Must-Go: The Best Conferences For Entrepreneurs in 2024

Whether you’re eyeing good networking opportunities, seeking an investment, or simply want to engage with like-minded entrepreneurs, conferences can be exactly what you’re looking for. Even though most conferences are in-person, you can easily attend a lot of them online from the comfort of your home.

If you’re not the most extroverted entrepreneur, you might be feeling a bit anxious about going to a conference. Here’s the real raw truth: you don’t have to attend a conference if you don’t want to. They can provide valuable connections and information, but please don’t feel forced to attend – your business can succeed and grow even without you going to conferences. If you’re up for it though, by all means here’s a gentle nudge to enjoy all of the conferences you want – you got this!

Best Conferences for Entrepreneurs to Attend

01. INBOUND

When: September 18 – 20, 2024

Where: Boston, Massachusetts

Cost: $675 – $1899 (depends on the type of ticket and availability)

Organized by HubSpot, INBOUND is the go-to conference for all things marketing and sales. It’s a 3-day conference with 11,000+ in-person attendees, 200+ speakers, and 180+ sessions. It’s definitely one of the bigger conferences out there!

That means it’s a great one if you’re looking to network as much as possible and/or learn as much as possible about different topics underneath the umbrella of marketing and sales.

If you’re thinking about going, check out their refund policy and hotel packages.

02. Craft + Commerce

When: June 5 – 8, 2024

Where: Boise, Idaho

Cost: $799

Designed for creator entrepreneurs (or really any entrepreneurs who do content marketing and/or prioritize social media), ConvertKit’s Craft + Commerce is a big hit every year.

This year’s conference includes 21 speakers, from Ali Abdaal (5.3+ million YouTube subscribers) to Code Sanchez (1.3 million TikTok followers) to CEO and Founder of ConvertKit Nathan Barry. You’ll also have a good time in close-knit workshops, Q&A sessions, and parties and meetups.

Keep in mind tickets are non-refundable, but transferable to someone else for a $50 fee if you decide not to go later (up to May 5, 2024).

03. VidSummit

When: September 3 – 5, 2024

Where: Dallas, Texas

Cost: $895

VidSummit is for video creators and influencers, marketers, agencies, and brands that prioritize and value video content creation. Previous speakers include Mr. Beast, Michelle Khare, and Zach King (all YouTubers with millions of subscribers).

You’ll learn a ton of golden nuggets about how to get fans fast, build a brand, and make money from your video content – amazing if one of your goals is to grow on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.

04. Podcast Movement

When: August 19 – 22, 2024

Where: Washington, D.C.

Cost: $239 – $539 (early bird pricing)

Highlighted as the world’s largest podcast conference, Podcast Movement has grown a lot since its first conference in 2014. This year, there’s over 100 workshops, breakout sessions, panels, and keynote talks.

Past speakers include Guy Raz (podcast rated 4.7/5 from 29.2K ratings), Dr. Sanjay Gupta (podcast rated 4.5/5 from 7K ratings), Mark Cuban, and Pat Flynn (podcast rated 4.8/5 from 3.4K ratings).

If you’re focused on growing your podcast this year, this is hands down the must-go conference for you!

05. VidCon

When & Where:

June 26 – 29, 2024 (Anaheim, California)

August 9 – 11, 2024 (Mexico City, Mexico)

September 26 – 29, 2024 (Baltimore, Maryland)

Cost: Varies

You might be interested to know that VidCon was founded by YouTubers @vlogbrothers in 2010 and acquired by Paramount in 2018. It attracts thousands of attendees every year and is mega popular among video creators and entrepreneurs. Just last year’s Anaheim conference attracted a whopping 55,000 attendees!

There are 3 tracks (i.e. ticket types) curated for what you’re aiming to get out of the conference: community track, creator track, industry track. The conference is also available on-demand online if you can’t make it in-person.

06. SaaStr Annual

When: September 10 – 12, 2024

Where: San Francisco, California

Cost: Starts at $749 (early bird pricing)

Designed for B2B SaaS founders, execs, or investors, SaaStr Annual started in 2014 and now attracts about 13,000 attendees every year. The 3-day conference features tactical content, hundreds of workshops, and thousands of networking sessions.

Past speakers include the CMO of Zoom, OpenAI’s Head of Sales, co-founder of Monday.com, and the CMO of Datadog. And if you’re looking for an investment, you’ll love that there’ll be thousands of VCs in attendance, with 1:1 Meet a VC matchmaking.

07. Content Entrepreneur Expo (CEX)

When: May 5 – 7, 2024

Where: Cleveland, Ohio

Cost: $395 – $1095

Created by Joe Pulizzi, founder of The Content Marketing Institute, CEX is for bloggers, podcasters, authors, newsletter writers, speakers, coaches and consultants, freelancers, and YouTubers.

This year’s main stage speakers include B.J. Novak (writer, actor, comedian), Ann Handley (Wall Street Journal bestselling author), Rafat Ali (founder of Skift), and Joe Pulizzi (founder of The Content Marketing Institute).

CEX also has several workshop and breakout speakers, as well as a handful of moderators like Brian Clark (founder of Copyblogger).

This is a MUST for you if your business relies heavily on online content!

08. SXSW

When: March 7 – 15, 2025

Where: Austin, Texas

Cost: $945 – $1990 (2024 prices)

Most recently attracting 345K+ attendees, SXSW is easily one of the biggest conferences in the world. It gathers famous actors, musicians, political leaders, and of course business owners and entrepreneurs all in one place. And aside from your typical keynote speakers, workshops, Q&A sessions, and networking, there’s also concerts, film screenings, exhibitions, and much more.

If you’re looking for a super fun conference where you’ll still learn a lot of business things and network as much as you want, then this is the one for you!

09. SaaStock

When & Where:

May 13 – 15, 2024 (Austin, Texas)

October 14 – 16, 2024 (Dublin, Ireland)

Cost: Varies

SaaStock Dublin attracts 6K attendees and 600 investors specifically for software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses. Last year’s speakers include Nathan Latka (founder of Founderpath) and April Dunford (bestselling author of Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning).

If you’re based in Europe or looking to maximize a European vacation, consider attending this conference in the fall!

Or if you’re based in North America, consider SaaStock USA. It attracts 1.5K attendees and 100 investors. This year’s speakers include the President of Klaviyo, the CMO of GitLab, and the founder of WP Engine.

If your business is still a startup, you might be interested in their 1-day Startup Program.

10. Adobe Summit

When: March 2025

Where: TBD

Cost: $2095 (2024 pricing)

The Adobe Summit includes keynotes and 200+ sessions and hands-on labs. Plus, you can go deeper on skill-building with pre-conference trainings. At 2024’s conference, there were 12 different content tracks, meaning 12 avenues curated for a specific focus like analytics, B2B marketing, generative AI, and trends and inspiration.

While one of the more expensive conferences, Adobe Summit definitely delivers on providing high value. Past speakers include the CEO of Adobe, CEO of GM, CEO of Delta Air Lines, CMO of TSB Bank, Shaquille O’Neal, and the COO of Major League Baseball.

There’s lots of networking potential, both during networking sessions as well as throughout other parts of the conference’s schedule. If you can’t make it in-person, simply grab a digital-only pass to access all of the keynotes.

11. Funnel Hacking Live

When & Where:

September 4 – 7, 2024 (Online)

February 12 – 15, 2025 (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Cost: $297 – $997

For entrepreneurs whose business thrives on sales funnels, Funnel Hacking Live is for you! It’s always a huge hit among online entrepreneurs. Past speakers include Tony Robbins, Alex & Leila Hormozi, Jenna Kutcher, and Dan Kennedy.

Founded by Russell Brunson, Funnel Hacking Live has been going since 2015. The event organizers expect about 10,000 attendees for this fall’s online conference.

As this fall’s event is virtual, there might not be networking opportunities (the schedule is TBD), but all in all it may still be worth it if you’re looking to learn more of the behind-the-scenes of successful entrepreneurs.

12. LeadsCon

When: April 7 – 9, 2025

Where: Las Vegas, Nevada

Cost: TBD

The world’s largest conference and exhibition on lead generation, LeadsCon is a must-go if your business has anything to do with getting leads. It’s attended by professionals from 25 main verticals including mortgage/lending, auto, healthcare, insurance, fintech, EDU, legal, home services and retail, attracting about 3K attendees.

Past speakers include the Head of Digital at Sony, VP of Direct Marketing Strategy at MGM Resorts International, and the Managing Director of Lead Gen Ads & Marketing at Google.

Best Female Entrepreneur Conferences

01. Create & Cultivate Festival

When: Summer 2025

Where: TBD

Cost: TBD

Think Coachella for career women – two stages, 1:1 meetings, networking events, live podcasts, workshops and more. There’s a lot of details about the Creative & Cultivate Festival that’s yet to come, but I have a pretty good feeling it’s all going to be amazing!

Speakers and panelists at past Create & Cultivate conferences include Kim Kardashian, Gloria Steinem, Meghan Markle, and Arielle Vandenberg.

Create & Cultivate have previously hosted gatherings all over the U.S. – including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Austin. Natasha Samuel, founder of Shine With Natasha, wrote that their Chicago event was “one of the most memorable weekends in my life and one of the most exciting moments in my career”.

02. The Ultimate Product Party

When: May 7 – 9, 2024

Where: Silverado, California

Cost: $333 – $1100

Designed for 200+ product-based businesses, this conference is a woman product-based business owner’s dream conference! It features a welcome happy hour, keynote speakers, close-knit workshops, roundtable sessions, swag, Q&A panels, and much more.

This year’s most prominent speaker is Shannon Matson (founder of The Social Bungalow). At time of writing, there are a total of 28 speakers lined up.

If funds are tight, consider applying to their scholarship that provides a free ticket and stipend to cover the costs of travel.

03. Spark

When: October 28 – 30, 2024

Where: Chandler, Arizona

Cost: $799

Organized by the website building company Showit, Spark is a must-go for all web designers, brand designers, and even small business owners. It’s a great event to network with other women small business owners, especially website-adjacent business owners like copywriters and photographers.

There’s 30+ sessions from industry experts plus breakouts and sponsored parties. And lunch is provided on the two main days.

04. The Graceful Gathering

When: April 15 – 18, 2024

Where: Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina

Cost: $2900

Specifically curated for wedding photographers, The Graceful Gathering has a solid reputation of being an excellent close-knit conference for wedding photographers. It’s capped at just 24 attendees to ensure quality 1:1 experiences.

The event features 12 speakers, 9 keynotes, 4 breakouts, a Q&A panel, new headshots, a mini brand video, a private Facebook group, meals, lodging, website audits, portfolio reviews, and more.

If you’re not a wedding photographer but your business is wedding-adjacent or photography-adjacent, it still may be a smart idea to attend this conference!

05. Forbes 30/50 Summit

When: March 2025

Where: TBD

Cost: $10,000 (2024 pricing)

Bringing together the Forbes 30 Under 30 and 50 Over 50 women, this conference highlights inspiring women of the world who have persevered and overcome significant challenges.

Sessions cover topics like ‘Smashing The Cyber Ceiling’, ‘Building Cross-Generational E-Commerce Empires’, and ‘How to Found Fan-Favorite Brands’. Past speakers (who are all women except one man) include the cofounder of Huda Beauty, CEO of Ellevest, cofounder of Cloudflare, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad, and many other highly accomplished women.

Because the price is so steep, you can tell this conference is meant to be highly exclusive. If you can swing it (plus travel and accommodation expenses), then it’s probably a conference you don’t want to miss!

06. Women in Business Summit

When & Where:

May 14 – 16, 2024 (Brighton, United Kingdom)

September 12 – 13, 2024 (Springfield, Massachusetts)

Cost: TBD

Founded in 2005, the Women in Business Summit is celebrating its 19th year this year. It focuses on four core values: entrepreneurship, leadership development, personal development, financial management.

Attendees are diverse women who are part-time or full-time entrepreneurs or professionals looking to strengthen their skills, network with like-minded women, and get inspired.

A past attendee raved about the summit, “After I went to my first Women In Business Summit in 2019, I knew I was going every year!”

07. Alt Summit

When: March 2025

Where: TBD

Cost: TBD

Founded in 2009, Alt Summit is a conference and community of thousands of creative entrepreneurs and influencers. Specifically, this conference attracts artists, photographers, pinners, instagrammers, vloggers, shop owners, content creators, designers, and bloggers.

85% of Alt Summit attendees have come back more than once, which is pretty impressive! Past speakers include some big names: Jessica Alba, Martha Stewart, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and more.

08. Thriving Women’s Conference

When: October 2024

Where: Raleigh, North Carolina

Cost: TBD

Organized by Lisa Hansen (@thrivingwomensconference), Thriving Women’s Conference is all about furthering individual growth and meaningfully connecting women entrepreneurs, with a bit of fun.

To make the conference more special, you can choose from a VIP night and/or rockstar session (each with different benefits included). Past speaker topics include ‘Crafting Your Brand Story’, ‘Using Your Power to Persist’, ‘Community Over Competition’, and ‘Photography & Composition’.

09. Boss Vision Conference

When: September 21 – 22, 2024

Where: Dallas, Texas

Cost: $297 – $497

The Boss Vision Conference attracts driven, purposeful women in business who strive to make a meaningful impact while building a thriving living. It focuses on both professional and personal development (like self-care, resilience, work life balance, etc.).

Boss Vision Conference’s Instagram account has tons of content on past years’ conferences and hints about this year’s.

10. The Creative Educator Conference

When: September 16 – 17, 2025

Where: Dallas, Texas

Cost: TBD

Founded by Laylee Emadi (a coach for speakers and educators), The Creative Educator Conference was most recently held in January 2024. It’s specifically for female coaches, speakers, course creators, event hosts, and more.

Past speakers’ topics include ‘Leveraging AI as a Creative Educator’, ‘Your Thought Leadership Unleashed: Crafting Content that Inspires Action’, ‘Scaling as an Educator with Digital Products & Partnerships’, and ‘From Invisible to In-Demand with Video’.

The conference is capped at 100 people and tickets are non-refundable but transferable if you end up not being able to make it for some reason.

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks included!

Best Black Entrepreneur Conferences

01. Hustle + Socialize Conference

When: June 8, 2024

Where: San Antonio, Texas

Cost: $485 – $810

Designed for minority women entrepreneurs, the Hustle + Socialize Conference focuses on three key areas: money, marketing, and mindset. If you’re a brand new entrepreneur, this might not be the best fit for you as the average attendee is either between 3 and 5 or 5+ years in business. Organizers expect about 300 attendees.

According to the conference’s 2023 Impact Report, “every year, our speakers on our stages at Hustle + Socialize have a combined total of over 195 years of business experience and an estimated combined value of over $150K.”

The conference offers a discounted rate at a nearby hotel for attendees, and all tickets include breakfast, coffee, and snacks. Also, nursing babies are allowed at no extra charge and there’ll be a designated private on-site area for nursing mothers.

Keep in mind tickets are non-refundable, but transferable up to May 31, 2024.

02. MogulCon

When: November 2024

Where: Nashville, Tennessee

Cost: $997 – $1497 (2023 pricing)

Created in 2015 by Dr. Felicia Philips, a seasoned entrepreneur and recipient of a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden, MogulCon attracts 500+ businesses from a wide range of industries every year.

There’s a business matchmaking session, a deepdive into sustainably growing a business, and so much more (including fun after hours shows!). No doubt you’d be able to have tons of good networking opportunities.

A previous attendee shared, “MogulCon has been one of the top inspirational, motivational, and informational conferences that I have ever attended.”

03. Athene Black & Brown Business Summit

When: April 18 – 19, 2024

Where: West Des Moines, Iowa

Cost: Registration Closed For 2024 (add it to your 2025 list!)

The theme of the 4th annual Athene Black & Brown Summit is ‘Dreamers, Innovators, & Trailblazers’ and in case you didn’t know, the summit is owned and operated by the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce.

The conference includes a pitch competition, breakout sessions led by experts, keynote speakers, and more. On the first day, there’s a fun 2-hour welcome party to give you the chance to mingle and start networking.

The two 2024 keynote speakers are Tiffany Pham (Founder & CEO of MOGUL, an award-winning worldwide platform connecting women) and Hill Harper (actor and political candidate).

04. Black Tech Week

When: July 16 – 18, 2024

Where: Cincinnati, Ohio

Cost: $14.99 – $199

For founders, funders, and corporations, Black Tech Week offers workshops, panels discussions, investor matching, highly anticipated keynote speakers, and after hours activities. There’s 4 tracks of content to choose from: founder, investor, student, and partner.

The organizers expect over 10,000 founders, investors, creatives, both in person and virtually, for 100+ keynotes, workshops, fireside chats and networking events.

To top it all off, there’s also an expo, Biz Dev Day, a career fair, and VC matchmaking.

05. AFROTECH

When: November 13 – 16, 2024

Where: Houston, Texas

Cost: $250 – $2450

For business professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, executives and everything in between, AFROTECH is a conference that brings together inclusive tech companies, innovators, and disruptors.

There’s an expo, main stage, curated meetups and receptions, learning labs, and partner events.

Tickets are non-refundable. The schedule and speakers are yet to be announced.

06. Marketing For The Culture Summit

When: June 6, 2024

Where: Houston, Texas

Cost: $99 – $199

Intended for Black marketers, this year’s theme of the Marketing For The Culture Summit is ‘Plot Twist – The Art of Being a Disruptive Storyteller’, intended to blend disruptive storytelling and innovative marketing.

The summit is founded and run by the African American Marketing Association (AAMA), a nonprofit organization. Past speakers at the summit include Marquel Russell (a business growth strategist), Cierra Seay (a direct response copywriter and email marketing consultant), and Juntae DeLane (Sr. Digital Brand Manager for the University of Southern California).

07. Disruptor Summit

When: May 17 – 18, 2024

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

Cost: $99 (early bird pricing)

For Black creative business owners, innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors to connect and exchange ideas, the Disruptor Summit is a truly unique annual conference. There’s a total of 25 sessions, a $15K fast pitch competition, and interesting speaker topics.

This year’s speakers include Nick Cannon, Chris Classic (founder of Savoir Faire), and Luke Bailey (co-founder and CEO of Neon Money Club). If you’re interested in attending, they offer discounted hotel rates for attendees.

08. International Black Entrepreneurs Summit

When: April 2025

Where: Toronto, Canada

Cost: $125 – $650 (2024 pricing)

Noted as the largest meeting of entrepreneurs and business founders of African and Caribbean descent, the International Black Entrepreneurs Summit features 800+ delegates, and 40+ speakers, 200+ companies and investors – overall from 20+ countries.

There’s the main conference, panel discussions, workshops, breakout sessions, 1:1 pre-scheduled meetings, an expo, a pitch competition, and awards. Organizers expect over 800 attendees who you can network with.