Technology doesn’t just get more powerful over time. It also works its way into an increasingly large share of our waking lives and our economy. For professionals in IT, data management, cloud services, cybersecurity, automation and dozens of other tech fields, staying up-to-date on the latest developments should be a top priority. Make this the year you double-down on immersing yourself in technology culture and communicating well as you attend conferences. Keep reading for a roundup of the biggest and best tech conferences for 2020 you won’t want to miss.
1. SHARE Conference
SHARE takes place February 23-28 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Texas. This bi-annual event is designed and organized by volunteers and features more than 500 technical and hands-on sessions for enterprise technology professionals. Topics include big data, mobile computing, cloud, cybersecurity, DevOps and much more. Full event tickets are $2,500, while one-day passes will set you back $750.
2. O’Reilly Strata Data & AI Conference
O’Reilly is one of the best-known names in publishing when it comes to technology education. From March 15 to 18, O’Reilly plans to leverage its standing and connections in the industry to bring together one of the largest conferences of the year on the subject of big data and artificial intelligence. Early-bird pricing for the event ends on February 7.
On the importance of the event, O’Reilly’s Ben Lorica says: “Some features of AI will be incorporated into every application that we touch, and we won’t be able to do anything without touching an application.”
More Tech Conferences for 2020:
3. IBM Think
IBM’s Think Conference is slated for March 4-7 in San Francisco. It’s a globally focused conference and a flagship experience for anyone who wants to learn how to transform entire industries as an IT architect, security officer, developer or data analyst. Visitors will find plenty to do and learn across 200 individual sessions, each one focusing on a different aspect of technology that’s changed the game in enterprise.
Think 2020 has a redesigned curriculum compared to last year. A “Discover Pass” will get you into the most important sessions focusing on business insights. For the full experience, including certification and lab sessions, get a “Full Pass.” Early-bird pricing is $995 and $1,995, respectively.
4. IoT in Action
Of all the technologies coming of age today, the IoT is one of the most consequential. With that in mind, IoT in Action is a tech conference in Amsterdam that’s all about the Internet of Things. It’s set to take place on January 27, 2020.
Eventgoers can experience keynotes from representatives of Microsoft, Siemens, OrangeNXT and many other critical businesses. The focus of the event is less on consumer-level IoT technologies and more on large-scale concepts, such as building smart cities and transforming industrial settings.
5. CIO Summit: New York
On March 3, at the CIO Summit in New York, CIOs, IT specialists and executives from all over will convene in New York City to discuss the implications of modern technology on all kinds of industries.
The lineup of past and present guest keynote speakers includes representatives from industries like health care, telecommunications, utilities, insurance, financial services, education and much more. Across panel discussions and open forums, attendees will get to compare notes about the transformative and disruptive influence of technology as it applies to delivering value for customers.
6. Gartner Catalyst Conference
Gartner is known as a leading advisory and research company. In September 2020, Gartner plus more than 15 other exhibiting vendors will lead more than 800 attendees in 50-plus individual sessions and events at the Gartner Catalyst Conference.
The focus of this conference is on empowering IT leaders and technical professionals with a deeper understanding of what data management, analytics and cloud infrastructure can do for the modern enterprise. The event takes place in London on September 17 and 18, with early-bird pricing available until July 24.
7. Digital Enterprise Show
Madrid is the hosting city for the Digital Enterprise Show, slated for May 19-21, 2020. Organized by the Digital World Congress, DES features appearances from some 300 technology companies and typically welcomes more than 20,000 attendees each year.
Technology professionals who want a sneak peak at where blockchain, user experience, digital trust, cybersecurity and automation are headed can learn all about these topics in multiple session formats.
3 Additional Tech Conferences for 2020:
8. Augmented World Expo
Augmented reality (AR) is another one of the most exciting technologies under development today. It’s also the star of Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara, California. From May 27 to 29, more than 5,000 attendees — many representing Fortune 500 companies — will learn about the implications of AR for industry, entertainment, improved collaboration and economic growth.
9. TNW 2020
On June 18 and 19, Amsterdam will host “Europe’s Leading Technology Festival,” better known as The Next Web (TNW) Conference. When it began, TNW opened its doors to just 200 visitors. Today, more than 15,000 technology enthusiasts and professionals, representing 3,500 companies, fly in from all over the world to learn or share their expertise.
TNW 2020 is all about exploring technology as an ecosystem and a way to improve cities, services and our very quality of life. Confirmed 2020 guest speakers include founders, directors, writers and professionals from Microsoft, Basecamp, Stanford University, Wired, Vice, TomTom, The Financial Times and many other well-recognized companies.
10. Developer Week
From February 12 to 16, more than 8,000 developers will descend on the San Francisco Bay Area to attend Developer Week. Boasting more than 15 individual conferences and educational tracks, Developer Week is committed to the entire world of coding. That includes exploring how different languages and libraries affect web design, artificial intelligence development, APIs, product development and much more.
There’s a Tech Conference for Everybody in 2020
No matter who you are, there are lots of reasons to attend tech conferences in 2020. From sharpening your marketable skills to networking with like-minded professionals and companies, conferences are a wealth of knowledge and opportunity — and a great way to keep up with technology’s blistering pace.