Stoltz prioritizes continuing education to stay in the know and creatively inspired! Conferences are one of our favorite ways to learn the latest in technology, trends, strategies and tactics. And in 2022, we are thrilled to see many conferences offering in-person options. Here are our top picks for 2022!
Creativity & Design Conferences
Creative Leaders Retreat + WITHIN
Date: March 22-24
Location: Virtual
Who should go: Creative Leaders, Agency Executives
Brief Description: Small group discussions and 1:1 chats are a highlight of this conference, giving it a more personalized experience. Learn how to bridge the gap as you transition from a creative to a creative leader during live sessions. This year, hear specialized perspectives on how to navigate the path forward during these tumultuous times.
How Design Live
Date: May 22-24
Location: Boston, MA
Who should go: Designers, Business Owners, Creative Leaders, Marketing Professionals
Brief Description: A regular stop for the Stoltz team, this conference empowers the community of makers, thinkers, and creators. How Design Live hosts 100+ educational sessions and keynotes from some of the best creative minds in the world. With topics ranging from rapid ideation and branding solutions to experience design and inclusive leadership, there are gold nuggets to be found for all kinds of marketers.
Creative South
Date: April 7-9, 2022
Location: Columbus, GA
Who Should Go: Designers, Creatives, Web Designers, Marketing Professionals
Description: This year is the 10th anniversary of the Creative South Conference – though many seasoned participants reject the word ‘Conference’ and opt for ‘Community.’ This energy can be felt through their favorite saying: “Come as friends and leave as family.” Creative South offers workshops from top designers to fuel exploration and carve out time to connect with fellow creative minds.
AIGA Design Conference
Date: October 20-22
Location: Seattle, WA and virtual
Who should go: Designers, Web Designers, Creatives
Brief Description: If you’re looking to learn from leaders in the field of design and how our work can have big impacts on the world, look no further! Here you can attend hands-on typography demonstrations, participate in roundtables or portfolio reviews, attend happy hours, learn about the latest in design technology, paper trends, and so much more!
Adobe 99U Conference
Date& Location: TBD, but all past talks are free to watch here.
Who should go: Designers, Web Designers, Creatives
Brief Description: Learn from the most influential software company in the creative industry to supercharge your work, build an incredible career, and make your ideas happen. Unique to this conference, open studio hours from Herman Miller to Pantone, are provided. Hands-on workshops and masterclasses from experts in leadership, inspiration, transformation, and more are a can’t miss!
Marketing Conferences
Inbound
Date: September 6-9
Location: Boston, MA or virtual
Who should go: Product managers, creatives, start-up founders, any level of marketer
Brief Description: As regular HubSpot users, Stoltz has attended this conference on repeat. Inbound invites a wide range of speakers to share their insights on branding, business, and customer relationships as well as chances to breakout and dive deeper into conversations during breakout sessions. Regardless of what CRM tool you use, Inbound is an informative hub.
Social Media Marketing World
Date: March 14-16
Location: San Diego, CA
Who should go: Social Media Managers/Directors, Vloggers, Bloggers, Content Amplifiers
Brief Description: Social media is evolving as we speak, and if the last couple of years has taught us anything it’s to embrace change. Hear from industry leaders about industry-specific social media strategies, utilizing short videos and live streaming, and have you wondered what the metaverse has in store for marketers? Social Media Marketing World has a keynote just for that.
Content Marketing World
Date: September 13-16
Location: Cleveland, OH
Who should go: Brand content marketers, Content marketing tools companies
Brief Description: Learn alongside industry experts; marketers from top brands come from far and wide to attend Content Marketing World. With over 100 sessions, workshops, and industry forums, the conference covers topics including content optimization, creating connections through storytelling, content strategy building, and more.
SXSW
Date: March 11-16
Location: Austin, TX
Who should go: Strategy Planners, Executives, Creatives, Branding Experts, and Up-and-comers.
Brief Description: At one of the most inspirational conferences in the world, you’ll experience everything advertising from summits providing a deep-dive into various topics to festivals and exhibitions Learn about topics like corporate activism, neuroscience, the creator economy, best practices for encouraging in-house innovation, and many more. Not to mention it’s located in arguably the most up-and-coming city in the U.S., with tons of fun things to do!
Advertising Week
Date: September 19-22
Location: New York, NY
Who should go: Ad Execs, Startup Founders, Social Media Practitioners, Advertising Professionals under 40*, Students*
Brief Description: The world’s largest annual gathering of marketing, media, and technology leaders. This conference blends work and play, focusing on creative work, technology advances, consumer research, and current media transformation. And the cherry on top, many networking/special events, and a party/music festival at night. Have fun learning from big names in advertising and the media, and getting insight on the latest and greatest.
*Special discounts for students or attendees in their 30s and under
DigiMarCon West
Date: September 19-22
Location: New York, NY
Who should go: Ad Execs, Startup Founders, Social Media Practitioners, Advertising Professionals under 40*, Students*
Brief Description: As the name suggests, this conference is a blend of digital marketing, media, and advertising. Previous speakers include big names like Robert Rose, Rand Fishkin, and Kevin Jonas. This year’s session will focus on succeeding as a marketer in a rapidly evolving digital world, enjoy expert speakers, actionable sessions, networking, and cocktail receptions!
Interactive Conferences
An Event Apart
Date: Multiple Dates – April, October, December
Location: Seattle, Denver, San Francisco, or virtual
Who should go: Web designers, Front End Experts
Brief Description: An Event Apart is the place to be for all things web. In-depth sessions on digital design, UX, coding, and more help orient designers and programmers on the current trends of the web world. Envision where the future of the web is headed at any of the conferences put on throughout the year.
Smashing Conference
Date: June 20-23
Location: San Francisco, CA
Who should go: Designers, web developers, programmers, creatives
Brief Description: Do you learn by doing? Then the Smashing Conference will be right up your alley. With live interactive designing and coding sessions, hands-on workshops, challenges, and hackathons, topics range from front-end and UX to interface design and machine learning. Our favorite part? They take pride in making the conference intentionally inclusive.
MozCon
Date: July 11-13
Location: Seattle, WA
Who should go: SEOs, Analysts, Content Marketers, Marketing Consultants, Marketing Executives
Brief Description: Every business can benefit from SEO, so every marketer should learn a bit about it. And if you want to learn more than a bit…check out MozCon! Discover new actionable SEO tactics from a diverse set of experts all the while making friends and building your nerdy SEO network.
ANA Masters of Data & Technology
Date: March 28-30
Location: Orlando, FL + virtual
Who should go: Marketers at all levels, C-suite leaders, Data Analysts, Media & Analytics Directors
Brief Description: Technology is rapidly growing and evolving, and this conference is sure to keep you up to date on all things data and technology. Learn from industry leaders how tech advancements are transforming companies, the way we understand markets, and how to get a competitive advantage for your company. They’ll be covering hot topics like data privacy, measurement, and insights on what’s coming next!
Mirren
Date: May 17-18
Location: Kansas City + Virtual
Who should go: Management teams, Pitch Teams, CEOs, Agency Leaders, HR, Senior Account Team
Brief Description: This agency-focused conference will teach you how to build a faster, smarter, healthier agency. Learn how to level up your agency with interactive group sessions on digital media trends, buying power, agency operations, prospecting programs, and more! If looking to grow and evolve with the changing times and technology, this conference is for you!
