High Advertising Conferences to Attend in 2025

Let’s be actual – advertising strikes quick.

Sooner or later you’re optimizing for Google’s newest algorithm replace, the subsequent you’re determining how you can make AI work on your staff.

Staying forward isn’t nearly scrolling via {industry} information, it’s about being in the identical room because the individuals shaping the place advertising is headed subsequent.

However with a whole lot of conferences on the market, how do you select those value your time (and price range)?

That’s why we’ve curated this listing of prime occasions, prioritized based mostly on:

• Speaker lineup: Conferences that includes audio system with a monitor document of selling success
• Key insights: Occasions masking essentially the most revolutionary, up-to-date, and actionable subjects
• Networking alternatives: Locations the place actual enterprise connections occur
• Trade affect: Occasions that form traits and drive essential conversations

Listed below are the highest advertising conferences to attend in 2025:

1. Highlight by Semrush

Let’s begin with our #1 decide Highlight, Semrush’s advertising convention.

It’s been described as “advertising Coachella” and “Disneyland for entrepreneurs,” however what actually units Highlight aside is its core proposal: you include advertising challenges and go away with a plan.

It focuses on delivering sensible recommendation, actionable takeaways, and serving to you join with the brightest minds in advertising. Whether or not you’re a full-stack marketer, a T-shaped specialist, work in-house, or run your individual enterprise, Concentration is going to provide help to discover options to your hardest advertising challenges.

Past the classes, Highlight provides plenty of networking alternatives. The occasion is structured to facilitate significant conversations, from mastermind classes (small, group discussions), to a pre-event get together, and post-event cocktail (as a result of the perfect advertising strikes typically occur over drinks).

Date: October 29, 2025

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands (In-person)

Key Subjects: Digital advertising, search engine optimisation, AI, promoting, social media, content material advertising, and advertising methods

Featured Audio system: Zaria Parvez (Duolingo), Brandon Smithwrick (Kickstarter), Aleyda Solís (Orainti), Crystal Carter (Wix), Fabrizio Ballarini (Smart), and plenty of others

What makes it distinctive: The one-day accelerator format, that includes 85+ best-in-class audio system, 35+ keynote displays, and 150+ mastermind classes, all packed right into a single occasion

Who’s it for: Entrepreneurs, creators, businesses, enterprise leaders, and anybody seeking to achieve a aggressive edge within the digital advertising panorama

2. SMX Superior 

SMX Superior, the so-called summer season camp for search entrepreneurs, drew over 5,000 attendees final yr. 

In case you already know what a canonical tag is and also you’ve run extra PPC campaigns than you possibly can depend, that is the place you stage up. The classes assume attendees have already got a base information of search engine optimisation ideas, in order that they dive proper into the takeaways. 

Along with the coaching and convention classes, there may be an exhibition space to attach with distributors and loads of networking alternatives – from informal blissful hours to a morning harbor run.

Their expo move providing entry to keynotes, exhibitor cubicles and choose networking occasions is even fully free!

In case you’re on the lookout for cutting-edge search advertising insights from the perfect within the area, SMX Superior is one occasion you received’t wish to miss.

Date: June 11-13, 2025

Location: Boston, Massachusetts (In-person)

Key subjects: Digital advertising, search engine optimisation, AI, SEM/PPC, ecommerce, rising search applied sciences, and world search methods.

Featured audio system: Kesley Libert (Fractl), Michael King (iPullRank), James Brockbank (Digitaloft), and Eric Enge (Pilot Holding).

What makes it distinctive: In-depth technical search engine optimisation and PPC trainings that go deeper than different digital advertising conferences.

Who’s it for: Entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses desirous to take their search engine optimisation and PPC information to the subsequent stage.

3. INBOUND

INBOUND is Hubspot’s convention, combining keynotes with workshops, networking, and HubSpot product bulletins.

Image tens of hundreds of entrepreneurs, gross sales individuals, and enterprise leaders packing into San Francisco, buzzing about the way forward for inbound advertising.

This is likely one of the most packed conferences on this information, with 200+ audio system and 180+ particular person classes. Such a packed lineup will be overwhelming, so the occasion additionally has hand-picked agendas which might be extra particular to sure roles, like AI-driven leaders, startup founders, or content material entrepreneurs.

Date: September 3-5, 2025

Location: San Francisco, California (In-person & digital)

Key Subjects: Inbound advertising, gross sales methods, AI, operations, and buyer success

Featured Audio system: Yamini Rangan (HubSpot), Alex Lieberman (Morning Brew), Wade Foster (Zapier), Shannon Duffy (Asana), and Neil Patel (Loopy Egg & KISSmetrics)

What makes it distinctive: The spectacular lineup of keynote audio system, the massive quantity of particular person classes, and the personalised classes crafted for particular roles

Who’s it for: Entrepreneurs, gross sales and buyer success professionals, entrepreneurs, and anybody seeking to get extra from inbound advertising

4. South by Southwest (SXSW) London 

An anticipated 20,000 attendees will descend on East London for SXSW London, the European little sister of SXSW.

SXSW brings collectively movie, interactive media, and music, it’s rather more than a advertising occasion. Hearken to recent, new artists on the music pageant or get sneak peeks of hotly-anticipated movies on the display screen pageant.

The convention itself is centered on future-focused traits and panel audio system come from numerous backgrounds. That makes this occasion a uncommon occasion the place you possibly can hearken to classes from comedians, musicians, politicians, movie makers, philanthropists, teachers, innovators, and extra. 

Date: June 2-7, 2025

Location: London, UK (In-person)

Key subjects: AI, XR, sustainability, society, artwork, trend, startups, and promoting.

Featured audio system: Idris Elba (Actor), Dan Clancy (Twitch), Julia Goldin (Lego Group), Deepak Chopra (Creator), and Katherine Ryan (Comic).

What makes it distinctive: The mix of selling with expertise and humanities, an immersive pageant expertise, and many cross-industry networking alternatives

Who’s it for: Entrepreneurs, content material creators, innovators in tech and entrepreneurship, and anybody within the convergence of tech, advertising, and creativity

5. BrightonSEO 

After beginning in a room above a pub 15 years in the past, BrightonSEO has managed to keep up its grassroots vibe, though the occasion now boasts over 5,000 attendees.

The networking occurs over pints, the debates get vigorous, and it appears like a community-driven occasion. BrightonSEO combines search engine optimisation workshops, coaching classes, and keynotes from famend audio system.

BrightonSEO could also be by the seashore, however don’t let that idiot you – convey a rain jacket (it’s nonetheless April within the UK in any case!). Then you possibly can take part a few of its distinctive fringe occasions like “netwalking” or the pre-conference seashore clear.

There’s even a free ticket lottery, they offer away hundreds of tickets annually to fortunate poll winners.

Date: April 10-11, 2025

Location: Brighton, United Kingdom (In-person)

Key Subjects: search engine optimisation, search advertising, knowledge evaluation, and content material optimization

Featured Audio system: Marcus Tober (Semrush), Nick Samuel (Dentsu), and Metehan Yesilyurt (App Samurai).

What makes it distinctive: It’s the largest search advertising convention in Europe and brings collectively a number of the finest audio system within the {industry}.

Who’s it for: search engine optimisation professionals, digital entrepreneurs, knowledge analysts, and anybody seeking to enhance their advertising abilities

6. On-line Advertising Rockstars Competition (OMR)

The OMR pageant is a two-day advertising occasion that attracts over 70,000 guests yearly. 

It’s one of many largest B2B digital advertising and tech occasions on the planet and extra of a pageant than a convention.

With such a big venue, a separate space for advertising masterclasses, and over 1,000 exhibitors (from firms like Google, Amazon, and Meta), it may be tough to navigate and not using a map. 

This makes OMR barely overwhelming – if you wish to get essentially the most out of it, prepare for 2 intense days of keynotes!

Date: Could 6-7, 2025

Location: Hamburg, Germany (In-person)

Key Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Digital advertising, internet advertising, tech, and innovation

Featured Audio system: Ryan Reynolds (Actor & Entrepreneur), Nicholas Turley (OpenAI), Jen Wong (Reddit), Mike Cessario (Liquid Loss of life) and Geoff Seeley (PayPal).

What makes it distinctive: An enormous expo with a vibrant ambiance mixing advertising insights with leisure

Who’s it for: Digital entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, tech fanatics, and anybody seeking to be impressed by cutting-edge advertising practices

7. Cannes Lions

Over 13,000 attendees converge on Cannes yearly for the Cannes Lions Worldwide Competition of Creativity, a world-renowned five-day occasion identified finest for its Lions Awards. 

But, past the awards there are keynotes, hands-on workshops, and panel discussions led by prime manufacturers, celebrities, and thought leaders. 

With a variety of tracks to select from, and model activations to expertise at places throughout town, the largest problem will likely be navigating round to attempt to see the whole lot.

Date: June 16-20, 2025

Location: Cannes, France (In-person & digital)

Key Subjects: Creativity, promoting, storytelling, campaigns, media traits, and sustainability.

Featured Audio system: The 2025 lineup has but to be introduced, however previous audio system have been Deepak Chopra (Creator), Esi Eggleston Bracey (Unilever), Alan Moss (Amazon), Alex Schultz (Meta), and Queen Latifah.

What makes it distinctive: It’s award ceremonies and skill to mix model storytelling and promoting, with media and leisure traits, in addition to social impression and sustainability.

Who’s it for: Entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses who’re keen about creativity, shaping model narratives, and driving cultural impression via the media and promoting.

8. Affiliate World Europe (AWE)

AWE has been described by Neil Patel as an “completely must-attend occasion within the {industry}.” 

This two-day convention attracts over 7,000 attendees who’re on the lookout for new insights into affiliate and ecommerce advertising. 

The occasion locations an enormous emphasis on networking in addition to studying. After an extended, however inspiring day, attendees can be a part of blissful hours, absorb rooftop sunsets, and expertise Budapest’s vibrant nightlife.

Date: September 4-5, 2025

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Key subjects: Digital advertising, online marketing, ecommerce, promoting, efficiency advertising, and monetization platforms.

Featured Audio system: Neil Patel (Loopy Egg & KISSmetrics), Marisha Lakhiani (Mindvalley), Oli Gardner (Unbounce), Ryan Vacation (Brass Verify), and Iman Bashir (craftly.AI).

What makes it distinctive: As AWE focuses on efficiency advertising, its classes focus on advertising techniques that are data-driven and might generate fast ROI.

Who’s it for: Entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses concerned in online marketing and ecommerce.

9. BrightonSEO San Diego

BrightonSEO San Diego is the US model of the unique UK occasion, combining on-line occasions, coaching workshops, keynotes, and keynotes from the world’s finest search entrepreneurs.

The occasion already stands out for its keynote audio system, however if you add within the nice San Diego local weather and the Pacific Ocean views of the venue, this convention is just too good to overlook.

Date: September 23-24, 2025

Location: San Diego, California (In-person)

Key Subjects: search engine optimisation, search advertising, knowledge evaluation, and content material optimization

Featured Audio system: Ben Vigneron (Blackbird PPC), Anuj Adhiya (Techstars), Al Sefati (Readability Digital), Ashley Mo (Cresset), and Brittany Sager (Seer Interactive).

What’s distinctive about it: Its sensible, hands-on classes, in-depth search engine optimisation coaching, and alternatives for one-on-one mentoring with search engine optimisation specialists

Who’s it for: search engine optimisation professionals, digital entrepreneurs, and knowledge analysts

10. SMX Superior Europe

​SMX Superior Europe is a two-day occasion designed for knowledgeable search entrepreneurs. 

In comparison with its US-based counterpart, SMX Superior Europe is a way more intimate occasion (180 individuals attended final yr). Right here, regional challenges akin to multilingual search engine optimisation, GDPR, and EU-focused search traits are additionally subjects for dialogue.

Introduced via numerous codecs together with roundtable discussions and prolonged Q&A classes, the classes are fast-paced and extremely informative. 

This occasion dives into techniques most conferences solely gloss over, so you possibly can stroll away able to implement your learnings.

Think about a non-public, high-level session with prime specialists like Mike King and Emilija Gjorgjevska, focusing in your distinctive challenges. Make your presence depend!

⚠️ Restricted Spots Out there: https://t.co/THJAU36Gos#smxadvanced #web optimization #ppc #roundtable pic.twitter.com/OD0ALCmjDl

— SMX Superior EU (@eu_smx) August 8, 2024

Date: September 30 – October 1, 2025

Location: Berlin, Germany

Key subjects: Digital advertising, search engine optimisation, AI, SEM/PPC, ecommerce, rising search applied sciences, and world search methods.

Featured Audio system: Jason Paget (Reserving.com), Miles McNair (PPC Mastery), Lily Ray (Amsive Digital), Julia Riml (Peak Ace), and Phil Nottingham (Natural Video).

What makes it distinctive: The smallest occasion on the listing, providing you with an opportunity to actually join with a majority of the opposite attendees.

Who’s it for: Entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses with intermediate-to-advanced search engine optimisation and PPC information, who wish to keep on prime of the most recent {industry} traits.

2025 Advertising Convention Breakdown

Let’s face it – you’d go to each occasion on our listing when you might. However you’ve bought to be strategic. 

Contemplating the time dedication, journey prices and logistics, you might want to go to the occasion that’s going to provide the most inspiration and actionable insights.

That’s why we prioritized the listing for you based mostly on a mixed analysis of their speaker lineup, key insights, networking alternatives, and {industry} affect. 

To make your ultimate determination even simpler, right here’s a side-by-side comparability of our prime conferences – from dates and places, to crowd measurement and ticket costs.

Budgeting and Convincing Your Boss

Attending a convention is an funding. 

Summing up the ticket value, journey, lodging, meals, and different extras, prices will be vital.

However information gained at that occasion may be the distinction between leveling up in your profession or fixing a problem that has been holding your organization again.

To get your organization to sponsor your attendance you might want to justify the occasion’s return on funding to your supervisor.

Fortunately, we’re right here to assist. Right here’s how you can create a proposal to persuade your organization:

• Write an in depth breakdown of all prices. Doc the price range wanted to attend the convention, together with tickets, journey, lodging, and some other bills
• Spotlight the advantages of attending. Clarify how the occasion is expounded to your organization’s enterprise objectives. This explains how attending will likely be good for you and on your supervisor too
• Join keynotes along with your present work. Level out the classes, keynote audio system, and workshops that align with the tasks you’re engaged on
• Discover alternatives on your complete firm. Spotlight the audio system, sponsors, or attendees who might assist your supervisor discover new leads, meet companions, uncover new expertise, or scale your staff
• Make a plan to return again with priceless insights. Supply to share your learnings with a presentation or report, in order that the entire staff advantages out of your attendance

To make it even simpler, we’ve drafted a pattern e-mail you should utilize as a reference.

Professional Tip: Supply to reduce prices the place doable. To do that, purchase early-bird tickets, share your lodging with different staff members who attend, or decide budget-friendly journey choices that make your proposal extra interesting.

Methods to Make the Most of Your Convention Expertise

Now you’ve been authorised to attend – the place to go from right here?

Attending an occasion full of selling leaders and keynote audio system will be intimidating. 

You end up surrounded by specialists who’ve a monitor document of firms and tasks. Having the initiative to speak and community with them (and any attendees) takes some braveness.

On prime of that, there’s plenty of data to soak up in every keynote. Some occasions on this listing have a whole lot of hours value of talks.

However don’t fear–we bought your again! 

Right here’s how you can maximize your convention expertise:

Making ready for the convention

Preparing for the convention is essential to getting essentially the most out of it. 

To begin with, take a look at the agenda and decide the classes and workshops which might be essentially the most related to your function and present challenges.

Does the agenda present audio system? In that case, look them up on LinkedIn or Google to get a way of what you would possibly be taught from them.

Networking can really feel intimidating, however you can begin doing it even earlier than the convention begins. Connecting with audio system is an effective way to interrupt the ice and have some acquainted faces to look out for.

When you’ve picked your favourite classes to attend, attempt to align them along with your firm and profession objectives. 

What do you wish to get out of them? 

How will they provide help to sharpen your abilities, uncover new methods, or discover priceless partnerships?

The subsequent step earlier than the convention begins is constructing your schedule. 

Some conferences will be hectic, with a whole lot of audio system. Attempt to prioritize the keynotes, workshops, and actions you don’t wish to miss.

Lastly, don’t neglect to convey your necessities for studying and networking, like a pocket book, your laptop computer, an influence financial institution, or some enterprise playing cards.

Studying and networking through the occasion

When you’re on the convention, it’s time to dive into conversations, social gatherings, and even casual espresso breaks.

After attending the keynotes and talks you’ve shortlisted, ensure you introduce your self and ask questions when assembly friends who’re fascinated with the identical subjects.

In case you meet a marketer or keynote speaker who generally is a priceless connection, be certain that to observe up with a LinkedIn message or a fast e-mail to thank them for the chat. 

If doable, make the connection much more memorable by mentioning a selected matter you talked about. Exhibiting real curiosity in them can result in nice conversations. 

Sharing your learnings on LinkedIn or X all through the day will be an effective way to attach with different attendees. 

Some occasions like SXSW even have an lively LinkedIn group you possibly can be a part of. This generally is a nice useful resource to attach with occasion attendees and keep up a correspondence with like-minded friends.

What’s subsequent after the convention ends?

After the convention, your job is to revisit all of the insights you’ve gained.

Undergo your notes, spotlight the important thing takeaways, and suggest new techniques that you simply wish to apply to your function immediately. 

Sharing your private takeaways with a social media submit quickly after the occasion can do wonders on your private model. 

Lastly, don’t neglect to achieve out to your new contacts earlier than an excessive amount of time passes. A easy thank-you observe can go an extended option to preserve the connection alive.

This could open much more alternatives for profession progress via studying and networking with specialists.

Be a part of the Proper Occasion to Change Your Profession Trajectory

You’ve bought the intel, now it’s time to make your transfer.

Are you tackling challenges within the mastermind classes at Highlight? Diving headfirst into the search engine optimisation deep finish at SMX Superior? Chasing inbound advertising traits at INBOUND?

In case you’re questioning the place to go from right here, that is your recreation plan:

• Evaluate the listing – which occasion suits your objectives (and price range)?
• Persuade your boss (or your individual pockets) why it is a must-attend
• Plan your schedule so that you don’t get misplaced in a sea of keynotes and low breaks

The best occasion might change your profession. 

Which of them are getting your RSVP this yr?