ODSC AI West 2026: San Francisco Bay Area Training Guide

ODSC AI West takes place October 27–29, 2026 at Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, with virtual programming and pass-specific training access.

Verified 16 October 2026. This is an independent event guide. Confirmed organizer details are identified below; attendance and preparation suggestions are editorial advice.

Dates and the venue-location distinction

ODSC AI West 2026 is scheduled for October 27–29 at Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, California. The organizer markets the event under San Francisco, but the venue is near SFO rather than in downtown San Francisco. That distinction is useful when choosing accommodation and estimating travel time. The schedule also labels October 26 as a virtual-only preliminary day; the main in-person dates begin October 27.

Published technical themes and training format

The program spans AI engineering, evaluations, agentic systems, data science, infrastructure, graph-enhanced AI, physical AI and software development. ODSC combines talks with tutorials and hands-on training, and co-locates an AI X leadership program. The schedule is explicitly preliminary and subject to change. Check individual session descriptions for prerequisites and delivery format instead of relying only on a track name.

This makes the event relevant to data scientists, machine-learning engineers, developers adding AI to products and leaders assessing practical adoption. Those audiences have different needs. Someone learning a new implementation skill should prioritize guided work; someone deciding on a platform may get more value from technical comparisons and carefully chosen conversations.

Choose the pass around the sessions you need

The attendee FAQ distinguishes pass levels rather than offering identical access under different names. For example, its Gold description includes talks and tutorials but excludes workshops and training, while Platinum includes training access. Virtual options are also listed. Exact prices and current benefits should be checked in the official pass matrix and checkout. This guide does not invent a universal admission fee.

Before buying, write down three sessions you would be disappointed to miss and confirm that your pass covers their type and delivery mode. A lower-priced pass is not a saving if it excludes the learning objective that justified attendance. Conversely, an expensive training package may be unnecessary if your primary purpose is a small set of talks and meetings.

Prepare for hands-on work

Read the prerequisites early and set up the required software before travel. Make sure you can create and activate an environment, open a notebook or project, and understand the basic dependency instructions. A workshop is a poor place to discover that you cannot install packages or access a required account. Use a non-sensitive dataset so you can participate without exposing company information.

For an agent-focused session, bring an example task with a clear completion condition. For evaluation training, prepare several examples of correct and incorrect behavior. For data-science material, note what you know about the data's origin, missing values and target definition. These preparations are editorial suggestions; the session's actual instructor requirements take precedence.

During a practical exercise, record why each step is performed rather than copying commands without context. If something fails, capture the smallest reproducible error. That gives you a useful question for the instructor and a better chance of applying the technique later. Leave a short note describing how the exercise differs from your own production environment.

Hybrid participation requires a specific check

ODSC offers in-person and virtual programming, but the word hybrid should not be interpreted as a promise that every physical session is streamed or recorded. Check the delivery and recording entitlement for each session and pass. The organizer's pages contain some mixed historical operational text, so verify any important logistical detail against the current schedule or direct attendee instructions.

Remote attendees should protect time for active participation. Keep the exercise environment ready, close unrelated work and capture questions while the material is fresh. In-person attendees should allow for venue movement and session capacity. A personal schedule entry can be a planning aid without guaranteeing a seat.

What remains uncertain and how to follow up

The main dates, venue and broad themes are verified, but individual sessions, pass offers and operational arrangements can change. After attending, rebuild one exercise from a clean environment and write a short explanation of its assumptions. If you cannot reproduce the result, that is useful information to investigate before promoting the approach across a team.

ODSC AI West FAQ

Is the venue in downtown San Francisco?

No. The listed venue is Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame. Plan transport and accommodation using the actual address.

Does October 26 require an in-person visit?

The schedule identifies that preliminary day as virtual-only. The advertised main in-person conference runs October 27–29.

Does every pass include hands-on training?

No. The official FAQ separates talk access from workshop and training access. Compare the current pass matrix against your intended sessions.

Will every in-person session be available online?

Do not assume so. Verify each session's delivery and your recording entitlement before choosing a remote pass or relying on a later replay.

Official sources and image credit

• ODSC AI West 2026 official conference — checked 16 October 2026.
• ODSC AI West 2026 preliminary schedule — checked 16 October 2026.
• ODSC AI West 2026 attendee FAQ — checked 16 October 2026.
• ODSC AI West 2026 training overview — checked 16 October 2026.

Image: ODSC AI / Open Data Science Conference, official West 2026 event banner. Official source.