Important Conferences and Events to Attend in 2018

2018 Top Event Preview

CES (Consumer Electronic Show):  Las Vegas, Nevada, January 9-12

CES is the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the consumer marketplace.  CES has served as the “proving ground” for innovators and breakthrough technologies for more than 40 years.

Highlights:  CES will feature Augmented Reality, Cyber, Personal Security, Drones, e-commerce, Enterprise Solution, Gaming, Virtual Reality products and Self-Driving Technology.  In 2017, CES marketplaces include 3D Printing, Accessibility, Baby Tech, Beauty Tech, Education Tech, Eureka Park, Family Tech, Fitness Tech, Global Tech, Health and Wellness, Kids Tech, Robotics, Sleep Tech, Smart Home, Sports Tech, University Innovations and Wearables.

The Big Show:  New York, New York, January 14-16

The Big Show is a three-day event sponsored by the National Retail Federation offering unparalleled education, collegial networking and an enormous EXPO Hall full of technologies and solutions.  The speakers include visionary leaders with game-changing ideas to help elevate businesses ideas. Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, will be the keynote speaker.

Highlights:  The Big Show features over 600 exhibits, including CRM, Merchandising, Mobile, Social and Digital Tech, Communications and Marketing, Retail Analytics, Store Design, Store Associates Training, Data Analytics, Merchandising, Operations and Information Technology.  The Big Show is a major forum for global retail industry and world leaders.

World Economic Forum:  Davos, Switzerland, January 23-26

The forum deals with the fast-paced and interconnected world where breakthrough technologies, demographic shifts and political transformations have far-reaching societal and economic consequences.  As both Brexit and the 2016 election demonstrate, leaders need to share insights and innovations on how to best navigate the future.

Highlights:  Responsive and Responsible Leadership.  Global events this year remind decision-makers that the more complex a system, the greater a community’s concern about its future. The weakening of multiple systems has eroded confidence at the national, regional and global levels.  In the absence of innovative and credible steps towards their renewal, the likelihood increases of a downward spiral of the global economy fueled by protectionism, populism and nativism.  The forum will explore The Fourth Industrial Revolution; what it means and how to respond.

GSMA Mobile World Congress:  Barcelona, Spain, February 26-March 1

Mobile World Congress is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile and Internet of Things (IOT) and telecom industries.  It is the planet’s best venue for telecom industry networking, new business opportunities and deal-making.  MWC 2017 is a world-class conference featuring visionary keynotes and thought-provoking panel discussions.  The exhibition has more than 2,000 companies displaying the cutting-edge products and technologies that define the future of mobile and IOT.  This year’s pavilions will feature the Graphene, Green Tech, Innovation City, IOT, Cloud and the Wearable’s areas.

Highlights:  Alongside Mobile World Congress, 4YFN (4 Years from Now) is the home of the tech startup community with 600 new startups exhibiting and over 700 investors and corporations searching for the next big idea at the Founders and Investors area.  GSMA programs include Women4Tech and the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards.  The GSMA’s prestigious Ministerial Program draws together the world’s most influential telecommunication leaders to share ideas and debate in pursuit of connecting everyone and everything to a better future.  Women in Tech is a new GSMA program being introduced at Mobile World Congress 2017.

South by Southwest:  Austin, Texas, March 9–18

South by Southwest (SXSW) dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, television and music industries.  The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions and a variety of networking opportunities.  SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together.  Five days of compelling presentations and panels from the brightest minds in emerging technology held in March.  SXSW offers scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable lineup of special programs, video games and startup ideas.

Highlights:  There are four main shows designed to enhance and complement conference programming.  Each show encourages targeted connections and new discoveries through niche pavilions including Come and Capture, Future of Food, The Sport Spot and The MedTech Pavilion.  Several stages located throughout the shows feature content aimed at promoting discovery, education and inspiration, including Next Stage, Pitch Stage and Podcast Stage.

NAB Show:  Las Vegas, April 4–12

The NAB Show, held April 7 - 12, 2018 in Las Vegas, is the world's largest convention encompassing The M.E.T. Effect -- the convergence of media, entertainment and technology. With 103,000 attendees from 161 countries and 1,800+ exhibitors, NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways.  From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, NAB Show is where global visionaries convene to bring content to life in new and exciting ways.

CeBit:  Hanover, Germany, June 11–15

CeBIT is the largest and most internationally represented computer expo.  The event is held in Hanover, Germany.  It is considered a barometer of current trends and a measure of the state of information technology.  The conferences provide a 360-degree overview of the digital industry’s four core markets: IT, Telecommunications, Digital Media and IOT.

Highlights:  The event will focus on the following business areas: Big Data and Business Intelligence, Business Electronics and Equipment, Business Security, Communication Networks, Data Center Infrastructure, ECM, Input/output Solutions, ERP and HR Solutions, IOT, Marketing and Sales Solutions, POS and Banking Solutions, Research and Innovation, Unmanned Systems and Solutions, VR and AR.

Cannes Lions:  Cannes, France, June 15–24

Cannes Lions is an eight-day program of creative inspiration, celebration, education and networking held in June.  Over 15,000 delegates from around 100 countries attend the Festival, making it the only truly global meeting place for branded communications professionals to connect, share and discover.

Highlights:  The Cannes Lions Festival features Health, Entertainment and Innovation as three distinct conferences within Cannes Lions.  Lions Health challenges the industry’s norms and motivates it to change the course of healthcare communications – and explores the ways talent and storytelling can elevate content into the cultural mainstream.  Lions Innovation is an exploration of data and tech as catalysts for creativity.  Over two days it showcases the new and kick-started collaboration.  It brings together the start-ups with game-changing products and services, the investors who back them, the brands who work with them and the storytellers who can bring it all to life.

MWC:  Shanghai, China, June 27-30

The Conference at MWC Shanghai (The Human Element) features thought-provoking presentations from some of the mobile industry’s most influential executives, who will share their visions of the mobile industry while providing essential insights on current and future trends.

Highlights:  MWC Shanghai focuses on how mobile technology -- from connected cars and wearable tech to IOT and smarter cities -- is revolutionizing every aspect of individuals’ lives and creating a personalized experience.  The three-day conference is the largest in the Asian marketplace and attracts the key players in the mobile ecosystem held in July.

Mobile World Congress Americas:  Los Angeles, September 12–14

The GSMA and CTIA created a new mobile industry event in the United States.  CTIA and the GSMA are equal partners in the joint event with the GSMA leading the event’s production and management.

Highlights:  MWC Americas showcases how mobile is creating the connected life, transforming how individuals, businesses and entire industries communicate, interact and innovate.  Mobile World Congress Americas is set to become the leading mobile industry event in the Americas.

dMexco:  Cologne, Germany, September 12–13  

dMexco is the world’s leading exhibition and conference for the digital industry and stands for innovative and future-oriented developments and trends in the center of a new digital economy: The digiconomy.  Within the two days of dMexco, a top-notch lineup of speakers and a unique presentation of diverse themes will put the crucial trends and business potential in the limelight.

Highlights:  The program for 2018 will include more than 550 speakers from all over the world who will hold presentations on 15 different stages.  The speakers will include digital stars, top executives, newcomers and trendsetters, who will hold outstanding keynote speeches, engage in exciting discussions and present visionary demonstrations.

IOT Solutions World Congress:  Barcelona, Spain, October 2-4  

The world’s leading Industry IoT congress, where over 250 of the most innovative and influential Industry IoT thinkers will gather together to share knowledge, present visions and explain how IoT is affecting many industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, energy and utilities, connected transport, buildings and infrastructure, retail, agriculture, mining, hospitality and more.

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