Small business events and conferences provide an amazing opportunity for entrepreneurs to get out from behind their desks to network and learn from thought leaders and peers. If you are looking for a small business event to attend this summer, consider one of the eight listed below.
1. America’s Small Business Summit
Happening in Washington, D.C. June 13–15, America’s Small Business Summit brings together more than 800 business owners from across the country to network, hear from business and policy experts, and tell Congress what their businesses need to succeed. Attend the Summit this year to make sure your small business has a voice.
2. LSA Digital Marketing Bootcamp
The Local Search Association Digital Marketing Bootcamp is designed to help business owners gain a better understanding of the fundamentals of online marketing. The event will take place in Chicago on August 16, bringing together expert speakers who will provide practical advice on the many digital marketing tactics being used today.
3. Sage Summit
Sage Summit is a learning, training, and networking event for small and medium businesses. Attendees get hands-on product training and one-on-one support to help run and grow their businesses. The 2016 Sage Summit will take place July 25–28 in Chicago and includes celebrity speakers and thought leaders delivering presentations relevant to all businesses.
4. Small Business Expo
The Small Business Expo is the nation’s largest business-to-business expo, providing a day for 50,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs to network and attend workshops, seminars, and presentations from top industry experts. There are 14 expo locations in major cities across the country. Here are the events coming up this summer:
- New York, June 9
- Minneapolis, June 23
- Seattle, August 11
- San Diego, August 25
5. Techweek
Founded five years ago in Chicago, Techweek has expanded to include seven more cities in 2016, including Detroit, Toronto, Kansas City, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Event dates in each of these cities span May through December, with the flagship Chicago, IL event taking place June 20–26.
6. WBENC National Conference and Business Fair
The WBENC National Conference & Business Fair is the largest of its kind for women business owners in the United States. The event takes place in Orlando June 21–23 and includes lectures and presentations from today’s thought leaders, engaging panel discussions, 1:1 MatchMaker sessions, networking receptions, and a business fair featuring over 300 exhibitors.
7. Webwise Small Business Workshop
The Webwise Small Business Workshop, presented by Web.com, is an educational event designed to help small businesses employ the most effective digital marketing tactics as part of an overall success strategy. This interactive workshop will take place on June 7 in Philadelphia and is designed to teach small business owners how to keep up with customers’ online behaviors.
8. World Domination Summit
The World Domination Summit (WDS), founded by Chris Guillebeau, is a gathering of creative people from all over the world that includes main-stage events with keynote speakers and workshops that focus on specific topics as well as meetups, parties, and informal networking. While not specifically for small business, this is an inspirational event that can help you plug into your creativity so you can develop tools to immediately benefit your business. The 2016 event will take place on August 11–15 in Portland.
