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SAMS USA 2026
Keynote Sponsor

Looking forward to meeting with you! 

Independent SAM
in a room full of vendors.

Marriott Marquis Chicago
3 December - 4 December

Software estates are no longer just assets to track; they are investments to understand, govern, and optimize.

Hybrid licensing, cloud consumption, SaaS sprawl, vendor audits and AI-driven technology have changed the rules. But the real opportunity goes beyond cost avoidance: it is about proving the value technology creates across cost, environmental impact, and operational time.

That is the shift from Software Asset Management to Software Investment Management.

Livingstone will be at SAMS USA 2026 to connect with SAM and ITAM professionals and share practical approaches to license optimization, cost reduction, compliance and vendor management.

Come and meet us at our stand. If you haven't already registered, you can grab a free pass using our VIP code here. 

Whether you're reviewing your software estate, preparing for a vendor audit, or looking to reduce unnecessary licensing costs, come have a conversation with our team.

You can pre-book time with one of our experts by filling in the form opposite, and we will reach out to you directly.

Let’s move beyond managing assets. Let’s unlock the value of your technology investments.

Two days of knowledge exchange, roundtables, and licensing debate with ITAM and SAM leaders from across North America.

Meet with our team

See Livingstone on Stage

Join our keynote presentations, expert-led sessions and interactive roundtables covering software, cloud and AI spend optimisation, vendor negotiations, FinOps and the future of Software Investment Management.

Key Note

Day 1, Thursday, December 3rd
09:10 - 09:40

SAM to SIM: How Managed Services Must Evolve to Deliver Real Business Value

The technology investment landscape is changing rapidly. Traditional Software Asset Management (SAM) is no longer just about compliance, inventory, and licensing. Organizations are expanding their focus to Software Investment Management (SIM), a broader discipline centered on optimization, governance, financial performance, and measurable business outcomes across software, cloud, and AI investments.

This shift is particularly visible across major strategic vendors such as Microsoft, where organizations are increasingly managing a combination of Microsoft 365, Azure, cloud consumption, and AI investments such as Copilot. The challenge is therefore no longer “Are we licensed correctly?” but “Are we getting the right commercial and business value from everything we are buying?”

At the same time, the managed services competitive landscape is evolving. New entrants are challenging established providers, AI is reshaping service delivery models, and organizations increasingly expect demonstrable value rather than activity-based services. Technology optimization has become a board-level priority, requiring businesses to continuously adapt and re-steer their investment strategies to maximize outcomes.

In this interactive session, Beth and Gareth bring together complementary expertise to explore how organizations can move beyond siloed SAM and Procurement functions towards a unified software investment strategy.

Together, they will examine:

  • How traditional SAM and Procurement disciplines evolved independently, often measuring success through different outcomes.

  • Why SaaS, cloud, AI, FinOps, consumption-based pricing, and increasing commercial complexity are making closer collaboration essential, using the evolving Microsoft estate as a practical example of where these disciplines increasingly intersect.

  • How organizations can combine SAM intelligence with commercial negotiation expertise to create a continuous value management approach, moving from point-in-time Microsoft renewals and negotiations towards ongoing optimization of licensing, cloud and AI investment.

  • Why negotiated savings alone are no longer enough, and how leading organizations are focusing on adoption, utilization, realized savings, governance, and investment performance after the contract has been signed.

  • How SIM provides a framework that connects SAM, Procurement, Finance and business stakeholders to improve decision-making and continuously optimize technology investments across strategic vendors such as Microsoft and beyond.

Drawing on real-world experience, Beth and Gareth will share practical examples of how optimization-led managed service partnerships can deliver measurable financial, operational and strategic outcomes.

Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how leading organizations are redefining what good looks like from their managed service partners, and why the future of software management is increasingly about managing the performance of technology investments, not simply managing assets and licenses.

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Gareth Redshaw

Executive Director - Optimization & Company Strategy

Gareth leads Livingstone’s Business Strategy and Optimization Practice, bringing more than 20 years’ experience in IT commercial negotiations with some of the world’s most recognizable organizations. He specializes in complex major vendor agreements across Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, and SAP, and has delivered average savings of 38% across major renewals.

A strong advocate for moving beyond traditional SAM compliance towards measurable commercial impact, Gareth combines commercial negotiation expertise with a deep understanding of technology strategy and licensing. As an independent advisor, he helps organizations challenge vendor positions, negotiate from strength, and achieve better commercial outcomes.

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Beth Kaminski

IT Asset Program Manager at Dart Container and a managing partner at Kaminski Specialty Consulting

Beth has 25+ years of experience in IT asset management (ITAM), specializing in software asset management (SAM). As an early SAM team founder, she advances best practices and shares insights to support the discipline’s future. Under her leadership, Dart earned the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Snow Technology Intelligence Awards. She received the ITAM Review’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Beth now applies her SAM expertise to software optimization negotiations with major business-critical vendors. 

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Craig van der Velden

Global Head of Sales & Marketing

Craig van der Velden leads global sales and marketing at Livingstone, bringing an international executive career of 20+ years built across ITAM, FinOps, and software asset management leadership at firms including Anglepoint, DXC, and Fujitsu. a recognised cost-savings strategist, he turns business strategy into action - inspiring teams and delivering measurable, transparent value for clients.

World Cafe Session

Day 2, Friday, December 4th
10:50 - 2:50

AI Is Cheap Until the Bill Arrives: The Hidden Costs Vendors Don't Put in the Business Case beyond license costs

 

  • Token consumption, overuse and unexpected AI cost escalation

  • Copilot, OpenAI and cloud AI pricing models: are organizations really tracking usage?

  • The hidden cost of poor AI governance

  • Duplicated AI tools and shadow AI across the business

  • When AI creates more cloud consumption than expected

  • How vendors monetize adoption beyond license costs

What we'll be talking about

Microsoft, Oracle & Broadcom

Licensing models are shifting fast across the big publishers. We help you read the changes early, model the impact, and hold a defensible position well before renewal or audit. 

SAM & ITAM


A fully managed service from a provider with no software to sell. You get vendor-neutral advice, one accountable team, and outcomes measured against your savings rather than our sales.

FinOps for software spend

Bring SAM and FinOps together to see committed, consumed and wasted spend in one view, then turn shelfware and over-provisioning back into reclaimed budget. 

Enterprise AI in the estate

As AI tooling spreads through the licensing and compliance workflow, we help you adopt it safely, govern the data behind it, and separate genuine automation from the noise. 

GreenOps & ESG reporting

Your ITAM data is some of the best evidence you have for Scope 3 and sustainable procurement. We help you structure it so it stands up to reporting and to scrutiny.

Audit defence

From EULA strategy to lock-in and unexpected audits, we sit on your side of the table and help you manage publishers with the leverage that clean data gives you.

Where to find Livingstone

Our team will be at the Marriott Marquis, Chicago, ready to talk through your estate, your renewals, and the licensing changes landing this year.

Prefer to lock something in now? Book a slot with the form above, and we'll hold time around the agenda, whether that's a quick coffee or a proper working session.