Why attend a social media conference?
It goes without saying that social media is always changing. There is no better way to tap into the collective wisdom of experts than by attending social media conferences where you can:
- learn from subject matter experts, such as corporate practitioners, well-known bloggers, authors, and speakers, in the field
- network with other corporate practitioners and professionals to compare notes on best practices
- discover new social media tools that might help you do more with less
- stay ahead of the curve!
Which are the 39 best social media conferences to attend in 2020?
Rather than create a comprehensive list of all of the marketing and social media conferences that exist, I provide you my annual list of conferences that I have vetted from either presenting at, attending, or knowing first-hand of the experiences from others who have attended. Social media conferences with a strong track record obviously are featured in this list, but I also went out of my way to add new and promising events to the list as well as some other major conferences that I might have omitted from pervious lists.
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of digital and social media marketing, these are the must-attend marketing social media conferences in 2020! Social media conferences are presented in chronological order for your convenience with information about the date and events venue city. Note that as Social Media Replaces Nothing Yet Complements Everything and the fact that Social is a Subset of Digital, this year I am also including broader digital marketing conferences and marketing conferences that I think social media marketers would be interested in attending.
Note that there are still many conferences where dates have been announced but speakers have not been. Make sure you bookmark this page and check back often as speakers will be added as they are announced,
Jan 27-29, 2020, Las Vegas NV
Learn and network with more than 6,000 digital marketers from over 70 countries, who will all gather in Las Vegas for the performance marketing industry’s premier global event.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Geno Prussakov – CEO, AM Navigator
- Shawn Collins – Co-CEO, Affiliate Summit
- Tim Burd – Co-Founder, AdLeaks
- Wade Tankin – Senior Affiliate Manager, Fanatics
- David Vogelpohl – Vice President, WP Engine
With affiliate marketing more frequently being identified as part of influencer marketing, I expect this to be a great conference for brands wanting to engage with influencers who are also affiliates.
Check out a recap of the 2019 event for a feel for the experience:
February 04, 2020, Amsterdam, Netherlands
This international conference is geared towards marketing professionals in need of search engine marketing inspiration and who want to stay up to date on the most important international developments and want to be aware of how other companies use their search-engine marketing and search engine optimization.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Rik van der Kooi – Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Advertising
- Brad Geddes – Co-Founder, AdAlysis
- Martin Rottgerding – Head of SEA, Bloofusion Germany
- Bastian Grimm – CEO and Co-Founder, Peak Ace AG
- Sander Janssen – Head of Digital, Freo
I have many European fans who always ask me about the best social media conferences in Europe, so here’s one that I recommend!
February 6, 2020, Austin TX
Pubcon Austin attendees will learn the most effective strategies in SEO, PPC, social media, content development, social media advertising, local search, Google Analytics, mobile, video and more.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Adam Reimer – President, Adam Reimer Marketing LLC
- Amy Bishop – Owner / Digital Media Consultant, Cultivative LLC
- Bill Hartzer – SEO Consultant, Hartzer Consulting
- Bill Rice – CEO, Kaleidico Digital Marketing
- Blake Denman – Founder and President, RicketyRoo Inc.
PubCon is one of the longest running traditional digital marketing conferences around that is always of high quality.
February 19-20, 2019, Chicago IL
Two days of expert-led, tactic-rich SEO and SEM sessions, more intimate networking, and an opportunity to learn from leading marketing solution providers.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Jessica Bowman – Editor-at-large, Search Engine Land
- Sandhaya Guntreddy – Principal Program Manager, Microsoft
- Daniel Waisberg – Search Advocate, Google
- Aaron Levy – Group Director, SEM at Tinuiti
- Benu Aggarwal – Milestone, INC, President
Here’s what you will learn at SMX West:
February 24-26, 2020, Scottsdale AZ
A must-attend for performance marketers managing the complex sales cycles and group buying realities common in B2B industries with 1,000+ B2B marketers and 100+ speakers covering buyer preferences, engagement trends, top marketing channels, and best practices.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Tamsen Webster – Strategist and TEDx Producer
- Todd Henry – Author of Herding Tigers and The Accidental Creative
- Pam Didner – Author, Speaker, and Owner of Relentless Pursuit LLC
- Sarah Schreiner – Senior Strategy Analyst, Client Experience, ADP
- Danny Nail – Head of Global Account Based Marketing, SAP
This video should give you a feel for the event:
March 1-3, 2020, San Diego CA
Join thousands of fellow marketers and influencers at the mega-conference designed to empower you with business-building ideas and actionable tips from more than 100 of the world’s top pros who specialize in marketing with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Messenger, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, along with social strategy, social advertising, content marketing, video marketing, analytics, and customer advocacy.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Mari Smith – Leading Facebook Expert
- Jasmine Star – Instagram Expert
- Mark Schaefer – Social Futurist
- Jay Baer – Social Customer Service Authority
- Michael Stelzner – Founder, Social Media Examiner
March 13-22, 2020, Austin TX
Join the world’s largest gathering of creative professionals, celebrating the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The SXSW Conference provides an opportunity for global professionals at every level to participate, network, and advance their careers. Join the world’s largest gathering of creative professionals, celebrating the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Melanie Perkins – CEO and co-founder, Canva
- Chris Hughes – Entrepreneur and Facebook co-founder
- Sandy Carter – Vice President of Public Sector Partners and Programs, Amazon Web Services
- Rohit Bhargava – Founder and Chief Trend Curator, Non-Obvious Company
- Camille Francois – Chief Innovation Officer, Graphika
March 24-26, 2020, Miami FL
Multi-track, educational sessions and workshops that provide the information attendees need to revamp and improve their online marketing strategies. Attendees will have multiple opportunities to interact with our expert-level speakers, get answers to their questions, and to network with fellow attendees, where they gain additional insights and effective strategies in SEO, PPC, social media, content development, social media advertising, local search, Google Analytics, mobile, video and more.
Confirmed speakers include: (PubCon Florida roster of speakers not yet available)
March 29 – April 02, 2020, Las Vegas NV
The premier event for digital marketing professionals, Adobe Summit has the latest insights from the world’s leading digital marketing experts.
Confirmed speakers include
- Satya Nadella – CEO, Microsoft
- Mindy Kaling – Actress, Writer, Producer
- Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints
- Hubert Joly – CEO, Best Buy
- Susan Johnson – CMO, Suntrust Bank
March 31 – April 02, 2020, San Diego CA
Join 6,000+ marketers to learn what’s new, what’s hot, and what’s actually working RIGHT NOW in digital marketing.
Confirmed speakers include
- Ezra Firestone – Co-Founder and CEO, BOOM! By Cindy Joseph
- Mari Smith – CEO, Mari Smith International, Inc.
- Mark Roberge – Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School
- Richard Lindner – President, DigitalMarketer
- Roland Frasier – CEO, War Room Mastermind
April 5-7, 2020, Hartford CT
Gain insight and inspiration from world-renowned keynote speakers, make valuable connections through countless networking opportunities and dive deep and set actionable goals at role and industry-specific summits.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Marcus Sheridan – Author of Best-Selling Book ‘They Ask, You Answer’
- Ramon Ray – Editor and Founder, Smart Hustle Magazine
- Liz Moorehead – Director of Web and Interactive Content, IMPACT
This conference was formerly known as IMPACT Live and is co-founded by the best-selling author Marcus Sheridan.
April 5-7, 2020, Austin TX
CXL Live 2020 is a 3-day long growth, conversion optimization, and experimentation event for mid-to-large sized enterprises. This is a must-attend conference for people responsible for driving growth through optimization and experimentation.
Confirmed speakers include
- Ronny Kohavi – VP and Technical Fellow, AirBnB
- Dave Gerhardt – VP Marketing, Drift
- Cassandra Campbell – Testing and Experimentation Lead, Shopify
- Jason Barbato – VP of Growth, Orange Pegs
- Sophia Liu – Senior Data Scientist, Netflix
April 8-10, 2020, St. Louis, MO
The Midwest Digital Marketing Conference is the largest digital marketing conference in the Midwest. The 2019 conference was attended by nearly 2,000 marketers and they expect more this year featuring over 100 speakers including Google, LinkedIn, GoDaddy, Johnson & Johnson, Adobe, Purina over 80 sessions across nine tracks: Data, Digital, Social Media, Creative, E-commerce, Innovation, Academic, Tech and Entrepreneurship.
Confirmed speakers include
- Raashi Rosenberger – Global Brand Marketing, Google
- Ashley Aubuchon-Arcand – Lead Digital Activist & Executive Program Manager, IBM
- Pearce Delisle – North American Manager, Content Marketing Consultants
LinkedIn - Mike Allton – Brand Evangelist, Agorapulse
- Heidi Cohen – Chief Content Officer, Actionable Marketing Guide
April 15-17, 2020, San Jose CA
Become a master of marketing in the digital age, and connect with a thriving community of senior-level marketers while participating in an expertly-crafted program loaded with creative, real-world, vendor-agnostic solutions and actionable tactics for overcoming sticky marketing challenges.
Confirmed speakers include: (MarTech West roster of speakers not yet available)
April 20-22, 2020, San Diego CA
Come to ContentTECH Summit to learn how new technologies and innovative processes are fundamentally changing what our work will look like in the next two to five years; and learn from practitioners and experts in content technology and marketing strategy. Both speakers and attendees are trailblazing pioneers who have set the bar for epic content marketing through technology.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Robert Rose – Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute
- Sean Amster – Digital Marketing Manager, Henry Company
- Amy Balliett – Founder and CEO, Killer Visual Strategies
- Andrew Cafourek – Founder, Lat Long
- Jeff Coyle – Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, MarketMuse
April 21-23, 2020, Boston MA
CMC’s core focus is to deliver the tactics and techniques you need to grow your business organically–the content marketing way. Learn how your brand can tap mystery, humor, intimacy, and authenticity to humanize your content and boost content marketing performance.
Confirmed speakers include;
- Ann Handley – Best-Selling Author and Founder, MarketingProfs
- Byron White – Founder of WriterAccess and the Content Marketing Conference
- AJ Wilcox – President, B2Linked
- Lee Odden – CEO, TopRank Marketing
- Dennis Yu – CEO, BlitzMetrics
I have spoken at multiple Content Marketing Conference events and love the rich content that they deliver. They also have a unique lineup of content marketing comedians that surely make this a unique event not to miss if you are a content marketer!!!
April 22-24, 2020, Napa Valley CA
Discover a conference series that is devoted to developing your skills as a SEO/SEM professional. Network with industry thought leaders, learn their advanced tactics, and bring back actionable data that will improve your success!
Confirmed speakers include:
- Jim Boykin – CEO, Internet Marketing Ninjas
- William Sears – VP SEO, SlickDeals
- Marty Weintraub – Founder, Aimclear
- Joe Sinkwitz – CEO, Intellifluence
- Jacqueline Urick – Director SEM/SEO and UX, Sears
May 3-6, 2020, Austin TX
Join more than 3,200 marketers for four full days of data-driven best practices research, unveiling of new innovations across the b-to-b space and networking with an elite community of sales, marketing and product leaders.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
May 5-7, 2020, New York NY
Social Media Week brings together marketing, media and technology professionals from more than 50 countries with a curiosity and passion for new ideas, innovations and emerging trends in social media.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Rishad Tobaccowala – Chief Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe
- Pam Wasserstein – President, Vox Media
- Joe Marchese – CEO, Attention Capital
- Quinn Kilbury – Head of Partnerships & Consumer Experience, Heineken USA
- Alison Moore – CEO, Comic Relief USA
In the United States, Social Media Week: New York continues to offer the most compelling speaker lineup of all Social Media Week events. If you can’t make it to New York for this event, be on the lookout for Social Media Week events in urban areas closer to where you live.
May 7-8, 2020, New York NY
DigiMarCon New York 2020 sessions will focus on building traffic, expanding brand awareness, improving customer service and gaining insight into today’s latest digital tools. Hear from some of the most audacious and thought provoking speakers in the digital marketing industry and gain insight into emerging strategies, the latest innovative technologies, and best practices to move your business to the next level.
Confirmed speakers include
- Christi Olson – Head of Evangelism for Search and Advertising – Microsoft
- Jason Falls – Director of Digital and Social Strategy, Cornett
- Rand Fishkin – Co-Founder and CEO, SparkToro
- Loni Stark – Senior Director for Strategy and Product Marketing, Adobe
- Allen Gannett – CSO, Skyword
May 13, 2020, Boston MA
The Next10x Conference promises actionable ideas to help prepare yourself and position your company to survive and thrive in the changing digital marketing landscape.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Rand Fishkin – Co-Founder, SparkToro
- Purna Virji – Senior Manager of Global Engagement, Microsoft
- Eric Enge – General Manager, Perficient Digital
- Jessica Grammer – Senior SEO Advisor, FedEx
- Erin Everhart – Senior Manager of Commerce Marketing, The Home Depot
I spoke at the very first Next10X Conference and was very impressed with the high quality and thought leadership level of the speakers, content, and attendees.
May 13-14, 2020, Toronto, Ontario Canada
Learn, connect and gain insight into emerging strategies, the latest innovative technologies, and best practices from the biggest names in digital marketing and leave with practical ways to harness the power of digital in your business.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Allen Gannett – Chief Executive Officer, TrackMaven
- Arnie Kuenn – Chief Executive Officer, Vertical Measures
- Ben Soubies – Head of APAC, Talkwalker
- Dave Kerpen – Chief Executive Officer, Likeable Local
- Jason Falls – Director of Digital & Social Strategy, Cornett
May 17-20, 2020, Minneapolis MN
From UX to storytelling, accessibility to structure, Confab brings together those who are committed to making content more useful and usable.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Sarah Richards – Founder, Content Design Centre
- Aaron Baker – Associate Director of Content Strategy, Harvard University
- Beth Dunn – UX Operations Lead, HubSpot
- Malaika Carpenter – Founder and Principal Consultant, SayCred Media Group LLC
- Andy Welfle – Senior Content Strategist, Adobe
June 1-3, 2020, San Diego CA
Join over 1,600 marketing executives for an unparalleled program designed for CMOs and their leadership teams. Gain insights into a range of topics, from customer experience to market insights and the marketing technologies that fuel your marketing strategy to deliver results in today’s fast-paced environment.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Christi Eubanks – Managing Vice President, Gartner
- Andrew Frank – Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
- Maureen Murphy – L2 Co-Founder, CSO Gartner
- Christopher Ross – VP Analyst, Gartner
- Jennifer Polk – VP Analyst, Gartner
June 4, 2020, San Francisco CA
The GrowthHackers conference features a great lineup of speakers who will share their first-hand knowledge and experience gained from growing some of today’s fastest growing companies. A full day event for professionals and entrepreneurs who are looking to push the boundaries of growth innovation. These range from growth-stage startups to large public corporations.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Sean Ellis – Founder, GrowthHackers
- Nancy Hensley – Chief Digital Officer, IBM
- Hila Qu – VP Growth, Acorns
- Kevin Ma – Project Manager, Wish
June 4-5, 2020, Tokyo, Japan
Content Marketing Summit is a premier event where some of the greatest minds, savvy brands, renowned publishers, innovative technology enablers and leading practitioners from across the world come together to explore the exciting world of content marketing.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers for Japan not published yet)
June 17-20, 2020, Anaheim CA
VidCon is an annual conference for people who love and make online video. Top digital leaders will share strategies for success that will inspire you to build your own success, and top execs from the leading video platforms will present and answer your questions as well.
Confirmed speakers include
- Matthew Patrick – Creator, Game Theory / Film Theory / GT Live
- Rachel Ballinger – YouTuber
- Ricky Dillon – YouTuber, singer and entertainer
- Joey Graceffa – Lifestyle personality, Brand Ambassador
- Hank Green – CEO, Complexly
If you are looking to get ahead with your video marketing efforts or develop relationships with and learn from influencers who are well established on YouTube, this will be the best conference for you to attend.
July 6-8, 2020, Seattle WA
MozCon is a three-day, one-track journey into the deepest realms of search marketing. This is a great opportunity to connect with an incredible community of experts and uncover tactical advice from industry-leading practitioners in the vast world of SEO, mobile, conversion optimization, local search, and more.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Andy Crestodina – Co-founder/CMO, Orbit Media Studios
- Britney Muller – Senior Search Scientist, Moz
- Casie Gillette – Senior Director for Digital Marketing, KoMarketing
- Dana DiTomaso – President & Partner, Kick Point
- Dr. Pete Meyers – Marketing Scientist, Moz
Considering that this event comes from the well-respected SEO experts at MOZ, it has a reputation as being one of the best – if not the best – conference to attend if SEO is your thing.
August 5-8, 2020, Dallas TX
Featuring breakout sessions and panels spread across seven topic-focused tracks, Podcast Movement 2020 will be joined by over 3,000 podcasters from around the world for over 200 educational sessions, the 100+ exhibitor trade show, and the best parties and networking opportunities in podcasting.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
If you are looking to dive deeper into podcasting, this is the must-attend social media conference.
August 18-21, 2020, Boston MA
INBOUND is an annual experience uniting super curious, question-asking professionals across diverse disciplines, walks of life and professions with big-name and break-out industry thinkers, high-octane events, and boundless education sessions.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
Note that this event has traditionally been held in October and often overlapped with the timing of the Content Marketing World conference. Since INBOUND will be in August, you now have no excuse to attend BOTH of these leading events!
September 15-16, 2020, Las Vegas NV
Named as one of Forbes’ “Must-Attend” Marketing Conferences, Brand ManageCamp presents speakers and workshops that will give you a 360 degree view of a brand through a broad variety of content. Furthermore, every session is designed and planned so that you walk away from this brand marketing event with actionable insights, tools, and techniques that you can use right away.
Confirmed speakers include: (speakers have not been announced yet)
October 5-8, 2020, New York NY
Advertising Week is a worldwide gathering of marketing, advertising, technology and brand professionals.
Confirmed speakers include: (speakers have not been announced yet)
October 6-8, 2020, Boston MA
An experience designed for senior-level marketers charged with assembling marketing technology stacks and teams that deliver exceptional customer experiences and measurable results. Two incredibly intense days of sessions, keynotes, and networking (three with a workshop!); an unrivaled opportunity to meet your peers and connect with leading marketing technology vendors.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers have not yet been announced)
October 7-8, 2020, Chicago IL
Reach 2020 promises to provide new insight and a path to grow your customer base in today’s market. Hear uncensored opinions and advice from some of the best minds in software marketing and sales and learn new ways to talk to your customers, to solve their problems, and to invigorate your team. In addition, you’ll have the ability to network with the industry’s thought leaders, and it never hurts to make new connections.
Confirmed speakers include: (information not published yet)
October 13-16, 2020, Cleveland OH
Learn from the best in the content marketing community and spend four days with the #CMWorld community. Over 125 sessions and workshops presented by the leading brand marketers and experts from around the world, for an expected 4,000 marketers from over 60 countries.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Joe Pulizzi – The Godfather of Content Marketing, Author, and Founder of the Content Marketing Institute and Content Marketing World
- Tamsen Webster – CEO, Find the Red Thread
- Robert Rose – Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute.
- Scott Stratten – President, UnMarketing
- Andrew and Peter – Founders, Andrew and Pete
The oldest and definitive conference on content marketing period. With guest speakers like Henry Rollins of Black Flag, you know this conference is special!
November 2-5, 2020, Lisbon Portugal
Web Summit has become “Europe’s largest and most important technology marketplace”, a crossroads for the world’s largest buyers and sellers of technology.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers not announced yet)
November 3-6, 2020, San Francisco CA
Leaders, innovators, and people who make things happen gather to learn about the latest in B2B marketing and share the secrets to success.
Confirmed speakers include: (information not published yet)
This is probably the best and longest-running B2B marketing conference that exists. It used to be held annually in Boston, but recently has shifted to San Francisco.
November 5-6, 2020, Orlando, FL
Social Fresh is one of – if not the – longest running social marketing conference and this will be their 23rd event over 10 years. Social Fresh is where social marketing leaders go to learn, and they pride themselves on hosting the highest quality presentations in the industry. Speakers are featured on one main stage with one track. Social Fresh works one-on-one with each speaker to make sure every brand story and tactical session is highly actionable.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Miri Rodriguez – Head of Global Internship Program, Microsoft
- Jenny Fowler – Director of Social Media Strategy, MIT
- Scott Monty – CEO & President, Scott Monty Strategies
- Katie Richmand – Social Video Production Team Lead, Facebook
- Tatiana Holifield – VP/Head of Digital Strategy, Pacers
November 9-12, 2020, San Francisco CA
From inspiring keynotes and sessions to visionary thinking to discovering the future of technology to actually changing the world, it’s a truly empowering four days and an event you won’t want to miss.
Confirmed speakers include: (2020 speakers not announced yet)
With social selling, sales enablement, and employee advocacy programs bringing sales and marketing teams together, Dreamforce is not a pure sales conference anymore!
Are there any must see 2020 social media conferences which are missing from the list? Please contact me and let me know!
Neal Schaffer is a leading authority on helping businesses through their digital transformation of sales and marketing through consulting, training, and helping enterprises large and small develop and execute on social media marketing strategy, influencer marketing, and social selling initiatives. President of the social media agency PDCA Social, Neal also teaches digital media to executives at Rutgers University, the Irish Management Institute (Ireland), and the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland). Fluent in Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, Neal is a popular keynote speaker and has been invited to speak about digital media on four continents in a dozen countries. He is also the author of 3 books on social media, including Maximize Your Social (Wiley), and in late 2019 will publish his 4th book, The Business of Influence (HarperCollins), on educating the market on the why and how every business should leverage the potential of influencer marketing. Neal resides in Irvine, California but also frequently travels to Japan.