10 notable tech conferences of 2021
Technology conferences are some of the most exciting to attend and experience because of how fast advancements are made in the field. Whether you’re an enthusiast interested in the latest or greatest gear, looking for new business technologies, or you want to see some new STEM achievements, there’s a lot of potential out there.
As the pandemic winds down, things are opening back up, and that means many new and exciting in-person events are kicking off, as well. Here are the top 10 noteworthy tech conferences of 2021.
1. HPE Discover, Virtual Event
Date: June 22-24, 2021
Kicking off in three different time zones, the HPE Discover virtual conference will feature a variety of on-demand keynotes, discussions, and virtual meetings. The topic of choice is edge-to-cloud technologies and the modern use of related platforms.
The event will take place over three days, with plenty of content to watch, both live and after-the-fact. It’s great if you don’t have time to tune in live. And since it’s all virtual, you don’t have to go anywhere.
2. MWC 2021, Barcelona, Spain
Date: June 28-July 1, 2021
Back in business, and back to a traditional format, MWC ‘21 kicks off in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. It is a hybrid event, which means you can attend in-person or online, with on-demand content and live sessions happening throughout the conference.
You’ll get a chance to learn and see all the hottest mobile technology news from some of the biggest names in the business. You might even be surprised to know that some of the hottest technology trends from as far back as 2020 are still hanging around!
3. Black Hat USA, Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: July 31- Aug 5, 2021
Last year’s Black Hat event was all virtual, but this year, the conference is happening at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. If you cannot attend or don’t feel comfortable yet, you can still tune in virtually, as well.
The event will open with four days of virtual training, along with a two-day primary conference that features briefings, keynotes, and meetings -- both live and virtual. The topics of discussion include cybersecurity, hacking, cloud technologies, and much more.
4. AWS Re:Inforce, Houston, Texas
Date: Aug. 24-25, 2021
Designed for Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers, this two-day event takes place in Houston and is one of the first traditional, in-person events to take place this year. The keynote will be live-streamed, and some of the content will be available online. Virtual registrations will be available closer to the event.
Participants will hear and learn from AWS leaders during discussions, workshops, online sessions, and much more.
5. VMworld 2021, Virtual Event
Date: Aug. 24-25, 2021
While it’s centered around virtualization and cloud technologies, VMworld ‘21 doesn’t have an agenda just yet. The on-demand library from last year’s event is available, however.
Expect to see some excellent labs, workshops, expert panels, and in-person and online sessions. Many new updates will be available from VMware’s executives regarding product and technology news, too.
6. PCB West 2021, Santa Clara, California
Date: Oct. 5-8, 2021
At PCB West, professionals including designers, engineers, fabricators, assemblers, and manufacturers come together to discuss, demo, and advance printed circuit board technologies. Nearly all applications are involved, from aerospace and military to consumer-grade IoT and smart wearables.
Some of the activities include discussions on basic PCB design for engineers, a power integrity and decoupling primer -- which may touch on things like supply voltages and circuit types for safety -- and consumption-based PCB design.
7. London Tech Week, London
Date: Sept. 20-24, 2021
From 5G mobile technologies to advanced AI and quantum computing, London Tech Week has it all. The key focus is innovation, and exhibitors, attendees, and industry professionals will come together to discuss the future of some of the greatest technologies of our time.
Throughout the week, many activities will take place, including keynotes, presentations, courses, workshops, and more.
8. SpiceWorld, Virtual Event
Date: Sept. 27-29, 2021
Participants, including over 6,000 IT pros and tech vendors, will come together for a three-day event of networking, learning, innovation, and socializing. The entire experience will be available virtually and you can register for free.
Over 60 tech sessions touching on networking, security, virtualization, automation, and software will take place. Major sponsors of last year’s event include T-Mobile, Intel, and Cisco. A lot of them will be returning.
9. Google Cloud Next, Virtual Event
Date: Oct. 12-14, 2021
Google’s Cloud Next will be a virtual conference and may have live and in-person experiences, as well. The location is currently to-be-determined.
The conference will allow professionals to connect and expand their knowledge and expertise on cloud technologies. More specifically, Google’s Cloud services for business. Topics include security, data analysis, cloud AI, productivity, and collaboration, and much more.
10. Adobe Max, Virtual Event
Date: Oct. 26-28, 2021
An all-virtual and free event, Adobe Max explores the company’s creativity suite through the eyes of its biggest users. Industry professionals, celebrities, and company representatives come together to discuss the company’s tools, like Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and more.
There are labs, courses, online workshops, keynotes, and much more. You can take a look at last year’s activities to see what to expect this year, too.
Choose Your Experience
There you have it! Those are some of the most prominent tech conferences happening throughout the rest of 2021. A lot of them are available virtually or online, so you don’t have to attend or travel to participate. Choose your desired experience and get involved!
Image credit: GMSA
Devin Partida writes about AI, apps and technology at ReHack.com, where she is Editor-in-Chief