The Top Tech Conferences for Franchising

With the speed and frequency with which new technologies and trends are launched into the business world, it can be hard to keep up and identify which tools are relevant to your company’s goals. While there is a plethora of tech-focused events to attend, here’s a rundown of a few you won’t want to miss. The Next Web Conference Venue TBD, New York, Dec. 10, 2014 The Next Web is a meeting place for business leaders looking to grow their company by learning about best practices as well as an opportunity to hear from the founders of up-and-coming startups. This year’s lineup of speakers includes Scott Belsky, co-founder of Behance, and Nir Eyal, author of Hooked. International Consumer Electronics Show (International CES) Multiple venues, Las Vegas, Jan. 6-9, 2015 International CES features more than 3,200 exhibitors of the latest innovations in the consumer technology industry. Launched in New York in 1967, past events have attracted more than 152,000 attendees from more than 150 countries, and world-changing innovations — such as the VCR, compact disc player, and plasma TV — have previously debuted at the show. Wisdom 2.0 Annual Conference Marriott Marquis, San Francisco, Feb. 27-March 1, 2015 The Wisdom 2.0 Annual Conference will include informative as well as interactive discussions, and even fun outdoor activities such as hikes. The conference is unique in that it melds technology and innovation with contemplations about its impact on humanity. Past speakers have included Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos; Arianna Huffington, CEO of Huffington Post, and Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter and Medium. South by Southwest Multiple venues, Austin, Texas, March 13-17, 2015 In its 22nd year, South by Southwest continues to maintain its reputation as one of the most popular events for creative and innovative thinkers. The festival will feature presentations by industry leaders in emerging technology, networking opportunities, and exciting debuts. eMetrics Summit Marriott Marquis, San Francisco, March 29-April 2, 2015 The first eMetrics Summit will be held in San Francisco, with Chicago and Toronto occurring later in the year. The conference covers topics including the impact of data and technology on marketing, as well as how to drive results through data analysis and technology adoption. Collision Conference Multiple venues, Las Vegas, May 5-6, 2015 Collision Conference, the sister event of Dublin-based Web Summit, which has become one of the largest international tech conferences since launching in 2010, returns to the United States. Organizers expect 10,000 people to attend the 2015 event in Las Vegas. TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco and New York, dates TBD TechCrunch Disrupt is hosted in San Francisco and New York City each year as one of the most important stages for tech startups to launch their products and services. VentureBeat Mobile Summit Cavallo Point, Sausalito, Calif., dates TBD This annual event produced by VentureBeat is focused on teaching attendees how to effectively grow their business via a mobile platform. With more than a billion smartphone users in the world, franchise brands must ensure that they are engaging and adopting the appropriate tools to tap into this vast sector.