#1 Technology Industry Event
Hosted by Salesforce, the event is regarded as the world’s largest nonprofit technology conference. In 2014, speakers included Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, and Tony Robbins; there were also performances from Neil Young, Bruno Mars, and Will.i.am. Attendance at the buzzy gathering exceeds 40,000 guests each year. Next: September 15-18, 2015
#2 Technology Industry Event
Targeting information technology professionals, the conference is hosted by the cloud-based software company Oracle. It draws more than 60,000 live attendees each year, and the company estimates that some 2.1 million attendees join in online. Next: October 25-29, 2015
#4 Technology Industry Event
Google’s largest conference is geared toward software developers. This year, the event drew some 6,000 attendees a day, and millions tuned in virtually. There were also close to 600 “I/O Extended” events, which took place on six continents and included live-streaming sessions and local developer demos. Next: June 2015
#5 Technology Industry Event
Billed as the “ultimate fan event” for Mac-product enthusiasts, the event offers technologically advanced art, music, and film. There’s also an exhibit hall filled with products and services for Apple users. Estimated attendance is 25,000. Next: March 12-14, 2015
#6 Technology Industry Event
The event is the world’s largest and longest-running professionals-only game-industry gathering. It draws more than 23,000 attendees and offers an expo along with 400 lectures, tutorials, and panel and roundtable discussions. Next: March 2-6, 2015
#7 Technology Industry Event
The world’s largest conference for Java programmers is hosted by Oracle and held concurrently with Oracle OpenWorld. This year’s event, located primarily at local hotels, offered 400 sessions ranging from hands-on labs to keynote speeches. Aerosmith and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed at a conference party. Next: October 25-29, 2015
#9 Technology Industry Event
Intel’s massive forum draws 60,000 attendees and targets a broad range of technology-industry professionals. This year’s function offered a tech showcase and keynote speeches from Intel executives, experts, and developers. There were also hands-on lab demos. Next: Fall 2015
#10 Technology Industry Event
Y Combinator provides seed funds for start-ups, and twice a year it hosts a showcase that lets roughly 80 start-ups deliver presentations to investors. The investors fly in from around the globe for the prestigious event, and there are typically 450 investors in attendance. Next: March 2015
#11 Technology Industry Event
The competitive event sees 26 start-up companies vying for a $50,000 investment. It draws top speakers such as Marc Benioff, Marissa Mayer, and Kevin Rose. Sponsors include UPS Connect and Accenture. Next: September 2015
