Whether you’re an established business owner or plan to make your entry into entrepreneurialism this year, staying up-to-date with the latest business developments is key to success. Attending conferences and events is also a great way to network with other like-minded people and showcase your most valuable asset: your business.
But what are the best business conferences to attend? Let’s take a look at some of the options, both in-person and online.
Entrepreneur conferences
Entrepreneur events are great for those who are new to the business world, giving you the opportunity to learn from others. Here are some of our favourite entrepreneurial seminars on the calendar.
Elite Business Live
This event is dedicated to high-growth businesses, targeted at helping entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level with speakers, seminars, workshops and networking opportunities over two days. With 50 speakers from the British entrepreneurial world, there’s sure to be a few that resonate with you and your business plan at Elite Business Live.
Youpreneur Summit
The Youpreneur Summit focuses on three main principles: building, marketing and monetising. No matter your level of expertise, at this summit, you’ll be given skills and tactics to build a powerful, profitable business. That means learning about every stage of the business growth cycle and being able to share ideas and get feedback from business experts during daily mastermind sessions.
Business leaders conferences
There are lots of conferences out there, focusing on everything from marketing to analytics. But as a business owner, you’ll benefit from attending business leadership conferences that focus on all the elements needed to grow a successful company.
10x Growth Conference
The 10x Growth Conference was created for business owners who are looking to go places. Focused on business training, sales and marketing, it teaches you ways to increase your income, and it’s a great event for motivated business owners who want to stay on top of trends and find out how to get results.
Wisdom 2.0
Good business leaders understand that their business isn’t just driven by revenue but also by the health and happiness of their employees, and Wisdom 2.0 focuses on wellness and human connection. With over 2,500 attendees from 24 countries, it’ll give you plenty of ideas to take back to your office space about how to improve your employees’ motivation, productivity and work-life balance.
The Business Show
The Business Show is one of the biggest business conferences and expos in the UK, hosting a whopping 25,000 businesses. As an attendee, you can listen to some of the best and brightest talents across a range of industries talk about all things business, or you can book a stand to showcase your wares on the day. And the bonus? It’s completely free to attend!
Tech and marketing conferences
It might not be your area of expertise, but whether you go yourself or delegate your marketing manager to attend, there are some technology and marketing conferences that are well worth attending.
Web Summit
One of the world’s biggest and best conferences, Web Summit in Lisbon has a huge roster of international speakers and around 70,000 people in attendance from over 160 countries. The calibre of speakers is astonishingly high, with previous guests including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the internet; Jen Wong, CCO of Reddit; Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, CEO & Publisher at MIT Technology Review; and actor Amy Poehler.
Mobile World Congress
Based in Barcelona, Mobile World Congress is a huge international conference that revolves around technology. It’s a must for any business in the tech space, particularly consumer electronics, telecom and automation, and is attended every year by global mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, and content owners.
You Are The Media
You Are The Media’s mantra is that profit generation and revenue rely on nurturing and building a loyal audience through great content. As they say, ›If you can support your community with phenomenal content that aligns with what you believe in, you have a foundation to build on. On the day, you’ll be able to learn about how different aspects of community-building work, as well as how to nurture different marketing channels (website, social media, email etc.) to suit your brand.
Festival of Marketing
Regardless of how phenomenal your business model or idea is, a proper marketing strategy is crucial to give it the traction it needs. Most of us don’t have a degree in marketing, however, which is where the Festival of Marketing comes in. The conference covers everything from the basics (like brand identity and storytelling) through to more advanced concepts (like customer segmentation, AI and chatbots). So, regardless of your level of marketing expertise, you’re sure to learn something valuable.
Small business events
As a startup, it’s great to attend small business conferences where you can learn from your peers as well as more established leaders in your field. Here are some of our favourite SMB conferences.
Startup Grind
Startup Grind offers a home for Europe’s most innovative startups. Taking place entirely online, you’ll be able to network with thousands of startups, investors and innovators to discuss the future of funding, technology, and the direction in which your businesses are headed.
Startup summit
One of the oldest small business seminars, Startup Summit, was established in Edinburgh in 2012 with the aim of bringing together the entrepreneurial community, sharing and celebrating everything it takes to grow a small business – both good and bad. Speakers in the past have included Simon Beckerman, founder of Depop; James Watt, CEO of BrewDog; and Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister.
eCommerce Expo
If you’re starting out selling online, then this conference is a must. London’s eCommerce Expo is designed to deliver the now, the new and the not-yet of e-commerce technology, ideas, techniques and inspiration. If you’re an e-commerce merchant, that means learning about practical solutions and technologies you can employ to stay ahead of the curve in a constantly changing landscape.
If you’re looking for more clear, transparent advice on business, check out the rest of the Easy Offices blog for more articles on flexible working, startups, business advice and working environments.
