Multiple social media conferences are scheduled from July 2026 through 2027 worldwide.
These events cover platform strategy, AI in social marketing, community building, creator partnerships, and government communications.
Whether you manage brand accounts, lead an agency team, or run social for a government office, this list has an event built for your role.
Top 13 Social Media Conferences 2026
Here are the top 13 social media conferences to attend in 2026 and 2027, featuring leading global events:
| No. | Social Media Conference | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026 Ana Digital & Social Media Conference | Jul 8-10, 2026 | LA, California/Online |
| 2 | International Conference on Social Media & Society | Jul 13-15, 2026 | Glasgow |
| 3 | Social Media Management Conference | Aug 25-26, 2026 | Berlin |
| 4 | State of Social 26 | Aug 25-26, 2026 | Perth, Australia |
| 5 | The Hospitality Social Media Summit | Sep 3-4, 2026 | London/Online |
| 6 | Social Pacific | Sep 23-24, 2026 | Vancouver |
| 7 | Social Media Conference Cymru | Sep 30, 2026 | Cardiff |
| 8 | Higher Ed Virtual Conference | Oct 26-28, 2026 | Virtual |
| 9 | Social East | Oct 29-30, 2026 | Halifax, NS |
| 10 | HeyOrca Community Summit | Oct 2026 | Toronto |
| 11 | Online Marketing Conference | Nov 5 | Austria |
| 12 | Social Media for Government Virtual Conference | Dec 8-10, 2026 | Virtual |
| 13 | Social Media Strategies Virtual Conference | Mar 10-11, 2027 | Virtual |
Note: While we have included dates, locations, and ticket ranges where available, some details such as exact speaker lineups, session schedules, and pricing may still change. Always check the official event websites for the most accurate and updated information.
1. 2026 Ana Digital & Social Media Conference
| Date | July 8-10, 2026 |
| Location | LA, California/Virtual |
| Speakers | Bob Liodice, Mary Ann Belliveau, Jerry Daniello, Jason Goldberg, Pete Blackshaw |
| Pricing | $0 (Client side tier), $1,299 (Platinum tier) |
| Register Now | Link |
The ANA conference gathers Fortune 500 marketing leaders at JW Marriott Los Angeles. Presented by OUTFRONT, this three-day event covers AI, creator marketing, streaming, and commerce strategy.
Sessions deliver real case studies from top advertisers navigating agentic commerce, social media ROI, and engagement conversion. The conference offers both in-person and virtual attendance options.
Networking with 300+ senior marketing and advertising leaders is a core draw. Client-side ANA members attend free, making this one of the most accessible premium events available.
2. International Conference on Social Media & Society
| Date | July 13-15, 2026 |
| Location | Glasgow, UK |
| Speakers | Bob Liodice, Mary Ann Belliveau, Jerry Daniello, Jason Goldberg, Pete Blackshaw |
| Pricing | £250 (Student), |
| Register Now | Link |
The #SMSociety conference is the premier academic forum for peer-reviewed research on social media’s societal impact. The 2026 edition takes place at the University of Glasgow.
This interdisciplinary event welcomes quantitative and qualitative research from communication, computer science, political science, psychology, and sociology. All presentations are delivered in person only.
Accepted presenters receive an invitation to submit expanded papers to Platforms & Society by SAGE. Tiered pricing starts at £100 for researchers from low-income countries.
3. Social Media Management Conference
| Date | August 25-26, 2026 |
| Location | Berlin, Germany |
| Speakers | Prof. Dr. Ana Adi, Betty Kieß, Marie Sacher, Laura Diaz, Eva Berendsen |
| Pricing | €1,490 (Standard) |
| Register Now | Link |
The Tagung Social Media Management is a two-day bootcamp on the Quadriga Campus in Berlin. It covers strategy, content creation, community management, and platform-specific algorithm updates.
Four modules structure the program: Strategy, Content, Impact, and Platform Updates. Each delivers actionable frameworks for audience targeting, KPI tracking, and AI-assisted content production.
This is a German-language event for social media and community managers across the DACH region. Standard tickets are priced at €1,490, including networking events.
4. State of Social 26
| Date | August 25-26, 2026 |
| Location | Perth, Australia |
| Speakers | Rob Campbell, Will Bal, Meg Coffey, Larah Kennedy, Tim Duggan |
| Pricing | $1,050 + GST |
| Register Now | Link |
State of Social is one of Australia’s most respected social media conferences. The 2026 theme explores friction between creativity, technology, and commercial pressure in modern marketing.
The two-day Perth program blends expert talks, interactive workshops, and structured networking. It draws creative agencies, brand strategists, and social media managers across Asia-Pacific.
Sessions emphasize strategic thinking and decision-making frameworks over tactical platform tips. This makes it particularly valuable for mid-career and senior marketing practitioners in the region.
5. The Hospitality Social Media Summit
| Date | September 3-4, 2026 |
| Location | London/Virtual |
| Speakers | Whitney Reynolds, Aaron Schmaltz |
| Pricing | £375 (Super Early Bird) |
| Register Now | Link |
The Hospitality Social Media Summit is the first conference built exclusively for social media in hotels, resorts, and restaurants. It takes place at Chicago Booth London.
Day one is a Strategic Masterclass where delegates build a complete Strategy on a Page. Day two features eight facilitator-led labs producing toolkits and action plans.
All attendees receive six months of access to the HoSS Digital Hub with templates, mini-courses, and session recordings. An online attendance option starts at £295.
6. Social Pacific
| Date | September 23-24, 2026 |
| Location | Vancouver |
| Speakers | Neil Patel, Rand Fishkin, Alicia Taggio, Will Yang |
| Pricing | $499 (Standard) |
| Register Now | Link |
Social Pacific is BC’s largest marketing event, part of the SocialNext Conferences family. The 2026 edition expands to two days at the Vancouver Convention Centre downtown.
Day one features hands-on workshops, including a Meta media buying certification session. Day two is the main conference with 15+ speakers covering search, AI, and brand strategy.
Neil Patel headlines with a session on the next wave of search. Standard tickets start at $499 CAD, with pre-sale attendees saving $450 off regular pricing.
7. Social Media Conference Cymru
| Date | September 30, 2026 |
| Location | Cardiff |
| Speakers | Sheeza Anjum, Matthew Sweet, Dan Kelsall, Shayoni Lynn, Lucie Macleod |
| Pricing | £183.99 (Super Early Bird) |
| Register Now | Link |
SMC Cymru is one of the UK’s largest social media conferences and the only dedicated social media event in Wales. It returns to Holland House in Cardiff.
The one-day program features 11 sessions with speakers from Aldi, Amnesty International, Channel 4, Penguin Random House UK, and the Senedd. Fireside chats and Q&As complement presentations.
Tickets include lunch, LinkedIn headshots, and bookable expert consultation slots. Twelve fully funded student tickets are available through the partner organization Ymddiried.
8. Higher Ed Virtual Conference
| Date | October 26-28, 2026 |
| Location | Virtual |
| Speakers | Maree Jones, Ashley Simmons, Caroline Cataldo, Matt Duncan, Audrey Fenske |
| Pricing | $349 (Presale), $449 (Earliest Bird), $649 (Early Bird) |
| Register Now | Link |
The Higher Ed Virtual Conference focuses exclusively on social media for colleges and universities. It is produced by GSMI, the team behind the Social Media Strategies Summit.
Sessions address student engagement, campus content creation, crisis communication in academic settings, and measuring social media’s impact on enrollment and fundraising goals.
The virtual format includes live sessions, interactive Q&A, roundtable discussions, and on-demand replays. Presale tickets start at $349, scaling to $649 at early bird pricing.
9. Social East
| Date | October 29-30, 2026 |
| Location | Halifax, NS |
| Speakers | Neil Cameron, Azrah Manji-Savin, Martin Svensson, Caley Dimmock, Brad Moore |
| Pricing | $699 (Standard) |
| Register Now | Link |
SocialEast is Atlantic Canada’s largest marketing conference, attracting over 500 marketers to the Halifax Convention Centre. It features 25+ sessions across a focused 1.5-day format.
Topics span AI marketing tools, influencer partnerships, data-driven strategy, and content marketing. The East Coast Kitchen Party on October 29 provides informal networking from 5 to 8 PM.
Standard tickets are $699 CAD. A discounted hotel block at the Sutton Place Hotel is available for attendees who book before October 2, 2026, to secure rates.
10. Community-Led Marketing Summit
| Date | October 2026 |
| Location | Toronto |
| Speakers | TBA |
| Pricing | TBA |
| Register Now | Link |
The HeyOrca Community Summit focuses on community-led marketing and brand collaborations. Organized by HeyOrca, it brings together agency professionals and social media leads annually in Toronto.
Previous editions featured actionable frameworks, real-world workflow examples, and peer-driven learning designed for social media managers building engaged audiences and stronger brand communities online.
Exact dates, speakers, and pricing for October 2026 have not been announced yet. Check the official HeyOrca page for updates as details are confirmed.
11. Online Marketing Conference
| Date | November 5, 2026 |
| Location | Innsbruck, Austria |
| Speakers | Nahed Hatahet, Theresa Steinbauer, Fabian Lechner, Jana Hofmann, Manuel Diwosch |
| Pricing | €325 |
| Register Now | Link |
The OMC Tirol is organized by BFI Tirol and serves as the annual online marketing update for professionals in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland across digital disciplines.
The single-day format in Innsbruck covers social media strategy, AI in marketing, content marketing, and performance marketing through expert presentations, case studies, and networking.
At €325, this is one of the most affordable conferences on this list. It is a German-language event accessible to freelancers, small agency teams, and in-house marketers.
12. Social Media for Government Virtual Conference
| Date | December 8-10, 2026 |
| Location | Virtual |
| Speakers | Michael Connolly, Beth Sanmartin, Angela Ramirez, Mary McGuire, Jessie Brown |
| Pricing | $349 (Presale), $449 (Earliest Bird), $649 (Early Bird) |
| Register Now | Link |
This virtual conference is built specifically for government communicators, digital leaders, PIOs, and public agency social media teams. It is produced by GSMI independently.
Sessions address crisis response, building public trust, social media policy, accessibility, and community engagement. All content is tailored to public-sector constraints and real-world scenarios.
The virtual format removes travel and budget barriers for government employees. A pre-summit workshop on December 8 provides hands-on training before the main summit days.
13. Social Media Strategies Virtual Conference
| Date | Mar 10-11, 2027 |
| Location | Virtual |
| Speakers | Mike Allton, Ashley DeJonge, Anniston Ward, Kristen Hyde, Carly Potock |
| Pricing | $349 (Presale), $449 (Earliest Bird), $649 (Early Bird) |
| Register Now | Link |
The Social Media Strategies Summit is one of the longest-running social media conferences globally. The March 2027 edition delivers two full days of brand-led virtual sessions.
Previous speakers include teams from National Geographic, Microsoft, Garmin, and J.P. Morgan. Topics cover AI tools, ROI measurement, paid campaigns, and strategic content planning.
An optional pre-summit workshop on March 9 offers deeper training. All sessions are recorded with six months of on-demand access included in every registration ticket.
Conclusion: Each Conference in the List Sharpens the Skills Social Media Teams Need Most
Each conference on this list tackles a distinct challenge facing social media teams today.
From AI-powered content workflows and platform algorithm shifts to crisis communication, creator partnerships, and ROI measurement, the sessions are built around problems practitioners actually face. Academic research, government communications, hospitality branding, and higher education engagement all get dedicated programming.
Attending even one event sharpens strategy, expands your professional network, and keeps your skills aligned with how social media actually works right now.
FAQs
The ANA Digital & Social Media Conference in Los Angeles (July 8-10) is the largest by brand representation, drawing 300+ senior marketing leaders. SocialEast in Halifax and the SocialNext family collectively reach over 3,000 Canadian marketers annually.
Yes. The ANA Digital & Social Media Conference offers free registration for client-side ANA members, covering both in-person and virtual attendance. SMC Cymru also provides fully funded tickets for students through its partner organization, Ymddiried.
Five events offer virtual attendance: the ANA conference, the Hospitality Social Media Summit, the Higher Ed Virtual Conference (October), the Social Media for Government Virtual Conference (December), and the Social Media Strategies Virtual Conference (March 2027).
Yes. The Hospitality Social Media Summit (London, September 3-4) serves hotels and restaurants. The Higher Ed Virtual Conference (October 26-28) targets universities. The Government Virtual Conference (December 8-10) serves public agencies. The #SMSociety (Glasgow, July 13-15) is an academic research forum.
