When working in the small business sector, networking and different business strategies are key. The perfect place to meet, connect with, and learn from different industry professionals is a small business conference, a small business seminar, or a small business networking event.
There are many different options of conferences, summits, and expos in 2019, so finding the right one for you and your small business is crucial!
Small Business Conference in 2019
1. Small Business Expo
Date: February 2019 – November 2019
Location: There are multiple
Held in 17 major cities, the Small Business Expo is the largest small business conference of its kind that provides information for small business owners or entrepreneurs who are starting a small business. The expo provides the opportunity to browse through hundreds of vendors that can help a small business grow as well as attend workshops and seminars.
2. 2019 Small Business Conference
Date: February 11 – 13, 2019
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
The National 8(a) Small Business Conference is the premier supplier diversity networking event for small businesses.
The Conference offers educational sessions and resources for small businesses, minority businesses, current 8(a) companies, and graduated 8(a) companies as well as supplier diversity matchmaking with federal agencies, large business primes, and commercial companies and multiple networking opportunities to meet federal agencies, buyers, and prospective teaming partners.
3. Startup Grind
Date: February 12 – February 13, 2019
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating and connecting 400,000 founders in over 200 cities. The Startup Grind summit features successful local founders, innovators, educators, and investors who share lessons learned on the road to building great small businesses and companies.
Here is a talk from Dr. Fei-Fei Li at a previous conference.
4. Pubcon
Date: March 5 – March 7, 2019
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
A social media and optimization conference is supported by the industry’s leading businesses, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors involved in Internet marketing, search engines, and digital advertising. The conference offers an in-depth look at the future of technology presented by the world’s top speakers.
5. South By Southwest
Date: March 8 – 17, 2019
Location: Austin, Texas
The SXSW Conference provides an opportunity for global professionals and small business owners at every level to participate, learn, and network in the film, music, and art industry. SXSW is a great small business convention that you will never forget.
Here is a video from SXSW in 2018.
6. Smart Workspace Design Summit
Date: March 20 – March 22, 2019
Location: Berlin, Germany
An international summit designed to help small businesses and startups develop work space trends to boost productivity and creativity. The summit offers a workplace transformation in closing the gap between HR, IT, and real estate for your developing small business.
7. Social Media Marketing World 2019
Date: March 20 – 22, 2019
Location: San Diego, California
Join the world’s leading social media experts as you discover actionable tips and strategies that will improve your small business’s social media marketing efforts.
8. Next Generation Customer Experience
Date: March 25 – 27, 2019
Location: Indian Wells, California
The Next Generation Customer Experience brings together senior level customer experience executives across all industries to discuss the latest customer experience strategies. This summit is for the small business that wants to develop a cutting-edge CX strategy or benefit from focused networking.
9. Adobe 99U Conference
Date: May 8 – May 10, 2019
Location: New York City, New York
A conference for creative small business owners who want to make or are making their dreams a reality. This New York based conference mixes socializing with networking and creativity with pragmatic, real world insights that transcend the small business sector.
Here is a talk from a previous conference by Natasha Jen so you can get a taste of what you can expect at the Adobe 99U Conference.
10. WBENC National Conference and Business Fair
Date: June 25 – June 27, 2019
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
The largest conference for women business owners in the U.S. The WBENC National Conference and Business Fair is attended by representatives from the Fortune 500, the U.S. Government, Women’s Business Enterprises, and select partner organizations whose missions align with WBENC’s vision of expanding women’s business opportunities in the marketplace.
11. Tech Cruise 2019
Date: July 17 – July 14, 2019
Location: Orlando, Florida
A great small business networking event — Tech Cruise is a seven night tech networking cruise onboard the Royal Caribbean ‘Oasis of the Seas’ Cruise Ship. With small business owners able to networking a relaxed environment, it is the perfect place to build a professional network, find business partners, generate new ideas, and learn in the technical realm.
12. Launch Festival
Date: TBD
Location: Sydney, Australia
The Launch festival offers a convergence of some of the most talented movers and shakers in the realm of social innovation and technology. The festival aims to inspire entrepreneurs and give them the necessary tools and support to launch their new ventures.
Here is a livestream of the festival from 2017.
Conclusion
These different small business conferences, small business seminars, and small business networking events are a great way to meet other small business owners who share similar concerns and challenges. You can choose to attend one conference or mix and match different expos and summits that cater to your exact small business needs. Through all of these events, you will be able to find different improvements in all fields that feed into your small business and allow you to strengthen and grow your small business.