Did you know that the Silicon Valley and Bay Area is home to more tech startups than anywhere else in the world? These tech-oriented businesses continue to unlock all-new discoveries and create world-class innovations. From life-saving products to powerful software solutions, the area's best startups have a masterful command over product development, implementation, and management. Moreover, they have identified customers' pain points to created targeted and high-value solutions.
How do they do it? Many tech entrepreneurs leverage the power of conferences, seminars, and workshops. Through these tech-oriented events, leaders learn about the latest growth strategies, industry trends, and more.
“Business leaders know that growing a company requires you to put yourself out there and stay ahead of trends,” says John Hall, contributor at Forbes. “One good way to accomplish both is by attending industry events throughout the year. Conferences can help you develop valuable relationships, build influence in your space through speaking and thought leadership content, and ever challenge you to think differently and push yourself to grow as a leader.”
In this list, we’ve outlined the top tech events in San Francisco. Add these must-attend events to your calendar and forge your path towards all-new tech discoveries, enhancements, innovations, and more.
Tech Event San Francisco: The Ultimate List of Upcoming Tech Events in the Bay Area
Women in Product Conference - September 7, 2018
Women in Product Conference (WIP) hosts the world’s leading women with experience in the product management field. The theme for this year’s conference is “breakthrough.” The conference will highlight women who have broken through in their careers. Attendees have access to interactive workshops and breakout tracks tailored for early, mid, and senior positions.
Speakers:
- Amanda Richardson - Chief Data and Strategy Officer, HotelTonight
- Ami Vora - Product, Facebook
- Amruta Puri - Head of Project Management, Braintree
Cost: Startup/Student ($299), General Admission ($499), VIP Admission ($699). For additional information, visit: www.womenpm.org.
The AI Summit - September 19-20, 2018
The AI Summit is the world’s number one artificial intelligence event series for business. With flagship shows in San Francisco, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Zurich, AI Summit plans to attract more than 30,000 delegates this year, making it one of the largest and well-attended artificial intelligence events. Industry partners include AWS, IBM Watson, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Google, and others.
Speakers:
- Sherif Mityas, Chief Experience Officer, TGI Fridays
- Clay Johnson, CIO, Walmart
- Helen Vaid, Chief Customer Officer, Pizza Hut
Cost: Conference Pass ($1999), Expo Trade Pass ($599), Startup Pass ($750). For additional information, visit: www.theaisummit.com.
Dreamforce - September 25-28, 2018
Dreamforce is the world’s most innovative software conference in the world. With 2,700+ sessions to help every role in every industry succeed, attendees have boundless access to the latest product innovations, insights, and more. Every year, the world’s most innovative minds attend Dreamforce. Moreover, guests have endless opportunities to network with peers and create lasting connections.
Speakers:
- Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO, Salesforce
- Geisha J. Williams, CEO and President, PG+E Corporation
- Jane Moran, Global CIO, Unilever
Cost: Free Expo+ Pass. For additional information, visit www.salesforce.com/dreamforce.
Cloudflare Internet Summit - October 4, 2018
Cloudflare Internet Summit will focus on how the internet will evolve over the next five years. Featuring thought leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, researchers, and operators, Cloudflare Internet Summit is a day-long event that discusses what is changing online, new internet applications, and the internet’s influence on business, media, and government. Guests enjoy fireside chat, intimate panels, and more.
Speakers:
- Jeff Immelt, Former Chairman, GE
- Shawna Wolverton, CPO, Planet
- Eric Gunderson, CEO, Mapbox
Cost: Internet Summit ($499). For additional information, visit www.cloudflare.com.
LAUNCH Scale - October 10-11, 2018
LAUNCH Scale teaches attendees how to grow, how to hire the right team and give them the proper tools, how to buy traffic, and how to build content. Learn from experts who have successfully scaled startups. Speaker alumni hail from unicorns, startups, accelerators, leading tech corporates, and more.
Speakers:
- Alex Tew, Calm
- Charles Hudson, Precursor Ventures
- Clara Brenner, Urban Innovation Fund
Cost: Founder Pass (Free), Virtual Pass ($195), Summit Pass ($595), VIP Pass ($995). For additional information, visit www.launchscale.net.
WIRED 25 - October 12-15, 2018
WIRED is turning 25. To celebrate, WIRED is hosting four days of events honoring the ideas, innovations, and icons that have shaped the technological world. Attendees can access forward-thinking business conversations, screenings, performances, and more.
Speakers:
- Jony Ive, Chief Design Officer, Apple
- Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
- Jennifer Pahlka, Founder and Executive Director, Code for America
Cost: Work Pass ($105), Festival Pass ($45), Summit Pass ($1293). For additional information, visit https://xp.wired.com/.
Tech Inclusion - October 15-17, 2018
Tech Inclusion Conference brings together leaders in the tech industry to focus on solutions to diversity and inclusion. The theme of this year's conference is "voices of innovation." Attendees will hear from a diverse array of underrepresented voices building innovative technologies and cultures. Guests have access to keynotes, panel discussions, solo talks, and interactive sessions.
Speakers: TBD
Cost: Nonprofit/Student ($199), Regular Admission ($299), Sponsor a Scholarship ($199), Career Fair Attendee (Free), Press Pass (Free). For additional information, visit https://sf18.techinclusion.co/.
Kafka Summit - October 16-17, 2018
Kafka Summit is the premier event for data architects, engineers, DevOps professionals, and developers who want to learn about streaming data. Together, the Apache Kafka community shares best practices, writes code, and discusses the future of streaming technologies.
Speakers:
- Sam Obeid, Senior Production Engineer, Shopify
- Tim Berglund, Sr. Director of Developer Experience, Confluent
- Boyang Chen, Software Engineer, Pinterest
Cost: Conference ($1195), Conference + Tutorial ($1390), Developer Training ($2245), Operations Training ($2245). For additional information, visit: www.kafka-summit.org
Virtual Reality Strategy Conference - October 16-17, 2018
Virtual Reality Strategy Conference gathers industry executives to provide thought leadership in the field of virtual reality. Attendees can join top executives from Microsoft, Dell, HTC, and others in this multi-day immersive technology event.
Speakers:
- Cliff Plumer, CEO, The Void
- Marci Jastrow, SVP, Technicolor
- Bruce Vaughn, Dreamscape Immersive
Cost: Full Pass ($745), VIP Pass ($1195), XRSWeek Pass ($1295). For additional information, visit: www.vrsconference.com.
Github Universe - October 16-17, 2018
Github Universe is a conference for software builders, planners, and leaders. Attendees have access to two days of talks and sessions celebrating the people and projects that push the future of technology. Discover how teams take projects for implementation to launch, swap ideas with industry leaders, and connect with peers from across industries and verticals.
Speakers:
- Sam Lambert, Head of Platform, GitHub
- Kyle Daigle, Director of Ecosystem, GitHub
- Kathy Simpson the
Cost: General Admission ($599). For additional information, visit: www.githubuniverse.com
Twilio Signal - October 17-18, 2018
Twilio Signal invites attendees to learn more about building and reimagining software applications that power customer engagement and transform human interactions. Access two full days of deep dives into Twilio's core products. Additionally, hear from industry leaders on how they're transforming their business with Twilio to build more meaningful relations, deliver superior customer service, and more.
Speakers: TBD
Cost: Early Bird ($500), Student ($100), Nonprofit ($100), Student + Superclass ($300), Nonprofit + Superclass ($300), Student + Nonprofit Superclass Only ($250). For additional information, visit https://signal.twilio.com/.
Oracle OpenWorld - October 22-25, 2018
Oracle OpenWorld offers insights on the world's most-trusted products and tomorrow's technologies. Attendees have access to inspiration, new ideas, and new relationships. Enjoy a portfolio of keynote sessions, product demos, collective learning sessions, and more.
Speakers: TBD
Cost: Government Rate ($1450), General Full Conference ($1650), Group Purchase Discount ($1250). For additional information, visit www.oracle.com/openworld.
Open Mobile Summit - November 27-28, 2018
Open Mobile Summit is the only brand-led conference for senior executives in the fields of design, UX, product, and engagement. During this event, industry-leading brands discuss their digital strategies across all connected devices. These interconnected experiences are have begun to influence consumer purchasing habits. Attend this event to stay ahead of the competition and stay relevant in a rapidly changing environment.
Speakers:
- Fred Santarpia, Chief Digital Officer, Conde Nast
- Bryan Mahoney, Chief Technology Officer, Glossier
- Michale Gough, Vice President of Product Design, Uber
Cost: Executive Pass ($2145), Standard Pass ($1995), Sponsor Options ($7000). For more information, visit www.events.incite-group.com/oms/.
Startup Grind Global Conference - February 12-13, 2019
Startup Grind Global Conference brings together more than 5,000 founders and investors, 40 keynote and fireside sessions, and 50 exhibiting startups. During the event, attendees can learn more from global thought leaders. Past talks include: How to Start a Cultural Revolution, The Most Important Skill for Any Entrepreneur, and WhatsApp's Road to 1 Billion Users and a $10 Billion Exit.
Speakers: TBD
Cost: Full Access ($255), VIP ($1250). For additional information, visit www.startupgrind.com/conference.
DeveloperWeek - February 20-24, 2019
DeveloperWeek is the world's largest developer expo and conference series. From hiring mixers to hackathons, DeveloperWeek offers the best-of-the-best in developer programming and more. Unlock valuable learning opportunities during over 200+ workshops, boot camps, panel talks, and keynotes covering all aspects of technology.
Speakers: TBD
Cost: EXEC Pass ($745), PRO Pass ($495), OPEN Pass ($295), EXPO Pass ($50). For additional information, visit www.developerweek.com.
Scale Your Tech Startup in San Francisco
As you can see, there is no shortage of tech-oriented events in San Francisco. These high-powered and growth-driven conferences, seminars, and workshops give entrepreneurs all the information and insights they need to scale their tech startups.
To unlock additional value, many entrepreneurs choose to join a coworking community. RocketSpace frequently hosts members-only networking events, panel discussions, and networking events. Beyond these informative and exciting events, as a leading tech community, members have access to growth-oriented resources, amenities, and a network of experienced entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, corporates, and mentors. RocketSpace’s community is purpose-built to help tech startups scale.
“RocketSpace is efficient, flexible, and central,” says Cory Jones, vice president of marketing at Skyroam. “And it has such an amazing location, which is fantastic as we build our team and community… the facilities and the team have really been amazing partners in our growth.”
RocketSpace will help your startup achieve liftoff. The countdown starts now. Are you ready to join a leading tech community for the world’s bright tech startups?
