Yes, 2017 is coming to an end. Only four months left and we will be looking at a list of conferences to attend in 2018. But don’t get depressed just yet. There are still plenty of other conferences left this year, many you probably overlooked since 2017 is starting to wind down.
I normally reserve Huffington Post for writing about things not related to my professional life, but figured the information within was good enough to share.
So here we go…..
I just came back from Content Marketing World in Ohio. After years of debate and reading countless articles about the expert speakers, I decided to make the trip. During my time there, I made a list of other conferences I plan to attend before ringing in the New Year.
I would also love to hear about any conference you still plan on attending before 2018.
In the meantime, here’s my list. Like it or leave it!
Synergy Global Forum:
Dates: October 27-28, 2017
Location: Manhattan, New York
Website: http://synergyglobal.com/
Keynote Speaker: Sir Richard Branson
The Synergy Global Forum will be held for the first time in New York City in October 2017. It will take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and the first day will be followed by an after party featuring Paris Hilton as a celebrity DJ.
This year’s event has many notable speakers including Sir Richard Branson (Keynote), Jack Welch, Robin Wright, Steve Forbes, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Jimmy Wales just to name a few. The focus of the forum will be to discuss how entrepreneurship, management, and leadership will play a role in shaping the world going forward.
Sir Richard Branson, keynote speaker for the 2017 Synergy Global Forum.
I briefly discussed this forum recently in an article on AllBusiness and wasn’t planning on attending. However, I decided to go as all the people speaking would normally be keynotes at other conferences. I doubt I will get a chance to see them all together at the same venue again so I thought of taking advantage of it while I can.
Pubcon:
Dates: November 6-9, 2017
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Keynote Speaker(s): Gary Illyes, Lee Odden, Joost de Valk, Tom Hale, and Peter Shankman
This will be my first Pubcon and I get to travel to Las Vegas to enjoy it. Pubcon is a yearly conference and trade show for those who want to learn more about digital marketing and search engine optimization.
There are a total of five keynote speakers for the four-day conference. The one I want to hear the most is Joost as I am a regular user of Yoast. However, there are also dozens of other speakers for individual workshops.
Matt Cutts speaking at Pubcon in 2011.
I only heard of this event in passing until last week, but it didn’t take much to talk me into it. The conference is set up into different tracks so that you can attend different workshops according to what you want to learn. It’s just going to take me a while to figure out which sessions I want to go with.
Ad Age Next:
Dates: November 15-16, 2017
Location: New York City
Website: http://adage.com/events/
Keynote Speaker(s): See Below
Ad Age has been holding its digital conference for over a decade now. The magazine has been a staple in the marketing and advertising industry even prior to the digital age. They have hosted many notable keynote speakers, including Gary Vee whom I get to see at the Synergy Global Forum in October.
There is no single keynote speaker for this event, just want Ad Age lists as “featured speakers” which include IBM’s Chief Digital Officer Bob Lord and Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard to name a few.
Nat Ives, Executive Editor of Ad Age and speaker at the 2017 digital conference.
Ad Age will be my first conference that includes the topic of advertising. I want to attend due to the changing landscape of digital marketing, including how many browsers are now blocking ads. Hopefully I can get more insight on how advertising can work going forward in the digital age.
Final Thought:
Okay, I know that not everyone reading this will have a chance to go to all these conferences. However, don’t let that stop you from advancing your career. If you don’t plan to travel, make sure you still take the time to learn.
Find a podcast within your niche or even listen to a webcast. Just because you won’t be traveling doesn’t mean you can’t get ahead.
Use the comments and let me know of any event you plan on attending before the year is over. Any webinars or podcasts you recommend to those who won’t be attending?