Here are some of the top tech conferences you should be looking to attend for 2018.
SXSW Interactive March 9–17 (Austin, TX)
This is one of the largest conferences in the world and not just for tech. They host three verticals, interactive, film, and music and all of the who’s who in tech and entertainment is there. You have to book ahead of time and mentally prepare for all of the content that is thrown at you. It’s also a good idea to map out a schedule ahead of time and note that it’s physically impossible to cover everything at once.
Blacktech Week Feb 5–10 (Miami, FL)
Blacktech Week is a minority-centric ecosystem building festival based in Miami. Blacktech Week partners with founders, corporations, and the community to create a diverse, curated experience. Some of this year’s content includes GovEduCon, a day event on smart cities, robust public K-12 STEM education, ecosystem building and competitiveness, and smart cities and open data for black and brown municipalities; the Blacktech Fam Reunion, a two-day minority centric e-commerce, entrepreneurship, employment, and
ass="amp-ad-wrapper amp_ad_1 ampforwp-incontent-custom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad2">TechConneXt Oct 3–6 (Oakland, CA)
The two-day conference is packed with insightful talks, interactive workshops, a pitch competition, and one-on-one chats with some of the brightest minds in the industry. The 2018 Summit will cover a range of topics, including tips for tech startups, breaking into tech from a financial perspective, and how corporations are becoming more tech-enabled. It will also showcase new technologies and feature a line-up of nationally recognized speakers, influencers, and honorees. In addition, 80 students from 20 different HBCUs will participate in the BE Hackathon, a competition that strengthens their ability to problem solve using tech.
Blavity Afrotech, Nov 8–11 (Silicon Valley, CA)
Blavity unites founders and employees of some of the fastest-growing tech startups to share the tactics and strategies they use to grow their products and businesses. Conversations range from raising venture funding, combining tech and culture, user design workshops, growth hacking, and more. Over the past years, this conference has included a lot of millennials and influencers.
Tech Inclusion, 2018 (Multiple Locations)
Tech Inclusion takes an ecosystem approach to improving diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. Their work focuses on five major impact areas across the tech ecosystem: Education, Workplace, Entrepreneurship, Policy, Ecosystem. This conference covers diversity from every angle imaginable including LGBTQ, disabilities, and racial and gender inequality.