SaaStr AI Annual 2026 Kicks Off Tuesday. Here’s Everything You Need To Know Before You Get Here.

With attendance tracking at 140% of last year, SaaStr AI Annual 2026 is set to be a massive event. This guide covers everything from essential app downloads to daily highlights and logistics.

We’re just a few days out from rope drop at SaaStr AI Annual 2026, and attendance is tracking at 140%+ of last year. With thousands of you flying in from around the world, here’s the consolidated guide so you can hit the ground running Tuesday morning.

The Essentials

Dates: May 12-14, 2026 Location: San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo, CA Doors open: Tuesday at 12:30 PM. Wednesday and Thursday at 8:00 AM. Closest airport: SFO, about 20 minutes away. Pre-event questions: [email protected]

The campus is large and indoor/outdoor. Wear layers. The first session is Jason kicking off Deploy Day a little after 1 PM Tuesday.

Two Things To Do Before You Arrive

1. Download the “SaaStr Who Do You Want To Meet” App

This is the single most important thing you can do.

First, your check-in QR code lives inside the app. Scan it at registration and you skip the manual lookup line entirely.

Second, this is where networking happens. The app shows your top matches based on your profile, refreshed daily as more attendees join. You won’t see all 10,000+ people in there, and that’s by design. The goal is quality matches, not spam.

A few things people get wrong every year:

Look for the app titled exactly “SaaStr Who Do You Want to Meet.” There’s an older SaaStr app floating around. Skip it.
Set up your full profile. Half-finished profiles get fewer matches.
Most people cap out around five meetings, which is already a lot of half-hour blocks once you factor in sessions and walking the floor.

If you can’t find your join code, ask the team at the Lovable Networking Lounge on-site. Don’t ask the registration desk. Those folks are focused on getting you your badge as fast as possible.

2. Pick Up Your Badge Early

Two options before the Tuesday rush:

Monday early pickup at the event center Satellite pickup at the Hampton Inn Monday and Tuesday morning (you don’t need to be staying there to use it)

Either option puts you in the express lane on show days. Worth the 10 minutes.

What To Bring

Valid photo ID, every single day. We do daily ID checks to match badges to names. Digital IDs work as long as they’re current and they’re actually you.
Comfortable walking shoes. The campus is big and there’s grass.
Layers. The Bay Area in May swings from cold mornings to warm afternoons.
Sunglasses. Several stages and lounges are outside.
Backup phone charger and battery pack.
Empty water bottle if you have one. Refill stations and coffee everywhere.
Your laptop if you want to build an agent live in the Vibe Coding Lounge.

Pack light. Smaller bags clear security faster than backpacks.

What Not To Bring

Treat security like an airport. Metal detectors, bag checks, laptops out. If TSA would flag it, leave it home. That includes scissors, drones, and anything sharp. Costumes are reserved for sponsors only.

The screenings are mandatory and they’re daily. Yes, other Bay Area events skip this. Yes, it adds time. With this many people in one place, attendee safety is the only priority that matters.

Getting Here

Driving and parking: Parking is free, but you need a parking pass. Request one through the attendee portal, pick your days, show it on your phone or print it. Uber/Lyft: Use 1346 Saratoga Drive as your drop-off. There’s a second overflow entrance, but the main address is faster. Hampton Inn shuttle: Runs to and from campus throughout the day. Peak times fill up. If you’re trying to get there fast at rush hour, just grab an Uber.

The Campus Layout

The two main hangars are the core of the event. Hangar West holds the two big AI stages. The Summit Stage hosts the CRO Summit (Tuesday), CCO/FDE Summit (Wednesday), and CMO Summit (Thursday). The Deploy Stage runs Deploy Day on Tuesday plus deploy workshops the rest of the week.

Outside you’ll find:

Replit Vibe Coding Lounge for hands-on classes
Gamma Beer Garden
Deep Diving Demo Stage in the middle
Lovable Who Do You Want to Meet Networking Lounge

Stage assignments populate this weekend. Once they’re live, the app and on-site signage will tell you exactly where to go for each session.

Day-By-Day Highlights

Tuesday, May 12: Deploy Day + CRO Summit

Don’t sleep on Tuesday. Some folks assume the first day is quiet. The opposite is true at SaaStr.

Jason kicks off with how to deploy an agent
Vercel on agent deployment
Amelia does “How to Build an AI VP of Marketing” live
Anthropic on-stage
Replit closes the day
Rory from 20VC for rapid-fire AMAs (with a likely Jason cameo)
CRO Summit content all day
CRO + CEO Poker Night after content (open to anyone, you can just show up and play)

If you have a Startup Pass or BigCo Team Pass and want CRO Summit access, you need to apply. Standby works if there’s room, but don’t bet on it.

Wednesday, May 13: The Stacked Day

This is the most stacked day of the conference. You’ll have to pick your battles.

Salesforce
Databricks
Snowflake
Stripe
Lovable (twice)
Cloudflare
Higgsfield
Rippling
A strong product panel kicking off the morning that Jason is now joining

Two great sessions running simultaneously is normal on Wednesday. Everything is recorded and live-streamed, so pick what you’re vibing with and catch the rest later.

Thursday, May 14: The Quiet Killer

Don’t let “shorter day” fool you. Thursday goes until 3 to 4 PM, and historically it’s the highest-quality day for both attendees and sponsors. Less chaos. More deals actually close on Thursday than any other day of the conference.

Jason and Amelia do a live version of The Agents podcast to kick off the morning
Adam from Owner.com on accelerating to $1B
Andrew Bialecki from Klaviyo
Sarah Kennedy from Google Cloud
CoreWeave
Gamma (one of our top sessions, period)

If you’ve been watching The Agents podcast, the Thursday morning live version is worth showing up for.

Networking, Meet A VC, And The Pitch Comp

Meet a VC is still open for applications. If you’re a founder seeking investment or a VC trying to meet founders, sign up. It’s late but not too late. Pitch Competition closes at midnight tonight. Last call. In partnership with Google. Anyone from your company can pitch (founder, CRO, president, whoever represents you best). Last year’s winner gets a full booth at SaaStr AI Annual. Top three to five finalists pitch live to thousands on Thursday. Google Gemini is one of the judges and it grades hard. If you’re on the fence, apply. Summits require separate applications even if you already have a ticket, unless you’re VIP. Apply now. Standby exists but capacity is real.

The Parties

There are over 100 third-party parties happening across the week. Official, semi-official, and unofficial. The full list lives on the SaaStr.ai attendee portal. You can email it to yourself, and you can submit your own at the bottom.

If you’re hosting, submit yours. If you’re attending, scroll through and pick a few.

On-Site Help

The Help Desk is at registration. Lost something, need first aid, can’t find someone, that’s where to go. Look for the SaaStr shirts.

Bag check and coat check available if you’re traveling and need to store stuff before walking the floor.

What Most People Get Wrong

A few mistakes from prior years worth flagging:

Skipping Tuesday. Don’t. Get There Early, In Fact, If You Can. Tuesday is jammed. Especially with Deploy Summit added this year. Not downloading the app until they arrive. The app drives badge check-in, networking, and the live agenda. Get it now. Bringing oversized backpacks. Daily security checks add up. A tote with just your laptop moves twice as fast. Trying to see everyone in the networking app. You’ll only ever see your top matches. That’s how it’s supposed to work. Treating Thursday as a half day. It’s not. It’s the best day for deals.