SaaS Conferences to Attend in the US for 2023
A guide to the top SaaS and tech conferences worth attending in the US in 2023, with dates, locations, speakers, and strategies for conference success.
In-person events made a strong comeback in 2022, prompting the question of which SaaS conferences deserve a spot on your 2023 calendar. When selecting events to attend, consider your target audience and business objectives. Are you seeking funding? Check investor attendance. Building partnerships? Review speakers and sponsors for potential partners.
The key to conference success lies in planning. Attendees often get caught up in sessions and social events without developing a strategy for maximizing impact or following up with leads afterward.
Strategies for Conference Success
Before the Event:
- Set up pre-conference meetings with prospects and customers
- Share your attendance on social media
- Work with operations teams to capture contact information through forms, landing pages, or QR codes
- Use scheduling tools like Chili Piper for streamlined booking
After the Event: Collaborate with marketing to plan valuable content for leads. For top-tier prospects, consider sending personalized gifts. Map out a continued nurture journey to accelerate lead progression.
2023 SaaS Conferences to Attend
#1 SaaSOpen
Website: saasopen.com Dates: March 16–17 Location: New York, New York
Expected to draw over 1,000 SaaS leaders across five tracks covering founders, sales/marketing, product/engineering, finance/business development, and people/HR. The agenda features 20-minute founder sessions sharing lessons and mistakes to avoid, plus a live “Sharktank for SaaS” where founders pitch to investors and buyers.
Sponsors include: Vertice, SaaSMQL, Dingus and Zazzy, Sprinto, Widelab, Syft, and Guideflow.
#2 SaaStock USA
Website: saastock.com/saastock-usa/ Dates: May 31–June 2 Location: Austin, Texas
SaaStock USA anticipates over 800 attendees, including 400 founders and 100 venture capitalists. Designed to equip SaaS leaders with connections, resources, and inspiration amid 2023 challenges like reduced investment activity, hiring freezes, and layoffs.
Featured speakers include:
- Scott Ernst, CEO of Drift
- Noah Kagan, Founder of AppSumo
- Carolyn Betts, Founder of Betts
- Will May, CRO at ClickUp
- Asia Orangio, CEO and Founder of DemandMaven
#3 Founder500
Website: saasevents.com/founderpath/2023-founder500-austin Date: September 7 Location: Austin, Texas
Curated by Nathan Latka (CEO of Founderpath), this networking event brings together 500 SaaS founders with $500,000+ in revenue, including 61 with over $5 million. Attendees praised the opportunity to connect with inspiring entrepreneurs. One founder noted sitting “around a table with 10+ female CEOs and founders discussing hiring, firing, scaling, insights, cash flow, strategy, partnerships, tech stack, grinding, investment, challenges, and wins.”
#4 SaaStr Annual
Website: saastrannual2023.com Date: September 6–8 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California
The largest conference on this list convenes over 12,500 SaaS leaders including founders, VCs, and executives. The “outdoor festival style” gathering offers 2,000+ networking sessions, 300+ speakers, and 150+ workshops. With 1,000+ investors present, attendees can participate in 1:1 “Meet a VC” matchmaking sessions.
2023 sponsors include: G2, Secureframe, Chargebee, ChurnZero, and Cledara.
Other Notable Tech Industry Conferences for 2023
#1 Inbound
Website: inbound.com Dates: September 5–8 Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Hosted by HubSpot, Inbound attracts over 10,000 professionals across marketing, technology, consulting, finance, and other industries. Past speakers have included Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Serena Williams.
#2 Dreamforce
Website: salesforce.com/dreamforce Dates: September 12–14 Location: San Francisco, California
Salesforce’s annual conference at the Moscone Center draws thousands of professionals for hundreds of sessions and workshops. Previous entertainment has featured Metallica, Foo Fighters, and The Killers.
Conclusion
Regardless of which conferences you attend in 2023, establish a plan for maximizing your time and develop a strategy for following up with the leads and connections you make. Strategic planning transforms conference attendance from a general networking experience into a meaningful business development opportunity.