SIMO DIRECTORES will debate the challenges shaping educational leadership and management today

The management and leadership of educational centres will have a dedicated space at SIMO EDUCACIÓN 2026. With SIMO DIRECTORES, the show will address the main challenges currently facing management teams over its three-day programme, covering organisational culture, team management, artificial intelligence and data-driven decision-making.

The initiative directly reflects the theme of this 12th edition, “Executive Leadership for Educational Transformation”, which places schools’ decision-making capacity at the heart of SIMO EDUCACIÓN 2026. From 11 to 13 November at IFEMA MADRID, more than 60 exhibiting companies and education professionals will take part in an event that will pay particular attention to those responsible for defining educational projects, supporting their teams and deciding how to incorporate technological and organisational changes into the reality of each school.

SIMO DIRECTORES, whose programme has been extended to cover all three days of the show this year, will bring together school leaders, consultants, researchers and specialists to share experiences and strategies related to the major challenges facing educational management. The programme will also include many other sessions and professionals specialising in leadership and innovation in education.

Leadership, culture and team management

Among the speakers, Enrique Escandón Sánchez, Director of Marketing, Communications and Admissions at Logos International School and a consultant specialising in educational leadership, will deliver ‘The Headteacher as an Architect of Culture: How to Build Strong Educational Projects in an Environment of Permanent Change’. This session will focus on institutional identity, team cohesion and organisational culture as key elements in addressing changing circumstances.

This focus on team management will continue with Javier Luna, General Director of Colegio Cristo Rey and an expert in leadership and team management, who will present ‘Accompanying leadership: helping people grow to transform schools’. The presentation will explore how trust, professional development and a shared sense of purpose can drive the evolution of educational projects.

Artificial intelligence and decision-making for school management

Artificial intelligence will be on the agenda from the perspective of the responsibilities of school leadership teams. Jorge Calvo, lecturer and researcher at Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio and Director of Innovation and Analytics at Colegio Europeo de Madrid, will explore how to integrate artificial intelligence into a school’s strategy in ‘Introducing AI into a School’. The session will cover everything from defining policies and criteria for its use to creating ethical and supervisory frameworks.

Also, from a practical perspective, Vicent Gadea, a consultant and trainer specialising in the application of artificial intelligence to education, will address ‘How to Implement Artificial Intelligence in a School: A Practical Guide for Leadership Teams’, covering the various stages required for its integration into schools.

Data-based decision-making will complete this section with presentations such as that of Alberto and Mario Herráez of Etwinz Education, ‘AI Is the Vehicle; Data Is the Fuel: The Challenge of Data-Based Decisions in Education’. The session will focus on how to transform information into useful decisions for schools’ strategy, organisation and improvement. They will be joined by Elvira López Palomeque, a specialist in applied artificial intelligence, who, in ‘Marketing with Soul: Expressing a School’s Identity from Within, with the Participation of Its Pupils and School Community’, will address the development of schools’ identities through new technological tools.

With this preview of its programme, SIMO DIRECTORES will bring issues of real importance to SIMO EDUCACIÓN, issues that form part of the daily decision-making of school leadership teams. From 11 to 13 November 2026, organised by IFEMA MADRID in collaboration with EDUCACIÓN 3.0, the event will celebrate its 12th edition, combining exhibition offerings with a programme of conferences, workshops and specialist areas addressing the main challenges facing education. Take part as an exhibitor or obtain your professional pass to attend via the fair website.