When most people hear the words “technology industry,” they think of San Jose, San Francisco and other cities in and surrounding Silicon Valley.
While Northern California may be the best-known technology hotspot in the country, there’s also a thriving technology industry in Southern California, complete with its own great variety of trade shows and industry events.
From software to hardware, B2C to B2B, we’ve compiled a list of some of Southern California’s biggest technology industry trade shows and events below. If you’re involved in the technology field, consider adding some of them to your business opportunities calendar.
Upfront Summit
The Upfront Summit is an influential technology conference held every year in Los Angeles. An invite-only conference, the event hosts some of the technology industry’s top thought leaders, influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs for a variety of presentations and discussions.
Speakers at the most recent Upfront Summit, which was held in February 2018, included Jeff Weiner, Dan Rather, Tim Geithner, Anne Sweeney and David Frum. The event also attracts a variety of speakers from the entertainment industry, such as Halle Berry and Chamillionaire.
Aimed at showcasing some of the world’s most innovative, disruptive and interesting technology startups, the Upfront Summit is arguably the top event to have on your calendar if you’re part of the technology industry in Southern California.
Future Festival: Los Angeles
Another Los Angeles-based event, Future Festival is a three-day Southern California version of the famous Toronto event. Aimed at innovative, future-thinking businesses, Future Festival is a showcase of what to expect from the technology industry over the coming decades.
Key topics discussed at the most recent event included AI and futurism, innovation in retail and other conventional industries, gamification and the future of technology for entertainment, play, nightlife, and lifestyle.
While Future Festival is a slightly smaller event than the Upfront Summit, it’s still a great place to network with like-minded people in the technology industry, learn about emerging trends and get new connections, leads, and prospects for your business.
Gartner Tech Growth & Innovation Conference
Held in San Diego, the Gartner Tech Growth & Innovation Conference is a leading technology industry event that hosts a variety of inspiring keynote speakers, ranging from industry leaders to innovative startup founders and technological upstarts.
The Gartner Tech Growth & Innovation Conference bills itself as a premier event for technology and solution providers. Some of the topics covered at the conference include growth strategies for technology companies, product management and strategy and creating unique value.
The conference also covers hot topics in technology, such as rapidly growing fields including the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. Open to exhibitors, this conference can be a great opportunity not just to learn about the industry’s direction, but to develop your business.
Technology Services World San Diego
Another San Diego trade show event, Technology Services World (or “TSW” for short) is a conference for sales-driven companies in the technology industry. The event hosts a variety of presentations and panels covering topics focused on sales, marketing, and technology business growth.
Unlike many of the other technology industry conferences held throughout Southern California, which often have a focus on emergent technologies and trends, Technology Services World is more focused on the practical side of growing and developing your technology business.
Held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, it’s an excellent opportunity to network with the area’s tech industry business leaders, discover new growth opportunities and generate valuable leads for your product or service-based technology business.
VidCon
Involved in digital video? From streaming to advertising, recording, encoding and other digital video technology, Vidcon is an Anaheim-based conference that brings together leaders in the world of digital video.
As one of the world’s fastest-growing content mediums, video content conferences like VidCon attract a diverse range of attendees. Beyond tech and software, the conference is a major hub for the digital advertising industry and other technology marketing companies.
Whether you’re interested in selling a product or service to the digital video industry or simply want to learn about how you can use digital video to grow your business, VidCon is one of the best opportunities you’ll find in Southern California to network with the industry’s leaders.
Interested in exhibiting at a trade show?
Do you run a technology company? Whether your part of a small startup or a growing brand, attending trade show exhibits is a great way to meet new people, generate sales leads, drive revenue and strengthen your business.
We specialize in helping California businesses, especially companies in the technology industry, get great results from trade shows and industry events. View our range of custom exhibits online or contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business.