Who doesn’t love a good marketing conference? You get to network with cool people, pick up a few shiny tips and tricks, maybe even see the sites or enjoy a meal in a new city. (#boondoggle)
Problem is, most marketing conferences are not designed for financial services marketers. I can’t count the number of times I’ve picked up a new idea at a conference only to have it shot down by my friendly neighborhood compliance team less than a week after I get back. (#nofun)
Fortunately, there are a lot of events aimed at the financial marketer audience, from FinServ-specific summits to FinTech/wealth management/insurance tracks within bigger marketing conferences.
Check out our list of the best financial services marketing conferences of 2019 to map out your best conference year ever – and let us know if we missed any!
Jump to:
February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
February
The Digital Finance Conference
When: February 12-13, 2019
Where: Amelia Island, FL
Who: Bank & credit union digital marketers
Financial marketing angle: Get targeted tips from the Heads of Digital at some of the largest consumer, commercial, regional, and community banks, as well as credit unions and wealth management organizations.
Tweet: @wbr_finance
SIFMA Social Media & Digital Marketing Seminar
When: February 21, 2019
Where: San Francisco, CA
Who: Digital/social media marketers in the wealth management/advisor space
Financial marketing angle: “Once again the leading names in social media and experts in private wealth management come together, to explore best practices in harnessing the power of digital technology to engage and serve clients and examine developments in the regulatory apparatus that guides them.”
Tweet: #SIFMASocial
Digital Marketing for Financial Services Summit West
When: February 26-27, 2019
Where: San Francisco, CA
Who: Financial marketers and digital execs
Financial marketing angle: Hear from an impressive roster of peers who’ve successfully navigated compliance and digital marketing challenges in the financial services space.
Tweet: @DMFinancialServ
March
SXSW Interactive
Photo by Alexa Gonzalez Wagner
When: March 8-12, 2019
Where: Austin, TX
Who: FinTech and FinServ digital marketers + agencies
Financial marketing angle: Check out the Brands and Marketing track, then head over to FinTech-oriented sessions like “New Regulatory Reality: Innovation Killer or Enabler?” and the SXSW accelerator for payment/FinTech startups. Oh, and if you fancy live music . . .
Tweet: #SXSW2019
CUNA Marketing & Business Development Conference
When: March 20-23, 2019
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Who: Credit union marketing and sales execs
Financial marketing angle: “At CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council Conference, you and hundreds of your peers will gather to gain new ideas, high-impact strategies and powerful insights that will spark change in your credit union—and yourself.”
Tweet: @cunambdcouncil
April
Hearsay Summit
When: April 30 – May 1, 2019
Where: San Francisco, CA
Who: Digital marketers in the wealth management/insurance space
Financial marketing angle: Billed as a meeting of the minds between Wall Street and Silicon Valley, this advisor-focused conference features “Ted-style talks” on topics that encompass Marketing, Sales, IT and how get them all working together.
Tweet: @HearsaySystems
May
The Financial Brand Forum
When: May 15-17, 2019
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Who: Senior banking executives
Financial marketing angle: Hear from marketing powerhouses like Gary Vaynerchuk and Barbara Corcoran, then watch as world class experts perform real-time brand and website makeovers for financial institutions.
Tweet: @FinancialBrand
June
Marketing to Millennials for Financial Services
When: June 20, 2019
Where: New York, NY
Who: Investment/wealth managers, banks, insurance companies, credit cards and other financial services businesses that target millennials
Financial marketing angle: Get ideas for reaching the next generation of financial consumers with mobile apps, customer experiences, and other digital strategies designed for the financial services space.
Tweet: @MillenFinServ
July
MozCon
When: July 15-17, 2019
Where: Seattle, WA
Who: SEOs and content marketers
Financial marketing angle: This is not a “financial” marketing conference, per se – but if SEO is a primary initiative for your financial organization this year (and we would argue it should be), this conference provides the latest strategies for driving search engine rankings and organic traffic.
Tweet: #mozcon
August
September
ABA Bank Marketing Conference
When: September 22-24, 2019
Where: Austin, TX
Who: Bank marketers (Certified Financial Marketing Professionals (CFMPs) can earn CE)
Financial marketing angle: Past sessions covered topics like customer journey mapping, “thumb-stopping” video content, and harnessing the power of social influencers.
Tweet: #ABABankMktg
FinCon
When: September 4-7, 2019
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Financial PR pros, content marketers and financial advisors (for the Advisor track)
Financial marketing angle: This is probably the largest gathering of financial influencers in one place, so it’s a great opportunity to build relationships for co-created content and affiliate partnerships.
Tweet: #FinCon19
October
Marketing Profs B2B Forum
When: October 15-18, 2019
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: B2B marketers
Financial marketing angle: Asset managers and other intermediary-focused marketers take note – while not specifically about financial services, this conference gets a shout-out for providing actionable B2B marketing tips and techniques.
Tweet: @MProfsEvents
November
December
Got a hot tip on a conference that financial marketers shouldn’t miss? Comment below or email us here to have it included in this list!
You’re missing one of the biggest conferences for credit unions in the country, CUNA’s Marketing and Business Development Conference. Happening in March 2019 in Las Vegas. Would love to get it featured. We see 500+ attendees plus FI specific vendors and offer tons of great sessions, breakouts, and networking opportunities. I sit on the Executive Committee for the Council and have attended this conference numerous times both as an organizer and as just a regular marketer. It’s a great way to connect with other marketers and hear what’s going on at credit union’s big and small in the way of tech, automation, design, and innovation.