Agency Conferences 2023: Which One is Right for You?
Attending a conference is a great way to learn from thought leaders, get inspired, network with people you respect, and ideally leave with actionable content. In my crowdsourced article, “What is your favorite strategy for finding new clients?” one of the key insights was the importance of networking. Well, conferences are a great way to network with people you learn from and do business with.
I would be remiss if I didn’t put out my standard disclaimer on attending conferences: Figure out what you want to get out of attending before making any commitments! Conferences are a big investment of time and money, and if you’re going to a conference without a goal in mind, you will waste both.
Here are some goals you might want to consider as you decide on which conferences to attend in 2023.
3 Goals to Make the Most Out of a Conference
Learning. “Me personally” has somehow become my kids’ current catchphrase, I generally choose to attend conferences where I can learn from someone who has been in my shoes. When someone has done what I want to do, there is a higher likelihood I can leave with actionable information. I always find the other stuff that I want to learn can be googled.
Networking. Identify a conference that has the type of people that you want to be around. This could be new business prospects or your peers.
Gaining Visibility. Reach out to the conference organizer and see whether there are additional speaking opportunities available or offer to facilitate a session. If this conference has the people you want to be around, then taking on a visible role among all the participants sets you and your brand apart.
2023 Marketing Conferences
If you want assistance figuring out which conferences fit with your positioning and lead generation strategy, then reach out about my Agency Positioning advisory service.
JANUARY
Design Leadership Camp
Where: Santa Fe, NM
When: January 29 — February 2, 2023
How they describe it: As a design leader, you’ve got your work cut out for you. You’re building and scaling teams, managing the creative side, the people side and more. Join us in New Mexico for Design Leadership Camp. Connect with new friends and allies, trade stories and get the insights you need to evolve and grow as an exceptional leader.
Update: Rescheduled
FEBRUARY
Agency New Business Virtual Conference
Where: Virtual
When: February 6–9, 2023
How they describe it: Frontline Perspective From Senior Level Marketers, Mid-to-Small Size Agencies, and the RSW/US Team. Great Content, Great Insights, Great Perspective to Help Small-to-Mid Size Firms Win In 2023!
Biz Dev Camp
Where: Charleston, SC
When: February 26 — March 2, 2023
How they describe it: Sure, you’re closing business. But it isn’t always easy, and you’d like to find new ways to bring in bigger and better leads, to get more of the work you want. If only you could escape to a seaside paradise for a few days, and hash out solutions, uninterrupted, with two dozen or so new friends… Biz Dev Camp gives you that opportunity.
MARCH
Where: Virtual
When: March 29–30, 2023
How they describe it: For two days Ad World will stream 6+ Digital Advertising Tracks, consisting of hyper-focused speeches, panels and live Q&A sessions to help take your business to the next level.
APRIL
Operations Summit
Where: Virtual
When: April 24 -25, 2023
How they describe it: We’ll dig into each discipline; Operations, Business Development, Delivery, and Finance. Of course, we can’t forget that ultimate operations wild card, humans. So team dynamics will be on the agenda. Finally, we’ll discuss scaling operations up and down without causing any costly disruptions.
MAY
Counselors Academy 2023 Conference
Location: New Orleans, LA
Dates: May 8–10, 2023
How they describe it: The annual Spring Conference by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is Counselors Academy’s largest event and attracts senior agency executives, decision-makers, advisers, and partners. In addition to agency principals and other leaders, attendees include growth and leadership consultants, industry sponsors, and executives from related businesses and industries.
Where: Chicago, IL
When: May 15–17. 2023
How they describe it: You’re going to hear keynotes on proactively defining what you want from your agency and building a plan to get there. You’re going to hear from agency owners who are crushing their goals despite working in some very non-traditional ways. You’re going to learn how to protect your profitability, no matter what season your agency is in.
AMEC Global Summit on Measurement
Where: Miami, FL
When: May 15–17, 2023
How they describe it: The 2023 event theme is ‘From Vanity to Value: Demonstrating the impact of pr and comms’ and will include keynote speakers and panel discussions across the two conference days.
Where: TBD
When: May 16–17, 2023
How they describe it: Your clients. Your talent. Your operations. All are demanding a complete innovation. At the same time, we’re in a period of incredible growth — most challenged by the talent crisis. This May, we’re focused on all new sessions to help you innovate, retool and upskill your agency. All, with balance.
JUNE
Where: Nashville, TN
When: June 5–7, 2023
How they describe it: HOW Design Live offers the creative inspiration to refuel your passion combined with the practical knowledge you need to achieve and advance in your career through incredible breakout sessions, keynotes, and workshops.
JULY
Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards
Where: Atlanta, GA
When: July 25 & 26, 2023
How they describe it: Join Ad Age in person July 25 and 26 for our annual event dedicated to the opportunities and challenges for small agencies. Designed specifically for independent shops with fewer than 150 full-time employees, the two-day conference will include workshops, case studies and candid conversations exploring what it takes to create effective work for clients, build financially healthy—and sustainable—businesses and cultivate a diverse and rewarding environment for employees.
SEPTEMBER
Where: Boston, MA
When: September 5–8, 2023
How they describe it: INBOUND’s key goal is to connect professionals in the marketing industry. Every year, this marketing conference is one of the biggest marketing events and attracts thousands of world-class professionals. The program is usually hybrid, which means you can attend in person in Boston, MA, or comfortably from your home.
Where: Chicago, IL
When: September 21 – 22, 2023
How they describe it: The Brand New Conference is a two-day event organized by UnderConsideration, focusing on the practice of corporate and brand identity. The conference consists of eight sessions each day offering a broad range of points of view with speakers from around the world practicing in different environments, from global consultancies, to in-house groups, to small firms.
Where: Washington, DC
When: September 26–29, 2023
How they describe it: You’ll be part of the one event where attendees learn from the best in the content marketing industry. We have over 100 sessions and keynotes presented by the leading brand marketers and experts from around the world. Content Marketing World had an agency specific track in 2022.
OCTOBER
Adobe MAX - The Creativity Conference
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: October 10-12, 2023
How they describe it: MAX is the annual gathering of graphic, web, and multidisciplinary designers; creative and art directors; social media content creators; film, video, and motion graphics pros; photographers; and creative leaders.
Where: New York, NY
When: October 12–14, 2023
How they describe it: Connect in-person with your design community at the 2023 AIGA Design Conference in the Big Apple! Prepare to get inspired and re-energized while learning in community from designers at the cutting edge of today's hot topics.
Where: Nashville, TN
When: October 15–17, 2023
How they describe it: ICON 2023 will bring its special blend of incomparable networking and professional development opportunities for public relations and communications professionals to Nashville, Tennessee, Oct. 15–17 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Join your fellow attendees from all over the map to share insights and explore new ideas.
Where: Dallas, TX
When: October 26, 2023
How they describe it: We asked top corporate CMOs to give us challenging marketing issues and we’re having top ad agency execs duke it out on stage in a raucous debate. Digital Fight Club returns to IRL and the most informative, exciting non-panel event you will ever experience. We put 2 experts on stage 2 feet from each other in front of “referees” and let them defend their position.
NOVEMBER
Mirren Executive Leadership Summit 2023
Where: TBD
When: November 7–8, 2023
How they describe it: Join 150 Agency C-Suite to address what it now takes to compete and grow in the year ahead. Together, we’ll deconstruct new agency models, capabilities and growth strategies.
Key Takeaway
Hopefully, you find a marketing conference or two that piques your interest. Based on the conference description, past speakers, and past attendees, you should be able to reasonably determine whether you can reach your conference goals. The easy way to think about this is to ask yourself this question: “What am I hoping to get out of this conference?”
I will send an updated version of this article as new events (as well as location and dates) are announced. In addition, the most up-to-date version will be kept live on my website: www.themeadecompany.com. Let me know if you know about other events that I can add to this list.