If you want to keep up with the new marketing trends, attending a marketing conference is a great way to learn. You have the opportunity to travel and engage with like-minded people while you learn how to get ahead or stay ahead in the marketing world.
1. IMEX America
This conference will be held in Las Vegas, NV on September 10th through September 12th at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
This conference will give you the opportunity to gain insight and inspiration from industry experts and innovators. You will also be able to join your peers at all the networking events planned.
There are more than 180 educational and networking sessions and over 3,500 exhibitors from 150 different countries. There are several unique ways set up to learn so you can choose how you prefer to learn:
- Campfires
- Hot topic tables
- Research pod
- Playroom
- Seminars
- Expert clinics
- White space
- Live zone
If you're a meeting planner, event planner, business owner, head of an event agency, or an in-house event expert, you don't want to miss this event. Here you'll be able to find all the suppliers you need for your events, from major venues to hotel groups.
You can attend the event as a buyer attendee or join their hosted buyer program. You can choose the best option for you on their site.
2. International Confex
This conference will be on February 26th through February 27th in Olympia London. It's organized by Mash Media who are known to cover every sector of the industry, from trade fairs to conference events and outdoor events and festivals.
There are three ways to attend the International Confex. These include as a visitor, a student, or as press.
If you're an event professional, a thought leader, or a service provider, you don't want to miss this event.
These are their three main goals with this event:
- Innovate: this is the place to discover everything you need to have spectacular events
- Originate: this is to join the heart of the industries conversation
- Create: this is where you want to be to grow and build business relationships
They want to drive the events industry forward through innovate, originate, and create.
3. ILEA Live International
This conference will be on August 8-10th in Minneapolis, MN at the Hyatt Regency. This is the place to be to inspire creativity that will foster business success. ILEA is a community of thousands of creative event professionals.
ILEA members includes event planners, caterers, decorators, convention coordinators, entertainers, meeting planners, audio-visual technicians, photographers, educators, hotel sales managers, and journalists.
Something unique about this event is that they host an award ceremony called Esprit Awards. You can see the professionals that improved and extended their achievements.
There is a VIP experience available for purchase. This gives you a few extra perks including:
- A VIP reception on August 8th
- VIP ribbons
- Meet & Greet
- Reserved seating in general sessions and keynotes
- VIP check-in
- Priority bussing to and from offsite events
Ticket Prices (Member Full Conference Registration):
- Before June 7th - $845
- After June 7th - $995
Ticket Prices (Non-Member Full Conference Registration):
- Before June 7th - $1,295
- After June 7th - $1,395
Ticket Prices (Member One Day)
- Before June 7th - $475
- After June 7th - $525
Ticket Prices (Non-Member One Day)
- Before June 7th - $525
- After June 7th - $575
Ticket Prices (Social Events)
- Before June 7th - $525
- After June 7th - $525
Ticket Prices (Espirit Awards Gala Only)
- Before June 7th - $250
- After June 7th - $250
Ticket Prices (Leadership Live)
- Before June 7th - $100
- After June 7th - $100
4. CVENT Connect
This conference will be in Las Vegas, NV on July 8th through July 11th, 2019 at the MGM Grand conference. There will be over 150 hours of classroom-style training and dedicated face-to-face meetings. There will also be roundtable discussions, trade show appointments, and customer-led best practice sessions.
This event will connect over 4000 professionals in the hospitality, events, and meetings industry to innovative technology and to each other. This event is only open to event and hospitality professionals.
You have to be approved to attend. Anyone that represents a company that has competing products is prohibited from attending. There are no guests allowed to attend with a registered guest. Only those that are approved and registered may attend.
There will be a mobile app release the month before the conference that will include all the conference material and the presentations.
You have the opportunity to attend as a hospitality professional or an event professional. All meals and scheduled events are included with the event registration.
Ticket Prices:
Depending on your choice, prices vary from $749 to $1,099. Note that early bird prices end on May 10th and summer savings end on July 7th.
There are also add ons available on their site.
5. MPI WEC 19
This conference will be on June 15th through June 18th in Toronto, Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The goal of this event is to teach meeting and event professionals on how to create shared experiences.
WEC has what you need to stay relevant in the market and also be successful. You will have the opportunity to learn and network from others in the industry. There's something for everyone when it comes to learning.
There will be speakers from all around the world in different areas teaching you. There will be scientists, business leader, and artists speaking. Past speakers have included Steve Wozniak, Mel Robbins, and Deepak Chopra, just to name a few.
Ticket Prices (Member Rates):
- Planner - $999
- Supplier - $1099
- Faculty - $499
- Student - $299
Ticket Prices (Become a Member Rates):
- Planner - $1299
- Supplier - $1459
- Faculty - $649
- Student - $349
Ticket Prices (Non-Member Rates):
- Planner - $1,149
- Supplier - $1,249
The main key with WEC19 is all about shared experiences. Here you will learn how to create them while you're having your own experience at this event.
6. Canadian Special Events Live
This conference will be on March 26th through March 28th in Toronto, Canada. Canadian Special Events (CSE) Live is to celebrate innovation, and it's a platform to help you create powerful events while you create meaningful, unforgettable experiences for your stakeholders, organization, and clients.
There will be over 2000 event professionals learning about trends in things such as:
- Design
- Production
- Food
- Tech
- Entertainment
This event is for all event planners, producers, designers, coordinators, secretaries, brand managers, venue managers, marketing managers, or business owners. If you're looking for creative event solutions, this is the event for you.
You will have the opportunity to learn from industry leaders during panels, workshops, and inspiring talks. You will leave with actionable tools to skyrocket your event in a creative way and have a successful business.
Ticket Prices:
- VIP 2 Day Pass - $399
- March 26 Day Pass - $349
- Innovation Lab (March 26) - $299
- Certificate Workshop (March 26) - $299
- March 27 Day Pass - $99
There are also show passes and social events available on the site which include the following:
- CSE Live Show Pass for Planners - $0
- CSE Live Show Pass for Suppliers - $50
- Opening Night Party - $65
- Inspired Spaces Desing Challenge - $25
- Canadian Event Awards Gala - $185
7. The Event Planner Expo 2019
This conference will be on October 1-3rd, 2019 in New York City. There will be over 3,000 event planning professionals, exhibitors, industry leaders, and colleagues attending. You'll have the opportunity to network and build new relationships to grow your business. It's New York City's largest showcase for the events and hospitality industry.
This is the place to be if you're in the events and hospitality industry. There will be over 150 exhibitors representing the best venues and vendors in the city. There will also be an inspirational speaker series for you to learn from on October 2nd.
Every year this event is more popular and grows in size. You will leave the event with plenty of connections that will benefit you and your business after you learn from speakers such as Gary Vaynerchuk and many more.
Ticket Prices:
- Early Bird Registration for Event Planners (Sale ends 3/29) - $49
- Basic General Admission for Event Planners - $69
- VIP Admission for Event Planners - $99
- Basic General Admission for Suppliers - $129
- VIP Admission for Suppliers - $159
- Education Pass - $199
- VIP Education Pass - $249
- All Access Pass - $499
- Super All Access Pass - $1,399
There are also add-on options available for luncheons, after parties, and many more to create an even more memorable event for you.
8. Catersource
This conference will be held on February 24th - February 27th in New Orleans. This is the place where event pros and caterers unite.
You'll have the opportunity to meet over 300 exhibitors, and attend 100+ hours of sessions. The focus of this event is to celebrate and enhance the value of catered events. Food brings people together, and you will leave this event understanding the value and power of food, creating an experience that people will remember for years to come.
This event is full of progressive ideas to perfect your art and hone your craft. If you're a caterer, an event planner, a business owner, or a culinary pro, this is the place to be.
9. Experiential Marketing Summit 2019
This conference will be on May 14th-May 16th in Las Vegas, NV at Caesars Palace. This is training on the marketing discipline called experiential marketing. You will be able to join over 1,800 marketers from around the world.
You will have the opportunity to network and meet the heads of experiential marketing from companies like General Mills, Under Armour, Pepsi, Samsung, Uber, and General Motors, just to name a few. They will be teaching you during this 3-day event.
There will also be bestselling authors, design experts, and strategy chiefs teaching you.
Ticket Prices for this event range from $1,995 for early birds to $2,495 regular pricing. There are over 15 different ticket options to choose from on their site. There is an option for everyone.
10. PCMA Educon
This conference will be in Los Angeles, CA on June 25-28th. This event attracts event marketers, thought leaders, business event strategists, and experience designers.
You can expect to learn from leading experts in the events industry during the sessions. They will be teaching about leadership, audience engagement, acquisition, and event strategy.
There are early bird registration tickets available until April 5th, and there is a myriad of ticket options available to choose from.
What to Look for in a Conference
When it comes to choosing a marketing conference, there are so many options it can be overwhelming. The best tip is to research, research, and do more research. Look for testimonies from past attendees to see if they had a memorable experience.
Look at the conference you choose to attend as an investment in both time and money. There are plenty of benefits you will gain from a well put marketing conference. You want to look for one that will provide networking opportunities along with workshops and keynote speakers.
You want to look for a conference that has all the signs of the best marketing plan. This will give you an idea of the conference will be a success or a flop.
Why Attend a Conference?
Attending live events will help you stay on top of the latest marketing trends and topics. Keep in mind that not all conferences are equal. Some conferences give you takeaways that you can implement immediately and see results while others go over more basic information that is not as actionable.
Advantages
Attending marketing conferences has several advantages such as:
- You can learn from experts
- You can learn how experts work
- You can learn new things you can apply
- You can get inspired
- You can network with like-minded people
Another great reason to attend marketing conferences is that it's a fantastic way to develop your knowledge and your marketing skills. Conferences, just like books and courses, help people gain wisdom on various topics.
Which Conference Will You Choose?
There are marketing conferences happening almost every day all over the world. When you make your decision choose one that will address your specific needs.
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