Which agency conferences deserve a place on your calendar in 2027? Start with the decisions you need to make—not the destinations you’d like to visit.
This is my 11th annual roundup, focused on the business of running an agency: leadership, profitability, growth, and building an organization that doesn’t depend on you for every important decision.
You’ll find conferences for owners and executives, along with selected retreats and workshops. Some are worth attending yourself. Others may be a better investment for your second-in-command, business development leader, or head of delivery.
The goal isn’t simply a bigger agency. It’s a stronger business that gives you more choices—whether you want to grow, sell, step back, or shift your role. And be sure to consider other events focused on your client industries, too.
A note on dates: Confirmed dates come from organizers’ public announcements. Estimated timing is a planning placeholder based on previous schedules—not confirmation that an event will return. For unannounced 2027 editions, descriptions reflect the most recent published program. Check the linked organizer page before booking. [Last updated: October 2026]
Events with confirmed or estimated 2027 timing
Unconventional Lead Gen
January 5–6, 2027, in Atlanta, GA — confirmed
Best for: owners who want to grow revenue. David C. Baker notes the event is best for agencies that are relatively well-positioned, with owners who have the discipline to change how they operate. It’s capped at 10 people. [Punctuation]
Ops Week
January 25–29, 2027, online — confirmed
Best for: owners and operations leaders. The Bureau’s operations program covers the connections between people, business development, delivery, and financial management. Its January 2026 edition used shorter online sessions spread across a week. Consider it when your challenge is improving how the agency works across departments—not simply choosing another project management tool. [The Bureau]
Owner Camp Waikiki
February 7–11, 2027, in Honolulu, HI — confirmed
Best for: owners who need candid peer conversations and room to think. The Bureau’s retreat brings agency owners and partners together to discuss the realities of leading a creative business. The 2027 edition is application-based and limited to 20 participants. Choose this for depth of conversation and perspective, rather than a packed schedule of presentations. [The Bureau]
Bureauverse Series
Multiple cities in 2027: February 23 in San Diego, April 8 in Miami, November 18 in Philadelphia — confirmed
Best for: agency leaders eager to connect with local and regional peers. The format combines networking and a featured speaker, typically tied to an adjacent conference. [The Bureau]
Vistara: AI for Agencies
February 24–26, 2027, in San Diego, CA — confirmed
Best for: owners and leaders seeking an edge in AI. I enjoyed leading a lunch roundtable at last year’s event—and will return to lead another in 2027. Use discount code SAKAS200 during registration to save $200 on your ticket. [Vistara]
Agency New Business Virtual Conference
February 2027 estimated; dates and format TBA
Best for: owners and business development leaders. RSW/US focuses on how agencies win business, with perspectives from agencies, marketers, and other industry participants. Its February 2026 program used 90-minute online sessions each day. That format is worth watching when you want your team to improve its approach without losing an entire workweek to travel. [RSW/US New Business Virtual Conference]
Agency Rainmaker Forum
Late winter 2027 estimated; dates and location TBA
Best for: owners building authority through speaking, writing, and relationships. Indie Books International’s gathering emphasizes thought leadership and business development, with a deliberately small format. The February 2026 edition was in San Diego. I spoke in 2025 and appreciated the networking-friendly size. This is a more specialized choice than a general agency-management conference. [Agency Rainmaker Forum]
Campaign Conference
March 4, 2027, in New York, NY — confirmed
Best for: owners and executives navigating changing client expectations and commercial models. This is a mixed agency-and-brand event, rather than an agency-only room. It earns a place on this list because the published program includes agency compensation, AI, and the changing marketing business. Choose it for the combination of agency leadership and client-side perspectives. [Campaign Conference]
4As Decisions Conference
Early 2027 estimated; dates and locations TBA
Best for: agency leaders responsible for media, technology, and data. Decisions addresses how agencies adapt their capabilities and organizations as technology changes. The 2026 program offered separate Washington, D.C., and Boston editions. Consider it when your strategic question is how your agency needs to evolve—not just which new platform your team should learn. [4As]
Money Matters for Agency Owners
March 8–9, 2027, in Denver, CO — confirmed
Best for: owners attending with a financial or operations leader. This Agency Management Institute workshop focuses on agency economics: financial benchmarks, cash flow, pricing, compensation, and succession. It is a workshop, not a broad conference—and that’s its advantage. Consider it when revenue looks respectable but the financial results still aren’t where they should be. [Agency Management Institute]
AI & Your Agency
March 22–23, 2027, in New Orleans, LA — confirmed
Optional full-day workshop March 24.
Best for: owners and leaders responsible for putting AI to work across the agency. The Bureau combines presentations, discussion, and practical exercises around operations and client services. I attended in 2023 and 2025. This is worth considering when you need to move from scattered experimentation toward a more deliberate approach—with the people who will help implement it. [The Bureau]
PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference
April 5–7, 2027, in Carolina, Puerto Rico — confirmed
Best for: PR and communications agency owners and executives. This is an agency-business conference, not simply professional development for PR practitioners. The 2027 programming brief includes leadership, finance, operations, business development, and succession. An optional masterclass and a closing practice lab add opportunities to turn ideas into next steps. I spoke at the 2016 Puerto Rico edition. [PRSA]
Agency Hackers + The Bureau Miami Super Summit
April 8–9, 2027, in Miami, FL — confirmed
Best for: owners and leaders of established independent agencies. Agency Hackers’ Miami format combines talks with smaller, facilitated conversations about growth, leadership, and the realities of running an agency. I spoke at the inaugural 2026 event. The 2027 event will be in partnership with The Bureau. [Agency Hackers]
Indies Rising Global Summit
April 13, 2027, in Portland, OR — confirmed
Best for: owners of independent agencies. The event targets agency leaders and CMOs who want to hire the agencies. This is the second Indies Rising conference from IndieHQ, the umbrella behind Indie Agency News. [IndieHQ]
Agency Builders Retreat
April 13–15, 2027, in St. Augustine Beach, FL — confirmed
Best for: owners seeking practical help and a supportive peer community. Jay Owen’s retreat combines workshops, hot seats, and informal conversations about building a healthier agency. The 2027 gathering is at the Embassy Suites on St. Augustine Beach. Consider it when you want time away from daily demands, but still want to spend that time working through real business questions. [Agency Builders]
M&A Workshop
April 29–30, 2027, in Philadelphia, PA — details pending
Best for: owners interested in M&A. The Bureau is presenting this in conjunction with David C. Baker at Punctuation. [The Bureau]
Mirren Live
May 2027 announced; exact dates, location, and format TBA
Best for: owners, growth leaders, and executives responsible for the agency’s commercial direction. Mirren focuses on agency revenue growth, including new business, capabilities, and the role of AI. Its website explicitly points to May 2027, although the detailed information still belongs to 2026. Consider it when you need to rethink how growth happens—not simply increase prospecting activity. [Mirren Live]
Build a Better Agency Summit
May 25–26, 2027, in Denver, CO — confirmed
Optional, member-only programming May 24.
Best for: owners and senior leaders who want a broad agency-business conference. Agency Management Institute’s summit covers running and growing an agency, with content spanning leadership, operations, financial performance, and business development. It is a useful starting point when several members of your leadership team need different things from the same trip. The venue is the Westin Denver Downtown. [Agency Management Institute]
Biz Dev Camp
May 25–26, 2027, in Miami, FL — confirmed
Best for: owners and business development leaders who want candid discussion with peers. The Bureau’s camp uses a small-group format to explore topics such as positioning, pipeline, sales-team structure, and estimating. Choose this for working through your own commercial challenges with other agency leaders, rather than moving between a large number of conference sessions. [The Bureau]
4As Management Practitioners’ Forum
Early summer 2027 estimated; dates and location TBA
Best for: senior leaders at independent agencies. MPF addresses management and organizational decisions, with the recent program covering people, agency economics, growth, leadership, and AI. The June 2026 edition was in Austin and was members-only. Check eligibility when the next program is announced; this is a leadership-level gathering rather than a general marketing conference. [4As]
Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards
July 2027; dates and location TBA
Best for: independent agency owners and executives. Ad Age combines conversations about the challenges of running an independent agency with its Small Agency Awards program. The July 2026 edition was in Los Angeles. Consider both sides of the experience: the business content and the opportunity to meet other independent shops. The awards component is part of the event’s character, not an afterthought. [Ad Age Events]
Leadership Love
September 21–22, 2027, in Asheville, NC — confirmed
Best for: owners and leadership teams dealing with the human side of running an agency. The Bureau’s recent program explored leadership through candid experiences, difficult decisions, resilience, and change. The 2026 edition was a virtual series. Keep this on your radar when your biggest constraint is how people lead together—not a missing process or a new software subscription. [The Bureau]
The AM:PM Event
Fall 2027 estimated; dates and location TBA
Best for: owners attending with account, project, or operations leaders. The recent event, led by Brett Harned and Jenny Plant with David C. Baker, examined how agency roles and responsibilities need to work together as the business grows. Consider it when scope, communication, profitability, or unclear ownership keeps creating the same delivery problems. The September 2026 edition was in Atlanta. [The AM:PM Event]
AgencyCon
Fall 2027 estimated; dates and location TBA
Best for: owners of smaller digital agencies. This Colorado event focuses on the practical business of running an agency, with presentations and peer connection. I keynoted the 2018, 2019, and 2025 editions. The room skews smaller than some other events here, so owners of larger agencies should review the attendee mix rather than assume every agency-owner conference offers the same peer group. [AgencyCon]
Digital PM Summit
October 18–22, 2027, in Seattle, WA — confirmed
Best for: your delivery or project management leader. The Bureau’s summit focuses on project leadership, stakeholder conversations, and helping teams work effectively. Most agency owners will opt to send leaders from their team, rather than attend this themselves. [The Bureau]
Mirren AI Forum
Fall 2027 estimated; dates and format TBA
Best for: executive teams deciding how AI changes their agency’s business. Mirren’s AI program connects adoption with client value, capabilities, operations, and revenue. The published November 2026 edition is virtual. Consider it when the question has moved beyond individual productivity to how the agency should organize, price, and deliver its work. [Mirren AI Forum]
Finance & Ops Workshop
November 19, 2027, in Philadelphia, PA — confirmed
Best for: your operations, delivery, and finance leaders. The Bureau’s workshop focuses on finance and operations. Most agency owners will opt to send leaders from their team, rather than attend this themselves. [The Bureau]
Additional programs awaiting 2027 dates
4As ANGLES Conference
2027 date and location TBA
Best for: leaders responsible for the agency’s own communications and reputation. ANGLES looks at how communications contributes to influence, growth, and business outcomes. This is a more specialized
Agency Growth Exchange
2027 date and location TBA
Best for: agency owners and business development leaders. The inaugural half-day event was in Chicago in October 2026, featuring a mix of agency leaders and CMOs. [NextBigWin]
Agency Hackers NYC events
2027 New York dates TBA
Best for: owners and leaders who want an agency-specific gathering without a multiday commitment. Agency Hackers has offered New York programs around AI, operations, and the choices facing independent agencies; I’ve both attended and spoken at them. I’m grouping these shorter events together rather than listing every appearance separately. Watch the calendar for the next U.S. dates. [Agency Hackers]
Win Without Pitching Workshop
2027 dates TBA
Best for: owners and senior-level people responsible for selling their expertise. Blair Enns’ workshop works through the conversations behind positioning, qualification, value, pricing, and closing. Consider it when your agency keeps being treated as an interchangeable vendor. The currently advertised workshop runs online October 19–22, 2026; a 2027 public-workshop date has not been verified. [Win Without Pitching]
Choose the conference that matches the decision
Before buying a ticket, write down the question you need to answer. Are you trying to:
- Improve profitability?
- Build a stronger leadership team?
- Change how the agency sells?
- Decide what AI means for your business model?
- Create the conditions to sell, step back, or shift your role?
Then consider who should attend. Sometimes the best investment is your own time with other owners. Sometimes it’s sending your second-in-command—or attending together so you don’t return with a plan that’s unclear to the rest of the team.
I recommend choosing 1–3 events tied to specific priorities, rather than filling your calendar. And of course, include your clients’ industry events.
Reserve time to take action on what you learn. A notebook full of ideas isn’t the ROI; it’s really about what changes afterwards. I also recommend doing an “idea quarantine” when you attend a conference: wait a week or two before sharing all your new ideas with your full team, so you don’t overwhelm them with unprocessed priorities.
Turn outside perspective into a better next decision
A conference can introduce new ideas and useful peers. Applying those ideas to your agency requires a different kind of work: understanding what’s actually happening, deciding what matters most, and following through.
When you’re weighing a consequential decision about your agency—whether to grow differently, sell, step back, or shift your role—start a conversation.
QUESTION: Which agency conferences are you considering for 2027—and what do you need them to help you do?
Originally published in October 2026. Last updated: October 2026.
