A couple of weeks ago, I heard a barber say you're only as good as your last haircut. In marketing, this couldn't be more accurate -- using last year's tactics just won't cut it.
Surely, you're staying up to date on the latest marketing trends with blog posts, AMAs and webinars. But sometimes, in order to level up, you need to step away from your desk and get a front-row seat to the action.
Knowledge learned in the flesh will help you reach new heights in 2016. Image via
Unbounce CTA Conference.
With so many digital marketing conferences to choose from, we've selected the top marketing events we think will inspire and educate you in 2016.
These marketing conferences cover a variety of topics: content marketing, conversion optimization, design, email marketing, entrepreneurship, innovation, mobile, performance marketing, search, social, growth marketing, video marketing and local marketing.
If you're on a mission to get some real life knowledge and socializing under your belt, here's an epic list of the 20 most thought-provoking, engaging digital marketing conferences 2016 has to offer.
Bonus: to help with you whittle down your conference wish list, we found out what people had to say about last year's conferences.
1. MozCon: September 12-14, 2016 (Seattle, Washington)
MozCon promises three days of actionable sessions, speakers sharing first-hand advice and fun networking events that won't disappoint. If you're looking to get exposed to what's new in SEO, CRO, content marketing and community building, don't wait too long to sign up.
Bonus: Roger, the cutest and cuddliest robot, will be there to give you a hug.
What last year's attendees said:
Our very own Call to Action Conference brings together experts in conversion optimization, pay-per-click, email, copywriting and UX design. If your goal is to become a faster, better and stronger marketer, we have amazing hands-on workshops that will expand your skill set and help you get there. Vancouver is at its most charming in the month the June, not to mention the parties and the swag are pretty awesome! Come pay us a visit in Vancouver.
What last year's attendees said:
3. ConversionXL Live: March 30-April 1, 2016 (Austin Area, Texas)
ConversionXL Live brings the top conversion optimization experts in the world together to teach you all their processes and methods. Unlike other conferences, networking is underlined and emphasized so you can further your learning while building relationships with your peers. If you've read Peep Laja's ConversionXL blog, you know this is one of the most informative blogs on conversion optimization out there. And if this is an area you want to dominate, ConversionXL Live is one of the best marketing conferences out there.
What last year's attendees said:
4. MARTech: March 21-22, 2016 (San Francisco, CA) and October 20-21, 2016 (London, UK)
As the name MARTech implies, this conference is for hybrid professionals that are both marketing experts and technology savvy. This event blurs the lines between marketing and IT and introduces conference goers to new technologies that will influence the data science, growth-hacking and digital marketing landscapes.
What last year's attendees said:
5. Hero Conf: April 25-27, 2016 (Philadelphia, PA) and October 24-26, 2016 (London, UK)
Hero Conf is one of the top marketing conferences for marketers who want to focus on improving their PPC skills. This PPC theme allows for actionable takeaways focused on improving your strategy around paid ads and data on LinkedIn, Bing, Google, Facebook and more. A low speaker-to-attendee ratio means that networking and nightly events are both fun and informative.
What last year's attendees said:
6. WistiaFest: June 5-7, 2016 (Boston, MA)
WistiaFest delivers you three days of video marketing insights, data, analytics content and more from some of the industry's top professionals from around the world. This is an important event for marketers who use video in their marketing efforts and want to see where the future of video lies, and who want to catch up with their peers at one of the best video marketing conferences.
What last year's attendees said:
7. MozCon Local: February 18-19, 2016 (Seattle, Washington)
If you're part of a local business and want to gain insights and knowledge on local SEO and other marketing tools, this is a great event that will feed your SEO and marketing hunger. MozCon Local will arm you with knowledge as well as tactical tips in the form of talks, workshops and cool networking events in lovely Seattle. What more could you want in a conference?
What last year's attendees said:
8. ad:tech: November 2-3, 2016 (New York City, NY)
ad:tech is an event held in eight countries that covers the changing landscape of advertising technology. The event is for marketers, brand strategists, agencies and publishers. ad:tech helps you navigate the evolution of key technologies and keeps you ahead of the curve so that you can drive innovation within your brand or agency.
What last year's attendees said:
9. Marketing United: April 18-20, 2016 (Nashville, TN)
Marketing United is bringing some of the world's top marketers to Nashville to share their tips, tricks and stories to help inspire you. Each session promises to be informative and exciting, not to mention the venue is steps away from great food and music a la Nashville.
What last year's attendees said:
10. Advocamp: March 7-9, 2016 (San Francisco, CA)
If you've got customer growth and development on the brain then Advocamp is one of the best marketing conferences for you. Advocamp is the only conference that focuses on customer delight all while providing you with the tools to build a viable business strategy. Not to mention they take the conference's name seriously and pair attendees into smaller "camp" groups. This is Advocamp's second year, and it's sure not to disappoint.
What last year's attendees said:
11. C2 Montreal: May 24-26, 2016 (Montreal, Canada)
C2 focuses on creativity and commerce by bringing together some of the most innovative thought leaders across various disciplines. Not only does creativity take center stage, it also makes an appearance after hours. C2 has created some of the most engaging and entertaining networking events all with the help of Quebec's own Cirque du Soleil. Get exposed to innovation and creativity from all facets of the business world.
What last year's attendees said:
12. Searchlove: May 3-4, 2016 (Boston, MA) and October 17-18, 2016 (London, UK)
This two-day event attracts some of the world's top online marketing talent and covers a variety of topics from search, analytics and paid to content strategy and optimization. With actionable advice, tips and processes, SearchLove is filled with the information you need to push your career forward.
What last year's attendees said:
13. SXSW Interactive: March 11-15, 2016 (Austin, Texas)
Considered one of the top marketing events out there, SXSW Interactive has historically been the place to launch your product and boost your career. With a guest list brimming with the who's who in the industry, this event is usually packed with stars from the digital world as well as Hollywood. It's also one of the best conferences work on your networking skills. SXSW Interactive puts an emphasis on innovation and the changing digital landscapes. If you're a startup or looking to launch your product, SXSW Interactive may be the place for you.
What last year's attendees said:
If you've been looking to improve your content strategy skills, ICC is that best marketing conference to help you up your game. With topics covering how to scale content production, reusing and repurposing legacy content and diffusion of content on different platforms, ICC is one of the most on-point content marketing conferences out there.
What last year's attendees said:
15. Inbound: November 8-11, 2016 (Boston, MA)
Inbound's four-day event has over 170 training sessions, five keynotes and lots of entertaining and fun activities at night. Past entertainment has included the likes of Amy Schumer and Janelle Monae. With 14,000 attendees, the event is a huge opportunity to network and see some of the best professionals in the marketing industry.
Pro tip: Inbound is a huge event with lots of great workshops and speakers happening at the same time. Make a list of the events that you'd like to attend in advance to get the most of out of your experience.
What last year's attendees said:
If you're living down under or you've always wanted to visit, Search Marketing Summit is the number one event of its kind in Australia. This five-day event is packed with advanced workshops that cover topics from mobile, search and email marketing. Search Marketing Summit is a great way to update your skills and advance your knowledge in just a few days.
What last year's attendees said:
Time to step it up
Attending conferences is important because they push you out of your professional habits and routines and expose you to new technologies, trends and people.
We've armed you with the a list of the best digital marketing conferences of 2016 that will provide you with the right tools and knowledge to level up your marketing game. It's up to you to make the next move.
Your personal growth and that of your agency or company depend on it.
What conferences have you attended that have shaped your career and improved your skills? Share the best with us in the comments below.
