Conferences are a great place for freelance and content writers to meet like-minded people, learn new skills, beef up on industry trends, meet potential clients, and network with potential collaborators. Plus, they can be a ton of fun.
While there are plenty of conferences for content marketers, what about ones specifically for freelance and content writers? We’ve got you covered. Here is our list of the best conferences for freelance writers and content creators.
1. BlogHer
Date: August 8-9
Location: New York, New York
Presented by: SheKnows Media
Description: BlogHer is a conference all about inspiring and empowering female content creators and influencers. The summit features keynote speakers, networking sessions, and influencer workshops. Some of the notable speakers at this year’s summit include Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Hough, and Arianna Huffington (among others).
“BlogHer has become an unstoppable movement, empowering women to find their voices and turn their passions into content, community and commerce, across topics from food and health to parenting and politics.”
Who should attend: Female writers, bloggers, social influencers, content creators
2. Tribe Conference
Date: October 26-28
Location: Franklin, Tennessee
Presented by: Jeff Goins
Description: Founded by Jeff Goins, a best-selling author and blogger, the Tribe Conference is a place to meet like-minded creatives, grow your writing practices, and learn from industry experts. Some of the notable speakers at this year’s event include Alli Worthington, Amy Landino, Chandler Bolt, and Jeff Goings himself.
Tagline: Find your tribe.
Who should attend: Content writers, bloggers, creatives
3. Writer’s Digest
Date: August 10-12
Location: New York, New York
Presented by: Writer’s Digest
Description: The Annual Writer’s Digest Conference is a focused on helping writers advance their writing career creatively and professionally. Writers of all background, expertise, and experience can use this conference to sharpen their skills, pitch ideas, and find inspiration. Workshop and speaker sessions balance both the artistic side of the writing craft along with the business side. Some of the big speakers at this year’s event include Cassandra Clare, Walter Mosley, and Jeff VanderMeer
Tagline: “Write better. Get published. Build your network.”
Who should attend: Content writers, bloggers, traditional authors, anyone who works in writing
4. Adobe Max
Date: October 15-17
Location: LA, California
Presented by: Adobe
Description: While Adobe Max emphasises graphic design, it’s meant to inspire anyone work in a creative industry. Some sessions focus on continuous improvement, building strong teams, developing your personal brand, getting inspired by personal projects, and the differences between a career and a job.
Tagline: Get inspired. Learn skills. Play.
Who should attend: Writers, designers, photographers, marketing strategists
5. South by Southwest
Date: March 8-14, 2019
Location: Austin, Texas
Presented by: SXSW
Description: The SXSW® Conference is dedicated to helping creatives reach their goals. The conference aims to foster both creative and professional growth through a series of networking events, speakers and workshops. While much of the SXSW conference focuses on film and music, the Marketing track and the Media and Journalism track are highly relevant for freelance writers.
Who should attend: Writers, authors, YouTubers
6. 99U
Date: May 8 – 10, 2019
Location: Manhattan, New York
Presented by: Adobe
Description: The 99U is a 3-day conference packed with insightful speakers, stimulating workshops, and valuable networking sessions. Some of their past speakers include authors like Simon Sinek and Seth Godin, as well as other experts such as the co-founder of Airbnb, Senior Curator of MoMA, and the Head of Design at Instagram.
Tagline: Empowering the creative community.
Who should attend: “Anyone in a creative field working to: put an idea into action, get inspiration from creative leaders, connect with potential collaborators, manage an effective team, or understand the trends affecting the future of creativity.”
7. World Domination Summit
Date: June 26 – July 2
Location: Portland, Oregon
Presented by: World Domination Summit
Description: World Domination Summit isn’t your typical conference. They bring together a variety of creatives, entrepreneurs, and interesting people for a full week of events and keynotes. Some of the notable speakers at the 2018 summit include Geraldine DeRuiter (blogger, author, humorist) and Ryan Holiday (writer and media strategist).
Tagline: An unconventional weekend for unconventional thinkers
Who should attend: Writers, bloggers, digital nomads
8. Design & Content Conference
Date: July 25- 27
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Presented by: The Republic of Quality
Description: When design and content come together, magic happens. This conference brings together industry leaders and experts to share their thoughts about crafting amazing content experiences. Some of the talks scheduled include “Writing for every reader”, “Click it real good”, and “How UX writing is a lot like wine tasting”.
Who should attend: Content strategists, content writers, designers