11 must-visit trade shows and industry events this fall

Trade shows are the perfect place to see all of the latest and greatest developments to come in the following months. They allow you to meet and greet with other professionals and help you get the business contacts you may need in the near future.

To find out what trade shows you should attend in the following months — and why they are so important — I asked a panel of entrepreneurs from YEC the following question:

What is one trade show or conference entrepreneurs just can’t miss this fall and why?

Their best answers are below:

1. Adobe MAX

Several years ago, Adobe changed their Adobe MAX conference from a mix of technical and creative to a straight creative conference. The change has been amazing! With a focus on creativity, it’s allowed the content to be more inspirational and instructional, and even the non-creative will leave one armed with ideas and actionable ways to approach their own challenges and opportunities. – Andrew Howlett, Rain

2. CEO Space

CEO Space is full of people just like you, learning from some of the brightest business minds in the world. It’s jam-packed full of seminars, speakers, masterminds and networking for five days. It is much more intense than a regular conference. People attend to grow as entrepreneurs so that, in turn, they can grow their business. – Scott Kacmarski, Reps Direct

3. Conscious Capitalism

This fall, the Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit is not to be missed. There, you’ll meet with and learn from entrepreneurs that care about this world and have been successful. There’s a lot of places to meet successful entrepreneurs, but it’s a real opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs who care about the world and will help you run a better company for all of your stakeholders. – Dan Golden, BFO (Be Found Online)

4. HR Tech

The HR Technology Conference is an absolute must for anyone in technology. This show offers a glimpse into what is changing in workplace technology, from established brands and what they are doing to startups with creative new ideas that will disrupt the industry. There are also plenty of investors there looking for the next big thing. Don’t forget the power of networking opportunities either! – Frank B. Mengert, ebenefit Marketplace (ebm)

5. LAUNCH Scale

At the LAUNCH Scale conference in San Francisco, you’ll meet entrepreneurs and investors (venture and angel), and hear stories of success and lessons learned. Even if you’re in the early days of your business, it’s incredibly valuable to hear what roadblocks you might run into when you’re scaling … and what choices you make that can supercharge growth! – Aaron Schwartz, Passport

6. Retail Global

I’ve been to this retail-focused conference in Las Vegas a few times now and I always learn something new with each trip. For my e-commerce business, I’ve found the presentations and workshops to be extraordinarily insightful, and I have made strong networking connections with other professionals. If you can set aside one weekend in October, I highly recommend Retail Global. – Bryce Welker, Crush The PM Exam

7. Solar Power International

Energy is likely the most important industry on the planet and it is undergoing tremendous changes. Solar Power International has a great lineup of companies working in the generation, storage and analytics sectors. The technology is amazing and trillions of dollars will be spent in the coming decades. – Douglas Hutchings, Picasolar

8. Ungagged

Ungagged is a crucial and mind-opening conference for all entrepreneurs. If you work in digital marketing and SEO, this groundbreaking conference spanning three days (November 4-6) will teach you modern trends and strategies from some of the best marketers in the world who have succeeded in highly competitive industries. Don’t miss out; it will change your professional life! – Reuben Yonatan, GetVoIP

9. Web Summit

Some magazines have stated that Web Summit is the largest tech conference in the world. Having heard from friends and colleagues of mine who have attended this conference, it seems like it’s true. With so many great speakers, tech companies and exciting startups, it’s the perfect conference to learn not only from the speakers, but from the network you can build there. – David Henzel, TaskDrive

10. World Business Forum

The World Business Forum, led by the World of Business Ideas (WOBI), is a must-go event for entrepreneurs. It offers a chance to learn from and be inspired by the world’s most successful, renowned figures in business, as well as innovators, artists and sports personalities. The forum is being held on November 14 and 15 at Lincoln Center in New York, and this year’s speakers include Arianna Huffington, Jeff Immelt, Daniel Kahneman and Seth Godin. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

11. World Manufacturing Forum

The World Manufacturing Forum is in its very first year. It’s being held at Lake Como, Italy and the registration is completely free. For all entrepreneurs manufacturing physical products, it’s an excellent chance to learn from experts in the industry, and a perfect excuse to visit the beautiful country of Italy! – Kevin Ryan Tao, NeuEve