#1 Entertainment Industry Event
San Diego
The pop culture convention fills the San Diego Convention Center and surrounding venues with some 130,000 fans, professionals, and exhibitors, as well as a significant Hollywood presence that seems to grow every year. Next: July 2014
#2 Entertainment Industry Event
Park City, Utah
The showcase for independent film reliably draws celebrities and industry power brokers. Corporate sponsorship also has grown, with brands such as AOL, Sprint, Acura, and Nintendo sponsoring events and activations. Next: January 18-25, 2014
#3 Entertainment Industry Event
Washington
The honors—among the highest achievement in the arts and an event attended by the president and the first lady—drew criticism from advocacy groups that claimed the selection process excluded Latinos. In response, the Kennedy Center announced revisions to its process that include accepting nominations for the first time and creating an advisory committee of artists, former honorees, and board members. The 2012 honorees were actor Dustin Hoffman, late-night TV host David Letterman, the band Led Zeppelin, blues guitarist Buddy Guy, and ballerina Natalia Makarova. Longtime host Caroline Kennedy has helmed the evening for 10 consecutive years. The event is televised on CBS. Next: December 26, 2013
#4 Entertainment Industry Event
New York
The television industry's annual unveiling of fall schedules only grows larger with additional cable networks joining in each year. The tradition even spawned a competing set of events for online programming, the Digital NewFronts, in 2012. Next: May 2014
#5 Entertainment Industry Event
Las Vegas
The National Association of Broadcasters' gathering of more than 90,000 media and entertainment professionals draws major brands such as Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and Canon for the panels, exhibit floor, and a handful of colocated shows. Among the 2013 panels were “How Saturday Night Live Produces Short Films in 48 Hours or Less” and “10 Critical Business Shifts for Radio Broadcasters.” Next: April 5-10, 2014
#6 Entertainment Industry Event
Miami
With more than 400 events across Miami and Miami Beach, the conference draws more than 100,000 artists and music industry delegates for its events, which include seminars, workshops, the International Dance Music Awards, and a famed slate of official pool parties. Next: March 21-30, 2014
#7 Entertainment Industry Event
Los Angeles
Broadcast networks present their stars and executives to more than 200 television critics from the United States and Canada. The event happens twice a year, with the annual T.C.A. Awards handed out in conjunction with the summer tour. Next: January 2014
#8 Entertainment Industry Event
Boston
Harvard University's two-day theatrical extravaganza feted Marion Cotillard and Kiefer Sutherland as Woman and Man of the Year in 2013. The tongue-in-cheek presentations are coupled with the organization’s student-written burlesque spectacle, in which men play both the male and female roles. Next: Winter 2014
