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Planning your marketing roadmap for 2025? Chicago, Illinois is a top destination for leading conferences covering branding, social media, analytics, content, and more. The following 10 events deliver cutting-edge strategies, insight from industry experts, and unique networking opportunities. Explore everything from influencer marketing to email automation, all in one place.
BrandSmart Conference (Hosted by AMA Chicago)
Description: Organized by the American Marketing Association’s Chicago chapter, BrandSmart is one of the longest-running branding conferences in the US. It focuses on brand strategy, creative storytelling, and leadership.
Date (2025): Likely Spring 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Typically a downtown Chicago venue (2024 was at Convene Chicago; 2025 location TBA)
Website: AMA Chicago BrandSmart
Who Should Go: Brand strategists, marketing managers, agency leaders, creative directors, CMOs, and entrepreneurs seeking deep dives into brand-building and storytelling.
Past Speakers: Senior executives from PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, Google, and Leo Burnett.
Digital Summit Chicago
Description: Part of a multi-city series, Digital Summit covers the latest in digital marketing, social media, SEO, email marketing, UX, data analytics, and more. Expect expert keynotes, hands-on sessions, and prime networking opportunities.
Date (2025): Likely Summer or Fall 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Often held at conference spaces such as McCormick Place or Navy Pier
Website: Digital Summit Chicago
Who Should Go: Digital marketers, e-commerce managers, social media teams, and marketing technologists looking to stay current on digital strategies.
Past Speakers: Industry thought leaders from Moz, Salesforce, Spotify, and HubSpot.
Social Media Strategies Summit – Chicago
Description: A premier event dedicated to social media marketing, the summit covers content creation, paid social strategies, community building, influencer marketing, and measuring ROI.
Date (2025): Likely Spring 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Often hosted in upscale downtown venues (e.g., Hyatt Regency Chicago)
Website: Social Media Strategies Summit
Who Should Go: Social media managers, community leads, brand strategists, digital marketers, and agency professionals wanting to enhance social media performance.
Past Speakers: Social leads and CMOs from Starbucks, IBM, L’Oréal, and McDonald’s.
B2B Marketing Ignite USA
Description: Hosted by B2B Marketing (UK-based), Ignite USA brings together B2B marketers to explore demand generation, ABM, brand building, and martech. It’s a must-attend for B2B-focused marketers.
Date (2025): Likely May or June 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Typically in central Chicago (recently at Convene)
Website: B2B Marketing Ignite USA
Who Should Go: B2B marketers, sales enablement teams, marketing ops professionals, agency strategists, and marketing tech enthusiasts.
Past Speakers: Senior marketing executives from LinkedIn, HubSpot, Cisco, IBM, and Salesforce.
Marketing Analytics Summit (Chicago Edition)
Description: Focusing on data-driven approaches, this event covers analytics tools, AI in marketing, ROI optimization, attribution modeling, and dashboards to measure campaign success.
Date (2025): Likely Summer or Fall 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Often a central Chicago hotel or conference center
Website: Marketing Analytics Summit
Who Should Go: Data analysts, marketing technologists, digital marketers, BI professionals, and CMOs aiming to leverage analytics for better ROI.
Past Speakers: Analytics leaders from Google, Adobe, Oracle, Nielsen, and data-centric marketing agencies.
Influencer Marketing Strategies Summit
Description: This summit dives into the influencer marketing ecosystem, addressing best practices for partnerships, campaign measurement, platform trends, and legal guidelines.
Date (2025): Likely Spring or Fall 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Typically held at downtown conference venues
Website: Influencer Marketing Strategies Summit
Who Should Go: Brand managers, influencer program leads, PR professionals, social media strategists, and influencer agencies.
Past Speakers: Influencer marketing heads from TikTok, Disney, Marriott International, and top influencer platforms.
Incite Marketing Summit (by Reuters Events)
Description: Also known as the Strategic Marketing Summit, this event gathers CMOs and senior leaders to discuss customer-centric marketing, digital innovation, and growth strategies.
Date (2025): Likely late Spring or early Summer 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Often in hotel conference centers in the Loop
Website: Reuters Events – Marketing
Who Should Go: CMOs, VPs of marketing, brand directors, agency executives, and those focusing on high-level strategic planning.
Past Speakers: Top marketing executives from Walmart, Under Armour, GM, Twitter, and various Fortune 500 companies.
Content Strategies & Marketing Summit
Description: Concentrates on the entire content marketing cycle—from ideation to distribution—covering storytelling, SEO best practices, editorial planning, and emerging platforms.
Date (2025): Likely Mid-2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Often at the Marriott Marquis or similar venues near McCormick Place
Website: Content Marketing Conference (General)
Who Should Go: Content strategists, writers, editors, digital marketers, and creative directors.
Past Speakers: Content leaders from Netflix, Adobe, BuzzFeed, and the Content Marketing Institute.
Email Innovations or Email Evolution Conference (EEC)
Description: Centers on email marketing and automation, covering design, deliverability, personalization, compliance, and next-gen email tech.
Date (2025): Potentially Summer 2025 (Exact date TBA)
Location: Typically a major downtown hotel or conference space
Website: ANA Email Evolution Conference (Check for 2025)
Who Should Go: Email marketing managers, CRM specialists, marketing automation pros, and digital strategists seeking to boost email performance.
Past Speakers: Experts from Mailchimp, Salesforce, Litmus, ANA, and leading email-focused agencies.
Brandweek (Adweek) Chicago
Description: Hosted by Adweek, Brandweek shines a spotlight on brand innovation, creative marketing strategies, and the latest marketing technology trends. While it rotates locations, Chicago is often a strong contender.
Date (2025): TBA (Likely mid-to-late 2025 if Chicago is chosen)
Location: TBA
Website: Adweek Brandweek
Who Should Go: Brand marketers, agency executives, creative directors, media planners, and anyone focused on major brand growth and storytelling.
Past Speakers: CMOs and marketing leads from Procter & Gamble, Disney, Nike, IBM, and major advertising agencies.