We saw in-person events come back in full force in 2022, which begs the question, which SaaS conferences should you have on your list to attend for 2023? We have the ones listed on SaaScend’s radar below and also discuss strategies for maximizing results.
2023 SaaS Conferences in the US
When deciding which SaaS conferences to attend, think about your target audience and your current business needs. Are you working to raise your next round? Check to see how many investors are expected to attend the conference. Are you looking to build your channel partnerships? Look at the list of speakers and sponsors to see if any of them are companies that are on your prospective partner list.
Prior to attending any conference you should have a plan for how you will maximize your time there to make the greatest impact and also discuss your strategy for lead follow up after the conference. Going in without a plan for either can be an easy pitfall for conference attendees to get swept up by all the different sessions, booths, concerts, and happy hours, with minimal ROI.
There are many ways to maximize results from conference attendance, but it really depends on your role at your company and your goals for the conference. If you are in sales, set up meetings with as many prospects and customers beforehand as possible. Make it known that you will be attending the conference by sharing about it on your social profiles. Work with your sales and marketing operations team to easily capture the contact information from the people you meet, whether it is with a form or landing page, or a QR code (fig 1.) that the person can scan to book time on your calendar with a scheduling application like Chili Piper.
For lead follow up from the conference, collaborate with your marketing team to discuss what valuable content you could share with them afterward. If it is a lead that is at one of your top tier target accounts, consider sending them a personalized gift or swag from your company. Map out what the continued journey will be for leads and connections that you make at the conference to accelerate lead flow and progress them further down the funnel.
Figure 1 (Image to the right), an example of using a QR code to streamline the meeting booking process. Scan it to book time with Allie Adams, Director of Sales, to start a conversation about scaling your business with intention.
As you create your SaaS conferences plan for 2023, here are a few that we recommend considering attending.
#1
SaaSOpen
Website: saasopen.com
Dates: March 16 – 17
Location: New York, New York
This conference is expected to have over 1,000 SaaS leaders with five different stages for founders, sales and marketing, product and engineering, finance and BD, and people and HR. Among the agenda which includes 20 minute sessions of founders sharing their lessons learned from their startups and mistakes to avoid, there will be a Sharktank for SaaS live where you can watch founders make their pitch to the three buyers/investors.
Sponsors include Vertice, SaaSMQL, Dingus & Zazzy, Sprinto, Widelab, Syft, and Guideflow.
#2
SaaStock USA
Website: saastock.com/saastock-usa/
Dates: May 31 – June 2
Location: Austin, Texas
If you are familiar with SaaStock Europe that gathers over 6,000 founders, SaaS executives and investors, that is happening again in Dublin in October, but first, SaaStock will come to the US in May.
A little smaller than SaaSOpen, SaaStock USA is expected to gather over 800 attendees including 400 founders and 100 VC’s. This conference is purposed to help equip SaaS leaders with the connections, helpful resources, and inspiration to battle through the themes that we already know to exist for 2023, slowed investment activity, hiring freezes and layoffs. If you are looking to get connected with investors, this conference should definitely be on your list!
Speakers on the agenda include Scott Ernst, CEO of Drift, Noah Kagan, Founder of AppSumo, Carolyn Betts, Founder of Betts, Will May, CRO at ClickUp, and 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, Founder500 as it sounds is an opportunity to meet and network with other SaaS founders. The above site sends you to the event’s listing on the top SaaS events from Founderpath, where you can then click for event details and join the waitlist for 2023 here. Last year’s event brought in 500 SaaS founders with $500k+ in revenue and 61 with over $5M.
Founders that attended last year’s event said that it was a great opportunity to meet with other inspiring entrepreneurs. Maxine Cunningham, CEO & Co-Founder of Pick My Brain, shared how she was able to sit 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.” If you are a SaaS founder looking to connect with other founders that are in the trenches just like you are and working to overcome and scale their business, then this is the conference for you.
#4
SaaStr Annual
Website: saastrannual2023.com
Date: September 6 – 8
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California
Last but certainly not least on our short list of SaaS conferences to attend in the US for 2023 is SaaStr Annual. This is the biggest of the four, bringing together over 12,500 SaaS leaders including founders, VC’s, and executives.
The importance of having a strategy for maximizing your time at the conference rings true here as there are so many options to choose from for how you can be spending your time. The agenda includes 2,000+ networking sessions, 300+ speakers, 150+ workshops and classes all a part of an “outdoor festival style” gathering. There will also be over 1,000 VC’s and investors there, with the opportunity to participate in 1:1 Meet a VC matchmaking, so if you are looking to get connected for funding, this is another conference that should be on your list.
Powered by 2023 annual sponsors including G2, Secureframe, Chargebee, ChurnZero, Cledara, and many more.
Other Notable Tech Industry Conferences for 2023 in the US
#1
Inbound
Website: inbound.com
Dates: September 5 – 8
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Brought to you by HubSpot, Inbound gathers over 10,000 “upmarket influencers and HubSpotters” in Boston spanning across several industries including marketing / advertising, computer service / technology, web / internet services, consulting, education, financial services, non-profit, e-commerce, and consumer goods. With hundreds of sessions to choose from and past speakers including leaders such as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Brian Halligan, and Dharmesh Shah, it is the opportunity to connect with other like-minded professionals in your industry and get inspired from unique experiences.
#2
Dreamforce
Website: salesforce.com/dreamforce
Dates: September 12 – 14
Location: San Francisco, California
Brought to you by Salesforce, Dreamforce brings thousands of trailblazers to the Moscone Center in San Francisco, year after year offering hundreds of sessions, workshops, and opportunities to ask the experts, along with unforgettable after parties with previous entertainment including Metallica, Foo Fighters, and The Killers. This conference is a great opportunity to connect with fellow professionals in the Salesforce ecosystem and network to advance your career.
No matter which conferences you choose to attend this year, be sure to have a plan in place for how you will maximize your time at the conference to achieve the best results and to have a strategy for how you will follow up with the leads and connections that you meet.
Our close rate when from 9:1 to 4:1. Better leads, fewer conversations.
—Robert McLaws, Co-Founder & CEO