Open Future Forum and RSM are hosting the CIO Christmas Mixer in Palo Alto on Thursday, December 10, 2026, starting at 5:30 p.m. PST. The private reception is for chief information officers and senior enterprise IT leaders, with attendance subject to host approval.
Champagne, food and Chef Julien’s pancake flambé are on the menu. Murray and Yvonne Newlands will host with Adam Fauvre of RSM, with introductions during the reception.
Request an invitation to the CIO Christmas Mixer.
The decisions behind the technology
An IT project can appear straightforward when described in a few sentences. The explanation becomes more interesting when someone discusses the implementation: the system that needed changing first, the team that took ownership, or the training that turned out to take longer than expected.
Another CIO may recognize the same difficulty or have handled it differently.
At the December reception, the invitation points to enterprise AI, technology budgets and teams as subjects guests may want to discuss. There is no panel program or pitching session. Guests will have time to discuss the year’s work and catch up.
A useful starting point might be a decision you would handle differently if you were beginning again. It could involve a rollout, a renewal or an internal process. Even a small change to an internal process may be useful to someone working through the same issue.
What you might compare before January
If AI has been part of your work this year, consider the practical questions that followed deployment. Who dealt with exceptions? Which employees used the system regularly? What did the team need to change once the tool was in everyday use?
A peer may have approached the same work differently. Ask what made that approach practical for their team.
Technology budgets offer another starting point. You might be considering a renewal, deciding which systems to consolidate, or working out how much support a new service will need. Someone who has already made a similar decision can describe the questions they wish they had asked earlier.
These are suggested discussion topics. Guests can spend the evening talking about other parts of their work, reconnecting with colleagues or simply enjoying the reception. No preparation is required.
Who the reception is designed for
The audience includes chief information officers, group CIOs, regional and divisional CIOs, and senior IT executives with responsibility for enterprise technology.
If your title differs, describe what you are responsible for when applying. The hosts ask for company, title and areas of responsibility so they can assess whether the reception fits.
Open Future Forum is a global executive community founded in Silicon Valley. The CIO reception is one of its December gatherings for particular executive and investor audiences. Its event calendar lists other opportunities to meet the community.
Food and conversation in Palo Alto
Chef Julien will prepare flambéed pancakes during the reception, alongside champagne and food.
Conversations are off the record. Host introductions are intended to help people meet peers whose work is relevant to their own.
The listed hosts are Murray Newlands, CEO of Open Future Forum; Yvonne Newlands, Chief Business Officer of Open Future Forum; and Adam Fauvre, Director at RSM US LLP.
See all four Open Future Forum holiday gatherings in December 2026.
Last updated: November 13, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Request a CIO Reception Invitation
Meet enterprise technology peers on December 10. Include your areas of responsibility when registering.