Conference News: What I learned this week – March 23, 2018
Next Generation of Education: MDR, a division of Dun & Bradstreet, will replace its annual education industry conference, EdNET with three single-day events in cities around the country. Dubbed EdNEXT, this series of gatherings is meant to be “more accessible to all and will provide service providers, nonprofits, associations, corporate foundations and other groups who want to reach and engage educators, youth and parents, with highly actionable tactics and strategies.” The 2018 EdNEXT events will be held in Chicago, New York and San Francisco in September. Dates will be announced here in April 2018.
London Calling: Ad:tech London has announced it will be held alongside Technology for Marketing (TFM) and eCommerce Expo in 2018 to create the UK’s largest marketplace for advertising and marketing technology. This was made possible when Comexposium sold the license for Ad:tech London to CloserStill Media as a consolidation of the market that they describe as beneficial to both brand/agency attendees as well as sponsors and exhibitors. The three events will co-locate in London on 26 – 27 September.
International Launch: Jason Calacanis’ LAUNCH Festival will have its international debut in Sydney on 19 – 20 June. This will again include a startup competition, of which the winner will be accepted into the San Francisco LAUNCH Incubator and get a $100,000 investment. The U.S. LAUNCH Festival will return in 2019. The location will be determined through a host city competition which is now accepting applications.
Speaking Opportunity: Black Hat is one of the “most technical and relevant global information security event series in the world.” Through its trainings and briefings, Black Hat provides attendees with IT security best practices, trends and research. This year, the conference is introducing the Community Track to provide a platform for discussing information security issues including career management, legal actions, diversity, mental health and more. The speaker submission requires some planning, so read the CFP tips and find sample presentation proposals here. The deadline for making a topic/speaker suggestion is 9 April.
Lunchtime Learning: Shoptalk is self-described as the world’s largest conference for retail and ecommerce innovation. Bringing together more than 7,500 attendees who are established retailers and brands, startups, tech companies, investors, media, and analysts, the conference showcases new technologies and business models shaping the industry. If you missed the recent 2018 edition, check out their YouTube channel.
Coming up next week: Some of the sharpest minds in tech, business, startups, and academia will meet at MIT Technology Review EmTech Digital to examine how AI is permeating enterprises from manufacturing to retail. EmTech Digital runs 26 – 27 March in San Francisco. ANA’s Brand Masters Conference kicks off 26 March under the theme “Highly Effective Brands that Drive Results.” The program will reach a sold-out audience of more than 400 marketing leaders eager to hear from CMOs and peers from brands like Google, Kimberly-Clark, and Peloton. More than 100 leaders from across the US healthcare landscape will meet to address the future of financing health care innovation at the Economist Health Care Forum (27 March; Boston). And in Washington DC on 27 March, more than 3,000 data protection professionals will convene at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Global Privacy Summit for general education sessions, networking, and certification training.