Small Business AI Report
Trends, Challenges & Opportunities
Conferences are great places to network and meet other small business owners. They allow you to showcase different products and gather feedback from experts with relevant experience.
Small business conferences are great for beginners trying to figure out how to manage their businesses. They can also help experienced owners take the next step in growing their businesses.
If you don’t have any conferences on your schedule for 2025, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of 12 events that you should consider this year. We’ve included their dates, prices, and the benefits of each one.
12 Conferences for Small Business Owners
Here are 12 of the best conferences for small business owners. Note that some don’t have prices and dates listed yet, but you can bookmark these pages and subscribe to email updates from each event.
1. 2025 National Small Business Conference
Date: Feb 11th – Feb 13th, 2025
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Price: $625
The 2025 National Small Business Conference is a must-attend networking event for small business owners. More than 2K people attend, and businesses from all 50 states are represented in their speaking sessions. The agenda includes meet-and-greets, workshop classes, and networking meals with other business owners. This year, workshop topics will include using AI and setting up your business for financial success.
2. National Small Business Week Virtual Summit
Date: May 4th – May 10th
Location: Online
Price: Free to Attend
One of the best things about National Small Business Week is the events that celebrate it.
Each year, the U.S. Small Business Administration holds a virtual summit for small business owners during National Small Business Week. Registration is free, and attendees can browse a catalog of presentations and exhibits. Some sessions are led by SCORE mentors who are experts trained to provide actionable insights to small business owners. This is an ideal event if you’re looking to brush up on business management skills and network with other leaders in your industry.
3. Small Business Expo (NYC)
Date: May 7th
Location: New York, New York
Price: Free to Attend; $35 for Silver Package; $75 for Gold Package, $150 for Platinum, $250 for VIP
The Small Business Expo is a conference that tours around the U.S. It caters to B2B business owners who want to showcase products and learn about emerging marketing trends in their industries.
One event is held in New York City and is one of the largest conferences on the tour. It’s a perfect opportunity for small business owners to meet, discover new technology, and adopt marketing strategies to manage their business’s growth in the coming year.
In 2024, Thryv hosted a speed-networking event here, where business owners could meet, exchange information, and talk about the latest trends in their industries.
4. CommBank SmallBiz Week
Date: April 29th – April 30th
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Price: Free to Attend; $410 for an All-Event Pass
CommBank SmallBiz Week connects B2B suppliers with small business owners. There are over 120 speaking sessions and more than 150 speakers. It’s a great event if you’re looking to grow your professional network and meet new partners or customers.
CommBank SmallBiz Week is expanding this year’s lineup with over 250 exhibits and speakers from businesses of all shapes and sizes. It’s even hosting a Sydney event in September as an additional event this year. This small business conference is an excellent opportunity to meet experienced business owners and learn about some of the latest technology that they’re using in 2025.
5. Startup Grind Tech Summit
Date: April 29th – April 30th
Location: Silicon Valley, San Francisco
Price: $199 for Expo Pass, $249 for Early Bird pass, $422 for Startup Bundle, $599 for Investor Pass
This conference was held in Europe last year but will move to the United States in 2025. It will feature more than 150 exhibits and almost 200 speaking sessions and workshops.
The Startup Grind Tech Summit in 2025 will focus on “collaboration over competition” and bridging the gap between large and small businesses. Last year’s event had fireside chats, group discussions, and a pitch competition, where attendees presented ideas to a panel of judges. It’s a great conference for business owners who are just starting up and need help growing their businesses.
6. Annual America’s SBDC Conference
Date: Sept 2nd – Sept 5th
Location: Orlando, Florida
Price: TBD
This conference is hosted by America’s SBDC or America’s Small Business Development Center. As you might have guessed, it focuses on business development, providing small business leaders with the information and skills needed to train new employees. You must be an SBDC member to join as an attendee, or you can sponsor the event and host your own exhibit.
No speakers have been named for 2025 yet. But last year, over 130 workshops were available, and keynote speakers included Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, founders of Elf on a Shelf.
7. The Business Show
Date: Oct 22nd – Oct 23rd
Location: Los Angeles
Price: Free to Attend
For over 20 years, The Business Show has helped entrepreneurs and small business owners build their dream businesses from the ground up. There are masterclasses hosted by industry experts, speed networking events, and speakers from companies like IBM, NASA, and Google.
If you can’t attend the Los Angeles event, you can also attend the Miami conference May 7-8, which offers the same benefits and sessions as the LA event. Both conferences are free, so they’re great if you live in these areas and can take some time out of your schedule to attend.
8. Brandweek
Date: November 1st
Location: TBD
Price: $1599 for Single In-Person Pass, $279 for Virtual Pass
Brandweek is hosted by Adweek, an online publication that covers marketing topics for small- and medium-sized businesses. This event brings business leaders together and inspires creativity by sharing ideas from experts in different industries.
Last year, over 100 speakers from companies like Toast, Mastercard, and the NAACP were present, and there were events like dinners and parties where business owners could network.
Adweek also hosts a conference called “Social Media Week” in May. It’s a great event for people who want to learn about social media trends and what their brand can do to grow their following online. The speakers for that conference include Katherine Chan, Head of Social Media at Duolingo, and Taylor Montgomery, CMO of Taco Bell.
9. World Business Forum
Date: Nov 5th – Nov 6th
Location: New York City, New York
Price: $3990 for Membership Gold pass, $4990 for Membership Platinum pass
The World Business Forum hosts some of the most notable entrepreneurs and business leaders within their industries. Last year’s keynote speaker was Francis Ford Coppola, a famous Hollywood director who has won five Academy Awards. This year, you can listen to talks from Simone Biles, Seth Godin, Brene Brown, and more.
Your ticket purchase includes a membership to the World Business Forum. It gives you access to more than 300 hours of educational content and the ability to watch WBF events on demand around the world.
This is an excellent event if you want to learn from the best, but it might be more challenging to network if you only attend the speaking sessions. If you want to create partnerships and share products with potential customers, you might want to consider another event on this list.
10. Global Entrepreneurship Week
Date: Nov 17th – Nov 23th
Location: Multiple Cities
Price: Varies by Event
Global Entrepreneurship Week, or GEW, is celebrated in over 180 countries. It’s not a singular event, but rather a series of activities that small business owners can participate in to network and grow their businesses.
Any person or business can participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week. We recommend checking out the website for new updates and bookmarking events like USASBE and the Startup World Cup Championship.
Best Entrepreneur Conferences for 2025
If you’re an entrepreneur or independent retailer, you may be looking for networking events to help you grow your business. Here are two of the best entrepreneur conferences for 2025.
11. SXSW
Date: Mar 7th – Mar 15th
Location: Austin, Texas
Price: $795 for Music Badge, $1195 for Film & TV Badge, $1395 for Interactive Badge, $1895 for Platinum Badge
South by Southwest (SXSW) is a very popular event that you’ll want to put on your radar for 2025. It’s more than just a music festival. It’s an annual event that attracts world-famous entrepreneurs across several industries and is renowned for its speakers, sessions, and events. There are also awards for innovation and pitches, and this year’s conference features speeches from Amy Webb, Laurie Santos, and Douglas Rushkoff.
12. Main Street Now Conference
Date: April 7th – April 9th
Location: Philidelphia, Pennsylvania
Price: $655 for Early Bird pass, $755 for Regular pass, $775 for On-site pass
The Main Street Now Conference is a networking and educational event for small business owners. It features speaking sessions, mobile workshops, and peer-to-peer learning that covers topics like work-life balance and sustainability. It’s a noteworthy conference for busy entrepreneurs who suffer from hustle culture and could benefit from learning about healthy working habits.
What are business conferences?
A business conference is an event where business owners can connect with other entrepreneurs and learn how to improve their businesses. They typically include speaking sessions, educational workshops, and networking events like meals, meet-and-greets, mentorships, and more.
If you’ve never attended a small business conference, we highly recommend you give one of these events a chance. You’ll learn valuable skills and connect with other people who are experiencing the same obstacles that you are. Even if you don’t make a sale or close a deal, you’ll gain valuable insight to help you manage your business.
Best Conferences for Small Business Owners in 2025
Still unsure which conference to pick? Here’s a quick breakdown of the best conferences for small business owners based on different categories:
- Best Conferences for Entrepreneurs: SXSW, Main Street Now Conference
- Best Conferences for Networking: 2025 National Small Business Conference, CommBank SmallBiz Week
- Best Small Business Expos and Conventions: Small Business Expo, Brandweek
Learn, Network, Grow
There are three reasons to attend a business conference: to learn, to network, and to grow. You’ll gain valuable insights from business leaders, network with other small business owners, and obtain the tools and knowledge needed to take your company to the next level.
Bookmark this list so you know when each event is this year and use the information above to choose the right conferences for your business.
