It’s an exciting time to be in brand management for a variety of reasons. For one, brand managers far and wide are free to make use of ever-evolving Internet technology to connect with customers, research strategy, predict global trends, and of course, get to know one another. But, with all of this forward motion comes more and more pressure for brand managers to stay abreast of all the latest and greatest advances, especially those felt in the spectrum of technology. This means that even the most adept branding experts cannot simply rely on the marketers working under them to develop and execute effective branding strategies that will be impactful in all of today’s mediums; they, too, must get to know the intricacies of today’s opportunities, no matter how fluid they may be.
So, if you are a brand manager – or an aspiring one – it’s time that you get out there to experience some valuable face-to-face time with your allies and competition. Luckily, there are literally hundreds of conferences around the world that serve to educate, inspire, and connect businesses all around the world. This is why we’ve compiled a diverse list of the top 50 meetups and conferences for brand managers to attend in 2018 and 2019. Note: For your convenience, the following are mentioned chronological order by quarter, with meetups listed separately.
- Q1 Brand Manager Conferences
- Q2 Brand Manager Conferences
- Q3 Brand Manager Conferences
- Q4 Brand Manager Conferences
- Brand Manager Meetups
Q1 Brand Manager Conferences
1. NamesCon Global 2019
@NamesCon
January 27-30, 2009
Las Vegas, Nevada
Every brand manager should have their hands on the company website, which means that you should be doing your best to develop all digital skills, including the often-overlooked issue of domain names. NamesCon Global is the largest domain name conference in the world and works to connect registrars, registries, web hosting companies, domain name investors, startups, affiliate marketing companies, and, of course, brand managers, too.
Cost to Attend:
- Standard Presale: $199
- VIP Presale: $349
2. B2B Marketing Exchange
@B2BMX
February 25-27, 2019
Scottsdale, AZ
Drawing over 1,000 registrants, B2B Marketing Exchange serves as a comprehensive conference for all levels of professionals working in B2B, including branding, marketing, and strategy. Because of the current web-based climate, the conference focuses on aligning B2B authorities with all best practices in the content sphere.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
3. 2019 Brand Masters Conference Presented by Twitter
@ANAmarketers
February 27-March 1, 2019
San Diego, CA
ANA’s 2019 Brand Masters Conference Presented by Twitter is organized so that brand experts can learn from some of the world’s most prominent thought leaders in all things brand-related, including marketing and management. The conference’s agenda showcases an aggressive, results-driven approach that, when paired with the three days of interactive and social events is built to make brand managers stronger and more aware.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
4. The Revenue Summit
@RevenueSummit
TBA (last held on March 1st, 2019 info not yet available)
The Revenue Summit focuses its efforts on educating all key members of organizations on tactics that can help rev up sales, including exploring sales technologies, marketing, and sales alignment, and, of course, innovating on current brand strategies so that your company can predict trends and better engage with your customer. But, most importantly, this conference is designed to bridge the ever-present gap felt between sales and marketing specialists.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
5. LeadsCon 2019
@leadscon
March 4-6, 2019
Las Vegas, NV
LeadsCon attracts some of the best and brightest currently working in leads generation and performance marketing. This conference is packed with interactive events, talks, and networking opportunities that can help you diversify your knowledge of how leads generation can better inform your unique brand as a whole.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
6. X4: The Experience Management Summit
@Qualtrics
March 5-8, 2019
Salt Lake City, UT
If your goal is to pack in as many educational, social, and networking opportunities as possible into just three days, look no further than X4: The Experience Management Summit. This lead-edge conference includes 100+ break-out sessions, 6 hours of hands-on training, and 2 days of inspiring keynotes, all amongst an audience of 10,000 brand and marketing professionals.
Cost to Attend:
- Early Bird: $699
- Standard: $999
- Late: $1,399
7. C3
@Conductor
TBA (last held on March 7-8, 2019 info not yet available)
New York, New York
Though the agenda for 2019’s conference has yet to be announced, C3’s most recent 2018 conference attracted some of the most influential marketing and brand experts in the biz, including founders, managers, and executives from WeWork, Microsoft, Slack, and Amazon, just to name a few.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
8. SXSW
@sxsw
March 8-17, 2019
Austin, TX
SXSW is an event that needs no introduction, but if you aren’t hip to the annual Austin staple, just know that it is the current reigning cross-discipline conference that brings together every type of organization, from indie startups to the largest corporations in the world. SXSW’s 2019 conference will include exciting categories such as blockchain and cryptocurrency, cannabusiness, government, and, of course, branding and marketing. And, if none of that interests you, you can always stick around to jam out to your favorite band!
Cost to Attend:
$825-$1,626 depending on the level of pass
9. EyeforTravel
@EyeforTravel
March 14-15, 2019
San Francisco, CA
For brand experts working in the travel industry, there’s no better event than EyeforTravel’s conference, an annual gathering that pulls in a host of diverse industries, including airlines, ride-share companies, hotels and hospitality firms, and much more. To sweeten the deal, EyeforTravel just announced that it would be adding 150 data travel experts to their 2019 event.
Cost to Attend:
- Travel Company: $1099
- Standard Company: $1599
10. Intelligent Content Conference
TBA (last held on March 20-22, 2018, 2019 info not yet available)
Las Vegas, NV
The Intelligent Content Conference, or ICC, brings together the brightest minds in the content world so that brand managers like yourself can get a better grasp of what it means to leverage content as an asset, using both process and technology to achieve it. Last year’s conference had a host of impressive content leaders on the roster, including representatives from Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Mayo Clinic, Cisco, Salesforce, and more.
Cost to Attend:
Q2 Brand Manager Conferences
11. Internet Retailing Expo
@etailexpo
April 3-4, 2019
Birmingham, UK
The Internet Retailing Expo, or IRX, highlights some of the most pressing topics that internet retailers and brands encounter today, from B2B to international growth strategy, operational excellence, customer trends, and beyond. In addition to its dozens of insightful keynotes, the conference also includes one-on-one clinics with internet retail experts that serve to bring custom advice to brand managers of all experience levels.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
12. MarTech West
@MarTechConf
April 3-5, 2019
San Jose, CA
The MarTech West conference’s focus is to align individuals working in marketing, technology, and management, three disciplines that have converged over the years. Because MarTech West is designed with a cross-disciplinary approach in mind, brand managers like you will benefit from holistic, real-world advice that can be applied to your most cutting-edge branding plans.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
13. Programmatic I/O
@adexchanger
April 10-18, 2019
San Francisco, CA
AdExchanger’s annual Programmatic I/O conference is the largest and oldest conference that focuses on the issues of programmatic media and marketing in existence today. There, you will be joined by 1200+ attendees that work in a variety of positions within top brands, agencies, publishers, media companies, technology providers, and beyond. You will also have the opportunity to sit in on 100+ lectures within 6 agendas that can be tailored to help boost your brand.
Cost to Attend:
Early Bird: $1695
14. MIT Sustainability Summit
@MIT_S_Summit
April 26, 2019
Cambridge, MA
If your brand is built with sustainability in mind, you can’t miss MIT’s Sustainability Summit, a conference that focuses on sustainable mobility and access. The program is organized so that brands like yours walk away understanding the criteria that must be applied in order to innovate with environmental, social, and economic sustainability in mind.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
15. Skift Forum Europe
@skift
April 30, 2019
London, UK
Skift Forum Europe focuses its efforts on serving as a connection point for all of the major players in Europe’s global travel industry. There, you will find some of the best and brightest working in global travel today, like in-the-know marketers, strategists, and technologists. A prime choice if your aim is to gain brand awareness amongst Europe’s travel elite.
Cost to Attend:
Q3 Brand Manager Conferences
16. eTail East
@eTailNews
August 6-9. 2018
Boston, MA
Celebrating its 19th year, eTail East is a trademark retail conference that unites retailers of all levels, from billion-dollar brands to exciting, new startups. The conference includes 100+ speakers representing some of the most notable and groundbreaking retail brands around, such as furniture retailers, like Wayfair, clothing retailers, like ThirdLove, and online grocers, like FreshDirect.
Cost to Attend:
- Retailers: $1499-$1699
- Venture Capitalists: $1999-$2249
- Non-Retailers/Others: $3899-$4499
17. Traction Conf
@TractionConf_io
August 8-9, 2018
Vancouver, Canada
Traction Conf puts actionable growth as its number one most important agenda point. The 2018 theme is “SCALING UP,” a topic that is explored by a bevy of adept brand and business leaders, many of whom have scaled their businesses to $10M/$50M/$100+M ranges.
Cost to Attend:
$449-$799 CAD
18. Brand Marketers Insider Summit
@MediaPost
August 19-22, 2018
Lake Tahoe, CA
The Brand Marketers Insider Summit sponsored by Media Post poses one, very compelling question: “Can Big Branding survive Big Data?” Now that your interest is no doubt piqued, register for the event where you will get the opportunity to challenge and learn from other brand and marketing experts working to build their businesses in the ever-changing digital marketing spectrum.
Cost to Attend:
Early Discounted Price: $2395
19. Unbounce CTA18
@unbounce
August 27-29, 2018
Vancouver, Canada
Unbounce’s Call to Action conference is designed to give participants of all spaces a more informed, evolved view on the future of digital marketing as a whole. Some of this year’s digital marketers come from the most innovate brands around, including Shopify Plus, Zippy, and Hustle & Grind, just to name a few.
Cost to Attend:
- Unbounce Customer: $749 CAD
- Groups of 2: $699 CAD/each
- General Attendee: $899 CAD
20. Video Marketing World Conference
@vidpowbam
August 29-31, 2018
Dallas, TX
Video Marketing World is holding its 2nd-annual conference geared to brands and professionals managing online video and media content, particularly those perfecting their YouTube, Facebook, and Linkedin strategies. The conference itself is chock-full of informative experiences, including 40 world-class speakers and sessions alongside a capped number of 500 like-minded attendees.
Cost to Attend:
- Virtual Ticket: $197
- Standard (No Virtual Ticket): $497
- Plus (Full Access): $697
- VIP (Includes 2 hotel night stays): $1097
- Company Table (10 Plus tickets): $4997
21. HYPERGROWTH
@Drift
September 4, 2018
Boston, MA
Drift’s HYPERGROWTH conference is a curated event that unites some of the hippest and most experienced authorities in the branding and marketing sphere, from YouTube influencers to authors, retail execs, music moguls, and beyond. As the conference says, these are the folks who have “built brands and sparked movements” – definitely a great conference to attend for those of you brand managers looking to infuse some energy into your strategy.
Cost to Attend:
- General: $559
- Gold: $1200
- Platinum: $2000
- Black Card: $4000
22. Content Marketing World Conference and Expo
@CMIContent
September 4-7, 2018
Cleveland, OH
Content Marketing World Conference and Expo bills itself as “the conference for the marketing/PR professional who develops the strategy or handles the execution of content marketing initiatives.” Of course, brand managers like yourself can also greatly benefit from learning about how content creation can help brands find their online identities, no matter how new or established they may be.
Cost to Attend:
- Summit or Industry Lab: $699-$749
- Main Conference: $1399-$1499
- Main Conference Plus: $1899-$1999
- All-Access Pass: $2399-$2499
23. Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference
@podcastma
September 7-8, 2018
Philadelphia, PA
Whether your industry is podcasting, or you simply want to find a way to incorporate a podcast into your brand, the Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference serves as a comprehensive, one-of-a-kind experience. Attendees get plenty of opportunity to network with fellow producers and even get to mingle with speakers representing some of the most popular and influential podcasts around.
Cost to Attend:
- General: $135
- Plus: $185
- Premium: $260
24. Benchmark Search Conference 2018
@BenchmarkConf
September 12-14, 2018
Manchester, UK
Benchmark Search Conference is Europe’s preeminent search marketing innovation gathering and one that includes dozens of expert speakers working in the search marketing, digital marketing, branding, and development spectrums. The agenda also includes two-panel discussions centered on Google’s evolution and PPC perfection.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
25. Business Innovation Factory
@TheBIF
September 13-14, 2018
Providence, RI
The Business Innovation Factory is a conference like no other; instead of including a list of keynote speakers like many of its competitors do, an agenda filled with “storytellers” has been scheduled. These storytellers come from all reaches, including business, branding, art, education, and law. This human-centered design approach to doing business is what makes this particular event so innovative and powerful.
Cost to Attend:
- Standard: $2000
26. Mobile Growth Summit Canada
@myMobileGrowth
September 20, 2018
Montreal, Canada
Billed as the “World’s Largest Mobile Growth Conference,” Mobile Growth Summit Canada features insight on content strategies developed by the most influential movers and shakers in the business, from Facebook to Playtika. The event also includes a variety of interactive sessions that aim to give all participants usable tools that they can bring to their own brands.
Cost to Attend:
- Super Early Bird (Ends August 20th): FREE
- Publishers/ Mobile Digital Marketers: $99-$199 CAD
- Vendors/Agency: $995
27. Skift Restaurants Forum
@SkiftTable
September 24, 2018
New York, New York
Skift Restaurants Forum is a must-see event for all restauranteurs or those working in the branding and marketing divisions of the food industry. This one-of-a-kind conference is centered around the sharing of ideas, particularly the intersection of the guest experience with emerging technologies and the latest branding strategies.
Cost to Attend:
- Happy Hour Price: $645
28. Brand ManageCamp Marketing Conference
@BrandManageCamp
September 25-26, 2018
Las Vegas, NV
Finally, a conference that is solely aimed at brand managers like yourself! This two-day event includes a 360-degree view of what it takes to build and sustain a successful brand these days, including insight on digital marketing, content, customer behaviors, leadership, metrics, and more. Even better, each session is designed to be interactive so that you can walk away with the actionable tools you need to apply the newest strategies to your brand.
Cost to Attend:
- $1999-$2699 (sliding scale based on registration date)
29. Dreamforce 18
@Dreamforce
September 25-28, 2018
San Francisco, CA
If you’re in need of some serious inspiration, look no further than Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce, a conference that has attracted some incredibly successful speakers in the past, including Michelle Obama, Taraji P. Henson, Klaus Schwab, and Susan Wojcicki. In addition to the stellar keynote line-up, attendees also benefit from 2700+ sessions, training opportunities, and certification programs geared to build awareness of the current sales, marketing, and branding climates.
Cost to Attend:
- Full Conference Pass: $2199
30. Insight Lancaster
@lancmarketing
September 26, 2018
Lancaster, PA
Insight Lancaster is hosted by Lancaster Marketing Group (LMG), a group of Lancaster County-based marketers and business owners who aim to promote collaboration and education. In addition to providing stellar networking opportunities, this conference also features a diverse line-up of speakers who embody all different positions in the industry, from CEOs to creative directors and marketing gurus.
Cost to Attend:
- Early Bird: $175
- General: $245
31. Social Media Day Dayton
@SMdayDayton
September 27, 2018
Dayton, OH
Hosted by Sea Media, Social Media Day Dayton is designed to educate the surrounding community on the impacts of utilizing social media to boost brand awareness and increase sales. Speakers and panelists include a distinct group of area influencers, business owners, and marketers that all have their fingers on the pulse of the ever-evolving social media landscape.
Cost to Attend:
- $99
32. Skift Global Forum
@skift
September 27-28, 2018
New York, New York
When it comes to global business conferences, it doesn’t get much more impressive than the Skift Global Forum. The Skift Global Forum attracts over 1100+ participants from 40+ countries and includes a roster of over 550+ companies. In addition to those impressive stats, participants will also get to rub shoulders with some of the most successful marketing and branding experts in the world, including presidents and CEOS from Princess Cruises, United Airlines, VAWAA, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Cost to Attend:
- Full Access Pass: $3895
Q4 Brand Manager Conferences
33. Fashion PR Confidential
@FashionPRCon
October 1-2, 2018
Los Angeles, CA
Looking to gain the tools that will help you grow brand awareness of your fashion retail brand? If so, look no further than Fashion PR Confidential, a unique conference that is designed to give a boost to fashion and beauty PR and branding professionals, particularly ones that are just breaking into the industry. Topics covered during the conference include social media, career networking, client management, and event planning.
Cost to Attend:
Contact for attendance cost
34. State of Search Conference
@dfwsem
October 10-11, 2018
Dallas, TX
Presented by the Dallas/Fort Worth Search Engine Marketing Association, the State of Search Conference gathers some of the top authorities in digital marketing to provide actionable intelligence for brand managers, marketers, and business owners of all sizes and sectors. The agenda includes extensive programming on SEO, PPC, and social media, as well as plenty of fun networking opportunities.
Cost to Attend:
Regular: $600
Last-Minute: $700
35. The Fast Company Innovation Festival
@FastCompany
October 22-26, 2018
New York, New York
The fourth-annual Fast Company Innovation festival will feature more than 150 events centered on innovation, including opportunities to learn about cutting-edge design, leadership, and branding techniques. The keynote speaker roster is comprised of business leaders from all sectors, like fashion, publishing, entertainment, and beyond.
Cost to Attend:
- All-Access Pass: $899
- Priority Pass: $1199
- Group Rate: $699
- Influencer: $2900
36. Incite Group Brand Marketing Summit
@Incite_Group
October 24-25, 2018
New York, New York
Incite Group’s Brand Marketing Summit has quite the provocative theme this year of “Marketing is Dead: Engagement is Alive.” This no-holds-barred approach to brand invigoration includes tools that are designed to reinvent a brand’s marketing practices, while at the same time, develop data-led strategies. The roster includes 500+ senior-level attendees and 55+ brand speakers.
Cost to Attend:
- Standard Pass: $1945-$2645
- Executive Pass: $2145-2845
37. Sustainable Brands
@SustainBrands
October 29-31, 2018
Phildelphia, PA
New Metric’s Sustainable Brands conference aims to educate brands on the positive environmental and social impacts that can come from adopting conscious strategies. Brand managers will especially be interested in the Value in Marketing and Communications, a module that includes the latest research on the science of well-being and purpose, information that can be included to build your own awareness-based branding strategy.
Cost to Attend:
- One-Day Pass: $695
- Leadership Pass: $1495
38. SmartSocial Summit
@Spredfast
November 5-7, 2018
Austin, TX
Spredfast’s SmartSocial Summit focuses on many of the important questions and dilemmas that brands face today, including the value of social and building trust within your customer base. The event will also include the SmartSocial awards, a prize that is given to brands that make connections that their clients care about most.
Cost to Attend:
- Group: $895
- Standard: $1115-$1395
39. Litmus Live
@LitmusLive
November 8-9, 2018
San Francisco, CA
Litmus Live aims to give its attendees the innovative tools needed to better email marketing strategies, from process to design to development. Tailored workshops include topics on data-driven design, advanced personalization, and improved workflows, all of which can help your brand shine in the important world of email marketing.
Cost to Attend:
- Session Only: $1195
- Session + Workshop: $1890
40. WSJ D. Live
@WSJ
November 12-14, 2018
Laguna Beach, CA
D. Live is the Wall Street Journal’s premier tech event series that attracts the most influential movers and shakers in tech, business, media, and entertainment. This year’s theme includes Data, privacy, and society, The Culture of Tech Companies, and the Future of Mobility. It’s a must-attend event for brand managers desiring to gain a footing in some of the most powerful business circles around.
Cost to Attend:
$7000
41. MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2018
@MarketingProfs
November 13-16, 2018
San Francisco, CA
MarketingProf’s annual B2B Forum serves to introduce leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs with the best of B2B marketing. The conference has a carefree approach to making connections, opting to describe their networking opportunities as “off-the-clock antics.” A great opportunity for a brand manager who is looking to trade in their stuffy summits for something more engaging and fun.
Cost to Attend:
- Workshop Only: $1095
- Conference Only: $1695
- All-Access: $2595
42. Social Media Week
@socialmediaweek
November 14-16, 2018
London, UK
Social Media Week holds signature conferences all around the world, but its flagship event in London is one not to be missed. This year’s topic is “Closer,” which focuses on the conflict between individualism and community and how brands can help bridge that gap to better connect meaningfully with their customers.
Cost to Attend:
- Standard Pass: £449
- Premium Pass: £695
43. An Event Apart
@aneventapart
December 10-12, 2018
San Francisco, CA
An Event Apart includes two-days of informative sessions that focus on hot tech topics such as digital design, UX, code, content, and more. This in-depth series is especially helpful to brand managers who are looking to gain awareness and general understanding of the ever-innovative and ever-changing climates of tech and branding crossovers.
Cost to Attend:
-
- Day Pass: $600
- Conference Pass: $1100
- Conference + A Day Apart Pass: $1475
Brand Manager Meetups
44. HIGH PROFILE CLUB
@behighprofile
London, UK
The HIGH PROFILE CLUB is organized by Rafael Dos Santos, a UK-based entrepreneur who was included on a list compiled by The Sunday Times of the ‘100 Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs in the UK’. His meetup, which he bills as a “Tech PR Platform” includes nearly 5,500 members and serves as a network for branding experts, marketers, and business people to swap tools and ideas.
45. BrainStation Vancouver
@BrainStationYVR
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver’s chapter of the tech workshop provider, BrainStation, aims to connect talented educators with serious students coming from a variety of business backgrounds. Most workshops are free or affordable and each one embodies an actionable topic like “Product Management 101.”
46. Brands+Startups
Chicago, IL
Boasting a roster of over 2,300 members, Brands+Startups describes itself as a “post-accelerator ‘finishing school’ that helps startups learn how to pitch to multinational organizations.” The organization is 100% volunteer-based and is organized through the Heartland Mobile Foundation, a Chicago non-profit that serves to promote entrepreneurism.
47. From Idea to Launch
San Francisco, CA
From Idea to Launch motivates participants to take their ideas–brand, business, invention, or otherwise – and transform them into actionable execution. Can’t make it out to the San Francisco-based event? Join the group and gain access to their live streams.
48. Build Your Own Brand (B.Y.O.B.)
Sarasota, FL
Build Your Own Brand, otherwise known as B.Y.O.B., is a Sarasota-based monthly Meetup that is organized to help business owners, brand managers, and marketers gain more confidence as they solidify their e-commerce, social media marketing, and online branding strategies. The group is now currently in the process of organizing a speakers series where digital media and tech companies can share their real-world experiences with members.
49. Bespoke Brand Management for Female Pioneers & Entrepreneurs
London, UK
As its name suggests, this group is filled with female businesswomen who are looking to launch or refine their brands, with the help of the organizing firm, Fiena. The topics cover a number of important areas including partnerships, events, monetization, media management, social, influencer, business strategy, and more.
50. New York Branding Meetup
New York, New York
Organizers from the New York Branding Meetup hold series of happy hours where some of the key facets of brand management are discussed, such as brand strategy, brand communications, verbal identity, and visual identity. A great option for working or aspiring brand managers who crave collaboration in a relaxed, informal environment.