On My Calendar

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Conferring on Conferences

Just the idea in today’s technology-laden world seems a bit outdated. You fly to one city just to gather at a hotel or conference stage to listen to speakers, take notes and then do that rarest of business activities these days—talk to people face to face.

But whether it’s to rub shoulders with the big names in tech at SXSW in Texas or learn the latest on Africa at the African CEO Forum, the $14 billion trade and conference industry is still thriving as an essential learning and networking tool. Where else is it possible to bump into Bill Gates in the hallway, as one executive told us? Or, as the same executive also remembers, the CEO of his future company? “There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity to learn at every one of them,” says Texas- based author and tech expert Christopher Meyers.

But which to pick? And how to tailor these events to your needs? Below, our own guide to some of the big ones left in 2017.