#1 Technology Industry Event
Hosted by Salesforce, the event is regarded as the world’s largest nonprofit technology conference. For 2015, speakers included Satya Nadella, Jessica Alba, Susan Wojcicki, Goldie Hawn, and Patricia Arquette; there were also performances by the Foo Fighters, the Killers, and Gary Clark Jr. Attendance exceeds 40,000 guests each year. Next: October 4-7, 2016
#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. Oracle estimates that some 2.1 million attendees join in online. Next: October 25-29, 2015
#4 Technology Industry Event
Prospective attendees must win a lottery in order to purchase a ticket to Google’s largest conference. Geared toward software developers, the conference draws about 6,000 attendees a day, and millions tune in virtually. Nearly 600 “I/O Extended” events also take place on six continents, and sessions and local developer demos are live-streamed. Next: June 2016
#5 Technology Industry Event (up from #6)
The conference is the world’s largest and longest-running professionals-only gaming-industry gathering. It draws more than 23,000 attendees and offers an expo. Also on its lineup: 400 lectures, tutorials, and panel and roundtable discussions. Next: March 14-18, 2016
#6 Technology Industry Event (up from #7)
The world’s largest conference for Java programmers, with more than 60,000 attendees, is hosted by Oracle and held concurrently with Oracle OpenWorld. Last year’s event, located primarily at local hotels, offered 400 sessions ranging from hands-on labs to keynote speeches. Next: October 25-29, 2015
#7 Technology Industry Event (up from #9)
Intel’s massive forum draws 60,000 attendees and targets a broad range of technology-industry pros. 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: Summer 2016
#8 Technology Industry Event (up from #10)
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. Approximately 450 investors fly in from around the globe for the prestigious event. The demo day has funded more than 800 companies that now have valuations of more than $30 billion. Next: March 2016
#9 Technology Industry Event (up from #11)
The suspenseful event sees 26 start-up companies vying for a $50,000 investment. This year's speakers included tech entrepreneur Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Snoop Dogg, angel investor Ron Conway, and Golden Gate Warriors shooting guard Andre Iguodala. Sponsors include Walmart Labs and Microsoft Ventures. Next: September 2016
#10 Technology Industry Event (new to the list)
Technology meets mindfulness at this conference. Speakers, who have included Alanis Morissette, the C.E.O. of LinkedIn, and designer Eileen Fisher, cover topics including wisdom, technology, business, and society. Next year will be the seventh annual event. Next: February 20-22, 2016
