Las Vegas
#1 Technology Industry Event
For the 50th anniversary of the already gargantuan show filled with the latest models of televisions, mobile devices, and other gadgets, the event soared to new heights. It made records for reaching 2.6 million net square feet of exhibition space and for hosting more than 170,000 attendees, with 60,000 of them coming from 158 countries, regions, and territories. The show is spread over the Las Vegas Convention Center and 10 area hotels, featuring 24 product categories and more than 20 marketplaces. The event always makes news with dazzling new products, though this year the big story was the theft of a pair of prototype three-screen laptops from Razer, an exhibitor who called the incident “industrial espionage.” Next: January 9-12, 2018
San Francisco
#2 Technology Industry Event
The attendee statistics for the Salesforce.com user conference in late 2016 are dizzying: More than 171,000 people from 83 countries registered to attend. About 15 million users participated online, and for the first time, organizers hosted 125 viewing parties around the world. A variety of venues hold the event, including the Moscone Center and six hotels. Speakers included Melinda Gates, Robin Roberts, Mark Cuban, and Billie Jean King, and guests were treated to a performance by U2. Next: November 6-9, 2017
Los Angeles
#3 Technology Industry Event (up from #4)
The addition of consumers to this year’s exposition, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, added 15,000 customers to the attendee roster. The event also added E3 Coliseum, where video game developers such as Sony, Warner Bros., Xbox, and others took guests behind the scenes of E3’s biggest new announcements. Speakers like Jack Black, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and more celebrated video games’ role in their work and pop culture. Hosted at the Novo at L.A. Live for two days, the space brought in over 2.8 million live stream views. According to Twitch, E3 2017 received more than 56 million total views from more than 1.1 million viewers. Next: June 12-14, 2018
San Francisco
#4 Technology Industry Event
AI, or artificial intelligence, was the focal point of the developer conference, with the tech giant revealing it has created a Google.ai division to create more in this area. Held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, speakers pointed out how ubiquitous Google Android devices have become, running 2 million devices, and they introduced a host of new tools. Next: May 2018
San Francisco
#5 Technology Industry Event
Relocating from San Francisco’s Moscone Center to the San Jose Convention Center, the tech giant introduced a new 10.5-inch Apple iPad Pro, new Mac computers that will support virtual reality, and processor upgrades for the iMac, MacBook, and MacBook Pro. Ancillary events were held around town for the more than 5,000 attendees. Among those was the annual Beard Bash, which took place at the City National Civic Center. Additionally, iTunes chart-topper James Dempsey and the Breakpoints Live performed at the City National Civic Theater during a Women@WWDC benefit for App Camp for Girls, and off-shoot conferences abounded. Next: Spring 2018
San Francisco
#6 Technology Industry Event
The user conference celebrated its 20th anniversary by bringing more than 60,000 attendees from 141 countries to the Bay Area. It created an economic impact of $194 million, according to organizers. In a new partnership with Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, some education sessions were presented in a more interactive format. The event generated over 15 million social media impressions. Next: October 1-5, 2017
Boston
#7 Technology Industry Event (new to the list)
Microsoft, GoDaddy, Omnicom Group, T-Mobile, Verizon, and a panoply of other household-name companies participated in the 45th iteration of the technology, media, and telecommunications event, where more than 1,200 invited investors attended. Organizers and participants keep tales of what transpires at the conference close to the vest—including the event venue—but close to the meeting date, speakers proudly announce their appearances in statements to investors. Next: May 2018
