Tech Conference Dates For The Diary 2016

Any self-respecting tech buff will want to put these dates in their diary.
Historically, business conferences are not known for their glamour and excitement. Usually set up in cavernous and soulless conference centers around corporate chain hotels, they aren’t exactly rivaling fashion week in terms of prestige and appeal. But in the tech world, things are different. The “conference circuit”, as it’s often called, is the place to see and be seen, to hear the ideas of thought leaders and much-lauded speakers, and to rub shoulders with the up-and-comers who are poised to be the next big thing. Tickets or passes to events like SXSW are so coveted that it’s hard to believe these conferences were once just casual and fringe meetups.
So why has the tech conference become such an important cultural touchstone in the world of startups and digital technology?
Perhaps it is because the world of tech still likes to think of itself as an insular group of nerds with the common interest of a highly specialized hobby. Coding used to be a nerdy pursuit, carried by kids who perhaps didn’t make the football team and spent time in their parents basement instead. Today, coders are the new rockstars and everyone now wants to be in this proverbial club. Indeed, now that technology is entirely mainstream and hugely relevant to all aspects of popular culture, everyone wants a piece of the tech conference circuit action as it is the meeting place of the industry. Often, some of the biggest scandals, headlines and gossip items of the industry each year take place at the biggest meetups, and people don’t want to miss out.
In addition, now that tech intersects so many other industries—marketing, journalism, advertising, branding, gaming, entertainment etc—conferences that were once industry-specific have crossed over into the tech space, and vice versa. It’s not just developers and coders who want to meet and network and share ideas, it’s VCs, marketers, copywriters, storytellers, angel investors, entrepreneurs and entertainers. All of this works to broaden the appeal of tech conferences from industry insider meetup to cultural phenomenon.
Here’s a look at some conferences that typify the crossover of tech and other industries that you might want to attend in 2016:
Mobile World Conference: With the next one slated to be held in February 2016 in Spain, thousands of marketing professionals descend on this conference each year to learn more about what’s going on in the mobile space and how to target their products across a wider audience.
Big Data Innovation Summit: Due to be held in Las Vegas in January 2016, the Big Data Innovation Summit will cover topics including Big Data, data analytics, emerging algorithms, data security and “data in the Cloud”. The event will boast an impressive speaker list from companies including General Electric, Groupon, Time Inc., the U.S. Department of Commerce and the World Economic Forum.
Consumer Electronics Show: Also traditionally held in Las Vegas, CES offers a glimpse at emerging startups that are set to disrupt the industry and hundreds of speeches from big-thinkers in the consumer tech space.
Inbound: Held in Boston each year, Inbound’s past keynote speakers have featured major names like Ariana Huffington and Seth Godin. Topics cover marketing, content strategy and a focus on B2B.
Digital Publishing Innovation Summit: Held in New York and covering the crossover of tech and storytelling, visitors can expect to hear from top editors and publishers in the industry about the new ways they are reaching their audiences.
Cannes Lions: Known as the most exclusive and prestigious digital media and marketing conference, you can expect to hear and see the biggest names and faces in advertising at this yearly event held in June. Last year, reality star-turned-gaming-mogul Kim Kardashian was a crowd-pleasing keynote speaker.
Are you checking out any tech conferences in the upcoming year? Let us know @VPSNET.