and have fun along the way). We've been through the full programme and flagged what's worth your time plus the logistics you'll want sorted before you land.

Quick context if this is your first SITS:

• SITS is Europe's leading event for IT service management and support, and it's back at ExCeL London on 13–14 May 2026.
• Two days, 60+ sessions, 85+ exhibitors and it runs alongside the MSP Show on the same floor. You need just one badge to get into both.
• Registration is free at servicedeskshow.com, but do it in advance. The entry queue on the day is not where you want to spend your first 20 minutes.
• Doors open at 9:30 AM both days. Day one wraps at 5:00 PM, day two at 4:30 PM so plan your must-see sessions for the morning if you're catching an evening flight out.

Sessions worth blocking your calendar for

The programme is packed, so here's the filter: these are the sessions we'd tell a peer to prioritize. Most of the sessions we've picked land on day one with a focus on AI.

AI sessions

1. From AI agents to AI coworkers: How IT will run the AI workforce

Presented by Atomicwork | 13 May, 15:00–15:40 | Theatre 1 – SITS

AI agents aren't just tools anymore. They're executing multi-step workflows, making judgment calls, and sitting alongside your team like a digital colleague who never takes PTO. The question for IT leaders isn't whether to use them but it's how you manage a workforce that's half human, half AI.

This session gets into the practical side: governance around AI workers, what changes when agents become accountable for outcomes, and what truly autonomous operations look like when you're not just automating tickets but running entire workflows end-to-end.

Also on this thread: Reinventing Employee Experience with Humans and AI Agents, Together

2. A 7-step roadmap for practical AI adoption in ITSM

Presented by ManageEngine | 13 May, 11:00–11:40 | Theatre 3 – SITS

You've probably heard the pitch: AI will fix your service desk. But most teams stall not because the tech isn't ready, but because they haven't figured out where to start without breaking what already works.

This one lays out a systematic 7-step roadmap. Think: getting your data house in order, setting up the right workflows, putting governance in place before you flip the switch. Useful if you're past the "should we do AI?" stage and squarely in "okay, but how do we actually do this without drama?"

Related session: Implementation Without Drama: A Practical Guide for ITSM Teams

3. A blueprint for moving from ticket-centric to autonomous operations

Presented by Resolve AI | 13 May, 13:00–13:40 | Theatre 3 – SITS

Here's the uncomfortable truth: ticket-centric ITSM is cracking under the weight of modern complexity. Incremental automation patches the symptoms, but the model itself is what's strained.

This session makes the case for an AI-first, automation-led approach where issues get resolved before a ticket even exists. If you've been feeling the limits of your current setup and wondering what the next step actually looks like, this is a good use of 40 minutes.

Related session: The Rise of Autonomous IT: Productivity Without Limits

Beyond AI

Not everything on your plate is an AI problem. A couple of sessions worth earmarking if your interests run broader:

High functioning burnout: The hidden crisis destroying your best people

13 May, 10:00–10:40 | Keynote Theatre – SITS & MSP

Your highest performers are often the most at risk. This keynote tackles a topic that doesn't get enough airtime at ITSM events: the burnout hiding behind competence. Worth attending if you manage a team and want to spot the signs before someone quietly flames out.

iPaaS or iPlay – The do's and don'ts of integrated systems and processes

14 May, 12:00–12:40 | Theatre 3 – SITS

You've got a growing stack of SaaS tools, and somewhere between your ITSM platform, HR system, and identity provider, things are supposed to talk to each other. Sometimes they do. Sometimes you're the middleware. This session covers the practical guardrails for integration projects: what to connect first, where iPaaS actually helps versus where it adds complexity, and how to avoid building a fragile house of cards that breaks the moment someone changes an API.

Getting there (without the stress)

ExCeL sits in East London, and public transport is the sanest way in.

Elizabeth line → Custom House. Direct access across London including from Heathrow, Paddington, and Canary Wharf (Elizabeth line station) straight to ExCeL's west entrance. This is your best bet if you're coming from the airport or central London.

Jubilee line → Canning Town, then DLR to Custom House or Prince Regent. A good route if you're coming from Westminster, London Bridge, or Canary Wharf (Jubilee line station); note that the Jubilee and Elizabeth line stations at Canary Wharf are connected but have separate entrances.

DLR → Custom House (west entrance) or Prince Regent (east entrance). Direct links from Bank, Canary Wharf, and Stratford.

Flying in? London City Airport is about 10 minutes away on the DLR. Take it to Canning Town, change to a Beckton-bound DLR train, and get off at Custom House. It's one change, well-signposted, and you can tap in with a contactless card for the whole journey.

A quick note on fares: you can tap in and out with any contactless bank card or phone wallet on the DLR, Elizabeth line, and Tube. No need to queue for an Oyster card.

Before you arrive

A few things to lock in ahead of time so day one goes to conversations, not logistics.

• Register early and have your badge or QR code ready. We mentioned the queue. We mean it.
• Download the SITS show app and turn on notifications. That's where room changes and last-minute schedule shifts land. You don't want to find out Theatre 3 moved when you're already sitting down in the wrong room.
• Add your picks to your calendar directly from the app. Sounds obvious, but the "I'll remember" approach falls apart by session three.
• Flag 3–5 booths you actually want to visit. The exhibition floor is too big to wander. Pick your targets in advance and hit them during a gap between sessions and not as a last-minute scramble at 4 pm.

Come find us at SITS'26

Atomicwork will be at SITS'26 exhibiting at Booth 241. Come by if you want to see what we've been building, or if you've got a specific challenge in IT you want to think through out loud. We're around both days.

We're also hosting a private tech leaders' networking dinner on the evening of 12 May, the night before the show opens. If you're in town early and want to hear where peers actually stand with AI in IT (beyond the vendor pitch), we'd love to have you at the table.

Grab a seat at the table →