Field Brief · Volume 3

Know Before You Go: Catalyst '26

A recap of the Partnership Leaders "Know Before You Go" briefing for colleagues attending the summit. Theme: Navigating Frontier Ecosystems.

August 25–26, 2026Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201Last updated August 20, 2026, 8:49 PM CT
Contents
  1. 01Before You Fly
  2. 02Get the App
  3. 03Themes
  4. 04Event Snapshot
  5. 05Floor Map
  6. 06Agenda
  7. 07Sessions
  8. 08Networking
  9. 09Hosted Dinners
  10. 10Activations

Key takeaways

  • Nothing on the mainstage is recorded. Coverage is a staffing decision — split the three tracks across the team.
  • Everything except the Women in Partnerships Lunch is first come, first served. App scheduling does not hold a seat.
  • Three of the six workshops require host approval, and Power Circles cap at ten people. Both need action before you land.
  • Hosted dinners run Monday through Thursday — including a Mindmatrix breakfast on Thursday — off one sign-up sheet, subject to host approval.
  • The program's spine is the Chief Partner Officer track and AI-native partner motions. Come with your own position on both.

Section 01

Before You Fly

  1. 01Download the Catalyst attendee app. It is the source of truth for agenda, schedule and attendee messaging.
  2. 02Add your Power Circles in the app now. Max 10 people per circle, one or two circles per slot, and they fill up fast.
  3. 03Add the Women in Partnerships Lunch to your app schedule. The only session that is not first-come-first-served — adding it holds your seat.
  4. 04RSVP for the hosted dinners — Monday through Thursday. Dinners Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday plus the Mindmatrix breakfast Thursday — all on the same form.
  5. 05Request access to any "attendance confirmed by host" workshop. Three of the six workshops are not open walk-ins.
  6. 06Pack Catalyst After Dark attire. Grey, black and white, space theme. Wednesday, Aug 26, 8:30 PM.
  7. 07Pack conference attire. Business casual for daytime sessions.

App downloads: scan a QR code below. Hosted dinner RSVPs: sign-up sheet.

Everything above is capacity- or approval-gated. Treat it as pre-departure work, not on-site work.

Section 02

Get the App

Download the Catalyst attendee app before you land. It is the source of truth for the agenda, Power Circles, workshop scheduling and attendee messaging — nothing else holds your seat.

iOS — App Store

QR code to download the Catalyst attendee app for iOS — App StoreOpen in the App Store

Android — Google Play

QR code to download the Catalyst attendee app for Android — Google PlayOpen in Google Play

Reading this on your phone? Tap the store link instead of scanning.

Section 03

Themes

The Chief Partner Officer
A defined role and organizational leader — the "Path to CPO" runs through the program.
Frontier Ecosystems
The ecosystem is enormous and changing; AI is enabling better partner motions and a next-gen partner experience.
Enterprise Partnerships
Catalyst is positioning itself as a destination for serious GSIs and tech companies.

Section 04

Event Snapshot

Event
Partnership Leaders Catalyst '26
Theme
Navigating Frontier Ecosystems
Dates
Tuesday, August 25 – Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Venue
Marriott Hotel at the Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201
Badge pickup
Starts Monday, August 24, 5:00–7:00 PM
Registration / show floor
August 25–26, opens 7:00 AM daily
App
Catalyst attendee mobile app (iOS + Android)
Daytime attire
Conference business casual
Party dress code
Grey, black and white — space theme (Wed 8:30 PM)

All sessions are first come, first served except the Women in Partnerships Luncheon. Adding a session in the app does not guarantee a seat.

Section 05

Floor Map

Catalyst '26 floor map of the Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge showing Navigator, Frontier and Explorer stages, Marketplace booths, Power Circle zones, workshop rooms and Catalyst Central
Everything happens on one floor: three stages, the Marketplace, Power Circle zones A and B, the Workshop Foyer (Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Navy Yard, DUMBO) and Catalyst Central.

Section 06

Agenda

Day 1 — Tuesday, August 25

6:30 – 7:30 am
Catalyst 26 Run Club
8:00 – 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 am
Catalyst Keynote
10:45 am – 3:00 pm
Stage Presentations
10:30 am – 3:15 pm
Workshops
11:00 am – 4:15 pm
Power Circles
12:00 – 1:30 pm
Women in Partnerships Lunch
2:45 – 4:15 pm
Elevate Courses & Certifications
4:30 – 6:00 pm
Welcome Reception Event
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Evening Networking Activities

Day 2 — Wednesday, August 26

8:00 – 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 am
Partnership Leaders Keynote
10:45 am – 2:30 pm
Stage Presentations
11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Workshops
11:00 am – 2:45 pm
Power Circles
12:00 – 1:00 pm
Lunch
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Closing Keynote
7:30 pm – 12:00 am
Official Catalyst Party
8:30 pm
Catalyst After Dark party

Day 3 — Thursday, August 27

9:00 am
Hosted breakfast / coffee with Mindmatrix

Section 07

Sessions

Mainstage

Three tracks — Navigator, Frontier, Explorer — running Tuesday 9:00 AM–3:00 PM and Wednesday 9:00 AM–2:30 PM. Nothing is recorded, so coverage has to be divided across the team. Arrive 10–15 minutes early for a seat.

Workshops

  • Tuesday, Aug 25 · Boardroom · 12:15 – 1:15 PM · Open to the public

    Activating AI-Native Services Partnerships in Frontier Ecosystems

    Ashwin Jaiprakash, VP of AI Product & Engineering, GTM Fabric · Dhwani Rao, Head of Partner Sales, Factored AI

  • Tuesday, Aug 25 · Boardroom · 1:45 – 2:45 PM · Host approval required

    Beyond the Deal: How High-Performing Partnerships Actually Deliver Value

    Jack Grey, Global Head, Partnerships and Programs · Awais Ali, Managing Director and Partner, BCG

  • Wednesday, Aug 26 · Greenpoint · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM · Host approval required

    AI-Native Partnerships: Turning Stalled Deals and Unclaimed Incentives Into Closed Revenue

    Alex Pilson, VP, Sales Business Consulting – Product GTM · Deepthi Rao, Senior Product Manager, Workspan

  • Wednesday, Aug 26 · Greenpoint · 1:30 – 2:30 PM · Open to the public

    Building the Chief of Staff Agent

    Dan O'Leary, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Channels, Lovable

  • Wednesday, Aug 26 · Williamsburg · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM · Host approval required

    Ecosystem Gravity: Turn Ecosystem Data Into Partner Sourced Pipeline in 30 Days

    Jay McBain, Chief Analyst, Omdia · Scott Smyth, CEO, GTM Fabric · Ashwin Jaiprakash, VP of AI Product & Engineering, GTM Fabric

  • Wednesday, Aug 26 · Williamsburg · 1:30 – 2:30 PM · Open to the public

    From Missing the Number to 150%: The AI Native Partner Leader's Operating System

    Nelson Wang, Founder, Partner OS

Request attendance for the three host-confirmed workshops in advance — they are not walk-ins.

Certifications

Partnership Leaders certifications run in the Elevate block, Tuesday 2:45–4:15 PM, covering the ideal partner profile, joint value proposition, and running QBRs.

Section 08

Networking

Power Circles
Small-group discussions, up to 10 people, both days. The most oversubscribed format at the event — add early in the app.
Women in Partnerships Lunch
Tuesday 12:00–1:30 PM. Add it in the app to attend.
Welcome Reception
Tuesday 4:30–6:00 PM. Drinks, snacks, informal.
Tuesday Night Activities
Tuesday 6:00–9:00 PM. Golf simulators and darts with Aithon at X-Golf Brooklyn, plus a comedy set with Ansira at Brooklyn Improv. The venues are a 5-minute walk apart and about a 15-minute rideshare from the Marriott, so you can do both. Attendee badge required for entry.
Catalyst After Dark
Wednesday 7:30 PM–12:00 AM. Space theme — grey, black and white.
Attendee directory
The companies attending and their attendee titles are in a shared Google Sheet, and you can message any attendee directly in the app. Build a target list before you arrive.

Companies attending and their attendee titles: attendee sheet.

Section 09

Hosted Dinners

Industry Partners host dinners Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, plus a Mindmatrix breakfast on Thursday morning. Attendance is subject to host approval and space, so sign up early.

Monday, Aug 24 — Euler
5:00–9:00 PM · Revenue, partnerships and ecosystem executives
Monday, Aug 24 — eTrigue
6:30 PM
Tuesday, Aug 25 — Introw
6:30–9:00 PM
Tuesday, Aug 25 — Zinfi
6:30–9:30 PM · Partner and channel program leaders, midmarket and enterprise B2B
Tuesday, Aug 25 — Structured
6:00 PM · Channel/partner marketers and partner leaders
Tuesday, Aug 25 — 360insights
6:30 PM
Wednesday, Aug 26 — PartnerOS
5:30 PM · Email Nelson Wang, nelson@partnerprinciples.com
Thursday, Aug 27 — Mindmatrix breakfast
9:00–11:00 AM · Contact Paul Bruce, Paul.Bruce@Mindmatrix.net
  • Monday's dinners are the night before the summit opens — pair them with badge pickup, which starts 5:00–7:00 PM.
  • Tuesday has four hosted dinners running in parallel after the Welcome Reception. Pick one.
  • Wednesday's PartnerOS dinner starts at 5:30 PM, ahead of the official party and Catalyst After Dark at 8:30 PM.
  • Thursday's Mindmatrix breakfast is the morning after the summit closes — only workable if you fly out Thursday afternoon or later.

Every dinner, including Thursday's breakfast, uses one sign-up sheet.

Section 10

Activations

Golden Tee — WorkSpan
Take a break between sessions and play a few rounds with other attendees.
Coffee & beverages — Spur Reply & Introw
Premium coffee and energizing drinks at two coffee spots.
Free professional headshots — Tackle.io
High-quality headshot for your LinkedIn profile or marketing materials.
Power Circles guide + water station — ZINFI
Notebook and pen for your Power Circle, plus hydration through the day.
Fresh press juice / wellness shots — Ansira
A quick, refreshing pick-me-up between sessions.
Charging station — One Lasso
Keep your devices charged and ready for networking.
Attendee lounge — Channelscaler
Relax, recharge and connect with fellow attendees.

The Tackle.io headshots are worth booking time for.