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 well-known bloggers, authors, and speakers, in the field
- network with other corporate practitioners to compare notes on best practices
- discover new social media tools that might help you do more with less
Which are the best social media conferences to attend in 2019?
Rather than create a comprehensive list of all of the 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, especially some user conferences that aren’t specifically focused on, but will include a great deal of information about, social media.
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of social media, these are the must-attend social media conferences in 2019! Social media conferences are presented in chronological order for your convenience.
The Social Shake-Up – May 6-8, 2019 – Atlanta, Georgia
The Social Shake-Up Show on May 6-8, 2019 in Atlanta is the premier social media conference where Shakers will overthrow the status quo and redefine what social media means for their business, brand and future.
Confirmed speakers include:
- James Chong, Senior Manager of Social Customer Engagement, TOMS
- Brandi Boatner, Social and Influencer Communications Lead, Global Markets, IBM
- Carmen Shirkey Collins, Senior Social Media & Talent Brand Lead, Cisco
- Miri Rodriguez, Storyteller, Microsoft
- Allen Plummer, Head of Editorial and Creative Operations, Vanguard
MozCon – July 15-17, 2019 – Seattle, Washington
Sponsored by arguably one of the largest online marketing firms in the world, Moz, this is THE conference you will want to attend if you are a more advanced digital marketer and you manage more than just social media. Learn about the latest trends in the world of search engine optimization, social media marketing, content marketing, branding, conversion rate optimization, search engine marketing, among others. Get to know their exceptional speakers. Learn about their actionable tactics. Grab those tasty snacks. This is a fun-filled event you wouldn’t want to miss. Speakers have yet to be announced but rest assured it will be an all-star cast!
INBOUND – September 3-6, 2019 – Boston, Massachusetts
In the past INBOUND has had names like Michelle Obama, John Cena, Beth Comstock, Brené Brown, and Shonda Rhimes on the keynote stage. In 2019, more keynoters will inspire you with their visions for the future of marketing, sales, and business.
INBOUND 2018 featured almost 300 breakout sessions from some of the biggest names and brightest minds in sales and marketing. INBOUND 2018 was packed with dozens of new tactics to take your business to the next level—and 2019 will be too.
There’s more to INBOUND than just great content—it’s also a lot of fun! How could it not be with amazing entertainment (like Tiffany Haddish in 2017 and 2 Dope Queens in 2018), happy hours and parties, and food truck lunches. INBOUND isn’t just 24,000+ fellow attendees: it’s 24,000+ of your new best friends.
Speakers have yet to be confirmed – we’ll publish an update once they are!
Content Marketing World – September 3-6, 2019 – Cleveland, Ohio
Content Marketing World continues to be the largest content marketing event on the planet and thus deserves mention as one of the top social media conferences to attend. It’s the one event where you can learn and network with the best and the brightest in the content marketing industry.
You will leave with all the materials you need to take a content marketing strategy back to your team – and – to implement a content marketing plan that will grow your business and inspire your audience.
The speakers for 2019 have yet to be announced, so make sure to check back here often for updates!
Social Fresh – November 13-15, 2019 – Orlando, Florida
Social Fresh is a social media conference that will feature a plethora of tactical social media training focused for brands, and always actionable. As an attendee you will catch up on the latest industry trends while also updating your content creation process, social ad tactics, and social video strategy.. Learn from industry expert speakers, including executives from Bacardi, NBC, LinkedIn, Facebook, UPS, Peloton, and more.
Confirmed speakers for Social Fresh include
- Adrian Parker, VP of Marketing, Bacardi
- Megan Toth – Sr. Social Media Lead, NBC Universal
- Akili Ferrill – Global Marketing Solutions Media & Entertainment, Facebook
- Amber Naslund – Sr. Content Marketing Evangelist, LinkedIn
- Kate Winick – Director of Social Media, Peloton
Are there any must see 2019 social media conferences which are missing from the list? Please contact me and let me know!
@nealschaffer
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Perry D Drake says
October 21, 2018 at 4:30 amNeal 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. www.bestmarketingconference.com. Best.
Neal Schaffer says
October 21, 2018 at 5:10 pmThanks Perry! I’ll make sure to include it in my next revision!
Monina Wagner says
October 14, 2018 at 1:34 pmThanks 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!
Neal Schaffer says
October 14, 2018 at 4:44 pmAlways a pleasure Monina! I always miss the application deadline for speakers – hopefully this year I will submit on time ;-)
maynuddin says
September 24, 2018 at 2:29 amHii
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
Neal Schaffer says
September 24, 2018 at 12:47 pmThank you! Hope you find it useful!
Moss Clement says
September 22, 2018 at 3:49 pmHi 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.
Neal Schaffer says
September 22, 2018 at 6:39 pmYou based in London my friend?
Rani kumari says
January 13, 2018 at 3:17 amwow…vwery nice post…thanks sir..
Madilyn Abbie says
September 22, 2017 at 2:25 pmReally appreciate you putting this list together! There’s one more integrated online marketing conference that’s worth a mention. It’s called ResponseCon, and it’s taking place in
October in 4 different cities. [link edited by admin]
Neal Schaffer says
September 22, 2017 at 9:07 pmThank you – your event has been added to the list.
Alex Murray says
September 12, 2017 at 2:16 pmGreat 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!
Neal Schaffer says
September 13, 2017 at 11:48 amThanks – it seems that you changed the date as it was based on information from your website. Either way info has been updated.
Estelle keeber says
March 18, 2019 at 6:24 amwhere can i find out more about this event?
Neal Schaffer says
March 30, 2017 at 9:52 amThanks for the info!
Cassaundra Baber says
February 26, 2017 at 8:47 pmI 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.)
Neal Schaffer says
February 27, 2017 at 3:13 pmThanks for sharing your experience Cassaundra! See you at #smmw17 ? ;-)
Heather Heuman says
February 25, 2017 at 8:10 pmI 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!
Neal Schaffer says
February 26, 2017 at 5:42 pmGood luck Heather!
Rita Hechmer says
February 24, 2017 at 7:10 pmBoth 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.
Neal Schaffer says
February 24, 2017 at 8:18 pmTotally agree Rita! There is SO MUCH good content between the two of them!
Monica McPherrin says
February 21, 2017 at 11:11 amHere’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
Neal Schaffer says
February 21, 2017 at 12:54 pmThanks for the add Monica!
Katie Strader says
February 21, 2017 at 11:06 amI 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!
Neal Schaffer says
February 21, 2017 at 12:55 pmWe might take you up on that offer Katie!!!
Tricia W McGough says
February 21, 2017 at 10:22 amWould love to win a free pass, my friend went to this last year and said it was really informative!
Neal Schaffer says
February 21, 2017 at 1:01 pmIt’s a great conference Tricia! Good luck with it!
Ary Esfahani says
December 20, 2016 at 12:55 pmHey 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.
Neal Schaffer says
December 20, 2016 at 7:57 pmThank you Ary. What is the date of your event in 2017?
Lucas says
December 19, 2016 at 8:17 pmWhen will this be updated for 2017? It’s almost here!
Neal Schaffer says
December 20, 2016 at 11:18 pmComing soon, Lucas, coming soon! Any type of conference that you are particularly interested in?
Ary Esfahani says
November 2, 2016 at 11:58 amHi 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!
Neal Schaffer says
November 2, 2016 at 8:44 pmThank 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.
Wanita says
October 13, 2016 at 5:32 amHi 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]
Neal Schaffer says
October 13, 2016 at 5:32 pmThank you for the heads up! Please do come back when you have a firm date for 2017!
Neal Schaffer says
September 22, 2016 at 10:11 amIt’s hard to add a conference without a track record without knowing more about. Please explain in more detail here. Thanks!
thesnarkicist says
August 2, 2016 at 1:24 pmHi 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.
Neal Schaffer says
August 2, 2016 at 1:44 pmThanks 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!
Tayo Akanle says
May 14, 2016 at 11:47 amHi 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
Neal Schaffer says
May 16, 2016 at 11:02 pmHi 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!
Elizabeth Keene says
May 10, 2016 at 1:19 pmNot just for pet owners, or bloggers (but since pets WILL be in attendance, and lots of them), you should probably at least LIKE them.☺ 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!
Neal Schaffer says
May 10, 2016 at 5:58 pmThanks for letting me know!
Social Media Summit 2016 says
April 22, 2016 at 11:53 pmit 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/
Neal Schaffer says
April 24, 2016 at 1:45 pmThanks – we’ll look into adding it!
Justin Sternberg says
March 15, 2016 at 2:25 pmHi 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.
Neal Schaffer says
March 15, 2016 at 10:32 pmHey 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!
Daniel Lindros says
February 4, 2016 at 6:21 pmDon’t forget about “The Employee Advocacy Conference” May 11th – 12th in the Greater Boston Area! :) #amplifysocial
Neal Schaffer says
February 4, 2016 at 6:33 pmThanks Daniel – it has been added to the new bottom section ;-)
Allison says
February 2, 2016 at 8:42 amLeveraging Social Media for Corporate Communications and PR
June 1-3, 2016 in New York!
Advanced Learning Institute
https://www.aliconferences.com/events/leveraging-social-media-for-corporate-communications-pr/
Neal Schaffer says
February 2, 2016 at 9:46 amThank you! This one was not on my radar but now it is! Will be adding to the list.
KRYSTYN says
January 12, 2016 at 7:45 amHi – 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!
Teri Gibson says
November 17, 2015 at 4:49 pmDo you have an opinion about the Social Media Strategy Summit?
Neal Schaffer says
November 17, 2015 at 7:51 pmIt’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?
Christina says
July 29, 2015 at 9:05 amIs 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!
Neal Schaffer says
July 29, 2015 at 8:57 pmHi 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 at http://socialmediacoe.com to be informed when we launch!
Kate says
January 21, 2016 at 1:59 amChristina, 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.
Neal Schaffer says
January 21, 2016 at 12:33 pmThanks 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 ;-)
Kate says
January 24, 2016 at 4:43 amAwesome, 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]
Neal Schaffer says
January 24, 2016 at 11:53 amThanks Kate! Unfortunately I don’t have a travel budget to fly to Prague … ;-(
Kate says
January 28, 2016 at 4:35 amSorry 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. :)
Neal Schaffer says
January 28, 2016 at 11:01 amThanks for letting me know Kate! I will revise accordingly ;-)
Melissa Hughes says
July 12, 2015 at 6:32 pmHi 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?
Neal Schaffer says
July 12, 2015 at 8:01 pmHey 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!
Jessica says
July 6, 2015 at 9:13 amAlso PR News’ Big 4 Social Media Conference in San Francisco! http://www.big4conference.com/
Neal Schaffer says
July 6, 2015 at 10:56 pmThanks for the heads up Jessica!
Skyler Willian says
April 29, 2015 at 10:31 amHey 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?
Neal Schaffer says
April 29, 2015 at 3:46 pmSkyler, 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…
Jan Kostera says
April 29, 2015 at 8:18 amYou 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
Neal Schaffer says
April 29, 2015 at 3:44 pmThanks for letting us know Jan! Love the no-bullshit content approach ;-)
Neal Schaffer says
April 13, 2015 at 4:45 pmThanks for the input Carolyn!
Heather Dopson (@heatherdopson) says
April 10, 2015 at 3:40 pmSocial Shakeup recently announced London dates for this year! http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/2015-03-24/social-shake-coming-london
Neal Schaffer says
April 10, 2015 at 7:08 pmThanks for keeping us in the loop Heather!
Wanda Works says
March 5, 2015 at 5:32 amI 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……
Neal Schaffer says
March 5, 2015 at 9:00 amHi 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.
The Social Chicks says
January 21, 2015 at 9:59 amThanks for the list. We’ll be attending Victoria’s Social Media Camp as well as #CIMC2015 in Squamish, BC.
Neal Schaffer says
January 21, 2015 at 12:02 pmThanks for letting us know – we’ll see you in Victoria!
Michael A. Stelzner (@Mike_Stelzner) says
December 30, 2014 at 9:31 pmNeal – Thanks so much for recommending Social Media Marketing World!
Neal Schaffer says
December 31, 2014 at 1:20 amOf course Michael – the premier event of the year! I am honored to be a part of it!
Tony Woodall (@TonyWCMB) says
December 28, 2014 at 11:48 pmHi 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.
Neal Schaffer says
December 29, 2014 at 7:14 pmThanks Tony! Hope to see you at at least one of them!
Cheval John says
December 27, 2014 at 3:39 pmGreat 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.
Neal Schaffer says
December 27, 2014 at 4:49 pmThanks for letting me know Cheval!
Cheval John says
December 28, 2014 at 6:10 pmYou are welcome, Neal.
Rahul Dasgupta (@acseelerator) says
December 27, 2014 at 1:05 amThanks Neal ! Was wondering if there is any in Asia, specifically India.
Neal Schaffer says
December 27, 2014 at 10:21 amThanks Rahul! I’m sure there are .. hopefully others will chime in in these comments!
Denny McCorkle (@DennyMcCorkle) says
December 26, 2014 at 7:43 pmThanks Neal. I have registered for Social Media Marketing World in March. I hope to meet you there.
Neal Schaffer says
December 26, 2014 at 8:31 pmThanks Denny! Hope to meet you there!!!
Darian Kovacs (@dariankovacs) says
December 26, 2014 at 7:02 pmBe 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.
Neal Schaffer says
December 27, 2014 at 12:38 amThanks 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?
Social Media Camp (@SocMediaCamp) says
December 26, 2014 at 3:55 pmThanks 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.
Neal Schaffer says
December 26, 2014 at 6:09 pmSorry about that! I’ll revise it right away! Thanks!