6 marketing conferences to attend in 2015
[Notice: This post was published previously, and has been updated to reflect new information, including a 6th conference to check out.]
Hey y’all. It’s time to start thinking about which marketing conferences we’ll attend in 2015.
Conferences are a great way to pick up new ideas from others in your field. Others who have been there, done that (to use an outdated phrase my mother staunchly refuses to give up, and which I’ve now used, so circle of life, etc.)
If you’re looking to learn from folks in the content marketing world, you might want to consider attending one of these five six 2015 marketing conferences.
MozCon (Moz)
July 13-15; Seattle, WA
Overview: “Join us for three days of forward-thinking, actionable sessions on SEO, social media, community building, content marketing, brand development, CRO, the mobile landscape, analytics, and more. MozCon speakers share next-level advice on everything from building a loyal community to making data-driven decisions in your marketing.
You won’t find any stuffy networking events here — you can connect with our amazing community of industry leaders, chat with the speakers and Moz staff, pick up some cool swag, and even get a hug from our friendly robot, Roger.”
Reason to attend: ROBOT.
Speakers: This year’s MozCon speakers will include Cyrus Shepard, Pete Meyers and Rand Fishkin of Moz (AND RAND’S FACIAL HAIR PROBABLY), as well as Dana DiTomaso from Kick Point and Wil Reynolds from SEER Interactive.
Ticket Information: The event website says that early bird pricing for MozCon ends January 31, 2015, but I spoke to someone at Moz who says only 200 tickets will be sold at early bird pricing, so best get those tickets soon.
Social Media Marketing World (Social Media Examiner)
March 25-27; San Diego, CA
Social Media Marketing World calls itself “the planet’s largest gathering of social media thought leaders.”
Overview: “Join 2,500 fellow marketers at the mega-conference designed to inspire and empower you with social media marketing ideas—brought to you by Social Media Examiner. You’ll rub shoulders with the biggest names and brands in social media, soak up countless tips and new strategies and enjoy extensive networking opportunities in San Diego, California.
This is a historic opportunity for you to connect face-to-face with the top social media marketing experts while breaking bread with like-minded peers from around the globe.”
Reason to attend: Besides all of the networking opportunities? San Diego = beautiful year round, so: weather win.
Speakers: Speakers this year include big names like Guy Kawasaki, Mari Smith, Ann Handley and Brian Clark.
Ticket Information: You can save $450 on your ticket to Social Media Marketing World if you buy before December 12, so best get that ticket now.
MicroConf
April 13-14, Las Vegas, NV
MicroConf bills itself as “the conference for self-funded startups.”
Overview: “It’s a two-day conference focused on self-funded startups and single founder software companies. If you’ve launched, or want to launch a startup with no outside investment, MicroConf is designed for you. Our speakers are hand-crafting their sessions for bootstrappers. No talks about spending your huge piles of venture capital.”
Reason to attend: I attended MicroConf Las Vegas last year. The great thing about this conference is that it’s smaller — just 200 people — so you can really connect with the speakers and other attendees. There’s also a MicroConf Europe if you roll like that.
Speakers: Patrick McKenzie, Hiten Shah from CrazyEgg & KISSmetrics, Joanna Wiebe from Copyhackers, founder Rob Walling (who works in the same building I do. WHUT.) and more.
Authority Rainmaker (Copyblogger)
May 13-15; Denver, CO
Last year’s event was called Authority Intensive, but this year’s conference is titled after Copyblogger’s Rainmaker platform.
Overview: “Complete content marketing training and networking for real-world results.” A video with highlights from last year’s conference is available here.
Reason to attend: Keynote speakers include Daniel Pink, Sally Hogshead and Henry Rollins. Yes, that Henry Rollins.
Speakers: In addition to keynote speakers, presentations will be given by Copyblogger’s Brian Clark and Sonia Simone, as well as Ann Handley, Danny Sullivan, Chris Brogan and many more.
Ticket Information: Sign up for super early bird pricing, at $500 off, here.
Inbound (Hubspot)
September 8-11, 2015; Boston, MA
Overview: “INBOUND’s purpose is to provide the inspiration, education, and connections you need to transform your business. This September, we will host thousands of marketing and sales professionals from almost every industry imaginable and from all corners of the globe at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Through inspiring keynotes, innovative talks, educational breakouts, hands-on lessons, and tons of networking, you will learn how the INBOUND experience, and especially our content, is truly remarkable.”
Reason to attend: Last year’s speakers included Martha Stewart. Martha freakin’ Stewart.
Speakers: Speakers for the 2015 event have yet to be announced.
Ticket Information: Registration prices can be found here.
Social Tools Summit
May 12, 2015; Boston, MA
Overview: “The Social Tools Summit is a unique conference that showcases the wide variety of social media tools available for companies large and small, how they can be fully leveraged, and real-life examples of how businesses are deriving ROI from them.”
Reason to attend: According to organizers, “This is the first conference dedicated solely to using business tools to scale the ROI of your of your social media efforts.”
Also, the event will be “gamified,” meaning speakers will be awarded points for staying away from overused buzzwords and jargon, and for good presentations and comments. The winner will be presented the “Social Genius” trophy at the end of the event. Fun!
Speakers: It doesn’t appear that speakers have been announced yet, so stay tuned.
Ticket Information: Registration prices can be found on the website.
Although some of these conferences have yet to announce details, it’s worth keeping an eye out as they tend to sell out, in some cases at least, fairly quickly.
What conference are you attending this year? Will I see you at one of these five six?