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( votes)Have you already decided which of the countless conferences and events across the globe you want to attend in 2020?
Attending a marketing conference is a great opportunity to network, present your ideas and work to others, learn about up-and-coming technology trends in the industry, meet new potential clients, and expand your knowledge.
There is no way we could tell you which conference is the best. There is no one size fits all answer; your business is unique and has distinct needs. Whatever your niche may be, try to find few events that fit your needs the most.
What to consider before choosing which event to attend:
1. Your goals vs. topics covered
Determine your goals and do your research. What are the topics that will be covered at the event, and what is the overall approach? Ask yourself if these topics are aligned with your goals. You don’t want to waste energy, time, and money on a conference that won’t be beneficial for your business.
2. Your calendar and other obligations
Consider your other obligations. Preparing, traveling, and networking at conferences is very time-consuming. Taking a week away from your business at the wrong time could be a disaster. Which conferences are worth the time out of office?
3. Your budget and event location
Conferences can be costly. Considering accommodations and travel fees, some conferences might be less convenient than others. View the trip and all your spendings as an investment and make sure that it can be paid off.
4. Speakers and attendees
This is a huge one. Conferences are the best place to network and expand your business. Do not underestimate your preparation. Find out who is attending; it might be your favorite influencer, competitor, or a company you wish to collaborate with.
Learn how Nimble helps you to be effective and make the most of networking at a conference.
5. Schedule
Look at the conference schedule. Unfortunately, you can’t split yourself in half and be at two places at the same time. Study the schedule thoroughly. Divide your time between seminars, networking, and visiting exhibitor booths.
To stay as productive as possible and to manage your time efficiently, have someone else handle your urgent emails and set up lunch meetings or coffee dates. Don’t forget to take a break when you feel overwhelmed.
To help you choose which conference is right for you, we’ve created a guide to the biggest conferences for SMBs in 2020:
The Top Sales, Marketing, Tech, and Social Media Conferences of 2020
**This list is actively being updated on a regular basis in consideration of the coronavirus outbreak. If a conference is canceled or rescheduled, it will be updated on our post. Stay tuned for further updates.
Social Media Marketing World
Type: Social Media Marketing
Date: March 1 – 3
Hashtag: #SMMW20
Location: San Diego, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Rev2020 hosted by Salesloft (virtual)
Type: Sales
Date: Tuesday, March 10 at 1pm – 2pm ET
Hashtag: #REV2020
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Sales 3.0
Type: Sales
Date: March 10-11
Hashtag: #s30c
Location: Orlando, FL
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
SaaStr Annual – (Rescheduled and merged with SaaStr Bi-Annual)
Type: Sales
Date: March 10 – 12
Hashtag: #saastrannual, #saastr
Location: San Jose, CA
2020 Florida CIO Executive Leadership Summit
Type: Technology
Date: March 12
Location: Championsgate, FL
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
SXSW – Canceled
Date: March 13-22
Hashtag: #SXSW
Location: Austin, TX
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Gartner Digital Workplace Summit
Type: Technology, Workplace productivity
Date: March 16–17
Hashtag: #GartnerDWS
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
PRWeek Awards 2020
Type: PR
Date: March 19
Hashtag: #PRWeekAwards
Location: New York, NY
Click here for a list of all the finalists for the 2020 PRWeek US Awards.
Oracle Modern Customer Experience – (Virtual)
Type: Marketing, Sales
Date: free live broadcast on Tuesday, March 24 at 8:00 a.m.
Hashtag: #ModernCX
Registrants of Oracle MBX will automatically receive a pass to Oracle OpenWorld Las Vegas 2020, September 21–24. Those who cannot attend in Las Vegas will be offered a full refund.
Connect Los Angeles
Type: CRE/Tech
Date: March 26
Hashtag: #ConnectLA
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
VO Atlanta 2020
Type: Voiceover
Date: March 26-29, 2020
Hashtag: #VOATLANTA
Location: Atlanta, GA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Technology Solutions Conference & Expo – Canceled
Type: Technology
Date: March 29– April 1
Location: Los Angeles, CA
MBA will automatically refund all registration, sponsorship, exhibit and affiliate space payments. If you booked a hotel room through the MBA online portal, you will not be charged.
LeadsCon 2020
Type: Lead Generation
Date: March 30 – April 1
Hashtag: #LeadsCon2020
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Adobe Summit – (Virtual)
Type: Marketing
Date: March 29 – April 2
Hashtag: #AdobeSummit
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Digital Summit: Los Angeles
Type: Digital Marketing
Date: March 31 – April 2
Hashtag: #DSLA
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
I.CON
Type: Industrial real estate
Date: April 2-3
Hashtag: #NAIOPicon
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Digital Sales and Marketing World
Type: Sales, Marketing
Date: April 5-7
Hashtag: #DSMW2020
Location: Hartford, CT
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Google Cloud Next ’20: Digital Connect
Type: Technology
Date: April 6 – 8
Hashtag: #GoogleCloudNext
Location: Livestream
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Leadership Summit 2020 – (Rescheduled)
Type: Sales
Date: April 14-16
New Date: August 18-20
Hashtag: #LS2020
Location: Chicago, IL
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
MarTech West
Type: Marketing
Date: April 15 – 17
Hashtag: #MarTechConf
Location: San Jose, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
ContentTech Summit
Type: Marketing
Date: April 20 – 22
Hashtag: #ContentTECH
Location: San Jose, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Content Marketing Conference
Type: PR
Date: April 21-23
Hashtag: #CMC2020
Location: Boston, MA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
CREtech
Type: CRE/Tech
Date: April 22-23
Hashtag: #CREtechaustin
Location: Austin, TX
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
TOPO Summit
Type: Marketing, Sales
Date: April 23 – 24
Hashtag: #TOPOSummit
Location: San Francisco, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
CRM Evolution
Type: CRM
Date: April 27 – 29, 2020
Hashtag: #CRMEvolution
Location: Washington, DC
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
CSO50
Type: Technology: risk
Date: April 27-29
Hashtag: #CSO50
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Conex
Type: Marketing
Date: April 28
Hashtag: #Conex
Location: San Francisco, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Sior TransACT 360
Type: Industrial/office CRM, network
Date: April 28 – May 2
Hashtag: #Transact360
Location: Indian Wells, CA
Click here to access the schedule.
PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference
Type: PR
Date: May 3–5
Hashtag: #CAPRSA
Location: Puerta Vallarta, Mexico
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Gartner Tech Growth & Innovation Conference
Type: Technology
Date: May 11 – 13
Hashtag: #GartnerTGI
Location: San Diego, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
C3
Type: SEO, Content Marketing
Date: May 12 – 13
Location: New York, NY
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
SAPPHIRE NOW and AGUS Annual Conference
Type: SAP, Technology
Date: May 12 – 14
Hashtag: #SAPPHIRENOW, #ASUG2020
Location: Orlando, FL
Click here to access a list of the sessions.
RECon
Type: CRE
Date: May 17 – 19
Hashtag: #CONFAB2020
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Click here to view the schedule.
Confab
Type: Content Strategy
Date: May 17-20
Hashtag: #CONFAB2020
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
BCTECH Summit
Type: Startup
Date: June 1st – 2nd
Hashtag: #BCTECHSummit
Location: Vancouver, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Realcomm
Type: CRE/Tech
Date: June 3-4
Location: Miami, FL
Click here to access a list of advisors.
Marcus & Millichap / IPA Multifamily Forum: Southern California
Type: Multifamily
Date: June 4
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Commercial Real Estate Finance Council
Type: CRE
Date: June 8-10
Hashtag: #CREFC
Location: New York, NY
Click here to access the conference program.
IABC World Conference
Type: Communications/PR
Date: June 14-17
Hashtag: #IABC20
Location: Chicago, IL
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
DigiMarCon Midwest 2020
Type: Digital Marketing
Date: June 17-18
Location: Chicago, IL
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Social Media Week LA
Type: Digital Marketing, PR
Date: June 17-18
Hashtag: #SMWLA
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Spark + AI Summit
Type: Technology: AI
Date: June 22-25
Hashtag: #SparkAISummit
Location: San Francisco, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
BOMA
Type: CRE/Tech
Date: June 27-30, 2020
Hashtag: #BOMA2020
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Click here to access the conference program.
MozCon
Type: Marketing
Date: July 6-8
Hashtag: #MozCon
Location: Seattle, WA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
MGS New York 20
Type: Technology: mobile app
Date: July 16, 2020
Hashtag: #MGS20
Location: New York, NY
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
MS Inspire
Type: MS Partner
Date: July 19-23
Hashtag: #MSInspire
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Tom Ferry Success Summit 2020
Type: Real Estate Training
Date: July 20
Hashtag: #tomferrysummit
Location: Anaheim, CA
Inbound
Type: B2B and B2C
Date: August 18-21, 2020
Hashtag: #INBOUND2020
Location: Boston, MA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers from last year.
VOcation NYC
Type: Voiceover
Date: September 11-13
Hashtag: #VOcationNYC
Location: New York, NY
Click here to access a list of past speakers and judges.
Disrupt SF 2020
Type: Startup
Date: September 14-16
Hashtag: #DisruptSF
Location: San Francisco, CA
Click here to access a list of past speakers and judges.
CREW Network Convention
Type: CRE Network
Date: September 15-17
Hashtag: #crewconvention
Location: Austin, TX
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
B2B Marketing Expo
Type: Marketing
Date: September 16-17
Hashtag: #B2BMarketing20
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
Elevate
Type: Technology
Date: September 20-26, 2020
Hashtag: #ElevateTechFest, #Elevate2020
Location: Toronto, CA
Click here to apply to become a 2020 speaker or check the list of 2019 conference speakers.
Advertising Week
Type: Marketing, Tech
Date: October 5-8
Hashtag: #AWNewYork
Location: New York, NY
Click here to access a list of past conference speakers.
CRE.Converge
Type: CRE
Date: October 6-8
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Click here to access the agenda.
The Incite Marketing Summit
Type: Marketing
Date: October 13-14
Hashtag: #incitesummit
Location: New York, NY
Click here to access a list of past conference speakers.
Content Marketing World
Type: Content Marketing
Date: October 13-16
Hashtag: #CMWorld
Location: Cleveland, OH
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
MBA Annual Convention & Expo
Type: Real Estate Finance
Date: October 18-21
Hashtag: #mbaannual20
Location: Chicago, IL
Sior CREate 360
Type: Sale/Leasing of CRE
Date: October 22-24
Hashtag: #CREate360
Location: Boston, MA
CoreNet Global Summit North America
Type: Corporate Real Estate
Date: October 25-28
Hashtag: #CoreNetGlobalSummit
Location: Washington, DC
Mid-Atlantic Voiceover “Get Inspired”Conference 2020
Type: Voiceover
Date: November 6-8
Hashtag: #MAVO2020
Location: San Francisco, CA
Click here to access the conference schedule.
Dreamforce
Type: Technology
Date: November 9-12
Hashtag: #DF20
Location: San Francisco, CA
Click here to access a list of conference speakers.
ICSC New York Deal Making
Type: Retail Real Estate
Date: December 8-10
Hashtag: #ICSCNYDM
Location: New York, NY
Click here to view the full schedule.
Closing Thoughts
As you can see, there are many conferences to choose from when planning your annual itinerary. In order to avoid wasting time, resources, and money, it’s crucial to do your research ahead of time and determine which conferences will help you get closer to your goals. We hope this list helps!
