What Practitioners Built When the Industry Stopped Building It For Them.
ITAM Summit 2026 — August 25–27, 2026 — Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Three days of mentored, 300/400-level intelligence on ITAM, SAM, CMDB, and FinOps. Vendor-neutral. No sponsored sessions. No sales pitches.
Some call it a seminar. Practitioners call it a Summit.
Built for the experienced ITAM, SAM, CMDB, and FinOps practitioner — the one carrying the scar tissue, looking to evolve the discipline.
Connect Three Days. One Room. The Practitioners Who Actually Run These Programs.
Practitioners across ITAM, SAM, AMDB/CMDB, and FinOps convene in Oak Ridge for three days of mentored, 300/400-level work — vendor-neutral, with no sponsored sessions or no sales pitches. Every conversation is peer-vetted. Every framework is built from real audits, real renewals, and real environments.
The Summit was originally designed as two days. After the first year, attendees asked for a third. That request became Day 3 - the deeper-work day where the most direct vendor and audit conversations actually happen.
The Practitioners You Will Learn From
Thirteen mentors, 400+ years of combined practitioner experience. Three IAITAM Fellows. Zero sponsored slots. Zero 100-level reruns.
Our mentors include...
Bill Talbot, Founder, ITMC & ITAM Kitchen | The ITAM Mechanic™
Topic: Designing the Role You Were Built For — Becoming Irreplaceable in a Discipline That Demands More
Bill Thurman, Founder, ITMC | CFO/Treasurer
Topic: The CFO's Changing View of ITAM — What's Earning Funding Now and What's Losing It
Patricia Cicala, Advisor, ITMC | IAITAM Fellow | Former Practice Leader, Gartner
Topic: Where Vendor Licensing Is Headed — and What Practitioners Need to See Coming
Larry Shoup, Advisor, ITMC | IAITAM Fellow | Former CEO, Janus Software
Topic: AI Doesn't Fix ITAM — It Magnifies What's Already Broken
Catherine Jostad, Founding Member, ITMC | VP Vendor & Contract Management
Topic: What Vendors Don't Want You to See — Owning SaaS Governance Before the Renewal Owns You
Alexander Golev, Advisor, ITMC | Partner, Head of Consulting and Services, SAMexpert
Topic: Winning the Audit, Finding the Savings, and Sustaining the Pace Without Burning Out
Robert Collins, 30-Year ITAM Practitioner | Government Sector
Topic: Standards-Grounded ITAM — Building Programs That Survive Scrutiny
Deanna Hennigar, 20-Year ITAM Practitioner | ITAD & Training Specialist
Topic: ITAD Under Pressure — Data Risk, Regulatory Expectations, and the 2026 Disposition Standard
Rennie Rollinson, Director, IT Asset Management Services
Topic: Leading the ITAM Team — The Manager's Playbook
Andy Wilkes, Founding Member, ITMC | Professional Services Leader
Topic: From Technical Value to Business Outcomes — Translating ITAM Work Executives Will Actually Fund
Jessica Thomas, Organizational Change Consultant
Topic: Stay Calm. Energize the Room. Lead the Change ITAM Actually Needs.
Chad Gates, Chief Information Security Officer
Topic: A CISO's Take on ADHD — Leveraging It, Supporting Yourself, and Solving the Problems Your Boss Actually Cares About
Neal Reyes, COO/CIO/CTO | Host, The Executive Perspective Podcast
Topic: ITAM Through the CIO Lens — What Gets Funded, What Gets Cut, and How You Become Indispensable
Plus: Daily Round Tables and Peer Breakout Sessions
...where mentors and practitioners sit at the same table, and the most candid conversations of the entire Summit happen.
Location: Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Set in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, the TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Oak Ridge gives the Summit a quiet, focused environment for the conversations that matter. Modern accommodations, a built-in conference space, and panoramic mountain views — close enough to the venue that you'll never miss the work.
— Exclusive ITAM Summit rates at the Towneplace Suites by Marriott.
Event Address: 300 South Rutgers Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
— Steps from the event venue. (in the hotel conference center)
— Rate: $149 / night. Room Block available until July 29, 2026.
— Limited rooms available. Book yours today.
Attendees from the past three ITAM Summits have used the frameworks, peer connections, and executive communication models from Oak Ridge to win promotions, secure budget approvals, and deliver measurable program improvements. The work continues long after the room empties.
Need to Make the Case to Your Leadership?
We've already built the case for you. Three documents — the Submission Brief for the manager meeting where the decision actually gets made, the Executive Approval Memo for the CIO, CTO, or CFO conversation, and the Business Justification for the deeper review.
The work is done. The case is built. The only thing missing is your decision.
Ready to Unlock Your Potential?
The ITAM Summit is for...
IT Asset Management Professionals & Leaders
Software Asset Management Experts & Executives
Configuration Management Specialists & Visionaries
Industry Thought Leaders & Decision Makers
The ITAM Summit is for...
IT professionals seeking to hone skills & craft strategies
Leaders focused on optimizing the program & driving impact
Individuals aiming to expand networks & knowledge
Visionaries committed to elevating ITAM / SAM / CMDB excellence
Go on... It's Literally YOUR TRIBE!
This means...
No Lone Wolfing: You'll have a supportive network to lean on.
Skill Sharpening Ahead: You'll unlock hidden talents within your skillset.
A Shared Journey: You'll share and hear experiences with peers while celebrating victories.
A Supportive Network: You'll be part of a supportive group to keep you motivated and inspired every step of the way.
Who This Summit Is For
Built for the senior practitioner — the one who has done the work, has the scar tissue, and is ready to evolve the discipline.
ITAM and SAM practitioners — leading discovery, contracts, audits, renewals, and the financial discipline of the assets in their domain
CMDB and AMDB practitioners — architecting the foundation where ITAM and configuration management meet
FinOps practitioners — partnering with ITAM, SAM, and configuration management on cloud and SaaS spend governance
Department leaders and program managers — accountable for budget, risk, and outcomes
Industry executives and consultants — shaping where the discipline goes next
This means...
A peer network that doesn't expire — the conversations and connections from Oak Ridge continue long after the room empties
Skill development from practitioners who've done the work — frameworks, sequencing, and applied techniques you can use Monday morning
Shared scar tissue — practitioners learning from each other's audits, renewals, and program failures, not from theory
Ongoing access to mentors and peers — the Summit isn't a three-day event; it's the entry point to a discipline community
If you've been doing this work long enough to know what's broken and what's coming, this Summit was built for you.
Who This Summit Is For
Built for the senior practitioner — the one who has done the work, has the scar tissue, and is ready to evolve the discipline.
ITAM and SAM practitioners — leading discovery, contracts, audits, renewals, and the financial discipline of the assets in their domain
CMDB and AMDB practitioners — architecting the foundation where ITAM and configuration management meet
FinOps practitioners — partnering with ITAM, SAM, and configuration management on cloud and SaaS spend governance
Department leaders and program managers — accountable for budget, risk, and outcomes
Industry executives and consultants — shaping where the discipline goes next
This means...
A peer network that doesn't expire — the conversations and connections from Oak Ridge continue long after the room empties
Skill development from practitioners who've done the work — frameworks, sequencing, and applied techniques you can use Monday morning
Shared scar tissue — practitioners learning from each other's audits, renewals, and program failures, not from theory
Ongoing access to mentors and peers — the Summit isn't a three-day event; it's the entry point to a discipline community
If you've been doing this work long enough to know what's broken and what's coming, this Summit was built for you.
Sound Familiar?
The CFO wants the case in their language — not yours
The vendor renewal is in 90 days, and you're already behind
AI is being bolted onto broken ITAM / SAM / CMDB data
You won the audit, found the savings, and now everyone wants more
The team needs to outlast you — and you don't have the playbook
You're done with conferences full of 100-level reruns
If any of these are the conversations you're having — Oak Ridge is the room where they actually get answered.
What Makes This Different
Mentors Leading Practitioners
Mentored conversations with practitioners who have decades inside the discipline — direct access, real frameworks, no theory.
Vendor-Neutral
No sponsored sessions. No product pitches. The room is built around the practitioner, not the vendor.
Frameworks From the Field
Real audits. Real renewals. Real scar tissue. Every framework taught has been applied, tested, and refined in production.
Ready Monday Morning
You leave Oak Ridge with executive communication models, audit-readiness frameworks, and a 90-day execution plan ready to use.
Mentors Stay Reachable
Daily Round Tables. Peer Breakout Sessions. Direct access to the practitioners who built and lead these programs — long after the Summit ends.
What Makes This Different
Mentors Leading Practitioners
Mentored conversations with practitioners who have decades inside the discipline — direct access, real frameworks, no theory.
Vendor-Neutral
No sponsored sessions. No product pitches. The room is built around the practitioner, not the vendor.
Frameworks From the Field
Real audits. Real renewals. Real scar tissue. Every framework taught has been applied, tested, and refined in production.
Ready Monday Morning
You leave Oak Ridge with executive communication models, audit-readiness frameworks, and a 90-day execution plan ready to use.
Mentors Stay Reachable
Daily Round Tables. Peer Breakout Sessions. Direct access to the practitioners who built and lead these programs — long after the Summit ends.
What makes the ITAM Summit unique?
Fuel growth together
Peers collaborate to unlock solutions and empower you to overcome challenges.
Unbiased insights
Gain valuable knowledge without sales pitches or product promotions.
Solve real-world problems
Gain immediate, actionable strategies to improve your ITAM / SAM / CMDB program.
Tailored guidance
Receive guidance on the specific areas where you want to grow your IT expertise.
Connect with colleagues to get it
Gain insights from industry leaders and peers who understand your daily pressures and deadlines.
Overcome issues & constraints
IT professionals collaborate to accelerate personal growth and overcome individual challenges.
No sales & marketing influence
Discussions are IT professional-focused with no vendor sales and marketing influence
Immediately address needs
IT Professionals openly discuss topics to address immediate needs within the workplace
Address topics important to you
Be mentored on topics that match your need(s).
Connect with colleagues to get it
Work with peers that understand the pressures and deadlines you face daily
IT practitioners and consultants collaborate to grow and overcome individual issues and constraints
Members are vetted to ensure discussions are practitioner-focused with no vendor sales and marketing influence
Practitioners openly discuss topics weekly on solutions to address immediate needs within the workplace
Peers guide, mentor, and enable you on how to address topics on your schedule to apply within the workplace
You will work with peers that understand the pressures and deadlines you are under
You'd Never Guess... But Here's Another Reason to Join!
THIS INCREDIBLE Service will PAY FOR ITSELF AFTER Two months!
Members find the information gained from the Co-Op provides so much value that they recoup their investment within the first 6 weeks.
Three Days in Oak Ridge
Day 1 — Foundations
The discipline's foundational frameworks. Vendor licensing trends. Audit preparation. Executive communication models. Governance.
Day 2 — Application
Real frameworks applied to real problems. CFO conversations practitioners need to lead. SaaS governance before the renewal lands.
Day 3 — The Deeper Work
Where the most direct vendor and audit conversations happen. AI's impact on ITAM. The CIO and CFO views of the discipline. Sustaining the pace without burnout.
A Day at the Summit
08:30 AM — Doors Open
09:00 AM — Morning mentor blocks begin
12:00 PM — Round-table lunch
01:30 PM — Afternoon mentor blocks
06:00 PM — Wrap-up
06:30 PM — Day Ends
Let’s break it all down.
Here's what you're really getting...
Skip the consultant fees: Network with industry experts and peers to gain insider knowledge
Master communication: Sharpen your communication skills to connect effectively with colleagues, managers, and stakeholders.
Level up your skillset:
Discover new techniques and strategies to excel in your role and propel your career forward.
Boost your confidence: Connect with a supportive community of IT professionals and feel empowered in your field.
Spark innovation: Collaborate with peers to generate fresh ideas and tackle challenges together.
Result: $30,000+ in value, gained by participating!
You'd actually be crazy not to join us.
So, what happens after I join?
Add next steps here - BT
The Math on the Investment
What practitioners walk back to their organizations with — and what it's worth.
One Renewal Improvement: Vendor renewal improvements average 8–12% on enterprise software contracts. On a $1M annual software spend, a single improved renewal returns $80,000–$120,000.
One Restructured Conversation: The biggest single-year ROI lever often isn't a vendor — it's executive language. ITAM/SAM/CMDB teams who learn to communicate ROI in CFO terms unlock budget that wasn't approved before.
One Audit Avoided:
Audit findings on enterprise software typically range from $200,000 to $2M+ in true-up costs. A single avoided finding pays back the Summit investment many times over.
One Career Pivot: Practitioners who walk into executive conversations with the right frameworks earn promotions, lead larger teams, and increase their personal market value. The Summit pays back at the career level.
The Peer Network Itself: Direct ongoing access to practitioners who run programs at organizations like yours — through audits, vendor escalations, and budget battles. The conversation that saves you a $50K mistake often happens long after the Summit ends.
Three days in Oak Ridge. Frameworks worth six figures. The decision is whether your organization invests in the practitioner — or pays the cost of not investing.
So, what happens after I join?
Add next steps here - BT
The Math on the Investment
What practitioners walk back to their organizations with — and what it's worth.
One Renewal Improvement: Vendor renewal improvements average 8–12% on enterprise software contracts. On a $1M annual software spend, a single improved renewal returns $80,000–$120,000.
One Restructured Conversation: The biggest single-year ROI lever often isn't a vendor — it's executive language. ITAM/SAM/CMDB teams who learn to communicate ROI in CFO terms unlock budget that wasn't approved before.
One Audit Avoided:
Audit findings on enterprise software typically range from $200,000 to $2M+ in true-up costs. A single avoided finding pays back the Summit investment many times over.
One Career Pivot: Practitioners who walk into executive conversations with the right frameworks earn promotions, lead larger teams, and increase their personal market value. The Summit pays back at the career level.
The Peer Network Itself: Direct ongoing access to practitioners who run programs at organizations like yours — through audits, vendor escalations, and budget battles. The conversation that saves you a $50K mistake often happens long after the Summit ends.
Three days in Oak Ridge. Frameworks worth six figures. The decision is whether your organization invests in the practitioner —> or pays the cost of not investing.
YOUR POSSIBILITIES TO GROW ARE ENDLESS!
GET STARTED TODAY!
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