With a theme of “What’s Next?,” LocWorld returned to Monterey, California, for its 54th conference on October 14-16. Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact took center stage, with the conference exploring where the technology is taking us — and where we are taking it. Over 500 people were on hand to engage in this discussion.
Keynote speaker Rika Nakazawa, who is Chief Commercial Innovation Officer at NTT, described the organic intelligence we find in the world around us and how it can be used in AI. She invited attendees to consider whether life’s oldest code may hold humanity’s boldest answers.
Next, the 19th Process Innovation Challenge (PIC) saw six competitors vie for the title of “Innovator of the Year, North America.” Sheriff Issaka of African Languages Lab won first prize for his project to build a model for large language models (LLMs) in Africa. The runner-up was Gabriel Fairman of Bureau Works, for his “Articulated Suggestions” presentation, followed by Klaus Fleischmann of Kaleidoscope GmbH, for “Model Context Protocol for Terminology Augmented Generation.” In addition to the PIC, LocWorld54 featured a Client Side Innovation Program (CLIP) and a Sneak PIC with student presentations.
Among the session leaders in multiple tracks were representatives from Adobe, Airbnb, Amazon, Autodesk, Automation Anywhere, AWS, Block, Canva, Ciena, Cisco, Coupa, Crown Equipment, Dell Technologies, Expedia, Forrester, GitLab, Google, Guidewire, Klaviyo, KnowBe4, LastPass, LinkedIn, Meta, Microsoft, Pinterest, RingCentral, ServiceNow, Strava, SurveyMonkey, TED Conferences, Uber, Vimeo, Yaraku, and Zappi.
Networking is always encouraged at LocWorld. This began with a LocWalk & Talk on the day before any conference activities. The intrepid walkers forged their way through the rain to see what Monterey has to offer. Additionally, the Newbie Event allowed folks to mingle and make introductions in a smaller setting.
And of course, fun is always on tap at LocWorld. The conference dinner was kicked off by a conga line to the dinner hall, and the after-dinner party included dancing to live music from local band SambaDá.
The next LocWorld will be in Dublin, Ireland, on June 9-11, 2026. The call for papers is open now.
