1. Dreamforce
#1 Technology Industry Event
Former Vice President Al Gore, Grammy-winner Will.I.Am, and N.B.A. all-star Andre Iguodala walk into a tech conference. That’s not a joke; it’s just a partial slate of speakers on the schedule for Salesforce’s annual gathering, Dreamforce. The event takes over downtown San Francisco each fall with more than 180,000 registrants. (To put that number in perspective, Dreamforce is more populous than the capital of Rhode Island.) In addition to the scheduled trainings and conference speakers, it’s also a prime networking event. At the end of the week, festivities wrap up with a celebratory concert. Past performers include U2, the Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, and Lenny Kravitz. Next: September 25-28, 2018
Former Vice President Al Gore, Grammy-winner Will.I.Am, and N.B.A. all-star Andre Iguodala walk into a tech conference. That’s not a joke; it’s just a partial slate of speakers on the schedule for Salesforce’s annual gathering, Dreamforce. The event takes over downtown San Francisco each fall with more than 180,000 registrants. (To put that number in perspective, Dreamforce is more populous than the capital of Rhode Island.) In addition to the scheduled trainings and conference speakers, it’s also a prime networking event. At the end of the week, festivities wrap up with a celebratory concert. Past performers include U2, the Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, and Lenny Kravitz. Next: September 25-28, 2018
Photo: Jakub Mosur
2. Oracle OpenWorld
#2 Technology Industry Event
Oracle OpenWorld is the most comprehensive conference for Oracle customers, offering more than 2,200 educational sessions, hundreds of demos and hands-on labs, and exhibitions from more than 400 partners and customers from around the world. The multi-day event shuts down traffic across a full city block in downtown San Francisco for the 60,000-plus-strong contingent of attendees. After the networking and breakout sessions wrap, conference-goers gather for one last hurrah: a concert under the stars. In 2017, the Chainsmokers and Ellie Goulding performed. Next: October 22-25, 2018
Oracle OpenWorld is the most comprehensive conference for Oracle customers, offering more than 2,200 educational sessions, hundreds of demos and hands-on labs, and exhibitions from more than 400 partners and customers from around the world. The multi-day event shuts down traffic across a full city block in downtown San Francisco for the 60,000-plus-strong contingent of attendees. After the networking and breakout sessions wrap, conference-goers gather for one last hurrah: a concert under the stars. In 2017, the Chainsmokers and Ellie Goulding performed. Next: October 22-25, 2018
Photo: Courtesy of Oracle
3. Apple Worldwide Developers Conference
#3 Technology Industry Event
Some conferences take the bigger-is-better approach; the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference prefers exclusivity, offering admission to software developers chosen annually through a lottery. (Registration typically occurs around March.) In 2018, 6,000 people attended the expo to watch Tim Cook reveal Apple’s latest software updates. After the big reveal, developers move to breakout sessions where they can pepper Apple engineers with questions. Next: June 2019
Some conferences take the bigger-is-better approach; the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference prefers exclusivity, offering admission to software developers chosen annually through a lottery. (Registration typically occurs around March.) In 2018, 6,000 people attended the expo to watch Tim Cook reveal Apple’s latest software updates. After the big reveal, developers move to breakout sessions where they can pepper Apple engineers with questions. Next: June 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Apple
4. Google I/O
#4 Technology Industry Event
I/O, which stands for input/output, assembles developers from around the world in a festival-like atmosphere for talks, hands-on learning with Google experts, and a first look at Google’s latest developer products. Attendance at the event—held annually at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View—is limited to 7,200, and tickets are distributed via lottery. At the 2018 I/O, Google unveiled several new technologies positioning the tech giant to become the world’s largest artificial intelligence company. With that goal in Google’s sights, I/O could become one of the most relevant tech conferences in the world. Next: Spring 2019
I/O, which stands for input/output, assembles developers from around the world in a festival-like atmosphere for talks, hands-on learning with Google experts, and a first look at Google’s latest developer products. Attendance at the event—held annually at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View—is limited to 7,200, and tickets are distributed via lottery. At the 2018 I/O, Google unveiled several new technologies positioning the tech giant to become the world’s largest artificial intelligence company. With that goal in Google’s sights, I/O could become one of the most relevant tech conferences in the world. Next: Spring 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Google
5. Facebook F8
#5 Technology Industry Event
At F8, developers and businesses meet to explore what’s next in technology and learn about the new products and innovations Facebook is creating across its companies—including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. In 2018, the conference offered more than 50 sessions, interactive experiences, the opportunity to meet Facebook product experts, and the chance to interact with the global developer community. Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with more than two-billion active monthly users, but the F8 developers conference is an exclusive event, open to only 4,000 attendees. Next: Spring 2019
At F8, developers and businesses meet to explore what’s next in technology and learn about the new products and innovations Facebook is creating across its companies—including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. In 2018, the conference offered more than 50 sessions, interactive experiences, the opportunity to meet Facebook product experts, and the chance to interact with the global developer community. Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with more than two-billion active monthly users, but the F8 developers conference is an exclusive event, open to only 4,000 attendees. Next: Spring 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Facebook
6. TechCrunch Disrupt
#6 Technology Industry Event (up from #7)
Disrupt is more than just the Star Search of the start-up world; the event includes programming for founders, investors, hackers, and tech leaders, and an all-star speaker lineup that reads like a roster of the hottest tech execs in the world. (Uber C.E.O. Dara Khosrowshahi, 23andMe founder and C.E.O. Anne Wojcicki, Bumble founder and C.E.O. Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Glossier founder and C.E.O. Emily Weiss, to name a few). From emerging trends to networking and community-building, Disrupt is at the center of the start-up universe. Next: September 5-7, 2018
Disrupt is more than just the Star Search of the start-up world; the event includes programming for founders, investors, hackers, and tech leaders, and an all-star speaker lineup that reads like a roster of the hottest tech execs in the world. (Uber C.E.O. Dara Khosrowshahi, 23andMe founder and C.E.O. Anne Wojcicki, Bumble founder and C.E.O. Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Glossier founder and C.E.O. Emily Weiss, to name a few). From emerging trends to networking and community-building, Disrupt is at the center of the start-up universe. Next: September 5-7, 2018
Photo: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch
7. Y-Combinator Demo Days
#7 Technology Industry Event
Demo Days and Investor Day pack a Silicon Valley one-two punch. On Demo Days, the latest batch of Y Combinator-funded founders present their companies to a room full of specially selected investors and press at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. The third day, Investor Day, is a full day of meetings between companies and investors. Guests must be invited and R.S.V.P. to be in the room where it happens, but audience members may only attend one of the two days. The event happens twice each year, in March and August, showcasing approximately 100 founders. Next: March 2019
Demo Days and Investor Day pack a Silicon Valley one-two punch. On Demo Days, the latest batch of Y Combinator-funded founders present their companies to a room full of specially selected investors and press at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. The third day, Investor Day, is a full day of meetings between companies and investors. Guests must be invited and R.S.V.P. to be in the room where it happens, but audience members may only attend one of the two days. The event happens twice each year, in March and August, showcasing approximately 100 founders. Next: March 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Demo Days
8. Game Developers Conference
#8 Technology Industry Event
The 32-year-old conference is the oldest and biggest industry event for gaming professionals. Game designers, programmers, artists, producers, and business professionals converge at San Francisco’s Moscone Center for five days of education, inspiration, and networking. In 2018, the conference hosted more than 28,000 participants for more than 750 lectures, panels, tutorials, and roundtables. Next: March 18-22, 2019
The 32-year-old conference is the oldest and biggest industry event for gaming professionals. Game designers, programmers, artists, producers, and business professionals converge at San Francisco’s Moscone Center for five days of education, inspiration, and networking. In 2018, the conference hosted more than 28,000 participants for more than 750 lectures, panels, tutorials, and roundtables. Next: March 18-22, 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Game Developers Conference
9. Oracle CodeOne
#9 Technology Industry Event
Running concurrently with Oracle OpenWorld, the conference was formerly JavaOne, “the biggest Java programming event of the year.” For 2018, Oracle has rebranded the conference as CodeOne for an event “that’s inclusive of more languages, technologies, and developer communities.” CodeOne will still offer loads of Java content, but there will also be talks on Go, Rust, Python, JavaScript, and R, plus sessions on chatbots, microservices, A.I., and blockchain. As with OpenWorld, attendees are invited to CloudFest, the Oracle Appreciation concert event. Next: October 22-25, 2018
Running concurrently with Oracle OpenWorld, the conference was formerly JavaOne, “the biggest Java programming event of the year.” For 2018, Oracle has rebranded the conference as CodeOne for an event “that’s inclusive of more languages, technologies, and developer communities.” CodeOne will still offer loads of Java content, but there will also be talks on Go, Rust, Python, JavaScript, and R, plus sessions on chatbots, microservices, A.I., and blockchain. As with OpenWorld, attendees are invited to CloudFest, the Oracle Appreciation concert event. Next: October 22-25, 2018
Photo: Courtesy of Oracle
