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Leadership Conferences That Should Be On Your Radar In 2019

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As a business leader, you’re expected to stay ahead of the latest trends and constantly grow as a person and a professional. One of the most effective ways to achieve those goals is by attending conferences throughout the year. After all, they can help you challenge your ways of thinking, develop valuable relationships, and even establish yourself as an industry leader if you have the opportunity to speak.    

Because you probably don’t have the free time to research upcoming leadership conferences, I’ve done the legwork for you — these are the events that should be on your radar in 2019. These selections made the cut because I’ve spoken at them or attended them and came away with something valuable: an idea, a contact, a new frame of mind. If I haven’t had the pleasure of attending one listed, it’s been highly recommended to me by leaders I trust.

1. EY Strategic Growth Forum, November 13-17 in Palm Springs, CA

Ernst & Young’s Strategic Growth Forum is known for bringing together experienced and innovative keynote speakers from around the world. Over the four days, attendees can participate in breakout sessions and themed networking. It concludes with the Entrepreneur Of The Year® U.S. National Awards gala, which happens to be one of the largest gatherings of successful entrepreneurs in the country. This event is very unique in that spouses are encouraged to come and enjoy the festivities as well. When I first attended, I expected some sort of sales pitch for being part of the program, but EY does a great job of gaining trust by supporting entrepreneurs, and I appreciate that from bigger brands.

2. Collision, May 20-23 in Toronto, Ontario

Now in its sixth year, Collision is rapidly becoming North America’s fastest-growing tech conference, as well as the largest gathering of entrepreneurs. Since its humble beginnings as a 5,000-person event in Las Vegas, Collision is expected to reach 25,000 attendees this year — which is why it may have attracted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be excited about hosting it this year. There are several speaker directors who do an excellent job of curating a variety of content, compared to other conferences that rely on one person. They search for diamonds in the rough, mixed with trusted and established people who won’t simply promote their products. I typically don’t enjoy moderating events, but this is the one I make an exception for — I learn so much from the different panels on stage.

3. Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, June 25 - 28 in Sun Valley, ID

The Tugboat Institute is a membership organization that connects CEOs from various sectors to share their best practices and insights around evergreen businesses. Evergreen businesses are led by purpose-driven leaders “who have the grit and resourcefulness to build and scale private, profitable, enduring, and market-leading businesses.”

In other words, they place people first and won’t raise capital if that means the money comes before their mission. They do not espouse a growth-at-all-costs or exit-oriented mindset to ensure that people come first. No wonder they’re considered some of the most influential companies in terms of redefining success.

4. Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, October

Now in its sixth year, the summit will bring together more than 200 speakers, including young entrepreneurs, iconic visionaries, investors, and celebrities to learn, share ideas, network, collaborate, and recruit. I’m somewhat biased because I’ve written for Forbes for several years, but truthfully, Forbes does a really good job on its “30 Under 30” list. It’s a very hard thing to put together, but when I’ve attended the event, I’ve met some of the most unique experts who have challenged my perspective, which has resulted in much more personal growth. If you want to share your story, the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit is an open forum for those who’ve made the list or plan to — past, present, and future.

5. The WORLDZ Summit, September 10-11 in Los Angeles, CA

WORLDZ is a global summit and community consisting of more than 2,500 members, with the goal of uniting tomorrow’s leaders with today's CEOs, CMOs, startup founders, and cultural icons in order to create the world of tomorrow.

During this two-day flagship summit, there will be plenty of chances for leaders to get connected, educated, and inspired in their personal and professional lives. This event was sparked by the success of PTTOW, a sister conference, and it continues to expand and gain more visibility.

6. Forbes Women’s Summit, June 17-18 in New York, NY

This is another inclusion from the ForbesLIVE list of events. However, it’s invite-only.

During its two days, this summit will bring together inspiring and innovative women leaders across multiple industries and generations who are changing the world for the better. The intimate keynote conversations and dynamic panel discussions guide attendees to start a movement or discover new opportunities. Sending your women leaders to events like this is an excellent opportunity to support their growth and ambitions.

7. TED Conference, April 15-19 in Vancouver, British Columbia

Starting out as a small conference in Monterey, California, TED has expanded to more than 3,600 TEDx events globally, including locations like Tehran and Reykjavik. Each event includes more than 50 of the most innovative and influential speakers in the world.

This year, the TED Conference will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and the theme will be “Bigger than Us.” Perhaps the conference explains itself best: During its five days, the conference will be “exploring technologies that evoke wonder and tantalize with superhuman powers, mind-bending science that will drive the future as significantly as any politician, the design of cities and other powerful human systems...that happen when we ask what ideas are truly worth fighting for, worth living for.”

8. Leadercast Live, May 10 in Duluth, GA

Considered one of the largest one-day leadership events, Leadercast is held annually outside Atlanta. Here, leaders can expect to become more empowered and learn how to lead a healthy team, thanks to gaining practical guidance and insights from world-renowned leaders.  

For those attending, there are also opportunities to network with like-minded leaders and earn continuing education credits in human resources (HRCI and SHRM), nursing (Alabama State Nurses Association), and general fields.

9. Talent Development Think Tank, Nov. 6-7, Santa Rosa, CA

The Talent Development Think Tank is a new conference focusing on important issues and trends occurring in the world of corporate learning and development. Offering lots of talent management strategies, this event comes from the same minds who created the “Talent Development Hot Seat” podcast, which has featured nearly 100 learning and talent leaders from major corporations since its launch a year ago.

The organizers have lined up action-oriented keynotes and interactive experiences designed to help participants collaborate with peers to overcome common challenges that businesses face in developing their workforce. It will be an intimate event; therefore, they’ll be capping participants.

Whether you’re looking to expand your network, establish new partnerships, or educate yourself on the latest tech and marketing trends, business leaders have more than enough opportunities to grow from the insights provided at this year’s conference lineup. Which events are you most excited about? Let me know — maybe we’ll have a chance to meet up.

This summit offers insights from a wide variety of influencers with strong personal brands, enabling attendees to learn from athletes and authors alike. Taking place online, the summit releases one new interview each day. Rather than discuss the ideas that made an impact, each interviewee explains how he or she made an impact — giving leaders insight into how they can elevate their own personal brands.
The 2019 roster includes names like John Gordon, Dennis Rodman, and Gretchen Rubin discussing topics ranging from their darkest moments to how they made enough money to fuel their companies' growth. This format stands out because it enables attendees to absorb information at their own pace and think through how they can apply it to their own brands.
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