SAP Sapphire Madrid: AI & Data Summit

SAP opened its Sapphire Madrid conference on Tuesday at IFEMA Madrid, bringing its European customer and partner audience into the company’s latest push around artificial intelligence, data and enterprise software. The three-day event runs May 19 through May 21 and is framed by SAP as an EMEA-focused edition of its flagship Sapphire series. SAP’s event page says the conference will center on a “reimagined Joule experience” and the company’s “vision for how businesses will run from now on.” The Madrid program follows SAP’s broader Sapphire 2026 messaging around AI agents, data infrastructure and what the company has described elsewhere as an “autonomous enterprise.” Computer Weekly reported from Sapphire in Orlando last week that SAP CEO Christian Klein and other executives used the U.S. event to promote that theme. In Madrid, SAP’s published agenda points to many of the same subjects, with live Joule agent demos, customer case studies and track sessions on AI services, data, analytics and cloud ERP. (sap.com) ### When and where is the event taking place? IFEMA Madrid is hosting the conference at Av. del Partenón, 5, Barajas, 28042 Madrid, with SAP listing the North Entrance as the access point for attendees. SAP’s attendee information page says the event runs from May 19 to May 21, 2026, and badge pickup began on May 18. Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport is nine minutes from the venue, according to SAP’s attendee guide. (computerweekly.com) SAP also says registered customers, sponsors and partners can collect a Metro card for free public transportation during the event dates, and that no hotel shuttle buses will run between conference hotels and IFEMA. ### What is SAP putting at the center of the Madrid agenda? (sap.com) SAP’s event site says the Madrid edition is built around Joule, the company’s AI assistant, with live demonstrations and sessions on how AI can improve business operations. The published keynote description says Klein, Chief Operating Officer Sebastian Steinhaeuser and Chief Technology Officer Philipp Herzig will speak on May 20 about how SAP’s applications and data platform support AI-driven business outcomes. (sap.com) SAP’s tracks page shows how that pitch is being translated into sessions. The listed tracks include AI Services & Models, Data & Analytics, Cloud ERP, Build & Integrate, Joule, Autonomous Finance, Autonomous Human Capital Management and industry-specific programming. SAP says its Business Data Cloud is part of the data and AI agenda, while Joule is presented as a tool that can turn user intent into end-to-end execution across the enterprise. (sap.com) ### Which speakers and sessions stand out? Christian Klein, Sebastian Steinhaeuser and Philipp Herzig are the named SAP executives on the main global keynote in Madrid. That session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Central European Summer Time, according to SAP’s agenda page. Roger Federer is also on the public agenda. SAP says the former tennis champion and philanthropist will appear on Thursday, May 21, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a session on performing under pressure, resilience and strategic thinking. (sap.com) ### How much does it cost to attend, and who is it for? SAP lists the standard individual ticket price at 2,399 euros and the public-sector rate at 1,699 euros. (sap.com) The attendee page also advertises a team package priced at $9,596 for five passes, which SAP describes as a buy-four-get-one-free offer, or 1,919 euros per person. SAP says the event is aimed at customers, partners, executives and technical practitioners looking for product demos, strategy sessions and access to SAP leaders. (sap.com) The company’s event materials describe the Madrid edition as a place to hear from executives, customer leaders and industry specialists, while partner pages from companies including Thomson Reuters and Atos describe the show as a venue for SAP’s latest AI vision and Joule-related announcements. (sap.com) ### What happens next over the next two days? Wednesday, May 20, is set to carry the main executive keynote and the evening “Celebration Night,” which SAP says runs from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the conference. Thursday, May 21, includes Federer’s appearance and the final day of sessions before badge pickup closes at 1:00 p.m., according to SAP’s attendee information and agenda pages. (sap.com)