Conferences and other gatherings of like-minded marketing professionals provide key learning opportunities, introductions to others who can help you hone your craft, and team-building experiences unlike any other. It can be hard to determine which events to attend, though. When it comes to smart marketing, every dollar matters – and you want to ensure that you’re getting the most bang for your conference buck. Our post last year on the 10 Best PR and Marketing Conferences to Attend in 2019 was a huge hit, so we’ve added even more insight to bring you 15 of our best conference recommendations. Browse this curated list and then book tickets to kick off your best year of marketing and PR yet!
PRNEWS Crisis and Measurement Summit
Dates: Feb 25 – 26, 2020
Location: Miami, FL
There are two pressing topics plaguing today’s PR professionals – and this conference covers both of them. This gathering invites you to dive deep into the industry’s most progressive curriculum on Crisis Management. Spend two days mastering the latest and greatest in Communications Measurement. Or attend classes on both topics for an education that is “twice as nice.” This year’s conference boasts a particularly impressive lineup of speakers.
PRWeek Awards
Dates: March 19, 2020
Location: New York, NY
Now entering its 21st year, the PRWeek Awards are one of PR’s most prestigious events. This awards event celebrates the best of the best corporate, agency, nonprofit, and education teams, and the work they produced during the entry period.
SXSW
Dates: March 13 – 22, 2020
Location: Austin, TX
A tech conference, music festival, and start-up showcase rolled into one, SXSW is the place for innovative marketers to learn the latest trends and hear from the big names breaking onto the scene. Tracks like Media & Journalism and Professional Development help savvy marketers to connect with other pros and take advantage of tech.
Digital Sales and Marketing World
Dates: April 5 – 7, 2020
Location: Hartford, CT
Formerly Impact Live, this conference is a team-focused event that aligns marketing, sales, and leadership groups. With role-specific workshops to choose from, along with world-renowned speakers, you’ll come away with actionable goals and tactics to achieve them.
MarTech
Dates: April 15 – 17, 2020
Location: San Jose, CA
A comprehensive, graduate-level program created to address universal marketing pain points. Here, you can meet senior level marketing professionals who are tackling the challenges present in delivering ROI. Plan for two full days of sessions, speakers, and networking.
ContentTECH Summit
Dates: April 20 – 22, 2020
Location: San Diego, CA
Formerly the Intelligent Content Conference, this year’s ContentTECH Summit’s mission is “to show how the effective use of technology and better processes can help your strategic efforts to create, manage, deliver and scale your enterprise content and provide your customers with better digital experiences.” Attendees can learn how new technologies and innovative processes are fundamentally changing what our work will look like in the next two to five years.
Confab, The Content Strategy Conference
Dates: May 17 – 20, 2020
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Confab is “an event for people who care about making content better, in their organizations and for their clients.” This year’s program spans several areas related to content strategy, including analytics and performance, user experience design, workflows and stakeholders, content design for AI and bots, editorial assignments and calendars, and hiring and staff management.
AMEC Global Summit
Dates: June 2 – 4, 2020
Location: Vienna, Austria
The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication hosts a global summit where thought leaders speak, prestigious PR awards are presented, and you can hear case-study experience from visionary companies and businesses like yours. Practical sessions are offered and attendees can gain real-life perspectives from other professionals from different parts of the world.
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) World Conference
Dates: June 14 – 17, 2020
Location: Chicago, IL
The IABC World Conference is a long-standing, global professional development event that typically draws 1,000 to 1,200 attendees from around the world. The conference is currently calling for keynote speakers, but one that they have announced already is Abigail Posner, Head of Strategy at Google’s Brand Unit.
Marketing AI Conference (MAICON)
Dates: July 14 – 16, 2020
Location: Cleveland, OH
Pulling attendees from over 28 states last year, the second year of this conference promises expanded programming with more speakers and more sessions. MAICON is built on the idea that every piece of software marketers use today can be made more intelligent using AI and machine learning.Learn from a variety of real-life case studies on marketers who have deployed AI in their own companies.
Arthur Page Society Annual Conference
Dates: September 13 – 15, 2020
Location: Paris, France
The annual conference for the Arthur Page Society brings together a professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives. It’s a great event built to enrich and strengthen PR professionals—while providing great networking opportunities.
Content Marketing World
Dates: October 13 – 16, 2020
Location: Cleveland, OH
Content Marketing World is the leading event where attendees 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 conference features over 120 sessions and workshops presented by the leading brand marketers and experts from around the world covering strategy, storytelling, ROI, demand generation, AI, and more.
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) International Conference
Dates: October 25 – 27, 2020
Location: Nashville, TN
At the PRSA International Conference, attendees are able to choose from a wide range of programs spotlighting the latest in public relations and communications strategies and tactics and enjoy opportunities to enhance their personal and professional network while connecting with some of the world’s most influential companies and organizations. Attendees can meet other communication and public relations colleagues along with over 150 industry experts from all career levels, sectors, work environments and industries during three days of practical insight and idea sharing.
PR Decoded
Dates: TBA
Location: Chicago, IL
Consumers are increasingly looking to the companies they do business with to make an impact on social and economic issues. PRWeek brings together CEOs, CMOs, CCOs, and agency thought leaders to lead an essential conversation on how to deliver the powerful message of purpose with strength, conviction, authenticity – and maximum impact.
PR Week Measurement Conference – UK
Dates: TBA
Location: London, England
With increasing demand for demonstrating the true value of PR, it is critical for the discipline to be able to measure work effectively and show outcomes to key stakeholders. The second annual Measurement Conference aims to provide delegates with definitive information and advice from the brands and agencies who are leading the way. Plan on expert talks, case study presentations, and practical workshops.