7 Local Search Conferences Worth Attending Before the End of 2017

In the ever-changing world of marketing, one truth remains: knowledge is power.

It’s the reason you read articles on this site. The more you know, the stronger your local search strategies will become.

But there’s nothing like immersion to ensure that you actually consume the information presented to you. Taking a day or two away from all the stress of work and being surrounded by other like-minded individuals is a great way to guarantee that you’ll be ready to truly absorb what’s being presented to you.

The reality of these events is that no matter how much you think you know, marketing conferences are often a valuable reminder that you still have plenty to learn.

But marketing conferences are more than just a reminder to keep seeking information on this constantly evolving industry. Each one of these conferences promises to provide meaningful value to you by the time you step out of their auditoriums.

Your tactics and strategies will improve, with your overall knowledge of applicable local search information having grown noticeably by the time you head back home.

And let’s not forget about the massive networking component at play here. Aside from being a fantastic opportunity to find vendors for your agency, you’ll be exposed to a variety of opportunities for potential content collaborations.

This is the big leagues now. If you’re ready to take that next step, there’s still time before the end of 2017. Here are 7 of the best local search conferences that you should attend before the year is over.

Date: September 18th

Location: New York, New York

Link for more information: The Place Conference

Conference Focus: Hosted in New York City, The Place Conference is the Local Search Association’s response to the ever expanding role of mobile devices in the world of local marketing. This one-day event was designed to focus on both online and offline experiences for marketers and brands.

The good, the bad and the confusing will be addressed here, with a heavy emphasis on providing attendees with highly valuable information on topics like:

Not only will agency attendees leave with actionable, tangible step that they can take, they’ll also be presented with access to real case studies from location-leading brands.

Agenda: The LSA hasn’t released an official, detailed agenda for the 2017 Place Conference, but here are some of the topics that are already guaranteed to be covered at the event:

And many more. Frankly, any one of those would be valuable to a local marketer. Topics like the Facebook and Google tools are invaluable for those looking to go home with some tangible knowledge that they can use the next day. The other topics seem poised to tackle thought-leadership, an equally important battle that marketers need to be willing to wage to stay ahead of the competition.

Dates: September 20th-22nd

Location: Clearwater, Florida

Link: Small Business Owner’s Growth Summit

Conference Focus: The reality of local search is that, in a vacuum, it won’t do marketers and brands much good. The true power of local search is unlocked by understanding how it blends with the other aspects of an effective marketing campaign.

Boasting proven marketing strategies from over 73,000 small businesses, it’s no wonder why this marketing conference is something you can’t afford to miss. Seasoned industry veterans and business owners will be there sharing their tools of the trade. Aside from tackling topics like online reviews, you’ll also see everything from social media and email marketing to Google advertising covered.

Agenda: This event will be hosting a variety of topics, most notably:

And more.

Key Speakers:

Dates: September 20th-21st

Location: Singapore, Singapore

Link: Digimarcon Asia Pacific 2017

Conference Focus: For those of you looking for something a bit off the beaten path, it doesn’t get any better than the Digimarcon Asia Pacific Digital Marketing Conference.

At first glance, it might seem like this conference has a focus that’s too digital marketing heavy to be of much value to local marketers. But rest assured, this conference takes lead generation and search engine optimization/marketing very seriously. Combine that with a top-to-bottom breakdown on digital strategy, customer engagement and everything in-between, it’s no wonder that this is one of the most valuable international marketing conferences you can attend.

Agenda: The most impressive thing about this conference is how easily one presentation flows into the next. After registration, there’s an even balance of presentations and networking breaks.

Dates: October 9th-10th

Location: Dallas, Texas

Link: State of Search

Conference Focus: The annual State of Search conference boasts some of the greatest digital marketing minds, eager to share their knowledge in an intimate setting with you and your fellow attendees.

This two-day event is all about one thing: providing highly valuable insight and inspiration from some of the world’s leading marketing experts. No matter what stage your agency is in its development, you’ll be able to leave with something that’s sure to add noticeable value to your agency.

State of Search dives into topics like:

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Key Speakers: So far, the keynote speakers are as follows:

Along with a few speakers from Google, Microsoft and Facebook.

Dates: October 12th

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Link: BIA/Kelsey LOCAL IMPACT Atlanta

Conference Focus: BIA/Kelsey’s LOCAL IMPACT events all have one thing in common: they’re absolutely, 100% laser focused on ensuring that your local search and local marketing efforts are successful.

This event is guaranteed to accomplish a few things, like:

As for what you can expect from a LOCAL IMPACT event, be prepared for plenty of networking opportunities. There’ll be a half-day event beginning with a lunch and ending with a happy hour reception. On top of that, there’ll be a series of interactive peer networking sessions throughout the event.

Beyond that, you’ll have unprecedented access to the insights of BIA/Kelsey analysts. They’ll be armed with the latest nationwide and local market data and they’ll be ready to lead in-depth discussions on how you can take advantage of developing market opportunities.

Agenda: The breakdown of this one-day event is actually relatively straightforward:

Dates: October 24th-26th

Location: New York, New York

Link: SMX East

Conference Focus: If you’re looking to succeed in the world of search marketing, SMX East is a must when it comes to conferences. As one of the world’s largest search engine marketing conferences, it’s the most in-depth conference when it comes to search engine optimization and search engine marketing tactics that the 2017 marketer needs to master.

This deep dive into SEO and SEM is designed to help brands and marketers identify and overcome challenges in their local search marketing strategies.

Make no mistake: this conference is entirely dedicated to search marketing and how search fits into any solid marketing strategy.

Agenda: Considering the sheer size of this event, it only makes sense that there are plenty of events to look forward to. For the sake of brevity, here’s a list of a few that you can’t miss:

And so many more.

Key Speakers: So the far the list doesn’t seem fully developed, but here are few confirmed speakers.

Dates: November 15th-16th

Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

Link: Internet Summit 2017

Conference Focus: If you’ve been waiting for our heavy hitting recommendation, wait no longer. The Internet Summit is an absolute must for anyone in the digital media marketing industry, no matter what your area of expertise is.

Search, mobile, content, email, social, strategy, trends…the list goes on and on. The list of topics covered here is massive, and the depth at which each of these speakers go into each topic is what makes this conference truly worth your time and money.

Just to give you a taste of the in-depth topics that’ll be covered, consider that out of the 90+ sessions that will be featured at Internet Summit, you’ll be learning about:

And so much more!

Agenda: The agenda for the two-day main conference is intense, there’s no other way to put it.

From the very beginning, this conference has something for everyone.There’ll be presentation on ‘future-proofing your SEO’ on the first day that’s guaranteed to be a hit with local marketers.

Beyond that, you can expect presentations on the following topics:

Key Speakers: Where to begin?

Speakers from Google, Facebook, Moz, Wells Fargo and The Economist will be there. The conference will start with opening keynotes from 3x Olympic Gold Medalist LaShawn Merritt, Comedian Al Madrigal from The Daily Show, and Rand Fishkin of Moz.