Social media conferences and the current coronavirus pandemic
If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering what you should do concerning social media conferences in the age of the coronavirus. I was lucky enough to attend both Social Media Marketing World as well as Podfest in the first week of March shortly before the global economy was shutdown. A conference that I am supposed to speak at in April, the Content Marketing Conference, has decided to host a completely virtual conference this year. I suspect more conferences will do the same, with some of them potentially offering steep discounts and including free admission for the following year for those that commit to attending virtually this year.
While some events I was supposed to speak at in May have rescheduled for July and September, it is still too early to know what will happen. That’s why if you are interested in attending one of the social media conferences below, I highly recommend you reach out to the organizers to both show your support as well as find out if they have any special incentives if you buy a ticket now.
The remainder of this article, therefore, is still relevant because I believe these conferences will either still go on virtually or postponed to a later date when it is safe for all to travel.
Why attend a social media conference?
It goes without saying that social media is always changing. There is no better way to tap into the collective wisdom of experts than by attending social media conferences where you can:
- learn from subject matter experts, such as corporate practitioners, well-known bloggers, authors, and speakers, in the field
- network with other corporate practitioners and professionals to compare notes on best practices
- discover new social media tools that might help you do more with less
- stay ahead of the curve!
Which are the 39 best social media conferences to attend in 2020?
Rather than create a comprehensive list of all of the marketing and social media conferences that exist, I provide you my annual list of conferences that I have vetted from either presenting at, attending, or knowing first-hand of the experiences from others who have attended. Social media conferences with a strong track record obviously are featured in this list, but I also went out of my way to add new and promising events to the list as well as some other major conferences that I might have omitted from pervious lists.
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of digital and social media marketing, these are the must-attend marketing social media conferences in 2020! Social media conferences are presented in chronological order for your convenience with information about the date and events venue city. Note that as Social Media Replaces Nothing Yet Complements Everything and the fact that Social is a Subset of Digital, this year I am also including broader digital marketing conferences and marketing conferences that I think social media marketers would be interested in attending.
Note that there are still many conferences where dates have been announced but speakers have not been. Make sure you bookmark this page and check back often as speakers will be added as they are announced,
Affiliate Summit West 2020
Jan 27-29, 2020, Las Vegas NV
Learn and network with more than 6,000 digital marketers from over 70 countries, who will all gather in Las Vegas for the performance marketing industry’s premier global event.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Geno Prussakov – CEO, AM Navigator
- Shawn Collins – Co-CEO, Affiliate Summit
- Tim Burd – Co-Founder, AdLeaks
- Wade Tankin – Senior Affiliate Manager, Fanatics
- David Vogelpohl – Vice President, WP Engine
With affiliate marketing more frequently being identified as part of influencer marketing, I expect this to be a great conference for brands wanting to engage with influencers who are also affiliates.
Check out a recap of the 2019 event for a feel for the experience:
Friends Of Search Conference
February 04, 2020, Amsterdam, Netherlands
This international conference is geared towards marketing professionals in need of search engine marketing inspiration and who want to stay up to date on the most important international developments and want to be aware of how other companies use their search-engine marketing and search engine optimization.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Rik van der Kooi – Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Advertising
- Brad Geddes – Co-Founder, AdAlysis
- Martin Rottgerding – Head of SEA, Bloofusion Germany
- Bastian Grimm – CEO and Co-Founder, Peak Ace AG
- Sander Janssen – Head of Digital, Freo
I have many European fans who always ask me about the best social media conferences in Europe, so here’s one that I recommend!
PubCon Austin 2020
February 6, 2020, Austin TX
Pubcon Austin attendees will learn the most effective strategies in SEO, PPC, social media, content development, social media advertising, local search, Google Analytics, mobile, video and more.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Adam Reimer – President, Adam Reimer Marketing LLC
- Amy Bishop – Owner / Digital Media Consultant, Cultivative LLC
- Bill Hartzer – SEO Consultant, Hartzer Consulting
- Bill Rice – CEO, Kaleidico Digital Marketing
- Blake Denman – Founder and President, RicketyRoo Inc.
PubCon is one of the longest running traditional digital marketing conferences around that is always of high quality.
SMX West Search Marketing Expo
February 19-20, 2019, Chicago IL
Two days of expert-led, tactic-rich SEO and SEM sessions, more intimate networking, and an opportunity to learn from leading marketing solution providers.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Jessica Bowman – Editor-at-large, Search Engine Land
- Sandhaya Guntreddy – Principal Program Manager, Microsoft
- Daniel Waisberg – Search Advocate, Google
- Aaron Levy – Group Director, SEM at Tinuiti
- Benu Aggarwal – Milestone, INC, President
Here’s what you will learn at SMX West:
B2B Marketing Exchange
February 24-26, 2020, Scottsdale AZ
A must-attend for performance marketers managing the complex sales cycles and group buying realities common in B2B industries with 1,000+ B2B marketers and 100+ speakers covering buyer preferences, engagement trends, top marketing channels, and best practices.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Tamsen Webster – Strategist and TEDx Producer
- Todd Henry – Author of Herding Tigers and The Accidental Creative
- Pam Didner – Author, Speaker, and Owner of Relentless Pursuit LLC
- Sarah Schreiner – Senior Strategy Analyst, Client Experience, ADP
- Danny Nail – Head of Global Account Based Marketing, SAP
This video should give you a feel for the event:
Social Media Marketing World
March 1-3, 2020, San Diego CA
Join thousands of fellow marketers and influencers at the mega-conference designed to empower you with business-building ideas and actionable tips from more than 100 of the worldโs top pros who specialize in marketing with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Messenger, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, along with social strategy, social advertising, content marketing, video marketing, analytics, and customer advocacy.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Mari Smith – Leading Facebook Expert
- Jasmine Star – Instagram Expert
- Mark Schaefer – Social Futurist
- Jay Baer – Social Customer Service Authority
- Michael Stelzner – Founder, Social Media Examiner
SXSW
March 13-22, 2020, Austin TX
Join the worldโs largest gathering of creative professionals, celebrating the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The SXSW Conference provides an opportunity for global professionals at every level to participate, network, and advance their careers. Join the worldโs largest gathering of creative professionals, celebrating the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Melanie Perkins – CEO and co-founder, Canva
- Chris Hughes – Entrepreneur and Facebook co-founder
- Sandy Carter – Vice President of Public Sector Partners and Programs, Amazon Web Services
- Rohit Bhargava – Founder and Chief Trend Curator, Non-Obvious Company
- Camille Francois – Chief Innovation Officer, Graphika
PubCon Florida 2020
March 24-26, 2020, Miami FL
Multi-track, educational sessions and workshops that provide the information attendees need to revamp and improve their online marketing strategies. Attendees will have multiple opportunities to interact with our expert-level speakers, get answers to their questions, and to network with fellow attendees, where they gain additional insights and effective strategies in SEO, PPC, social media, content development, social media advertising, local search, Google Analytics, mobile, video and more.
Confirmed speakers include: (PubCon Florida roster of speakers not yet available)
Adobe Summit
March 29 – April 02, 2020, Las Vegas NV
The premier event for digital marketing professionals, Adobe Summit has the latest insights from the worldโs leading digital marketing experts.
Confirmed speakers include
- Satya Nadella – CEO, Microsoft
- Mindy Kaling – Actress, Writer, Producer
- Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints
- Hubert Joly – CEO, Best Buy
- Susan Johnson – CMO, Suntrust Bank
Traffic And Conversion Summit
March 31 – April 02, 2020, San Diego CA
Join 6,000+ marketers to learn whatโs new, whatโs hot, and whatโs actually working RIGHT NOW in digital marketing.
Confirmed speakers include
- Ezra Firestone – Co-Founder and CEO, BOOM! By Cindy Joseph
- Mari Smith – CEO, Mari Smith International, Inc.
- Mark Roberge – Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School
- Richard Lindner – President, DigitalMarketer
- Roland Frasier – CEO, War Room Mastermind
Digital Sales & Marketing World 2020
April 5-7, 2020, Hartford CT
Gain insight and inspiration from world-renowned keynote speakers, make valuable connections through countless networking opportunities and dive deep and set actionable goals at role and industry-specific summits.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Marcus Sheridan – Author of Best-Selling Book ‘They Ask, You Answer’
- Ramon Ray – Editor and Founder, Smart Hustle Magazine
- Liz Moorehead – Director of Web and Interactive Content, IMPACT
This conference was formerly known as IMPACT Live and is co-founded by the best-selling author Marcus Sheridan.
CXL Live 2020
April 5-7, 2020, Austin TX
CXL Live 2020 is a 3-day long growth, conversion optimization, and experimentation event for mid-to-large sized enterprises. This is a must-attend conference for people responsible for driving growth through optimization and experimentation.
Confirmed speakers include
- Ronny Kohavi – VP and Technical Fellow, AirBnB
- Dave Gerhardt – VP Marketing, Drift
- Cassandra Campbell – Testing and Experimentation Lead, Shopify
- Jason Barbato – VP of Growth, Orange Pegs
- Sophia Liu – Senior Data Scientist, Netflix
Midwest Digital Marketing Conference
April 8-10, 2020, St. Louis, MO
The Midwest Digital Marketing Conference is the largest digital marketing conference in the Midwest. The 2019 conference was attended by nearly 2,000 marketers and they expect more this year featuring over 100 speakers including Google, LinkedIn, GoDaddy, Johnson & Johnson, Adobe, Purina over 80 sessions across nine tracks: Data, Digital, Social Media, Creative, E-commerce, Innovation, Academic, Tech and Entrepreneurship.
Confirmed speakers include
- Raashi Rosenberger – Global Brand Marketing, Google
- Ashley Aubuchon-Arcand – Lead Digital Activist & Executive Program Manager, IBM
- Pearce Delisle – North American Manager, Content Marketing Consultants
LinkedIn - Mike Allton – Brand Evangelist, Agorapulse
- Heidi Cohen – Chief Content Officer, Actionable Marketing Guide
MarTech West
April 15-17, 2020, San Jose CA
Become a master of marketing in the digital age, and connect with a thriving community of senior-level marketers while participating in an expertly-crafted program loaded with creative, real-world, vendor-agnostic solutions and actionable tactics for overcoming sticky marketing challenges.
Confirmed speakers include: (MarTech West roster of speakers not yet available)
ContentTECH Summit
April 20-22, 2020, San Diego CA
Come to ContentTECH Summit to learn how new technologies and innovative processes are fundamentally changing what our work will look like in the next two to five years; and learn from practitioners and experts in content technology and marketing strategy. Both speakers and attendees are trailblazing pioneers who have set the bar for epic content marketing through technology.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Robert Rose – Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute
- Sean Amster – Digital Marketing Manager, Henry Company
- Amy Balliett – Founder and CEO, Killer Visual Strategies
- Andrew Cafourek – Founder, Lat Long
- Jeff Coyle – Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, MarketMuse
Content Marketing Conference
April 21-23, 2020, Boston MA
CMCโs core focus is to deliver the tactics and techniques you need to grow your business organicallyโthe content marketing way. Learn how your brand can tap mystery, humor, intimacy, and authenticity to humanize your content and boost content marketing performance.
Confirmed speakers include;
- Ann Handley – Best-Selling Author and Founder, MarketingProfs
- Byron White – Founder of WriterAccess and the Content Marketing Conference
- AJ Wilcox – President, B2Linked
- Lee Odden – CEO, TopRank Marketing
- Dennis Yu – CEO, BlitzMetrics
I have spoken at multiple Content Marketing Conference events and love the rich content that they deliver. They also have a unique lineup of content marketing comedians that surely make this a unique event not to miss if you are a content marketer!!!
Advanced Search Summit: Napa
April 22-24, 2020, Napa Valley CA
Discover a conference series that is devoted to developing your skills as a SEO/SEM professional. Network with industry thought leaders, learn their advanced tactics, and bring back actionable data that will improve your success!
Confirmed speakers include:
- Jim Boykin – CEO, Internet Marketing Ninjas
- William Sears – VP SEO, SlickDeals
- Marty Weintraub – Founder, Aimclear
- Joe Sinkwitz – CEO, Intellifluence
- Jacqueline Urick – Director SEM/SEO and UX, Sears
SiriusDecisions Summit 2020
May 3-6, 2020, Austin TX
Join more than 3,200 marketers for four full days of data-driven best practices research, unveiling of new innovations across the b-to-b space and networking with an elite community of sales, marketing and product leaders.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
Social Media Week: New York
May 5-7, 2020, New York NY
Social Media Week brings together marketing, media and technology professionals from more than 50 countries with a curiosity and passion for new ideas, innovations and emerging trends in social media.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Rishad Tobaccowala – Chief Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe
- Pam Wasserstein – President, Vox Media
- Joe Marchese – CEO, Attention Capital
- Quinn Kilbury – Head of Partnerships & Consumer Experience, Heineken USA
- Alison Moore – CEO, Comic Relief USA
In the United States, Social Media Week: New York continues to offer the most compelling speaker lineup of all Social Media Week events. If you can’t make it to New York for this event, be on the lookout for Social Media Week events in urban areas closer to where you live.
DigiMarCon New York 2020
May 7-8, 2020, New York NY
DigiMarCon New York 2020 sessions will focus on building traffic, expanding brand awareness, improving customer service and gaining insight into todayโs latest digital tools. Hear from some of the most audacious and thought provoking speakers in the digital marketing industry and gain insight into emerging strategies, the latest innovative technologies, and best practices to move your business to the next level.
Confirmed speakers include
- Christi Olson – Head of Evangelism for Search and Advertising – Microsoft
- Jason Falls – Director of Digital and Social Strategy, Cornett
- Rand Fishkin – Co-Founder and CEO, SparkToro
- Loni Stark – Senior Director for Strategy and Product Marketing, Adobe
- Allen Gannett – CSO, Skyword
Next10x Conference 2020
May 13, 2020, Boston MA
The Next10x Conference promises actionable ideas to help prepare yourself and position your company to survive and thrive in the changing digital marketing landscape.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Rand Fishkin – Co-Founder, SparkToro
- Purna Virji – Senior Manager of Global Engagement, Microsoft
- Eric Enge – General Manager, Perficient Digital
- Jessica Grammer – Senior SEO Advisor, FedEx
- Erin Everhart – Senior Manager of Commerce Marketing, The Home Depot
I spoke at the very first Next10X Conference and was very impressed with the high quality and thought leadership level of the speakers, content, and attendees.
DigiMarCon Canada 2020
May 13-14, 2020, Toronto, Ontario Canada
Learn, connect and gain insight into emerging strategies, the latest innovative technologies, and best practices from the biggest names in digital marketing and leave with practical ways to harness the power of digital in your business.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Allen Gannett – Chief Executive Officer, TrackMaven
- Arnie Kuenn – Chief Executive Officer, Vertical Measures
- Ben Soubies – Head of APAC, Talkwalker
- Dave Kerpen – Chief Executive Officer, Likeable Local
- Jason Falls – Director of Digital & Social Strategy, Cornett
Confab: The Content Strategy Conference
May 17-20, 2020, Minneapolis MN
From UX to storytelling, accessibility to structure, Confab brings together those who are committed to making content more useful and usable.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Sarah Richards – Founder, Content Design Centre
- Aaron Baker – Associate Director of Content Strategy, Harvard University
- Beth Dunn – UX Operations Lead, HubSpot
- Malaika Carpenter – Founder and Principal Consultant, SayCred Media Group LLC
- Andy Welfle – Senior Content Strategist, Adobe
Gartner Marketing Symposium / XPO 2020
June 1-3, 2020, San Diego CA
Join over 1,600 marketing executives for an unparalleled program designed for CMOs and their leadership teams. Gain insights into a range of topics, from customer experience to market insights and the marketing technologies that fuel your marketing strategy to deliver results in today’s fast-paced environment.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Christi Eubanks – Managing Vice President, Gartner
- Andrew Frank – Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
- Maureen Murphy – L2 Co-Founder, CSO Gartner
- Christopher Ross – VP Analyst, Gartner
- Jennifer Polk – VP Analyst, Gartner
GrowthHackers Conference 2020
June 4, 2020, San Francisco CA
The GrowthHackers conference features a great lineup of speakers who will share their first-hand knowledge and experience gained from growing some of today’s fastest growing companies. A full day event for professionals and entrepreneurs who are looking to push the boundaries of growth innovation. These range from growth-stage startups to large public corporations.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Sean Ellis – Founder, GrowthHackers
- Nancy Hensley – Chief Digital Officer, IBM
- Hila Qu – VP Growth, Acorns
- Kevin Ma – Project Manager, Wish
Content Marketing Summit Asia
June 4-5, 2020, Tokyo, Japan
Content Marketing Summit is a premier event where some of the greatest minds, savvy brands, renowned publishers, innovative technology enablers and leading practitioners from across the world come together to explore the exciting world of content marketing.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers for Japan not published yet)
VidCon 2020
June 17-20, 2020, Anaheim CA
VidCon is an annual conference for people who love and make online video. Top digital leaders will share strategies for success that will inspire you to build your own success, and top execs from the leading video platforms will present and answer your questions as well.
Confirmed speakers include
- Matthew Patrick – Creator, Game Theory / Film Theory / GT Live
- Rachel Ballinger – YouTuber
- Ricky Dillon – YouTuber, singer and entertainer
- Joey Graceffa – Lifestyle personality, Brand Ambassador
- Hank Green – CEO, Complexly
If you are looking to get ahead with your video marketing efforts or develop relationships with and learn from influencers who are well established on YouTube, this will be the best conference for you to attend.
MozCon
July 6-8, 2020, Seattle WA
MozCon is a three-day, one-track journey into the deepest realms of search marketing. This is a great opportunity to connect with an incredible community of experts and uncover tactical advice from industry-leading practitioners in the vast world of SEO, mobile, conversion optimization, local search, and more.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Andy Crestodina – Co-founder/CMO, Orbit Media Studios
- Britney Muller – Senior Search Scientist, Moz
- Casie Gillette – Senior Director for Digital Marketing, KoMarketing
- Dana DiTomaso – President & Partner, Kick Point
- Dr. Pete Meyers – Marketing Scientist, Moz
Considering that this event comes from the well-respected SEO experts at MOZ, it has a reputation as being one of the best – if not the best – conference to attend if SEO is your thing.
Podcast Movement Dallas 2020
August 5-8, 2020, Dallas TX
Featuring breakout sessions and panels spread across seven topic-focused tracks, Podcast Movement 2020 will be joined by over 3,000 podcasters from around the world for over 200 educational sessions, the 100+ exhibitor trade show, and the best parties and networking opportunities in podcasting.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
If you are looking to dive deeper into podcasting, this is the must-attend social media conference.
INBOUND2020
August 18-21, 2020, Boston MA
INBOUND is an annual experience uniting super curious, question-asking professionals across diverse disciplines, walks of life and professions with big-name and break-out industry thinkers, high-octane events, and boundless education sessions.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
Note that this event has traditionally been held in October and often overlapped with the timing of the Content Marketing World conference. Since INBOUND will be in August, you now have no excuse to attend BOTH of these leading events!
Brand ManageCamp
September 15-16, 2020, Las Vegas NV
Named as one of Forbes’ “Must-Attend” Marketing Conferences, Brand ManageCamp presents speakers and workshops that will give you a 360 degree view of a brand through a broad variety of content. Furthermore, every session is designed and planned so that you walk away from this brand marketing event with actionable insights, tools, and techniques that you can use right away.
Confirmed speakers include: (speakers have not been announced yet)
Advertising Week New York 2020
October 5-8, 2020, New York NY
Advertising Week is a worldwide gathering of marketing, advertising, technology and brand professionals.
Confirmed speakers include: (speakers have not been announced yet)
MarTech East
October 6-8, 2020, Boston MA
An experience designed for senior-level marketers charged with assembling marketing technology stacks and teams that deliver exceptional customer experiences and measurable results. Two incredibly intense days of sessions, keynotes, and networking (three with a workshop!); an unrivaled opportunity to meet your peers and connect with leading marketing technology vendors.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
Reach 2020
October 7-8, 2020, Chicago IL
Reach 2020 promises to provide new insight and a path to grow your customer base in today’s market. Hear uncensored opinions and advice from some of the best minds in software marketing and sales and learn new ways to talk to your customers, to solve their problems, and to invigorate your team. In addition, you’ll have the ability to network with the industry’s thought leaders, and it never hurts to make new connections.
Confirmed speakers include: (information not published yet)
Content Marketing World Conference And Expo
October 13-16, 2020, Cleveland OH
Learn from the best in the content marketing community and spend four days with the #CMWorld community. Over 125 sessions and workshops presented by the leading brand marketers and experts from around the world, for an expected 4,000 marketers from over 60 countries.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Joe Pulizzi – The Godfather of Content Marketing, Author, and Founder of the Content Marketing Institute and Content Marketing World
- Tamsen Webster – CEO, Find the Red Thread
- Robert Rose – Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute.
- Scott Stratten – President, UnMarketing
- Andrew and Peter – Founders, Andrew and Pete
The oldest and definitive conference on content marketing period. With guest speakers like Henry Rollins of Black Flag, you know this conference is special!
Web Summit
November 2-5, 2020, Lisbon Portugal
Web Summit has become โEuropeโs largest and most important technology marketplaceโ, a crossroads for the worldโs largest buyers and sellers of technology.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers not announced yet)
MarketingProfs B2B Forum
November 3-6, 2020, San Francisco CA
Leaders, innovators, and people who make things happen gather to learn about the latest in B2B marketing and share the secrets to success.
Confirmed speakers include: (information not published yet)
This is probably the best and longest-running B2B marketing conference that exists. It used to be held annually in Boston, but recently has shifted to San Francisco.
Social Fresh 2020
November 5-6, 2020, Orlando, FL
Social Fresh is one of – if not the – longest running social marketing conference and this will be their 23rd event over 10 years. Social Fresh is where social marketing leaders go to learn, and they pride themselves on hosting the highest quality presentations in the industry. Speakers are featured on one main stage with one track. Social Fresh works one-on-one with each speaker to make sure every brand story and tactical session is highly actionable.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Miri Rodriguez – Head of Global Internship Program, Microsoft
- Jenny Fowler – Director of Social Media Strategy, MIT
- Scott Monty – CEO & President, Scott Monty Strategies
- Katie Richmand – Social Video Production Team Lead, Facebook
- Tatiana Holifield – VP/Head of Digital Strategy, Pacers
Dreamforce
November 9-12, 2020, San Francisco CA
From inspiring keynotes and sessions to visionary thinking to discovering the future of technology to actually changing the world, itโs a truly empowering four days and an event you wonโt want to miss.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers not announced yet)
With social selling, sales enablement, and employee advocacy programs bringing sales and marketing teams together, Dreamforce is not a pure sales conference anymore!
Are there any must see 2020 social media conferences which are missing from the list? Please contact me and let me know!
Social Media Conferences 2020 FAQs
Social media can help in the success of a conference. It allows an organizer to reach out to potential attendees and create engagement with conference-goers. Nowadays, you can easily find a conference or an event by searching a hashtag, checking the speaker’s website, and even social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Here are 5 marketing tips for an effective social media strategy: First, determine your target audience. Second, select the social media platform that works best for your brand/business. Third, produce quality content related to your strategy. Fourth, utilize marketing tools, and lastly, connect with fellow influencers within your niche.
Marketing conferences are one of the best ways to acquire new knowledge and expand your network. Attending marketing conferences allows you to gather wisdom from experts in your niche. Most marketing conferences are joined by professionals, subject matter experts, well-known bloggers, authors, and speakers.
Digital Summit is a series of marketing conferences including virtual, in-person, and hybrid events of digital marketing and strategies. It aims to educate, engage, and promote the growth of the digital marketing perspective among U.S regions. Every year, thousands of digital marketers, innovators, and entrepreneurs attend the summit.
No, social media marketing isn’t dead and it won’t be dead even in the next years. As of the recent statistics, 3.6 billion people worldwide use social media. That is almost 50% of the world’s population. It is also forecasted that it may increase to 4.41 billion in 2025. As long as the number increases, social media marketing will be relevant.
@nealschaffer
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Hi,
what about adding SEO4Life – it is a beneficial live stream SEO conference. It will be online at 02 April 2020, from 14:00 – 18:00 UTC
Hi Tomas – thanks for the comment. There are TONS of virtual livestream summits, which is a natural byproduct of the current pandemic. However this post is only focused on conferences that are primarily in-person events. Thanks for your understanding!
Obviously the USA is the only country in the world that holds social media conferences…..
Which is why I included non-USA conferences ;-) Thanks for your constructive feedback.
Thank you Neal! For Listing the Upcoming Social Media Summit.
My pleasure! Good luck!
Thanks Neal for the info. You are a true leader who always keep his followers up to date about the happenings around this delicate topic of social media platforms. I take my hat off for you. Keep it up. You are the best.
Thank you so much – I do try my best so I sincerely appreciate your comment!
Neal you might want to consider the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference on April 16-18 in St. Louis Missouri. It was listed as a “not to miss conference” by Forbes on 2018 and is very moderately priced for such a venue. http://www.bestmarketingconference.com. Best.
Thanks Perry! I’ll make sure to include it in my next revision!
Thanks for always including Content Marketing World, Neal! Our dates for 2019 have been set! We will be back in Cleveland, September 3-6. Would love to see you there!
Always a pleasure Monina! I always miss the application deadline for speakers – hopefully this year I will submit on time ;-)
Hii
Again neal i am impress with your article thank you for sharing this use full article on “The 20+ Best Social Media Conferences to Attend in 2018 and 2019” this topic
Thank you! Hope you find it useful!
Hi Neal,
This is a great list of conferences lined up from 2018 ~ 2019. As it is, I’m looking at the “Digital Innovation Summit in UK from October 3 ~ 4. That ‘s the one that fits my schedule.
Thanks for sharing.
You based in London my friend?
wow…vwery nice post…thanks sir..
Really appreciate you putting this list together! Thereโs one more integrated online marketing conference thatโs worth a mention. Itโs called ResponseCon, and itโs taking place in
October in 4 different cities. [link edited by admin]
Thank you – your event has been added to the list.
Great list Neal. Thanks for including the Spredfast Smart Social Summit. The event is taking place October 16-18, 2017 but the list has the date as October 2-4, 2017.
Appreciate any update, thank you!
Thanks – it seems that you changed the date as it was based on information from your website. Either way info has been updated.
where can i find out more about this event?
Thanks for the info!
I attended Social Media Marketing World’s conference two years in a row while employed at my previous job which paid for all accommodations. The conference is the reason I was able to leave that job and go on my own as a marketing consultant. It’s also one of the main reasons I moved to California from NY a month ago. This conference has magic in it. ;) (And it’s hands-down the best conference I’ve attended around marketing.)
Thanks for sharing your experience Cassaundra! See you at #smmw17 ? ;-)
I just attended and spoke at the Pubcon Summit in Florida. Turning in my speaker’s pitch for Pubcon in Las Vegas. Looking forward to it!
Good luck Heather!
Both SMSS and SMMW are invaluable…. always say I’m going to go back and watch all the videos/sessions I missed and never get to, but even the portion that I do consume is worth every penny.
Totally agree Rita! There is SO MUCH good content between the two of them!
Here’s another good Digital Marketing event that is happening in 15 different cities around the country.
I’ll be attending the Atlanta one in May. http://digitalsummit.com
Thanks for the add Monica!
I havent had the privilege of attending a conference yet but there are always so many on my one-day list! Someone needs to plan one in the center of the country -ya know, around Nashville area… I would help coordinate!
We might take you up on that offer Katie!!!
Would love to win a free pass, my friend went to this last year and said it was really informative!
It’s a great conference Tricia! Good luck with it!
Hey Neal!
Great list of conferences! I wanted to know if you could add one more. Spredfast Summit, happens in Austin, TX every October, here, 500+ social media leaders joined us from 200+ global brands, media, and agencies. Brands include American Airlines, ESPN, Target, Airbnb, etc.
We would love to be featured on your list for 2017. Please let me know how this is possible.
Thank you Ary. What is the date of your event in 2017?
When will this be updated for 2017? It’s almost here!
Coming soon, Lucas, coming soon! Any type of conference that you are particularly interested in?
Hi Neal,
We just wrapped up Spredfast Summit last week, where 500+ social media leaders from global brands joined us. Our dates for next year will be Oct. 2-4, 2017. [promotional link edited by admin] We would love it if you consider us for your list in 2017!
Thank you for your comment. Since your event is a social tools vendor event (as opposed to a true social media conference), it will be considered for that section next year. Thanks for your understanding.
Hi Neal,
Please consider putting our conference on for 2017 for New Zealand. We have just finished for 2016. I will get the dates to you for the next one which will be the forth one. We had delegates from South America, UK and Australia.
Here is the link for you to see what we did this year. Ps feedback was excellent.
socialmediaconference .co .nz [link edited by admin]
Thank you for the heads up! Please do come back when you have a firm date for 2017!
It’s hard to add a conference without a track record without knowing more about. Please explain in more detail here. Thanks!
Hi Neal – is there a conference you would recommend for B2B? I’m guessing a lot of the content at the events above will be heavily driven around consumer marketing, but I’m in need of best practices on social marketing to the enterprise.
Thanks for the comment! A lot of the conferences actually cover both B2B and B2C, but for B2B specific I would look at either B2B Marketing Profs, which is coming up in Boston in October, or my own Social Tools Summit, which is focused on the enterprise and will be in San Jose in October as well. Hope this helps!
Hi Neal,
I work for a State Govt in NIGERIA.We have a department that handles web and social media issues.
I would need your advise on which of the conferences will be,of immense benefit to the work we do.
Thank you
Hi Tayo, unfortunately the best social media conference for governments, the Government Social Media Conference, just finished in Reno, Nevada ;-( I would contact them so you can attend it in 2017!
Not just for pet owners, or bloggers (but since pets WILL be in attendance, and lots of them), you should probably at least LIKE them.โบ The BlogPaws Social Media and Pet Bloggers conference is June 22-25, 2016 in Phoenix, AZ (Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass). Learning sessions covering every aspect of social media marketing are offered, and this year, there’s a writing track too. Day passes will be available closer to the event. http://blogpaws.com/events/2016-conference/ P.S. The food rocks!
Thanks for letting me know!
it is going to be unfair to not list Social Media Summit 2016 in Dubai. The biggest social media summit in the Middle East http://www.socialmediamiddleeast.com/
Thanks – we’ll look into adding it!
Hi Neal, thanks for the great list. I am looking to attend at least one good conference this year. From the list above which do you think best lends to TV on social media? I work for a TV group and am looking to take TV on digital to the next level. Let me know, thanks.
Hey Justin, thanks for the comment! Unfortunately I do not know of any specifically for social TV, but there is a great one put on by my co-founder of the Social Tools Summit that you should check out called the Over the Top Video Executive Summit. Hope the info helps!
Don’t forget about “The Employee Advocacy Conference” May 11th – 12th in the Greater Boston Area! :) #amplifysocial
Thanks Daniel – it has been added to the new bottom section ;-)
Thank you! This one was not on my radar but now it is! Will be adding to the list.
Hi – I was wondering if you could recommend a conference (western portion of the US) that might have focus on non-profits (animals particularly) ?
Thanks for your article – very informative!
Do you have an opinion about the Social Media Strategy Summit?
It’s a great event – I had the honor of speaking the closing keynote there in Las Vegas earlier this year. Highly recommended! Does this answer your question?
Is there a good conference for learning about the best ways to document social media contacts? For example, something to learn more about Facebook analytics and the best ways to keep track of data when it comes to social media? Thanks!
Hi Christina, unfortunately there isn’t – but I will soon be launching a community that will have live events that will answer questions like that. Please sign up to my email list to be informed when we launch!
Christina, Neal, hi! What about engage2016.com social media summit, which is organised by Socialbakers, the biggest social analytics company? They have speakers from the likes of NASA, Universal and L’Oreal, and it’s a very big event. I’ve been there last year and it was over 1000 social media marketers there. I think it’s worth adding to your list.
Thanks for the input Kate! In all honesty, this is one that I hadn’t heard of but looks great! I added it to the list … do let me know if you’re still looking for speakers ;-)
Awesome, Neal! I think the speakers list is still open (engage2016.com/get-involved). If your May schedule allows, definitely drop a line to [email protected].
Thanks Kate! Unfortunately I don’t have a travel budget to fly to Prague … ;-(
Sorry to hear that, Neal! Maybe see you in New York, then? ;) P.S. I noticed that you wrote that Engage started in 2015. It’s actually been around every year starting with New York in 2012. http://www.socialbakers.com/events/engage/2012. In 2015 it was Prague followed by London-Dubai-SaoPaulo-MexicoCity-New York tour. So it’s not Europe-targeted, but global event. :)
Thanks for letting me know Kate! I will revise accordingly ;-)
Hi Neal,
I would like to know if these conference focus on the US market only?
If so is there any conference in Australia you could recommend?
Hey Melissa, nope, I try to find information on the larger conferences … unfortunately none from Australia have popped up on my radar yet, although I do believe Content Marketing World does an event in Australia. Hope that helps!
Also PR News’ Big 4 Social Media Conference in San Francisco! http://www.big4conference.com/
Thanks for the heads up Jessica!
Hey Neal! I am a college student trying to look into media conferences that I could attend that would help broaden my horizons. Are there any conferences that a college student could attend?
Skyler, I have seen college students at conferences like Social Media Marketing World. Don’t be shy – come on out to ones on this list that make sense! To further answer your question, unfortunately I have not seen an event specifically for college students vis a vis social media…
You might consider adding Marketing Festival to this list. It takes place on 26th – 28th November 2015 in Brno, Czech Republic.
We provide no-bullshit content, world-class speakers, focused workshops, innovational case studies and to top it all of, a proper festival atmosphere with countless parties, solid networking and live gigs.
Check out our website @ http://www.marketingfestival.cz/en
Hope to see you there!
Jan
Thanks for letting us know Jan! Love the no-bullshit content approach ;-)
Thanks for the input Carolyn!
Social Shakeup recently announced London dates for this year! http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/2015-03-24/social-shake-coming-london
Thanks for keeping us in the loop Heather!
I see lots of conferences for marketers and entrepreneurs; are there any you can recommend that are specific to “how to” — like using WordPress, HootSuite, etc — for posting blogs……
Hi Wanda, some of these conferences actually do have workshops that go through how to use tools. But rather than a social media conference, you might want to Google for local workshops or even use online classes from Lynda, Udemy, etc.
Thanks for the list. We’ll be attending Victoria’s Social Media Camp as well as #CIMC2015 in Squamish, BC.
Thanks for letting us know – we’ll see you in Victoria!
Neal – Thanks so much for recommending Social Media Marketing World!
Of course Michael – the premier event of the year! I am honored to be a part of it!
Hi Neal, Thanks for the great list. I would love to attend one of these conferences. I will have to look into them and choose the best for me.
Thanks Tony! Hope to see you at at least one of them!
Great list here, Neal. I don’t know if this would go along with social media, but the second annual Podcast Movement that is scheduled to be held in Ft. Worth, Texas from July 31st-August 2.
I am thinking about attending one of the conferences you mentioned here as well.
Thanks for letting me know Cheval!
You are welcome, Neal.
Thanks Neal ! Was wondering if there is any in Asia, specifically India.
Thanks Rahul! I’m sure there are .. hopefully others will chime in in these comments!
Thanks Neal. I have registered for Social Media Marketing World in March. I hope to meet you there.
Thanks Denny! Hope to meet you there!!!
Be sure to also check out the Canadian Internet Marketing Conference, Canada’s largest Internet Marketing conference. http://www.digitalbuzz.ca has all the details. The who’s who of digital strategy will be there.
Thanks for letting me know Darian! As you know this is a list of social media conferences – how much social media will be covered at this Internet Marketing conference?
Thanks for the shout out. However the correct dates for Social Media Camp in Victoria BC are May 21-23, 2015.
We hope to see you there.
Sorry about that! I’ll revise it right away! Thanks!