Learn something new every day. That was my grandmother’s motto. I’m always looking for opportunities to learn and grow in my personal and professional endeavors, and I challenge you to do the same. Make 2018 (and every year after) the year you learn something new to advance your career.
To help you get started, we have compiled a global list of content marketing conferences and marketing events that will give you the hands-on learning you need to make it happen. In addition to content marketing and content strategy, we’ve compiled the dates, times, and locations for digital marketing, search marketing, social media, user experience, mobile, Web design, technical communications, IT, and other conferences.
Get your proposal ready and make a case to your management for sending you to one of the conferences below that peaks your interest. I’ll be attending Confab in May, and I hope to see some of you there!
2018 marketing conferences by region
MIDWEST
April 25 – 26, 2018 — Now What? Conference; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Two days of talks and workshops about how to maintain and improve your website
April 24 – 26, 2018 — Social Media Strategies Summit; Chicago; Fuel your social media strategy through compelling content, customer experience, brand storytelling, advocacy, and technology
May 21 – 23, 2018 — Confab; Minneapolis; Join 650 content strategy enthusiasts — from newbies to old-timers — for three days of workshops and sessions
May 21 – 25, 2018 — IA Summit; Chicago; A community gathering of information architects, content publishers, and all who design information spaces to share stories, improve skills, and make content easier for everyone to find and share
Aug. 27 – 29, 2018 — An Event Apart; Chicago; Three days of design, code, and content; features 18 great speakers and sessions and a Gold Pass experience opportunity, including a complete set of e-books from A Book Apart, an exclusive customized backstage tour of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to learn how imagineers bring innovative ideas from concept to reality and more
Oct. 11 – 13, 2018 — Midwest UX 2018; Chicago; A three-day gathering of the pioneers, developers, and creatives driving a thriving Midwest UX community offers a mix of inspiring talks, hands-on sessions, and workshops
NORTHEAST
April 30 – May 3, 2018 — How Design Live; Boston; Gathering of creative professionals in all disciplines with a range of experience come to learn about the creative industry
May 9 – 11, 2018 — 99U; New York City; This conference shifts the focus from idea generation to idea execution and brings together creative visionaries and leading researchers to share insights on how ideas are brought to life
June 7 – 8, 2018 — SearchLove Conference; Boston; A two-day event bringing together some of the world’s leading thinkers in online marketing; get up to speed on the latest in search, analytics, content creation, optimizing your website, paid promotions, and more
June 12 – 13, 2018 — AMPlify: The Employee Advocacy Conference; Waltham, Massachusetts; The world’s first and only event addressing the unique challenges associated with employee advocacy and partner engagement; brings together social media marketing professionals and Gaggle managers to learn and discuss how to engage employees and stakeholders in your company’s online marketing efforts
June 25 – 27, 2018 — An Event Apart; Boston; An intensely educational learning session for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design; if you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, then this conference is for you
July 9 – 11, 2018 — Mozcon; Seattle; The premier inbound marketing conference that focuses on SEO, social media, community building, content marketing, brand development, CRO, the mobile landscape, analytics, and more
July 30 – Aug. 1, 2018 — An Event Apart; Washington, D.C.; An intensely educational learning session for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design; if you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, then this conference is for you
Sept. 4 – 7, 2018 — Content Marketing World Conference and Expo; Cleveland; The one event where you can learn and network with the best and 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
Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, 2018 — Velocity; New York; Join engineers, developers, and technology leaders who are defining the IT-driven business with topics ranging from web operations, performance, DevOps, optimization, and more
Oct. TBD, 2018 — Social Media Strategies Summit; New York City; Fuel your social media strategy through compelling content, customer experience, brand storytelling, advocacy, and technology
Nov. TBD, 2018 — Ad Tech; New York City; Where marketing, technology, and media communities come together to find the right solution providers, network, and stay abreast of trends
NORTHWEST
April 2 – 4, 2018 — An Event Apart; Seattle; An intensely educational learning session for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design; if you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, then this conference is for you
May 17 – 18, 2018 — Digital Strategy Conference and Workshops; Vancouver, British Columbia; Become better informed, better educated, and better prepared to meet your customers’ needs
June 11 – 13, 2018 — SMX Advanced: Seattle; Seattle; The only conference designed exclusively for experienced search marketers; sessions are fast-paced, Q&A-packed, always informative, and don’t stop to cover the basics
SOUTHEAST
April 22 – 29, 2018 — DigiMarCon Cruise; Orlando; The only digital marketing conference that takes place on a cruise ship: Learn the latest innovative technologies and best practices and gain insights from successful digital marketing campaigns
May 7 – 9, 2018 — The Social Shake-Up; Atlanta, Georgia; The best and biggest independent conference for enterprise social and the premier marketing conference for anyone who wants to be on the cutting edge of today’s fast-paced business environment; 35 breakout sessions over two days featuring the best thinkers and top brands having a candid discussion on the future of social business
May 20 – 23, 2018 — Technical Communication Summit 2018; Orlando; Offers 80 sessions covering all aspects of technical writing, editing, project management, and publication
June 6 – 8, 2018 — PePcon 2018, New Orleans; A conference focused on print and e-publishing with insights on e-books, print, iPads/tablets, interactive documents, and more
June 26 – June 28, 2018 — UXPA 2018; Rio Mar, Puerto Rico; This is the place to be for learning about best practices for user-centered product development, usability research, product design, and real-world case studies
Sept. TBD, 2018 — Confab Intensive; Tampa, FL; Time for some serious hands-on learning, three days of content strategy workshops taught by top industry experts on topics ranging from user experience, content management systems, editorial, workflow, and governance
Oct. 8 – 10, 2018 — An Event Apart; Orlando: Special Edition; An intensely educational learning session for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design; if you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, then this conference is for you
Oct. 21 – 24, 2018 — LavaCon Conference; New Orleans; A content strategy and user experience conference for documentation managers, content strategists, technical writers, content managers, and developers, social media strategists, project managers, and user experience managers
Oct. 24 – 26, 2018 — REVOLVE Conference; Charleston, South Carolina; Two-day gathering of designers, marketers, and entrepreneurs who are influencing what’s next; geared toward advanced web technologies, content strategy, marketing, design, and development
SOUTHWEST
March 25 – 29, 2018 — Adobe Summit; Las Vegas; Connects more than 5,000 digital marketers to learn about the latest trends and tools, as well as how to get better, more quantifiable results from digital marketing programs
April 7 – 12, 2018 — NAB Show; Las Vegas; A huge event that brings together people from broadcast, digital media, film, entertainment, telecom, post-production, education, houses of worship, advertising, military/government, retail, security, sports, IT, and more to learn about next-generation content
May 15 – 17, 2018 — Gartner Digital Marketing Conference; San Diego; Created for senior executives as the premier outlet for learning the latest digital marketing trends, you will leave with actionable insights and key strategies derived from independent and objective research
May 30 – June 1, 2018 — Augmented Reality World Expo; Santa Clara, California; Brings together the world’s largest gathering of augmented reality professionals to make the world more interactive
June 3 – 6, 2018 — MadWorld 2018; San Diego; The premier conference for technical writers, documentation managers, and content strategists
Sept. 13 – 14, 2018 — Digital Marketing Innovation Summit; San Francisco; Learn from industry leaders and exchange ideas, innovate your digital marketing, and watch all presentation videos post-summit
Sept. 13 – 14, 2018 — Content Strategy Innovation Summit; San Francisco; Learn from industry experts and exchange ideas through deep dive discussion sessions; innovate your content strategy after hearing the latest best practices and lessons learned from leading organizations
Sept. 25 – 28, 2018 — Dreamforce; San Francisco; At the largest B2B conference in the world, look into the future of B2B, gain new marketing ideas, and hear from keynote speakers representing Salesforce, Microsoft, The Honest Company, YouTube, The Hawn Foundation, and many more
Oct. 3 – 5, 2018 — AMA Annual Marketing Conference; Las Vegas; Join more than 450 marketers for a true meeting of the marketing minds; we will keep you on a strategic marketing course with a cadre of marketing experts and world-class thought leaders lighting the way with best and next practices
Oct. 7 – 9, 2018 — DMA 2016: “&THEN”; Las Vegas; Marketers should always leverage data to help inform them about what content they should create; this conference is all about being a data-driven marketer
Oct. 15 – 19, 2018 — Pubcon Las Vegas 2018; Las Vegas; Named a Forbes must-attend conference and an Inc. top conference for growing your business — features the industry’s leading businesses, startups, speakers, keynotes, exhibitors, and sponsors involved in social media, digital marketing, search engines, and online advertising
Nov. 13 – 16, 2018 — B2B Marketing Forum 2018; San Francisco; The place where the leaders, innovators, and people who make things happen gather to learn about the latest in B2B marketing and share the secrets of their success
Dec. 10 – 12, 2018 — An Event Apart; San Francisco; An intensely educational learning session for passionate practitioners of standards-based web design; if you care about code as well as content, usability as well as design, then this conference is for you
EUROPE
April 10 – 11, 2018 — Digital Media Europe; Copenhagen, Denmark; The only truly European conference on digital revenue
April 18 – 20, 2018 — Intra.NET Reloaded 2018; Berlin, Germany; Join the biggest intranet and enterprise social networking event where more than 250+ decision makers in communications, business, and technology from global corporates gather to exchange on challenges and opportunities to create tomorrow’s digital workplace
May 3 – 4, 2018 — Adobe Digital Marketing Summit EMEA; London, England; Deep insights, focused learning, endless networking: Join Europe’s largest digital marketing conference and learn how you can combine creativity, content, and data to create compelling experiences for your customers
May 22 – 23, 2018 — SMX London; London, England; Immerse yourself in three days of SEO, SEM, and online marketing sessions, and you’re guaranteed to leave with practical tips and techniques to immediately improve your search marketing efforts; SMX also has strategic sessions to help you with what’s coming over the horizon
May 22 – 25, 2018 — UXLx: User Experience; Lisbon, Portugal; Four days of training and inspiration for UX pros, come to sunny Lisbon for two full-day and 16 half-day workshops to hone up your skills and 11 inspiring talks from thought leaders in the field
May 23 – 25, 2018 — UX London 2018; London, England; This conference brings engaging industry leaders from around the world to present a combination of inspirational talks and lively, hands-on workshops
June 7 – 6, 2018 — CMA Live; Edinburgh, Scotland; Aimed at helping business owners, marketers, and entrepreneurs become better marketers through sharing resources, examples, and case studies
June 11 – 13, 2018 — London Tech Week; London, England; The biggest, boldest festival of tech bringing together global innovators and tech enthusiasts to help shape tomorrow’s world; festival connects science and creative minds, corporate and startups
June 12 – 13, 2018 — SMX Paris; Paris, France; Experts in search marketing exchange ideas to help you influence the industry and create a network
Sept. TBD, 2018 — EuroIA 2018; Dublin; Europe’s leading information architecture and user experience conference, this unique event brings together veteran information architects, experts from diverse fields practicing information architecture and newcomers to the practice of information architecture and user experience design
Sept. 16 – 18, 2018 — Intra.NET Reloaded 2018; London, England; Brings together 100+ decision makers from corporate IT, communications, and business departments to discuss all things intranet
Oct. 17 – 18, 2018 —SearchLove Conference; London, England; A two-day event bringing together some of the world’s leading thinkers in online marketing; get up to speed on the latest in search, analytics, content creation, optimizing your website, paid promotions, and more
Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, 2018 — Velocity; London; Join engineers, developers, and technology leaders who are defining the IT-driven business with topics ranging from web operations, performance, DevOps, optimization, and more
Nov. 6 – 8, 2018 — J. Boye; Aarhus, Denmark; The global knowledge-sharing community returns to Aarhus for the 12th time for a three-day event covering content strategy to UX to tech trends
Nov. 13 – 15, 2018 — TC World and Tekom; Stuttgart, Germany; This conference offers premium content from the world of technical communication by bringing together international speakers selected by independent tekom committees
ASIA
May 15 – 16, 2018 —TC World and Tekom; Shanghai, China; This conference offers premium content from the world of technical communication by bringing together international speakers selected by independent tekom committees
By Two Rivers Marketing
By Minda Kuckuck