Top 10 best tech leadership conferences for 2023

The tech industry is booming, and all this innovation and initiative demands even more partnerships and discussions between industry experts and leaders. A leadership conference brings together company executives and experts to discuss performance, collaboration, and progress. 

These conferences offer a chance to learn from new perspectives, interact with global leaders, and make use of networking opportunities to support sustainable personal and professional development. 

From keynote speakers to breakout sessions, our list has it all. We’ve compiled the best tech leadership conferences in the US this year, offering the best insights and strategies, workshops, and professional networks around.

Let’s dive in.

The top 10 tech leadership conferences for 2023

1. Collision: the unmissable ‘Olympics of the tech world’

• Dates: 26-29th June, 2023
• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Cost: CA $895 – $3,495
• Speakers: Adam Selipsky, Michelle Zatlyn, Geoffrey Hinton, Christina Cacioppo, Dave Rogenmoser, and more.
• Book now

Whether you’re based in Canada, the US, or further afield, this is a can’t-miss for tech leaders. Named “North America’s fastest growing tech conference”, this is a hotspot for innovative leaders in the tech industry. It brings together the people and companies redefining the global tech world, with 2,000 startups represented and 40,000 attendees. 

The 2023 speakers list boasts some of the most successful C-suite executives in the sector, providing significant networking opportunities, masterclasses in leadership skills, and plenty of innovation and inspiration.

2. Blockchain Futurist Conference: the crypto hotspot for tech leaders

• Dates: 15-16th August 2023
• Location: Toronto, Canada

• Cost: US $369-$799
• Speakers: Charles Hoskinson, Michele Romanow, Anthony Dio Iorio, Ethan Buchman
• Book now

Canada’s largest crypto, Web3, and Blockchain event, this is a must-attend for leaders in the sector. This August, the fifth annual conference will be held in Toronto, attracting industry leaders and business owners from around the world. 

With crypto content topics—including regulation, stable coins, Tradfi, and DeFi—and Web3 topics—such as gaming, privacy, NFTs, and sustainability—there’s no shortage of material for you to develop your tech leadership skills and knowledge.

3. Digital Transformation Week Europe: worth the trip

• Dates: 26-27th September 2023
• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Cost: US $369-$799
• Speakers: Charles Hoskinson, Michele Romanow, Anthony Dio Iorio, Ethan Buchman
• Book now

If you don’t mind going a bit further afield for your next tech leadership conference, this event should be at the top of your list. Boasting prominent digital specialists, this conference will help you uncover essential tactics for leading your tech company to success.

From networking opportunities to panel discussions and expert speakers, this event covers topics including cybersecurity, IoT, edge computing, and big data. It’s your chance to develop both personally and professionally with the help of industry leaders and thinkers.

4. Trace3 Evolve Technology Conference: experience cutting-edge technology and leadership from industry experts 

• Dates: 27-29th September
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
• Cost: US $260 – $525
• Speakers: not yet announced
• Book now

Boasting world-class keynote speakers, access to the latest technologies, and specialized networking sessions, Evolve is where tech leaders come together to, well, evolve—on both a company and industry scale. Evolve is one of the US’s top IT leadership and technology conferences, designed to introduce the latest emerging tech to businesses, and bring together corporate culture and the IT landscape.

5. QCon: the global epicenter of software development

• Dates: 24-28th October 2023
• Location: San Francisco, California

• Cost: US $530 – $3,350
• Speakers: Wes Reisz, Hayley Tucker, Sid Anand, Courtney Hemphill, Monica Beckwith, and more.
• Book now

This event is a must-attend for any tech leaders involved in software engineering. Available as an in-person event, or as a (more cost-effective) virtual event, QCon is all about showcasing emerging trends, case studies, and best practices. 

The event has been praised as “unique” in its approach, which allows attendees to mix and match talks or focus on a single track of interest. As a tech leader summit, there’s a strong focus on networking opportunities, inspiring thought leaders and up-and-coming professionals alike with the vast variety of material.

6. The Principal Dev: a two-day masterclass in all things development

• Dates: 27-28th October 2023
• Location: online (San Francisco time)

• Cost: US $999
• Speakers: not yet announced
• Book now

If you’re a tech leader looking to expand your technical and leadership skills with one, virtual event, look no further; this masterclass turns software developers into software leaders. 

The DevOps-focused event is designed to support your professional development, open to entrepreneurs and motivated intermediate software architects alike. You’ll receive a certificate at the end, and you’ll go home with a refreshed take on your role as a leader, and an increased drive for success.

7. Bio Innovation Conference: for the forward-thinkers in the biotech sector

• Dates: 30th October 2023
• Location: Bethesda, Maryland

• Cost: US $369-$799
• Speakers: Peter Marks
• Book now

Bioinnovation is a relatively new term encompassing biotechnology, governance innovation, and the rules of engagement. It’s new and exciting, and this conference is where it all comes together. The Maryland Life Sciences Bio Innovation Conference connects top life sciences professionals with leading global brands, venture capitalists, and promising startups. 

With opportunities to connect using the BIO one-on-one Partnering System, visit the prestigious exhibition center and join in the exclusive, hands-on BioHub recruitment Expo, this is not one to miss for all the technical leaders in the bio innovation sector. From data science to technology leadership, this event is an all-rounder.

8. 5G Expo Global: an all-rounder event accessible from anywhere 

• Dates: 30th November – 1st December 2023
• Location: London, UK

• Cost: US $699
• Speakers: Phil Siveter, David Jambor, Dr. Fourat Haider, Matt Stagg, Stephen Gilderdale, Julie Snell
• Book now

If you’re not able to travel to this event to attend it in-person, fear not: it’s also available online. With over 6,000 attendees and 150 speakers, this is a major event in the tech leadership conference calendar. The agenda boasts talks and workshops by industry leaders in IoT, automation, data sharing, and digital transformation—and much more. 

9. Techleader Summit 2023: the must-attend for tech leaders around the world

• Dates: 6-8th December 2023
• Location: Clearwater, Florida and online

• Cost: US $3,500
• Speakers: Venkat Subramaniam, Michael Carducci, Tim Berglund, Johanna Rothman, Billy Williams, Valarie Regas, and more.
• Book now

This year’s Techleader Summit promises an inspiring collection of activities and speakers designed to boost your leadership skills. From engineering leaders to IoS developers and TypeScript experts, the variety of the tech industry is well represented by the attendees. 

Technologists from all over the world come together to produce actionable strategies via interactive sessions, to network and discover mentors or aspiring young professionals, and to learn from some of tech’s biggest names. This three-day conference is designed to help you take your organization to the next level: don’t miss out!

10. LeadDev 2024: look forward to next year’s biggest engineering conference

• Dates: April 2024
• Location: New York

• Cost: US $249 – $349
• Speakers: not yet announced 
• Book now

Calling all engineering managers and leaders! LeadDev is one of the most prestigious tech leader summits in the world: if you missed this year’s March event in New York, don’t panic—it’ll be back and better than ever early next spring. We’re including this event on our 2023 list as the trick is to get early bird tickets to guarantee your spot at this must-attend event.

This is your opportunity to join the world-class community of software engineering managers from all around the world, helping you become more effective in your leadership role and develop high-performing tech teams in challenging times.

Get involved in world-renowned tech leadership conferences

Being a tech CEO or leader can often feel like you’re expected to do everything—and more—to keep your company thriving. Attending a specialized tech leadership conference can be incredibly worthwhile. 

If you’re feeling the need to fire up your imagination, think outside the box, or simply connect with others in the industry—these conferences are the place to be. Tech leaders aren’t born, after all, they’re made—through experiences, professional development, and conferences like these.

So, go make yourself a tech leader.