Terrapinn Acquires FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage

Terrapinn, a company specializing in event development, is delighted to announce the acquisition of FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage from Conference Concepts Inc.FMS is widely regarded as the world’s most important and credible event dedicated to memory and storage technologies.

Held annually in Santa Clara, California, FMS has spent two decades as the essential meeting point for the global memory ecosystem – from leading semiconductor manufacturers to system architects and hyper-scalers. The acquisition comes at a pivotal moment as the industry faces an “unprecedented mismatch” in supply and demand, driven by the rapid expansion of AI and the surge in demand for High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM).

“We are absolutely delighted to announce the acquisition of Future of Memory and Storage,” said Greg Hitchen, CEO, Terrapinn . “FMS is a significant addition to our global portfolio of technology events. We look forward to serving the memory and storage industry and will ensure that the technical excellence and authority of FMS is maintained, and then surpassed, as we invest in its next phase of global growth”.

FMS was created and nurtured by Lance Leventhal and Chip Stockton, principals of Conference Concepts Inc, growing it from its roots as the flash Memory Summit into an all-encompassing industry showcase.

“We have created a really important event for the memory and storage community and have carefully nurtured it over many years. But we now feel it is the right time to pass it on to a larger company for its next phase of growth. We are really impressed by Terrapinn’s commitment to the sector and are sure they are the right fit to take FMS forward while ensuring a seamless transition for all our customers and stakeholders,” said Chip Stockton, president, Conference Concepts Inc.

The 20th-anniversary edition, FMS 2026, is scheduled for August 4-6, 2026, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The event will feature a multi-stream conference, a large-scale global exhibition, and a Technical Pro Series focused on the infrastructure enabling the next gen of AI, data centers, and automotive applications.

Conference Concepts Inc was represented by John McGovern of Grimes, McGovern and Associates. Terrapinn would like to thank Chip Stockton, John McGovern, our advisers and team.

Comments

The 20th edition, scheduled for August 2026, will take place under a new umbrella.

While the event has undergone some changes - at least in name - it has evolved less than the industry had anticipated, as we have reported several times. It remains a globally focused event dedicated to storage. Calling it the storage industry event may seem questionable given the incomplete representation of the sector, yet there are few, if any, comparable alternatives.

We expect several improvements, including better timing - since its current placement in the calendar is far from ideal for a global event - a more comprehensive industry presence, an upgraded conference venue, and a broader audience especially on the end-users dimension. Despite its shortcomings, it remains a well-established annual gathering where vendors and professionals reconnect. It also serves as a key platform for major announcements.

One important question persists: why are some key players absent? This is an issue the new owner will need to address. At the same time, we must acknowledge a broader reality: the historical organizers are aging, and with an opportunity to exit, it made sense for them to step away and retire under more comfortable conditions.

We'll be there to cover the event as usual.