17 Marketing Conferences to Attend in 2017

As marketers we must constantly be evolving and staying up-to-date on the latest industry trends in order to address consumers in a relevant and engaging way. Networking with our marketing peers and hearing from thought leaders in the space is a must-do in order to achieve this goal.

Last year, we put together a list of The 16 Best Social Media Conferences to Attend in 2016, but this year we are going bigger, as we realize even social media extends beyond just talking about social channels.

For the upcoming year of 2017, we've curated a new list of not only social media conferences but also content, big data and mobile to name a few. We assessed the best possible combinations of agendas, speakers, attendees, locations, networking opportunities and past event successes in order to provide you with the best possible experience.

1. Collision Conference - "The anti-CES" (May 2-4, New Orleans, LA)

With over 20,000 attendees, 69% of which are senior management from 4,500+ companies, it's no wonder Collision has been named "America's fastest growing tech conference." Although this year's speakers have yet to be announced, past speakers have included Co-Founders from Slack, WeWork, Eventbrite and Lyft. And as if the location wasn't enough to get you excited, this year's conference will take place side-by-side with two weekends of Jazz Fest...

2. Social Media Week - Reimagining Human Connectivity (February 27- March 3, New York City, NY) 

Ever wanted a peak inside The New York Times? Well, now is your chance because this year Social Media Week New York is being held at The Times Center. With speakers from industry giants like Facebook, BuzzFeed, National Geographic and Google, #SMWNYC will showcase tactical advice on how to become a better marketer.

3. Brands-Only Summit - SocialMedia.org (January 23-25, Orlando, FL)

If you're lucky enough to receive an invite from SocialMedia.org, this summit is a must-attend. Described as a conference, festival and family reunion for social media leaders at really big companies, this event is truly for decision makers with substantial professional experience. Here every single attendee is a member, has signed a confidentiality agreement and there are absolutely no vendors, which truly sets it apart from other conferences.

4. Social Media Strategies Summit - #SMSSUMMIT (February 7-9, San Francisco, CA)

Speakers from Gatorade, Mozilla, Banana Republic, Nickelodean and Universal Studios will walk attendees through how to fuel social media strategy through compelling content, customer experience, brand storytelling, advocacy and technology. This three-day event will be held at The Marines’ Memorial Club & Hotel, a classic San Francisco hotel dedicated as a “living memorial” to the U.S. Marines.

5. Smart Social Summit - The Smartest in Social (October 2-4, Austin, TX)

Two days of content, three of the best venues in Austin, 24 ground-breaking sessions and 500+ social leaders from every industry were present at #SFSummit 2016. With keynote speakers like Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show, and speakers from companies like ESPN, NFL and Patagonia, this conference was one for the books, and the 2017 event is bound to be even better.

6. Social Media Marketing World 2017 - The Mega Conference (March 22-24, San Diego, CA)

Dubbed Social Media's Mega Conference, this event's biggest selling points are the abundant networking opportunities, which kick off immediately with an opening party on the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier. This year's speakers include 120+ industry pros including Guy Kawaski, Chief Evangelist at Canva, and Mari Smith, a Forbes' Top Social Media Power Influencer, to name a few.

7. SXSW - The convergence of interactive, film and music (March 10-14, Austin, TX)

The SXSW Interactive Festival provides a variety of compelling evening networking experiences that complement the many learning opportunities at the SXSW Conference. With tracks like Brands & Marketing,  Design, Development & Code, and Tech Industry, SXSW provides attendees with many options from parties to awards ceremonies and everything in between.

8. Social Media Camp - Canada's largest social media conference (May 3-4, Victoria, British Columbia)

People come from all over North America, and from all sectors of the economy – small business, large business, government, education, and non-profit for Canada's largest social media conference. Of course the event covers social media marketing, but they also hold workshops on communications, sales, crowdsourcing, e-learning, digital marketing, content marketing, e-mail marketing, inbound marketing, and more. Social Media Camp also takes it a step further by looking at the cultural impacts of social media, its effects on politics, and its security and safety implications. 

9. Content Marketing Conference - Fortify your smartitude! (May 17-19, Boston, MA)

If the superhero themed Website is any indication of the quality of CMC, we have a lot to look forward to. With 40 sessions, 8 keynotes and 6 tracks, CMC provides practical education on how to grow your business organically and rid the world of bad content. Plus, capping off the 3-day event is a closing reception with superhero costumes provided by sponsors...we're sold.

10. MozCon - Not Your Typical Marketing Conference (July 17-19, Seattle, WA)

Little information has been released regarding MozCon 2017, but if this year's event is anything like past years than its bound to be a blast! Moz is all about being out of the box, and this conference echos that sentiment with forward thinking content and actionable advice on SEO, social media, community building, content marketing, brand development, CRO, analytics and more.

11. Big Data and Analytics for Marketing Summit - #DataMarketing (December 7-8, New York City, NY)

Speakers from Citi, Bloomingdales, American Express, Bayer Healthcare and more will explore how businesses are deriving real value from marketing, customer and business information at this two-day event. They've put together a handy infographic which details who will attend, how you will benefit and testimonials from past events.

12. Content Marketing World Conference Camp - #CMWorld (September 5-8, Cleveland, OH)

Content marketing experts from all around the world converge on Cleveland for this annual event - the biggest content marketing conference of it's kind. Past speakers have included award-winning actor Mark Hamill and comedian Michael Jr. in addition to industry executives from LEGO, Bank of America, General Electric and more. 

13. INBOUND - Fuel the movement (September 25-28, Boston, MA)

Organized and hosted by HubSpot, this monumental event aims to take the notion of 'an inbound way of doing business' to the next level. From 14,000 attendees to 170+ educational sessions and 5 keynotes, there is an overwhelming amount to experience at INBOUND. Last year, keynotes included talks from Alec Baldwin and Anna Kendrick as well as a welcome performance by Leslie Odom Jr.

14. DIGIMARCON - A digital marketing cruise (April 16-23, Orlando, FL)

Okay, so we might be looking for an excuse to sail around the Caribbean for a week, but there truly is no better setting for a deep dive on digital marketing than aboard the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas Cruise Ship. Apart from island hopping between the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten, attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with senior management from companies like Disney, Amazon, FedEx, Ford, NASCAR, Target, and Starbucks.

15. The Social Shake-Up - Social Media Today (May 22-24, Atlanta, GA)

To get your messages across the digital universe marketers must navigate the ins and outs of live streaming, SEO, storytelling, social selling, Snapchat, Instagram and so much more. The Social Shake-Up aims to decipher those landscapes through speakers from the Atlanta Hawks, Oracle, American Cancer Society, Arby’s and The Coca-Cola Company to name a few. This three-day social media conference is designed for digital, social, marketing, PR and communications professionals looking for innovative ways to integrate social media into their overall business strategy.

16. Mobile Innovation Summit - Mobile: The More Convenient Screen (March 21-22, New York City, NY)

This summit will look at how to build your App Strategy, Improve Mobile Commerce, Enhance Brand Engagement and more to answer all the questions surrounding how to increase mobile within your business. With around 100 senior level attendees and 25 industry leading speakers, this event is an intimate but premium one. 

17. Web Summit - Europe's largest technology marketplace (November 6-9, Lisbon, Portugal)

Web Summit is no longer a singular conference, but as of 2016 home to many independent conferences. Each with its own stage, schedule, exhibition area, workshops, networking evening events and more. More than 10,000 digital marketers will fly from more than 150 countries to attend.

Learn more about how BrandBastion can help you transform your social media marketing.