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When you’re trying to grow your business, marketing isn’t optional. It’s essential. But there’s only so much you can learn from industry blog posts and online tutorials. In today’s digital age, marketing changes quickly, and information published last year may no longer be relevant. So how can entrepreneurs stay up-to-date on marketing trends? Enter marketing conferences.
In-person conferences allow you to network and meet other business owners facing the same challenges as you. Many of these people have found innovative solutions and can guide you as you navigate entrepreneurship’s murky waters. Furthermore, marketing conferences provide a fresh perspective on the best marketing tactics to use within your industry. You’ll have the opportunity to watch marketing experts explore topics you may not have considered.
There are many conferences to choose from, making it hard to know which ones to attend. To help guide you in the right direction, I’ve rounded up my 10 favorite marketing conferences below.
1. INBOUND: September 6-9; Boston
Powered by HubSpot, INBOUND is one of the world’s most popular conferences, connecting business leaders from more than 161 countries. Topics covered at the conference include marketing, sales, customer success and revenue generation. If that’s not enough to get you excited, you should check out their guest speakers. This year’s lineup includes none other than President Barack Obama and award-winning actress Viola Davis.
If you’re interested in leveling up your company’s content marketing efforts, Content Marketing World is a must. With over 100 workshops, sessions and industry forums, attendees will walk away feeling inspired to create epic content. Ending the conference on a comical note is this year’s closing speaker, Emmy-winning comedian Hasan Minhaj.
If you’re a creative looking for some design inspiration, check out the Adobe Learning Summit. The conference features two tracks, the Design Thinking Certificate Workshop and the Creators’ Labs Workshops. While the Creators’ Labs are designed to help business professionals work on their individual growth, the Design Thinking Certificate Workshop focuses on business leaders interested in learning about design thinking.
For over 15 years, MarketingProfs has gathered top-flight marketers at the world’s leading B2B marketing conference. This year’s conference includes four keynote speakers and 49 sessions, providing ample opportunity to expand your industry knowledge. At the end of day one, MarketingProfs hosts a conference party, giving you the chance to have fun with your new connections.
For 18 years, Forbes has been hosting the exclusive Forbes CMO Summit. While other conferences cover a variety of topics, all of the guest speakers at this conference focus on a central theme. This year’s topic is “Doing Different: A Conversation Among Modern Marketers.” Attendance for the Forbes CMO Summit is limited and by invitation only.
Made popular by its music showcases, film screenings and innovative exhibitions, SXSW is beloved by business professionals looking for creative inspiration. The conference features tracks focused on a variety of topics, including technology, culture, film and music. While you may have missed the 2022 conference, tickets for the 2023 conference are already available. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on keynote speakers.
Curious how you can start advertising on TikTok or want to know whether Facebook marketing is dead? Then check out Social Media Marketing World next spring. Hosted by Social Media Examiner, Social Media Marketing World will help you discover the latest strategies to level up your social media campaigns. While other conferences may explore theories and ideas, the conversations facilitated at Social Media Marketing World are designed to provide actionable takeaways that attendees can use right away.
8. MozCon: August 7-9, 2023; Seattle
The world of SEO changes with every Google algorithm update, so it’s important to keep up with industry trends. MozCon gives business owners the opportunity to learn about the current state of SEO and network in a non-stuffy setting. While you may have missed this year’s MozCon, the conference has already released its agenda for next August, giving you plenty of time to prep for MozCon 2023.
While Ascendant Network isn’t exactly a conference, I still think it’s worth mentioning because of its unique networking opportunities. This organization is composed of influential marketing and retail professionals who meet regularly to exchange knowledge and help each other succeed. Gatherings happen twice per year and include professional coaching, thought-provoking conversations and the chance to build relationships with leaders in the marketing and retail space.
Creating a content marketing campaign that catches your target audience’s attention requires more than just stellar content. You also need to ensure you’re delivering the right content through the right channel at the perfect moment in your customer’s journey. The ContentTECH Summit teaches marketers how to use tech tools to improve their content marketing campaigns. The organizers haven’t announced their 2023 dates and locations yet, so stay tuned for more information.
Kick-Start Your Company’s Growth
When you’re building a business, it’s crucial that you have a marketing plan in place. But learning the ins and outs of the digital landscape is tricky to do on your own. Check out a few of the conferences above to gain the marketing intel you need to kick-start your company’s growth.