Trying to decide which agency conferences are worth your time and budget in 2026? This is my 10th annual roundup—curated specifically for agency owners and executives at serious, growing firms. The focus here is on events that deliver the highest ROI in leadership, revenue growth, operations, and preparing for an eventual exit.
You’ll notice a sharper lens this year. I’ve cut events that shifted away from agency content (like INBOUND and Content Marketing World) and trimmed the big, generalist marketing festivals. What remains is a curated shortlist of where likeminded people gather—and where you’ll get meaningful value in 2026.
Think of it as a strategy tool, not just a calendar: use this list to make intentional choices about where to spend your limited time and energy. [Last updated: October 2025]
Ops Week
January 26-30, 2026 (virtually)
The Bureau’s flagship operations event, designed for people who run the “back end” of agencies. It’s the direct successor to Operations Summit and continues to be the best place for ops leaders to learn from each other.
- Focus: Operations and the “how” of running an agency, from delivery to financials.
- Audience: Owner-operators and employees newly promoted into operations leadership.
- Personal note: This is the successor to Operations Summit, where I spoke in 2025.
- Why it’s worth it: Strong content for those who want to deepen their ops expertise.
Win Without Pitching Workshop
TBD in 2026 (virtually)
Blair Enns’ workshop is consistently one of the most impactful training experiences for agency leaders who want to change the way they sell. If you’ve read Blair’s books, this is the hands-on version.
- Focus: Sales process and mindset to move from vendor to high-value partner.
- Audience: Agency leaders who want to raise prices and sell with confidence.
- Personal note: I’ve long recommended Blair Enns’ work, including his books.
- Why it’s worth it: A small-group workshop with strong ROI for leaders serious about value-based pricing.
Succession Planning Workshop
February 16-18, 2026 in Atlanta, GA
Punctuation has expanded its succession program into a full three-day intensive, making it one of the few places where agency owners can go deep on transition planning.
- Focus: Succession and ownership transition, expanded into a 3-day intensive.
- Audience: Owners preparing for internal or external exits in the next few years.
- Personal note: I’ve been invited to speak at the 2026 event.
- Why it’s worth it: A rare deep dive on succession planning for agency leaders.
Biz Dev Camp New Orleans
February 23-24, 2026 in New Orleans, LA
Do a two-day deep dive into how agencies win new business, presented by The Bureau—covering positioning, lead generation, and client relationship strategies. The small-group format encourages collaboration and candid discussion among peers.
- Focus: Agency business development and client acquisition.
- Audience: Owners, leaders, and business development directors.
- Personal note: Clients have attended and found it helpful.
- Why it’s worth it: Practical, candid advice on improving your pipeline from people who’ve been there.
Agency New Business Virtual Conference
February 23-27, 2026 (virtually)
RSW/US keeps this virtual event short and focused: a week of 90-minute sessions on landing new business.
- Focus: New business development for agencies.
- Audience: Agency leaders who want practical strategies to improve prospecting and sales.
- Personal note: I like the “90 minutes a day” format — easy to fit into a busy schedule.
- Why it’s worth it: Compact daily sessions make it simple to sharpen your bizdev game without losing a whole week.
Agency Rainmaker Forum
February 26-27, 2026 in San Diego, CA
Agency Rainmaker Forum gathers in San Diego and emphasizes growth through thought leadership, rainmaking, and partnerships. Its size makes it especially strong for networking.
- Focus: Growth for agencies through rainmaking, thought leadership, and partnerships.
- Audience: Owners and leaders at agencies with up to 200 employees.
- Personal note: I spoke in 2025 and enjoyed the networking-friendly size.
- Why it’s worth it: Great for leaders looking to build authority and grow pipelines.
Owner Camp Costa Rica
March 22-26, 2026 in Herradura, Costa Rica
Do an intimate retreat-style event for agency owners to share challenges, wins, and lessons learned with true peers. Presented by The Bureau, the setting and structure foster meaningful connection and candid discussion rather than slide decks and lectures.
- Focus: Peer learning, leadership reflection, and owner-to-owner support.
- Audience: Agency owners seeking connection and clarity on running and growing their business.
- Personal note: Several of my clients have attended and loved it—more about support and perspective than traditional conference “content.”
- Why it’s worth it: A rare chance to recharge while gaining insight from agency peers who truly understand your world.
Bureauverse Regional Meetups
April to August 2026 in Austin, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Minneapolis
The Bureau’s new regional “road show” series connects agency leaders across five U.S. cities. Each stop includes an evening reception and a full day of peer learning, keynotes, and breakout discussions.
- Upcoming 2026 dates:
- April 14-15: Southwest (Austin, TX)
- May 5-6 : Northeast (Philadelphia, PA)
- June 9-10: Southeast (Atlanta, GA)
- July 21-22: West Coast (San Francisco, CA)
- August 11-12: Midwest (Minneapolis, MN)
- Focus: Agency leadership, operations, and peer connection.
- Audience: Owners and senior leaders who want in-person learning without major travel (e.g., drive or take a direct flight).
- Personal note: I may attend a central or East Coast event—good opportunities to see old and new friends.
- Why it’s worth it: These short gatherings offer fresh ideas, new relationships, and a manageable time commitment for busy leaders.
4As ANGLES Conference
TBD in April 2026
This is the 4As event for communications professionals, with sessions on comms strategy, emerging tech, and the bottom-line impact of agency communications.
- Focus: Strategic communication, emerging tech, and the role of comms in agency profitability.
- Audience: Communications leaders at agencies.
- Personal note: I attended in 2024 and shared an initial recap and in-depth recap.
- Why it’s worth it: Excellent for agency communicators focused on growth and reputation.
Content Jam
April 23, 2026 in Chicago, IL
This is Orbit Media’s long-running Chicago event, now focused on marketing and AI. This regional conference continues to attract strong speakers and engaged attendees.
- Focus: Marketing and AI, delivered in a regional but high-quality setting.
- Audience: Agency leaders who want big-name insights without the sprawl of a mega-conference.
- Personal note: I’ve known organizer Andy Crestodina for over a decade.
- Why it’s worth it: Intimate scale plus top-tier speakers make this a strong regional option.
AgencyCon
TBD 2026 in the Denver, CO metro area
AgencyCon is a Denver-area conference covering the fundamentals of agency growth: finances, leadership, automation, and new business. It strikes a balance between content and connection.
- Focus: Finances, leadership, automation, lead-gen, and agency growth.
- Audience: Owners of digital agencies.
- Personal note: I have keynoted all three previous events (2018, 2019, 2025).
- Why it’s worth it: Mid-sized and highly networkable; easy to meet almost everyone.
Agency Hackers Miami Super Summit
April 22-23, 2026 in Miami, FL
Agency Hackers is bringing its popular format from the U.K. to the U.S. for the first time, promising a mix of big-name speakers and intimate, candid conversations.
- Focus: Agency leadership—impactful talks, curated conversations, and peer connections.
- Audience: Founders and leaders of ambitious, independently owned agencies.
- Personal note: I’ll be speaking in Miami, alongside Blair Enns, Rory Sutherland, and others.
- Why it’s worth it: Combines inspiration with practical takeaways in an Agency Hackers U.S. debut
SEO Week NYC
April 27-30, 2026, in New York, NY
SEO Week is built around depth: four days of SEO thought leadership and case studies, with an emphasis on cutting-edge insights.
- Focus: SEO thought leadership and innovation, with high-profile speakers.
- Audience: Agencies and marketers deeply involved in search engine marketing.
- Personal note: Organized by international SEO expert (and my client) Mike King.
- Why it’s worth it: A big-stage event with strong visibility—especially if SEO is core to your agency’s offering.
All-In Agency Summit
TBD in spring 2026 (virtually)
This is virtual multi-track conference geared toward smaller agencies. It covers growth, leadership, and operations in a flexible format you can join from anywhere.
- Focus: Agency growth strategies, leadership, and operations.
- Audience: Owners of smaller agencies, typically around 5-20 staff. Now includes tracks based on agency revenue.
- Personal note: I’ve spoken at three previous editions, and will speak again at the upcoming November 2025 event.
- Why it’s worth it: A good choice if you want practical growth insights in a convenient virtual format.
Mirren Live New York
May 13-14, 2026 in New York, NY
Mirren’s flagship event brings together agencies and clients to talk about revenue growth, strategy, and innovation.
- Focus: Agency revenue growth—strategy, AI, new business, and capabilities innovation.
- Audience: Agency leaders plus bizdev executives.
- Personal note: I appreciate the blend of perspectives, including agency and in-house speakers.
- Why it’s worth it: One of the best places to sharpen your agency’s growth engine
Build a Better Agency Summit
May 18-20, 2026 in Denver, CO
The Agency Management Institute’s large, multi-track event focused entirely on running a stronger agency business. It draws a wide cross-section of agency owners and executives.
- Focus: Agency management, leadership, and growth strategies.
- Audience: Owners and executives seeking to scale stronger businesses.
- Personal note: Run by Drew McLellan of AMI, with a deep speaker lineup.
- Why it’s worth it: Largest multi-track conference in 2026 that’s focused entirely on the business of running an agency.
4As Management Practitioners’ Forum (MPF)
June 3-4, 2026 in Austin, TX
This executive-level 4As program covers management, leadership, and organizational challenges for senior agency leaders.
- Focus: Management practices for navigating change, growth, and leadership challenges.
- Audience: Members of the 4As in executive and senior management roles.
- Personal note: Past themes have included industry disruption, future of work, and pitching.
- Why it’s worth it: Exclusive, peer-level content for senior managers
Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards
TBD in summer 2026
Ad Age’s annual program celebrating independent agencies. It combines industry speakers with the awards showcase.
- Focus: Challenges and opportunities for independent shops.
- Audience: Owners and executives at agencies up to 150 employees.
- Personal note: The event has good speakers—but I hear the audience skews toward people who are finalists for the awards program.
- Why it’s worth it: The only national event focused on the needs of small-to-mid-size agencies.
AI & Your Agency
April 16-17, 2026 in Austin, TX
The Bureau’s dedicated AI program for agencies, focused on what’s working now in operations, delivery, and creative.
- Focus: Applying generative AI in agencies, from operations to creative workflows.
- Audience: Agency leaders ready to accelerate AI adoption and strategy.
- Personal note: I’ve attended multiple years and already paid a deposit for 2026.
- Why it’s worth it: Hands-on, practical guidance for implementing AI
Leading Your Firm’s Growth with Account and Project Management
TBD in 2026 in Atlanta
Punctuation’s long-running training program for account and project managers, designed to help them grow accounts and strengthen delivery.
- Focus: Training on account and project management as drivers of client and agency growth.
- Audience: AM and PM leaders, as well as executives who manage those functions.
- Personal note: Punctuation runs this annually; in 2025, they featured experts David C. Baker, Jenny Plant, and Brett Harned.
- Why it’s worth it: Gives your client-facing and delivery leaders the tools to strengthen relationships and scale accounts.
Vistara
May 2026 in Denver, CO
Vistara is a newer conference focused on agency adoption of AI, aiming to help leaders accelerate decision-making and execution.
- Focus: Accelerating agency adoption of AI.
- Audience: Owners and executives aiming to move quickly on AI strategy.
- Personal note: When Brent Weaver introduced the inaugural event in 2025 edition, it was already sold out. The next event will be May 2026 (specific days TBD).
- Why it’s worth it: Helps leaders cut through hesitation and take decisive action on AI.
Leadership Love
September 15-16, 2026 in Asheville, NC
This is a Bureau event focused on agency leadership and culture, offering a mix of peer-to-peer learning and structured sessions.
- Focus: Leadership insights and strategies for owners, operators, and exec teams.
- Audience: Agency owners and leadership teams.
- Personal note: I did a keynote at Owner Summit (its predecessor), attended in 2024, and did a lightning talk in 2025.
- Why it’s worth it: Combines peer connections with practical leadership content
Digital PM Summit
October 19-20, 2026 in Asheville, NC
This is the original national conference for digital project managers, presented by The Bureau, now expanded to include aspects of AM and agency ops.
- Focus: Project management and account management in digital agencies.
- Audience: Project managers and account managers, including in-house PMs.
- Personal note: I spoke at the 2014 and 2024 editions.
- Why it’s worth it: Helps agency PMs become proactive leaders rather than reluctant managers. You can also add the DPM/Ops Dynamic Duo Workshop on October 21—or stay even longer for Operations Camp Asheville.
Operations Camp
October 22-23, 2026 in Asheville, NC
Operations Camp is The Bureau’s retreat for the people who keep agencies running smoothly. Over three days in Asheville, operations leaders share challenges, compare systems, and find better ways to scale without chaos. It’s equal parts learning, troubleshooting, and peer connection—with plenty of time to talk shop and recharge.
- Focus: Agency operations, systems, and sustainable growth.
- Audience: Operations directors, COOs, and owners overseeing delivery and infrastructure.
- Personal note: The intimate, peer-based format makes it one of the most valuable ops events out there.
- Why it’s worth it: A rare space for operations leaders to connect deeply, troubleshoot shared challenges, and come away with practical fixes. You can also also arrive early for DPM Summit and the DPM/Ops Dynamic Duo Workshop.
Mirren AI Summit
October 28-29, 2026 (virtually)
This is Mirren’s virtual AI event, designed to give agency leaders a practical roadmap for integrating AI into their businesses.
- Focus: Using AI to make agencies smarter, faster, and more valuable.
- Audience: Agency CEOs and senior leaders.
- Personal note: Features case studies, instructional sessions, and workshops.
- Why it’s worth it: A clear, hype-free view of how to integrate AI into agency models
AIGA Design Conference
November 4-6, 2026 in Kansas City, MO
This is AIGA’s flagship conference on the business of design, with a strong creative and strategic focus for agency design leaders.
- Focus: The intersection of creativity and execution in design.
- Audience: Agency design leaders and executives.
- Personal note: I spoke on agency pricing at the 2025 edition in Los Angeles.
- Why it’s worth it: Inspires leaders who want to link creative craft to business outcomes.
Pick the Right Agency Conferences in 2026
Conferences are an investment of time, money, and focus. To decide where to go, weigh these factors:
- Relevance: Does the event focus on owners and executives, or is it more for practitioners?
- Networking value: Will you meet true peers and decision-makers?
- Speaker quality: Are the presenters credible agency experts, or just big-name celebrities?
- Scale: Do you prefer the intimacy of 60-100 people or the energy of 1,000+?
- Overlap: Does the event attract speakers—and attendees from other agencies—you can learn from?
- Practical ROI: Can you walk away with strategies to improve leadership, operations, revenue, or exit planning?
Choose 1-3 events that align with your goals, and commit to showing up fully. That means planning meetings in advance, engaging in sessions (not just lurking), and applying what you learn when you return.
Go beyond keynotes to apply what you’ve learned
If you want to maximize ROI from whichever events you attend, start with a clear growth plan.
That’s exactly what you get from my Agency Growth Diagnostic: a custom, executive-level roadmap to scale your agency (and make your future exit easier). Or if you’re looking for a smaller commitment, consider the Agency Growth Assessment. When you’re ready for clarity, let’s talk.
QUESTION: Which agency conferences are you planning to attend in 2026?
Note: Originally published in October 2025. Last updated: October 2025.
