One of the industries that have been growing exponentially is the software-as-a-service industry. Expected to grow by nearly $100 billion by 2025, the SaaS industry shows no signs of stopping. More and more organizations are embracing remote work and are looking for new and cost-effective solutions to boost their work efficiency and production—something SaaS companies offer.
Such growth in the industry has resulted in multiple SaaS conferences being held worldwide, online and offline, that are worth attending. At these conferences, tech and SaaS marketing professionals have multiple opportunities for learning and exploring the current trends in SaaS marketing, the tech industry, etc. Furthermore, SaaS conferences are great for meeting new clients, connecting with business leaders, and nurturing long-term business relationships.
Why Should You Attend a SaaS Conference?
Whenever possible, whether you have been in the business for a while or especially if you are new in the industry, it is a good idea to attend SaaS conferences. The reasons why you should attend a SaaS conference are as follows:
- Face-to-face networking
- Learning different things about the industry
- Attracting investors and partners at conferences
- Finding new clients
- Team-building conferences
- Promoting your business in front of leaders and potential customers
- Learning about new products and services in the industry
- Pitching your business to investors or partners
- Finding out about the latest industry trends and technologies
- Interacting with people with years of experience in the tech industry
Networking opportunities
While the development of technology has made it easier to connect with anyone, anywhere through video chat, networking face-to-face has some advantages that just can’t be beaten.
People from different countries in the world come together to attend conferences, among which even niche experts you wouldn’t normally get the chance to meet at all. Conferences bring together all kinds of professionals including company founders, VCs, SEO specialists, back-end coders, etc., and you have the opportunity to engage in conversations and pick their brains.
Furthermore, live SaaS events and conferences make it possible for you to meet fellow marketers, to get to know other attendees, and for other people in the industry to get to know you.
At any event or conference, you will find hundreds or thousands of professionals that are part of the SaaS community to have roundtable discussions with, and it only takes a good icebreaker to spark up a conversation. These simple interactions can lead to more meaningful connections and even open the doors to new opportunities for you.
Learning from others
Most people think of conferences as opportunities to learn new strategies for business success, however, there are many other benefits to attending them.
One thing conferences offer is the opportunity to hear about the successes and failures of different SaaS companies, which in itself can be beneficial for you as you can deduce whether you are on the right track or need to change things along the way.
Conferences can also help with your promotional needs. For instance, if you’re having trouble promoting your newest SaaS offering, attending top industry conferences can connect you with companies that can assist you with that and other issues you may be struggling with.
Learning from industry leaders
Not all SaaS conferences are the same, especially in terms of what interests you and what you will likely benefit from. That’s why it is always important to learn more about the conferences you are considering attending to find out whether they fit your needs.
One thing you should always check is the speaker list at the conference. What you should be looking for are conferences where CEOs and SaaS founders of the top companies in the industry are giving a talk. Such successful people that have been in the business for a while and running big companies usually share valuable market insights and growth strategies.
At such events, you can have ‘access’ to the expertise of professionals in the field who would otherwise be too busy in their everyday life to share their knowledge with those interested.
Is It Worth My Time and Money To Attend a SaaS Conference?
Attending SaaS conferences will take up some of your time and money, so you might be wondering if that’s really worth it. The short answer is yes. SaaS conferences can be an excellent investment of your time and money if you know which ones to attend and how to get the best out of them.
One way to go about this is to consider the needs of your SaaS business and try to match them to the content of events you are interested in. Check the list of conferences to see if you can find one that can help you boost your business.
While there might be valuable SaaS marketing content at every conference, not every one of them will fit your needs. In reality, you want to go for the companies that can help you in multiple aspects—for example, look for companies that can get you coverage in leading places like HubSpot, Freshdesk, and BigCommerce.
How To Choose the Right SaaS Conference To Attend
As we have mentioned before, conferences are an investment and therefore you should always do some research before you commit. The way to determine which is the right SaaS conference for you to attend is by:
- Making a list of what you hope to accomplish from attending a conference: Say you want to learn more about a specific aspect of content marketing, for instance, well-optimized SaaS landing pages, then you should pay attention to the events or conferences that focus on that field.
- Researching the background of the different speakers at the conference: This is a great way to check if their particular expertise would benefit you and your business.
- Checking the size of the event: Event size can give you an idea of the quality—look at how many people have signed up. This is an important aspect to consider because you don’t want to invest money in a conference where there won’t be any attendees you can benefit from.
Top 5 SaaS Conferences You Can’t Miss in 2023
Last but not least, below you can find a list of top SaaS conferences that we believe are worth attending this season:
1. B2B Marketing Exchange Experience
- Date: February 27th-March 1st, 2023
- Location: Scottsdale, AZ
The B2B Marketing Exchange Experience has over 80 sessions and five tracks that cover different topics including social media marketing, brand positioning, etc. At this conference, you will learn how to market your B2B products.
2. Startup Grind Global Conference
- Date: April 11th and 12th, 2023
- Location: Redwood City, California
This is a conference for startup businesses. Those who exhibit their product will receive quick-fire pitch slots. It is still an incredible experience if you choose not to exhibit your product as there will be incredible speakers currently working to come up with innovative products and experiences.
3. Traffic & Conversion Summit
- Date: September 12th-14th, 2023
- Location: San Diego, California, and virtual
At the Traffic & Conversion Summit, you’ll learn how to harness the power of digital marketing. This conference features sessions where participants can get insight from some of the best in the business, such as Ryan Deiss of DigitalMarketer or the entrepreneur Logan Paul.
4. MicroConf
- Date: 16-18 April 2023
- Location: Denver, CO
This event aims to provide participants with strategies and growth insights from self-funded SaaS founders which will help startups expand their businesses and catapult them toward long-term success.
5. Adobe Summit
- Date: 21-23 March 2023
- Location: Virtual global event
The world’s largest digital experience conference, the Adobe Summit is led by expert SaaS marketers, content managers, and leading advertisers. It is a three-day event with 200+ sessions and training workshops to help participants create positive customer experiences via content creation, campaign management, etc.
Conclusion
Attending a SaaS conference can provide numerous benefits for businesses in the software as a service industry. These events offer opportunities for face-to-face networking, learning from industry leaders and peers, attracting investors and partners, finding new clients, promoting your business, and staying up-to-date with industry trends and technologies.
It is important to consider your goals and budget, as well as research the background of speakers and the size and location of the event when choosing the right SaaS conference to attend.
There are many top SaaS conferences to consider attending in 2023, including B2BMX, Startup Grind, MicroConf, Traffic and Conversion Summit, Adobe Summit, etc. By taking advantage of the opportunities provided at SaaS conferences, businesses can improve their skills, knowledge, and networking capabilities, ultimately leading to growth and success in the industry.
