Presented by Yaap AI
CT Business
Forward 2027
The Future of Business Starts Here.
Inaugural event. Venue, exact date and program are being confirmed, and this page is updated as each one is settled.
- When
- April 2027exact date to be confirmed
- Where
- Greater WaterburyNaugatuck Valley, Connecticut
- Format
- Half-day conference and expo8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Attendance target
- 150 to 300 registrationstarget, not a confirmed figure
What this is
A working morning for the people who actually run Connecticut businesses.
Owners of small and midsize companies are being asked to make decisions about artificial intelligence, security and operations faster than they can get good advice. CT Business Forward puts the questions and the people who answer them in one room, close to home, and ends before lunch.
The program combines educational sessions, live demonstrations of tools already doing real work in small companies, structured networking, and a curated exhibitor floor. No travel and no full day away from the business, which is the format a busy owner reliably attends.
This is the first CT Business Forward, built to become an annual fixture in the Valley.
Four pillars
Artificial Intelligence
Where AI earns its keep in companies of ten to a hundred people, shown not described.
Business Technology
The systems underneath a growing company, and when it is time to stop patching them.
Cybersecurity & Risk
What actually puts a small business on a breach notice, and what a defense costs.
Business Growth
Operational decisions that let a company take on more work without more chaos.
The morning
Four hours, shaped so none of them are wasted.
The full program and speaker list are announced closer to the date. The shape of the morning is already fixed.
Doors, registration and the exhibitor floor
The floor opens with the doors, so the first hour is for coffee and conversation rather than a queue.
Sessions and live demonstrations
Short, practical sessions across the four pillars, including tools demonstrated live on real business problems.
Expo and networking windows
Dedicated time on the schedule for the exhibitor floor, rather than conversations squeezed into the gaps.
Close
Finished by noon, with the afternoon still intact.
Call for speakers
The program is being built now.
We are looking for practitioners who can show something working: an owner who put AI into a real workflow, an advisor who can explain a risk in plain terms, an operator with a system worth copying. Sales presentations are not the format.
If that is you, or someone you know, write to us with a paragraph on what you would show.
Or write to [email protected] with the subject line “Speaking”.
Who attends
Decision makers, not delegates.
The target is 150 to 300 registrations drawn from the Valley and the surrounding towns. The room is built for the person who can act on what they hear that afternoon.
That is the whole argument for exhibiting here. Owners and principals decline cold calls, skip evening mixers and rarely finish a vendor webinar. A useful morning near the office is what they say yes to.
Where
Greater Waterbury, at the center of the Valley.
The Naugatuck Valley runs south from Waterbury along the river. Route 8 and the Metro-North Waterbury Branch follow it the whole way, which is why a morning here reaches a dozen towns without asking anyone to cross the state.
The valley from north to south. Route 8 and the Metro-North Waterbury Branch run the length of it, with stations at Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia and Derby-Shelton.
The venue is being confirmed.
We are settling a venue in the Greater Waterbury area for April 2027. The announcement carries the address, parking and directions, and it goes to the update list before it goes anywhere else.
Exhibitors receive the floor plan and load-in details at the same time.
Sponsor and exhibit
Partner with Connecticut’s business community.
This is an inaugural event, so there is no attendance history to quote and no past sponsor list to show you. What there is: a defined local audience, a half-day format busy owners attend, and a floor small enough that every table gets seen.
Presenting Sponsor
- Recognition as Presenting Sponsor
- Premier logo placement on promotional materials
- Premium exhibitor booth
- Recognition during opening remarks
- Featured company profile in the event directory
- Six complimentary event passes
- Recognition in event-related social media posts
For the bank, lender or firm that wants its name on the morning itself.
Gold Sponsor
- Preferred exhibitor booth
- Prominent logo placement
- Recognition during the event
- Four complimentary event passes
- Company listing in the event directory
- Social media sponsor recognition
For the firm that wants a strong position on the exhibitor floor.
Community Sponsor
- Company logo on sponsor materials
- Event recognition
- Two complimentary event passes
- Company listing in the event directory
No booth included. For a smaller firm or association lending its support.
Standard Exhibitor
- One standard six-foot exhibitor table
- Two exhibitor passes
- Company listing in the event directory
- Time with attendees during the networking and expo sessions
Final table specifications and venue arrangements are confirmed by the organizer.
Founding partners are confirmed first.
Packages are confirmed in the order they are returned, and the allocations above are the whole inventory. We will send the two-page prospectus, answer questions about the floor, and hold a spot while you decide.
Or write to [email protected], or call (203) 896-4482.
Questions
The things people ask first.
Anything not answered here, write to the events inbox and we will add it to this page.
What does it cost to attend?
When will the date and venue be confirmed?
Who should come?
Is this a sales event?
Can I exhibit without sponsoring?
What is included with a table?
Will sessions be recorded?
Who is behind the event?
Stay posted
Hear it first.
Date, venue, program and registration. Four or five emails between now and April 2027, nothing else.
This opens a message in your own mail app, addressed to the events inbox. Nothing is stored on this page.