27 of the Best Conferences for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
Conferences for entrepreneurs and marketers are a must. Great conferences are taking place every week, all over the world, but it can be really overwhelming trying to decipher which ones are worth your time and money. Well have no fear, we’ve done the research and necessary 'googling' for you. Here are 27 of the best conferences for entrepreneurs and marketers: Note: To find more great conferences, subscribe to the Conference Notes podcast on iTunes. If you don’t use iTunes, you can listen to every episode by clicking here.
1) Word Camp 2015
Boston, MassachusettsJuly 18th - 19th, 2015$40 Word Camp Conferences happen pretty often, so don’t feel bad if you can’t make the upcoming one in July. At their conferences, you’ll learn how to use WordPress like a pro and how to capitalize on all things social media.
2) Podcast Movement 2015
Fort Worth, TexasJuly 31st - August 2nd, 2015$149 (early bird discount available) Podcast Movement is THE conference to go to if you’re even a little bit interested in podcasting.
The conference breaks down how to be successful with your podcast by simplifying the presentations into four categories:
- Creation of content
- Marketing
- Monetization
- Quality of content
3) Social Media Strategies Summit 2015
Atlanta, Georgia August 19th - 20th, 2015 $1,199 (early bird discount available) Social Media Strategies Summit is full of attendees that are digital and social marketers from a variety of industries. You will learn everything from creating content to strategy management. “The speaker and attendees of this conference represent some of the brightest minds in marketing. Sessions + discussions provided affirmation of social strategies I use and sparked new ideas for further online dialogue.” -Jeffrey Hoffelt, Media Relations Executive, Filament Marketing
4) Microconf Europe 2015
Barcelona, Spain August 31st - September 1st 599 Euros or $675.84 U.S Microconf Europe is designed for entrepreneurs who are wanting to self-fund their own startup without any outside help.
If you can’t make it to Europe, they do have one coming to the U.S. (time and location are to be determined.)
5) Content Marketing World 2015
Cleveland, Ohio September 8th - 11th, 2015 $2,495 Content Marketing World is a great way to learn and network with some of the brightest content marketers around. Not only will you understand the world of content marketing, but you’ll be able to see how it’s evolving. They have over 100 speakers throughout the conference that range from Oscar-nominated actor, John Cleese to CEO of Brain Traffic, Kristina Halvorson. [Tweet "Not every company will will have a content marketing strategy, but every successful company will."]
6) Inbound 2015
Boston, Massachusetts September 8th - 11th 2015 $1,499 (early bird available) This conference is hosted by Hubspot, a company that’s CRUSHING it with inbound marketing. The speaker lineup alone is worth the price of admission for this conference. You’ll see best-selling authors Seth Godin and Daniel Pink, the CEO of Buzzfeed, the co-founders of Hubspot, and more.
In addition to the incredible speaker lineup, this conference gives you plenty of space and time to network with the other conference attendees.
7) PRWeek Conference 2015
New York City, New York September 16th, 2015 $850 PRWeek Conference will help you navigate through the fast paced world of marketing. You’ll learn how to amplify your content by none other than Mr. Al Roker, Today host and CEO of Al Roker Entertainment.
8) ONA 2015
Los Angeles, California September 24th - 26th, 2015 $989 (early bird discount available) ONA 15 is the perfect place for digital journalists who want to learn more about tools, techniques, and technologies. [Tweet "Digital Journalists are shaping the future of media."]
9) Agents of Change 2015
Portland, Maine September 25th, 2015 $149 (early bird available) Agents of Change is a great conference for learning how to grow your business with digital marketing.
The speakers are top marketing experts that are ready to provide you with strategies and tactics on how to improve online visibility.
10) AMA’s Annual Conference: Inspired Marketing 2015
Austin, Texas September 27th - 29th, 2015 $1,400 AMA’s Annual Conference Attendees are individuals that are interested in learning new strategies and techniques of marketing for their business. The speakers are marketing leaders from all industries, making it easy to network and make new connections.
11) Brand Manage Camp 2015
Las Vegas, Nevada October 1st - 2nd, 2015 $2,499 (early bird discounts available) Brand Manage Camp will be covering a wide range of brand marketing. You’ll learn learn everything you need to know about the current landscape of advertising, strategy, leadership and customer behavior. You’ll leave this conference feeling knowledgeable and prepared to take on marketing your brand.
12) ANA Masters of Marketing 2015
Orlando, Florida October 14th - 17th, 2015 $2,495 (non-member) ANA Masters of Marketing is full of leaders in the marketing community. This is a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of marketing for your business. You’ll learn a lot, but more importantly you’ll have a fun time. They have golf, tennis, beauty lounges, fun runs and a lot more!
13) Bolo 2015
Tempe, Arizona October 18th - 20th, 2015 $699 Bolo has an intimate atmosphere to it, by keeping the attendee list to 250 people. The focus of the conference is to take a unique and innovative approach to the digital marketing world.
14) Marketing Profs B2B Forum 2015
Boston, MA October 20th - 23rd, 2015 $1,795 - regular pass This conference brings insight to new innovative ways that will make your marketing thrive. It’s great for all leaders and marketers that want to make things happen in a creative way.
15) Poptech 2015
Camden, Maine October 22nd - 24th, 2015 $2,000 Poptech is creating a community of people who are wanting to impact the world.
This conference is full of people from a variety of industries that will come together to share insights and new creative ways to create a lasting change.
16) Podcaster’s Paradise Cruise 2015
Florida, Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman November 1st - 7th 2015 $2,000 plus cost of cruise Learn from some of the biggest names in podcasting...on a boat! John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire, Andrew Warner from Mixergy, and Chase Reeves from Fizzle are just a few of the names that you’ll be learning from as you cruise to Haiti, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman!
17) Forbes CMO Summit 2015
Naples, Florida November 3rd - 5th, 2015 Cost: TBD Forbes CMO Summit features some of the world’s top leaders. This conference will have you exploring the evolving business world and give the you confidence to make positive changes within your own business.
18) Festival of Marketing 2015
Tobacco Dock, London November 11th - 12th, 2015 295 Euros or $329.86 U.S. Festival of Marketing is bringing an exciting new way to grow your marketing within your business. Their goal is for you to leave smarter, refreshed and ready to take the marketing world by storm.
19) Summit at Sea 2015
International Waters November 13th - 16th, 2015 Invitation Only Summit at Sea is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with innovators from other industries. This conference is perfect if you’re looking for a nice getaway, but are hesitant to take time off from your busy schedule. This way, you get the best of both worlds.
20) Women’s Entrepreneurship Day 2015
New York, New York November 19th, 2015 $499 Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is much more than a day for women. It’s meant to “empower, celebrate and support women entrepreneurs worldwide.”
This one day conference will have you feeling confident that you can make an impact on how the world views women.
21) Growth Marketing Conference 2015
San Francisco, California December 2nd - 4th, 2015 Invitation Only Growth marketing conference is perfect for entrepreneurs and marketers interested in growth hack techniques as well as, digital marketing fundamentals. Shimrit Shiran, Marketing Director at Neura, says “The intimate workshops are a great way to keep up with the latest growth hacking tactics, and most importantly -- refresh my perspective and expose myself to new people and new ideas.”
22) Ted 2016
Vancouver, BC, Canada February 15th - 19th, 2016 $8,500 (approximately) Ted 2016 is the most expensive conference on this list. However, it’s worth every single penny! Their focus this year is based on the idea that dreams matter. Let’s dream the greatest of dreams and find ways to make them a reality. [Tweet "Make no small plans. They have no power to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans."]
23) Wisdom 2.0 2016
San Francisco, California February 20th - 22nd, 2016 $2,500 (early bird available) Wisdom 2.0 focuses on a deeper understanding and awareness of the digital age. Past speakers included the founders of Twitter, Facebook and eBay. “We are at a time in humanity when we have incredible technologies - and we are being asked to marry these with equivalent transformation of heart.” - Jack Kornfield
24) Dent 2016
Sun Valley, Idaho March 20th - 23rd 2016 Request for invitation Dent begins the conference by breaking down their six thematic starting points:
- Vision
- People
- Design
- Process
- Focus
- Alchemy
This year they will be taking a creative approach on what it means to be an innovative leader.
25) Social Media Marketing World 2016
San Diego, California April 17th - April 19th, 2016 $1,497 (early bird sale available) Social Media Marketing World is THE largest social media conference for marketers and entrepreneurs. You’ll learn everything from social tactics and strategy to content creation. More than 100 of the world’s top social media experts will be speaking, giving you the opportunity to network with leaders that have a proven track record of online success.
26) New Media Expo 2016
Las Vegas, Nevada April 18th - 21st, 2016 Cost: TBD New Media Expo brings together any and all content creators looking for inspiration and business opportunities. “NMX has been absolutely transformational for me. It changed my life! I learn so many nuggets there. Last year I pitched a show at NMX that got picked up by a production company.” -David H. Lawrence XVII, Podcaster, Actor, New Media Pioneer
27) Gartner Digital Marketing Conference 2016
San Diego, California May 17th - 19th, 2016 $2,695 (early bird available) Gartner Digital Marketing Conference is all about digital marketing trends. You’ll learn key strategies and how to capitalize on new trends to attract and retain customers. Is there a conference on this list that we missed?
Leave a comment below and tell us the name of your favorite conference!
If you're looking for more conferences, subscribe to the Conference Notes podcast on iTunes. If you don’t use iTunes, you can listen to every episode by clicking here.