Let’s be real – marketing moves fast.
One day you’re optimizing for Google’s latest algorithm update, the next you’re figuring out how to make AI work for your team.
Staying ahead isn’t just about scrolling through industry news, it’s about being in the same room as the people shaping where marketing is headed next.
But with hundreds of conferences out there, how do you choose the ones worth your time (and budget)?
That’s why we’ve curated this list of top events, prioritized based on:
- Speaker lineup: Conferences featuring speakers with a track record of marketing success
- Key insights: Events covering the most innovative, up-to-date, and actionable topics
- Networking opportunities: Places where real business connections happen
- Industry influence: Events that shape trends and drive important conversations
Here are the top marketing conferences to attend in 2025:
1. Spotlight by Semrush
Let’s start with our #1 pick Spotlight, Semrush’s marketing conference.
It’s been described as “marketing Coachella” and “Disneyland for marketers,” but what truly sets Spotlight apart is its core proposal: you come with marketing challenges and leave with a plan.
It focuses on delivering practical advice, actionable takeaways, and helping you connect with the brightest minds in marketing. Whether you’re a full-stack marketer, a T-shaped specialist, work in-house, or run your own business, Spotlight will help you find solutions to your toughest marketing challenges.
Beyond the sessions, Spotlight offers lots of networking opportunities. The event is structured to facilitate meaningful conversations, from mastermind sessions (small, group discussions), to a pre-event party, and post-event cocktail (because the best marketing moves sometimes happen over drinks).
Date: October 29, 2025
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands (In-person)
Key Topics: Digital marketing, SEO, AI, advertising, social media, content marketing, and marketing strategies
Featured Speakers: Zaria Parvez (Duolingo), Brandon Smithwrick (Kickstarter), Aleyda Solís (Orainti), Crystal Carter (Wix), Fabrizio Ballarini (Wise), and many others
What makes it unique: The one-day accelerator format, featuring 85+ best-in-class speakers, 35+ keynote presentations, and 150+ mastermind sessions, all packed into a single event
Who is it for: Marketers, creators, agencies, business leaders, and anyone looking to gain a competitive edge in the digital marketing landscape
2. SMX Advanced
SMX Advanced, the so-called summer camp for search marketers, drew over 5,000 attendees last year.
If you already know what a canonical tag is and you’ve run more PPC campaigns than you can count, this is where you level up. The sessions assume attendees already have a base knowledge of SEO concepts, so they dive right into the takeaways.
In addition to the training and conference sessions, there is an exhibition area to connect with vendors and plenty of networking opportunities – from casual happy hours to a morning harbor run.
Their expo pass offering access to keynotes, exhibitor booths and select networking events is even completely free!
If you’re looking for cutting-edge search marketing insights from the best in the field, SMX Advanced is one event you won’t want to miss.
Date: June 11-13, 2025
Location: Boston, Massachusetts (In-person)
Key topics: Digital marketing, SEO, AI, SEM/PPC, ecommerce, emerging search technologies, and global search strategies.
Featured speakers: Kesley Libert (Fractl), Michael King (iPullRank), James Brockbank (Digitaloft), and Eric Enge (Pilot Holding).
What makes it unique: In-depth technical SEO and PPC trainings that go deeper than other digital marketing conferences.
Who is it for: Marketers, creators, and agencies wanting to take their SEO and PPC knowledge to the next level.
3. INBOUND
INBOUND is Hubspot’s conference, combining keynotes with workshops, networking, and HubSpot product announcements.
Picture tens of thousands of marketers, sales people, and business leaders packing into San Francisco, buzzing about the future of inbound marketing.
This is one of the most packed conferences in this guide, with 200+ speakers and 180+ individual sessions. Such a packed lineup can be overwhelming, so the event also has hand-picked agendas that are more specific to certain roles, like AI-driven leaders, startup founders, or content marketers.
Date: September 3-5, 2025
Location: San Francisco, California (In-person & virtual)
Key Topics: Inbound marketing, sales strategies, AI, operations, and customer success
Featured Speakers: Yamini Rangan (HubSpot), Alex Lieberman (Morning Brew), Wade Foster (Zapier), Shannon Duffy (Asana), and Neil Patel (Crazy Egg & KISSmetrics)
What makes it unique: The impressive lineup of keynote speakers, the large amount of individual sessions, and the personalized sessions crafted for specific roles
Who is it for: Marketers, sales and customer success professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to get more from inbound marketing
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 together film, interactive media, and music, it’s much more than a marketing event. Listen to fresh, new artists at the music festival or get sneak peeks of hotly-anticipated films at the screen festival.
The conference itself is centered on future-focused trends and panel speakers come from various backgrounds. That makes this event a rare instance where you can listen to sessions from comedians, musicians, politicians, film makers, philanthropists, academics, innovators, and more.
Date: June 2-7, 2025
Location: London, UK (In-person)
Key topics: AI, XR, sustainability, society, art, fashion, startups, and advertising.
Featured speakers: Idris Elba (Actor), Dan Clancy (Twitch), Julia Goldin (Lego Group), Deepak Chopra (Author), and Katherine Ryan (Comedian).
What makes it unique: The blend of marketing with technology and arts, an immersive festival experience, and lots of cross-industry networking opportunities
Who is it for: Marketers, content creators, innovators in tech and entrepreneurship, and anyone interested in the convergence of tech, marketing, and creativity
5. BrightonSEO
After starting in a room above a pub 15 years ago, BrightonSEO has managed to maintain its grassroots vibe, even though the event now boasts over 5,000 attendees.
The networking happens over pints, the debates get lively, and it feels like a community-driven event. BrightonSEO combines SEO workshops, training sessions, and keynotes from renowned speakers.
BrightonSEO may be by the beach, but don’t let that fool you – bring a rain jacket (it’s still April in the UK after all!). Then you can join in some of its unique fringe events like “netwalking” or the pre-conference beach clean.
There’s even a free ticket lottery, they give away thousands of tickets each year to lucky ballot winners.
Date: April 10-11, 2025
Location: Brighton, United Kingdom (In-person)
Key Topics: SEO, search marketing, data analysis, and content optimization
Featured Speakers: Marcus Tober (Semrush), Nick Samuel (Dentsu), and Metehan Yesilyurt (App Samurai).
What makes it unique: It’s the biggest search marketing conference in Europe and brings together some of the best speakers in the industry.
Who is it for: SEO professionals, digital marketers, data analysts, and anyone looking to improve their marketing skills
6. Online Marketing Rockstars Festival (OMR)
The OMR festival is a two-day marketing event that draws over 70,000 visitors every year.
It’s one of the largest B2B digital marketing and tech events in the world and more of a festival than a conference.
With such a large venue, a separate area for marketing masterclasses, and over 1,000 exhibitors (from companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta), it can be difficult to navigate without a map.
This makes OMR slightly overwhelming – if you want to get the most out of it, get ready for two intense days of keynotes!
Date: May 6-7, 2025
Location: Hamburg, Germany (In-person)
Key Topics: Entrepreneurship, Digital marketing, online advertising, tech, and innovation
Featured Speakers: Ryan Reynolds (Actor & Entrepreneur), Nicholas Turley (OpenAI), Jen Wong (Reddit), Mike Cessario (Liquid Death) and Geoff Seeley (PayPal).
What makes it unique: A massive expo with a vibrant atmosphere blending marketing insights with entertainment
Who is it for: Digital marketers, entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and anyone looking to be inspired by cutting-edge marketing practices
7. Cannes Lions
Over 13,000 attendees converge on Cannes every year for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a world-renowned five-day event known best for its Lions Awards.
Yet, beyond the awards there are keynotes, hands-on workshops, and panel discussions led by top brands, celebrities, and thought leaders.
With a range of tracks to choose from, and brand activations to experience at locations across the city, the biggest challenge will be navigating around to try and see everything.
Date: June 16-20, 2025
Location: Cannes, France (In-person & virtual)
Key Topics: Creativity, advertising, storytelling, campaigns, media trends, and sustainability.
Featured Speakers: The 2025 lineup has yet to be announced, but past speakers have been Deepak Chopra (Author), Esi Eggleston Bracey (Unilever), Alan Moss (Amazon), Alex Schultz (Meta), and Queen Latifah.
What makes it unique: It’s award ceremonies and ability to blend brand storytelling and advertising, with media and entertainment trends, as well as social impact and sustainability.
Who is it for: Marketers, creators, and agencies who are passionate about creativity, shaping brand narratives, and driving cultural impact through the media and advertising.
8. Affiliate World Europe (AWE)
AWE has been described by Neil Patel as an “absolutely must-attend event in the industry.”
This two-day conference attracts over 7,000 attendees who are looking for new insights into affiliate and ecommerce marketing.
The event places a big emphasis on networking as well as learning. After a long, but inspiring day, attendees can join happy hours, take in rooftop sunsets, and experience Budapest’s vibrant nightlife.
Date: September 4-5, 2025
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Key topics: Digital marketing, affiliate marketing, ecommerce, advertising, performance marketing, and monetization platforms.
Featured Speakers: Neil Patel (Crazy Egg & KISSmetrics), Marisha Lakhiani (Mindvalley), Oli Gardner (Unbounce), Ryan Holiday (Brass Check), and Iman Bashir (craftly.AI).
What makes it unique: As AWE focuses on performance marketing, its sessions center around marketing tactics which are data-driven and can generate immediate ROI.
Who is it for: Marketers, creators, and agencies involved in affiliate marketing and ecommerce.
9. BrightonSEO San Diego
BrightonSEO San Diego is the US version of the original UK event, combining online events, training workshops, keynotes, and keynotes from the world’s best search marketers.
The event already stands out for its keynote speakers, but when you add in the pleasant San Diego climate and the Pacific Ocean views of the venue, this conference is too good to miss.
Date: September 23-24, 2025
Location: San Diego, California (In-person)
Key Topics: SEO, search marketing, data analysis, and content optimization
Featured Speakers: Ben Vigneron (Blackbird PPC), Anuj Adhiya (Techstars), Al Sefati (Clarity Digital), Ashley Mo (Cresset), and Brittany Sager (Seer Interactive).
What’s unique about it: Its practical, hands-on sessions, in-depth SEO training, and opportunities for one-on-one mentoring with SEO experts
Who is it for: SEO professionals, digital marketers, and data analysts
10. SMX Advanced Europe
SMX Advanced Europe is a two-day event designed for experienced search marketers.
Compared to its US-based counterpart, SMX Advanced Europe is a much more intimate event (180 people attended last year). Here, regional challenges such as multilingual SEO, GDPR, and EU-focused search trends are also topics for discussion.
Presented through various formats including roundtable discussions and extended Q&A sessions, the sessions are fast-paced and highly informative.
This event dives into tactics most conferences only gloss over, so you can walk away ready to implement your learnings.
Imagine a private, high-level session with top experts like Mike King and Emilija Gjorgjevska, focusing on your unique challenges. Make your presence count!
⚠️ Limited Spots Available: https://t.co/THJAU36Gos#smxadvanced #seo #ppc #roundtable pic.twitter.com/OD0ALCmjDl
— SMX Advanced EU (@eu_smx) August 8, 2024
Date: September 30 – October 1, 2025
Location: Berlin, Germany
Key topics: Digital marketing, SEO, AI, SEM/PPC, ecommerce, emerging search technologies, and global search strategies.
Featured Speakers: Jason Paget (Booking.com), Miles McNair (PPC Mastery), Lily Ray (Amsive Digital), Julia Riml (Peak Ace), and Phil Nottingham (Organic Video).
What makes it unique: The smallest event on the list, giving you a chance to really connect with a majority of the other attendees.
Who is it for: Marketers, creators, and agencies with intermediate-to-advanced SEO and PPC knowledge, who want to stay on top of the latest industry trends.
2025 Marketing Conference Breakdown
Let’s face it – you’d go to every event on our list if you could. But you’ve got to be strategic.
Considering the time commitment, travel costs and logistics, you need to go to the event that’s going to give you the most inspiration and actionable insights.
That’s why we prioritized the list for you based on a combined evaluation of their speaker lineup, key insights, networking opportunities, and industry influence.
To make your final decision even easier, here’s a side-by-side comparison of our top conferences – from dates and locations, to crowd size and ticket prices.
|
Rank |
Event |
2025 Date |
Location |
Size |
Price |
|
1 |
October 29 |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
1,200 |
€290 – €849 |
|
|
2 |
June 11-13 |
Boston, Massachusetts |
5,000 |
Free – $1,595 |
|
|
3 |
September 3-5 |
San Francisco, California |
11,000 |
$1,599 – $1,999 |
|
|
4 |
June 2-7 |
London, UK |
20,000 |
£650 – £1,300 |
|
|
5 |
April 10-11 |
Brighton, UK |
5,000 |
Free – £780 |
|
|
6 |
May 6-7 |
Hamburg, Germany |
70,000 |
€549 |
|
|
7 |
June 16-20 |
Cannes, France |
13,000 |
€995 – €10,945 |
|
|
8 |
September 4-5 |
Budapest, Hungary |
7,000 |
€1,999 – €2,999 |
|
|
9 |
September 23-24 |
San Diego, California |
3,000 |
Free – $1,000 |
|
|
10 |
September 30 – October 1 |
Berlin, Germany |
200 |
€1,895 |
Budgeting and Convincing Your Boss
Attending a conference is an investment.
Summing up the ticket price, travel, accommodation, meals, and other extras, costs can be significant.
But knowledge gained at that event might be the difference between leveling up in your career or solving a challenge that has been holding your company back.
To get your company to sponsor your attendance you need to justify the event’s return on investment to your manager.
Luckily, we’re here to help. Here’s how to create a proposal to convince your company:
- Write a detailed breakdown of all costs. Document the budget needed to attend the conference, including tickets, travel, accommodation, and any other expenses
- Highlight the benefits of attending. Explain how the event is related to your company’s business goals. This explains how attending will be good for you and for your manager too
- Connect keynotes with your current work. Point out the sessions, keynote speakers, and workshops that align with the projects you’re working on
- Find opportunities for your entire company. Highlight the speakers, sponsors, or attendees who could help your manager find new leads, meet partners, discover new talent, or scale your team
- Make a plan to come back with valuable insights. Offer to share your learnings with a presentation or report, so that the whole team benefits from your attendance
To make it even easier, we’ve drafted a sample email you can use as a reference.
Pro Tip: Offer to minimize costs where possible. To do this, buy early-bird tickets, share your accommodation with other team members who attend, or pick budget-friendly travel options that make your proposal more appealing.
How to Make the Most of Your Conference Experience
Now you’ve been approved to attend – where to go from here?
Attending an event full of marketing leaders and keynote speakers can be intimidating.
You find yourself surrounded by experts who have a track record of companies and projects. Having the initiative to talk and network with them (and any attendees) takes some courage.
On top of that, there’s lots of information to absorb in each keynote. Some events in this list have hundreds of hours worth of talks.
But don’t worry–we got your back!
Here’s how to maximize your conference experience:
Preparing for the conference
Getting ready for the conference is key to getting the most out of it.
First of all, look at the agenda and pick the sessions and workshops that are the most relevant to your role and current challenges.
Does the agenda show speakers? If so, look them up on LinkedIn or Google to get a sense of what you might learn from them.
Networking can feel intimidating, but you can start doing it even before the conference begins. Connecting with speakers is a great way to break the ice and have some familiar faces to look out for.
Once you’ve picked your favorite sessions to attend, try to align them with your company and career goals.
What do you want to get out of them?
How will they help you sharpen your skills, discover new strategies, or find valuable partnerships?
The next step before the conference begins is building your schedule.
Some conferences can be hectic, with hundreds of speakers. Try to prioritize the keynotes, workshops, and activities you don’t want to miss.
Lastly, don’t forget to bring your essentials for learning and networking, like a notebook, your laptop, a power bank, or some business cards.
Learning and networking during the event
Once you’re at the conference, it’s time to dive into conversations, social gatherings, and even informal coffee breaks.
After attending the keynotes and talks you’ve shortlisted, make sure you introduce yourself and ask questions when meeting peers who are interested in the same topics.
If you meet a marketer or keynote speaker who can be a valuable connection, make sure to follow up with a LinkedIn message or a quick email to thank them for the chat.
If possible, make the connection even more memorable by mentioning a specific topic you talked about. Showing genuine interest in them can lead to great conversations.
Sharing your learnings on LinkedIn or X throughout the day can be a great way to connect with other attendees.
Some events like SXSW even have an active LinkedIn group you can join. This can be a great resource to connect with event attendees and keep in touch with like-minded peers.
What’s next after the conference ends?
After the conference, your job is to revisit all the insights you’ve gained.
Go through your notes, highlight the key takeaways, and propose new tactics that you want to apply to your role right away.
Sharing your personal takeaways with a social media post soon after the event can do wonders for your personal brand.
Finally, don’t forget to reach out to your new contacts before too much time passes. A simple thank-you note can go a long way to keep the relationship alive.
This can open even more opportunities for career growth through learning and networking with experts.
Join the Right Event to Change Your Career Trajectory
You’ve got the intel, now it’s time to make your move.
Are you tackling challenges in the mastermind sessions at Spotlight? Diving headfirst into the SEO deep end at SMX Advanced? Chasing inbound marketing trends at INBOUND?
If you’re wondering where to go from here, this is your game plan:
- Review the list – which event fits your goals (and budget)?
- Convince your boss (or your own wallet) why this is a must-attend
- Plan your schedule so you don’t get lost in a sea of keynotes and coffee breaks
The right event could change your career.
Which ones are getting your RSVP this year?
