PCI SSC Europe Community Meeting Marks 20th Anniversary, Returns to Edinburgh

As the use of AI continues to rise, industry leaders will gather in Scotland this October to discuss the impacts on what trust means in payments security

EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) will mark two decades of shaping global payment security when its flagship Europe Community Meeting returns to Edinburgh from 20-22 October 2026 – a decade after the city last hosted the event in 2016. The milestone gathering brings together banks, retailers, payment service providers, assessors, technology providers and security professionals from around the world to confront an industry at a critical inflection point: artificial intelligence is transforming the payments landscape, the threats that introduces and the tools available to defend against them.

Payment fraud and cybercrime continue to exist and evolve, fuelled in part by increasingly sophisticated, AI-enabled attacks that can adapt faster than static defences can respond. For an industry built on consumer trust, the stakes have never been higher – and this year’s edition is designed to meet that moment head-on.

Twenty Years of Progress, One New Chapter

Since its founding in 2006, the PCI SSC has set the global benchmark for protecting cardholder data. This year's event honours that legacy while looking firmly ahead, with a full agenda that includes a significant focus on maintaining security in an increasingly autonomous, AI-powered payments ecosystem without losing the human trust that underpins it.

Among the sessions delegates can expect:

• AI, Trust, and the Future of Payments in an Autonomous World examining what happens when machines increasingly make the decisions.
• AI Agents and Emerging Risks in the Cardholder Data Environment a close look at the new risk surface introduced by autonomous AI systems.
• Human vs. Machine: Rethinking Security, Compliance, and Accountability where the responsibility for security decisions ultimately sits.
• From Compliance Checklists to Continuous Assurance moving the industry beyond point-in-time audits.
• Combating Fraud and Emerging Payment Threats practical strategies for an evolving threat landscape.
• Turning PCI Standards into Business Value reframing compliance as a driver of growth, not just a cost of doing business.

The full programme also covers cloud-native payment architectures, cryptography and key management, global ecosystem security, and the regulatory shifts reshaping the sector – alongside a recurring theme throughout the two days: the human factor in security, and why trust remains the industry's most valuable currency.

Keynote: Ken Hughes, "The King of CX"

Headlining this year's event is Ken Hughes, internationally recognised as one of the world's leading voices on consumer behaviour and customer experience, and named among CX Network's Top 50 Influencers for 2025 and 2026. With over 20 years' experience advising Fortune 500 companies – including PayPal, ING, UBS, Barclays and Worldpay – Hughes blends consumer psychology, digital anthropology and behavioural economics to explore how organisations build lasting trust with the people they serve.

In his keynote, "Securing the Future: Human Trust, AI Intelligence & the Heart of Payments Security," Hughes will challenge the payments security community to look beyond compliance and technology, and treat security itself as an experience – one that customers can feel.

A Milestone Worth Making

“After 20 years, this industry has learned that security and trust are inseparable,” said Gina Gobeyn, Executive Director, PCI SSC. “Together our industry built the foundation for payment security over the past 20 years and together we will build the future. Bringing the Europe Community Meeting to Edinburgh for our anniversary edition felt like the right way to open the next chapter.”

Event Details

Date: 20-22 October 2026
Venue, Location: Edinburgh International Conference Centre
150 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EE Edinburgh, Scotland
Keynote Speaker: Ken Hughes, "The King of CX"
Theme: Celebrating 20 Years of Progress – and Shaping the Future of Payment Security
Registration and full agenda details are available at https://www.pcisscevents.org/event/2026-edinburgh/summary

About the PCI Security Standards Council

The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing industry-driven, flexible and effective data security standards and programs that help businesses detect, mitigate and prevent cyberattacks and breaches. Connect with PCI SSC on LinkedIn. Join the conversation on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) @PCISSC. Subscribe to the PCI Perspectives Blog. Listen to the Coffee with the Council podcast.

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