How to Heat Up Your Summer Conference Strategy

Lifelong learning never takes a break. In fact, while the pace of some businesses slows and your colleagues are off on vacations this summer, many of the country’s best conferences are gearing up for their annual events. At Stern Strategy Group, we work year-round with conference organizers to shape agendas and place expert speakers. Throughout this process, we curate and update a list of our favorite events we believe everyone should check out.

So whether you’re seeking to refresh your conference strategy, reconnect with customers, make new connections or expand your creative capacity, these platforms are ideal places to retreat, explore, learn, network, and even enjoy a little bit of down time.

Summer Events for Your Conference Strategy:

• Cannes Lions (June 17-21, 2019, Cannes, France) – What better place to ignite the creative spirit than in the picturesque setting of Cannes, France? The International Festival of Creativity brings together a diverse community of communications, marketing, entertainment, design and tech leaders from around the world for eight days of mind-opening talks and inspiration.
• Aspen Ideas Festival (June 20-29, 2019, Aspen, Colorado) – Leaders from around the globe and all walks of life convene in this resort town to engage in deep and inquisitive discussions around the ideas and issues that both shape our lives and challenges our times.
• Chautauqua Institution (June 22-August 25, 2019, Chautauqua, New York) – Nestled beside Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York, The Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit, 750-acre educational center. During a nine-week season, more than 10,000 visitors attend public events. As part of the Institution’s lecture series, speakers give talks around a weekly theme (typically a social, political, religious or academic issue). Ideas and opinions are exchanged in an open, challenging atmosphere.
• Culture Summit (June 25-27, 2019, San Francisco) – With a motto to “build the culture you want to work in,” this conference brings together founders, thought leaders and culture champions from across industries to share actionable solutions from startup to scale. This year’s program features speakers from some of the world’s most innovative and celebrated companies, including LinkedIn, IDEO, Salesforce and Airbnb.
• World Domination Summit (June 25-July 1, 2019, Portland, Oregon) If you are looking to change the world and have a little fun while you’re at it, World Domination Summit is the place for you. Every summer, speakers and more than 10,000 attendees convene around the question: How do we live a remarkable life in a conventional world? The stakes and stories have grown each year with activities like Bollywood dancing, Academies, Guinness World Records, and the creation of a foundation that offers grants to individuals to pursue their dreams and positively impact their community.
• AHA Leadership Summit (July 25-27, 2019, San Diego) – Drawing senior executives and physician leaders from hospital and health systems, the Summit is an important event for the health care crowd. Focusing on transformational strategies and approaches for achieving financial sustainability while delivering greater value through operational excellence, creative partnerships and redefined delivery models, the Summit convenes the field’s leading thinkers and doers – as well as innovators who are shifting traditional business models.
• Fortune Brainstorm Tech (July 15-17, 2019, Aspen) – Fortune’s annual summer gathering of tech leaders and investors. The program explores fast-breaking trends in tech and how companies can prepare for the future. The event is invite only, but you can apply for registration.

These are just a few of the many conferences and events taking place over the next few months. As we all know, the summer goes by too fast so make your plans early. Can’t travel this summer? Check out some of the events occurring in your local community. What events will you be attending this summer to boost your conference strategy – and your brand’s thought leadership?

Remember, conferences and other networking activities are important components of communications plans and can be integral to fueling content marketing efforts, too.