15 Best Sales Conferences to Attend

By: | Updated: November 06, 2022

Here is our list of the top sales conferences.

Sales conferences are events where salespeople learn up-to-date tactics and strategies to improve sales. In addition, a sales conference is a great place to meet and network with sales representatives from other organizations and industries. Examples include INBOUND, OutBound, and The Sales Enablement Summit. These events aim to share new ideas on sales and expose your team to new products, services, and skills.

Sales conferences are large scale sales meetings and are similar to marketing conferences and leadership conferences. These events are important for professional development.

This list includes:

  • tech sales conferences
  • sales seminars
  • sales enablement conferences
  • retail sales conferences
  • sales and marketing conferences
  • sales leadership conferences

Let’s get to it!

List of top sales conferences

Beyond learning and meeting industry leaders, sales conferences are also a great place to network and meet top sales talent. In all, the goal remains to achieve better results through sales. Here are the best conferences for sales your team should attend.

1. Gartner CSO and Sales Leader Conference

The research and advisory company Gartner Inc organizes this three-day conference in different cities annually. The conference targets sales leaders, Chief Sales Officers (CSOs), and other top sales executives.

This conference, led by Garner experts, will equip your team with actionable steps and practical insights to increase annual revenue. The conference will expose your team to proven ways to acquire and grow your customer base using different channels. The event aims to convert your retail staff into sales experts.

Attending this gathering can improve your sales strategy in the ever-evolving world of sales and help your team remain at the forefront of digital business transformation and customer analytics.

Participants in the conference also gain access to new sales tools developed by Gartner’s research network. The Gartner CSO and Sales Leader Conference is an in-person conference with the option to join virtually.

Learn more about Gartner CSO and sales leader conference.

2. INBOUND

INBOUND is the annual sales conference hosted by one of the biggest business software companies, Hubspot. The gathering boasts an impressive list of speakers every year and allows you to network with and learn from the brightest minds in sales, marketing, and revenue operations. Forbes described the INBOUND conference as one not to miss.

Former speakers include award-winning Viola Davis, Spotify’s advertising business officer Dawn Ostroff, and former president Barrack Obama. INBOUND keeps you up-to-date with the latest sales trends and growth strategies while inspiring your sales representatives to operate with empathy and enterprise.

INBOUND is a four-day event conference in Boston, Massachusetts, with the option to join virtually. Different types of passes are available for the INBOUND conference at different prices. The digital pass for teams is free, while the Powerhouse digital pass comes at a fee. The in-person and VIP passes are usually the most expensive.

Learn more about INBOUND.

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3. OutBound

Sales leaders and authors Anthony Iannorino, Mike Weinberg, Mark Hunter, and Jeb Blount organize this conference. Happening annually in Atlanta, OutBound is a five-day conference that attracts over 2,000 sales professionals and hosts 40 speakers. OutBound is a combination of workshops, training, and panel discussions of highly respected sales experts, which aim to help you improve your outbound selling strategies.

The three major focal points explored in OutBound are enhancing sales prospecting, increasing pipeline generation, and boosting productivity. OutBound is an excellent place for your team to learn, recharge and upskill. Keynote speakers include Jon Gordon, Cynthia Barnes, and Amy Franko. OutBound combines physical attendance with virtual.

Learn more about OutBound.

4. Dreamforce

Dreamforce is one of the biggest business conferences in the world, hosting over 170,000 business professionals each year in San Francisco for a combined learning experience. Dreamforce is bigger than a sales conference because it hosts thought leaders in sales, entertainment, and politics to discuss technology.

Dreamforce is a combination of workshops and panels where professionals from different sectors highlight the impact of technology. The professionals discuss the influences on consumer behavior, sales, and marketing. Dreamforce was established in 2003 by Salesforce. The conference is a great place to access educational content, network with professionals from different industries, and enjoy good entertainment.

Former keynote speakers include former vice president Al Gore, CEO Marc Benioff, and actor Will Smith. Famous bands like Metallica and other famous artists perform at the conference. Dreamforce is a physical event, but you can join the stream on the organizer’s website Salesforce+.

Learn more about Dreamforce.

5. Seismic Shift

Seismic Shift is a highly anticipated sales conference for sales and marketing professionals. Seismic, a sales enablement platform, hosts this three-day program. The event has over 45 sessions and dozens of speakers. The speakers discuss sales innovation topics such as using storytelling to improve customer engagement and retention.

Thought leaders from global technology companies like Seismic, Deloitte, Intel, Microsoft, and IBM will be available to train your team. Previous speakers include Seismic Chief product Officer Krish Mantripragada and 3x Paralympic Medalist Amy Purdy.

The insights from Seismic Shift’s innovative conversations can give your team the new insights they need to inspire the organization’s future. Seismic Shift takes a hands-on approach to sales innovation in a fun and collaborative environment. Seismic Shift happens annually in San Diego, California, and is a hybrid program.

Learn more about Seismic Shift.

6. Sales Enablement Summit

The Sales Enablement Summit is a robust two-day conference that will help you to develop an effective sales strategy that keeps consumers engaged. The conference is geared towards senior sales leaders but poses an opportunity to develop your sales reps and managers at all levels. With over 300 attendees and dozens of speakers, the Sales Enablement Summit presents a chance to connect and network with senior managers across over 150 organizations.

Previous speakers at this conference include senior executives and chief revenue officers from Ring, Pandora, SAP, Shopify, Cisco, and Slack. The conference, organized by Sales Enablement World, occurs in over six cities in the United States, including San Francisco, New York, Austin, and Chicago. The conference also holds in Sydney, Toronto, London, Amsterdam, Singapore, and other major global cities.

Sales Enablement Summit is one of the widest-reaching sales conferences in the world that offers interactive sessions, keynote speeches, and in-depth discussions. You can attend this conference virtually or in person by choosing the city of your choice. This program has four levels of passes, including a Team Pass, a Gold Pass, and a Platinum pass.

Learn more about Sales Enablement Summit.

7. Tenbound Sales Development Summit

The Tenbound Sales Development Summit is a one-day conference that brings together household names in sales to discuss the industry’s future. With more than ten packed sessions, your team can learn how to align B2B sales and marketing with your company’s strategy. You will also learn how to harness the power of artificial intelligence in prospecting, pipeline planning, and positioning for sustainability. Salespeople cannot overemphasize data-driven strategies and analysis due to the ever-evolving nature of sales.

The conference employs a practical approach to tackling issues such that your teammates know what to do when faced with them. Previous keynote speakers include senior managers of sales development, heads of customer success, and vice presidents of marketing and market development. The Tenbound Sales Development Summit is an in-person conference with periodic virtual conferences held throughout the year.

Learn more about Tenbound Sales Development Summit.

8. Surf and Sale Summit

The Surf and Sale Summit brings a new twist to sales conferences. Unlike other conferences that happen in conference halls within commercial hubs, this conference takes place on the beach.

Founder and author Scott Leese and sales trainer and consultant Richard Harris organize this fun event. This conference holds on the beaches of Playa Grande resort in Costa Rica.

A small gathering brings a sense of intimacy to the conference, where participants spend at least five hours in sales training daily. With zip lining, surfing, exquisitely cooked meals, and barbeque, Surf and Sale summit is a great place to network and build lasting relationships.

If you are an open-minded sales executive looking to have an adventurous yet impactful company retreat, then this is the summit for you. This summit holds two sessions that run concurrently for five days each.

Learn more about Surf and Sale Summit.

9. Sales Leadership Summit

Organized by the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, The Sales Leadership Summit is an excellent place for every member of your team to learn critical skills. This conference explores the innovations, tools, and resources you need to upskill your sales team, from managers to sales executives.

The three-day conference incorporates panels, workshops, and breakout sessions to share ideas on critical topics. Sales Leadership Summit is an in-person conference that holds in Chicago, Illinois, with the option for virtual participation.

Learn more about the Sales Leadership Summit.

10. RevGen Digital Summit

Hosted by software company, Salesloft, RevGen is the conference with an impressive lineup of 70 leaders in sales. Former keynote speakers include VP & General Manager of AE Solutions, Frank Dale, and Sneha Subramanian, a Data Scientist.

Hosted online in the San Francisco and virtually, this conference is a great way to network with industry thought leaders. The forum deals with pivotal issues like lead generation, sales curation, customer attraction, and success. Evolving your sales process to accommodate super-personalized customer experience is a key focus of the RevGen Digital Summit.

Learn more about the RevGen Digital Summit.

11. SaaStr Annual Summit

SaaStr is the biggest conference for professionals in the SaaS industry. The conference hosts over 10,000 top Cloud and SaaS executives and investors for three days. There are over 150 workshops and over 1000 networking sessions which would enable your team to connect with renowned speakers and SaaS innovators. The conference aims to help SaaS professionals scale their businesses faster and position themselves so their customers can easily find their solutions.

SaaStr holds in San Francisco, CA, in a festival style, making the conference a good combination of learning, networking, and fun. Previous keynote speakers include Ben Chestnut, CEO of Mailchimp; Brad Hoover, CEO of Grammarly; Kate Ahlering, CRO of Calendly; and Ashley Kramer, CMO & CSO of GitLab.

Your team can participate in small group meetings or tactical sessions during the day and unwind at nightly parties. The conference is an excellent opportunity for B2B founders, sales executives, revenue leaders, or investors.

Learn more about the Sales Leadership Summit.

12. Sistas In Sales Summit

The Sistas in Sales summit is explicitly for women of color in the sales industry. The conference’s goal is to create a platform where women from this group can meet and share career advice. Sistas in Sales founder Chantel George organizes this conference in Queens, NY.

Sistas in Sales’ workshops and panels discuss topical issues such as emotional intelligence, physical wellness, managing finances, upskilling, and networking.

Previous keynote speakers include multi-award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson and Cassandra Johnson, VP of Customer Care, Vendor Management Office for Google Devices & Services. Sistas in Sales summit boasts a long list of influential executives from Motive, Slack, Ralph Lauren, Palo Alto Networks, TikTok, and Forbes.

Sistas in Sales is a physical conference with two grades of passes, namely General Admissions Pass and VIP Access. If you have women of color on your team, then this conference is an excellent opportunity to facilitate learning and community.

Learn more about the Sistas in Sales Summit.

13. LeadsCon

LeadsCon is where sales professionals go to learn from top-performance marketers. The conference combines learning, networking, and fun. Your team can learn valuable lessons on how to be effective in your campaigns and get more leads by leveraging new technology.

The conference hosts expert speakers that delve into attracting and improving customers’ experience using artificial intelligence, social media, and machine learning. There are multiple networking sessions, as well as parties for professional synergy. This conference is for marketers and sales professionals who want to learn more about direct-response marketing.

Learn more about LeadsCon.

14. Sales Success Summit

Sales Success Summit is the conference that brings seasoned sales professionals together to learn the most coveted sales strategies. Holding in Austin, TX, the two-day summit boasts of hosting the top 1% of sales experts and revenue executives.

Former keynote speakers include Briana Stimmler, Digital Sales representative at Microsoft, Jheryn Kenney, Key account manager at LinkedIn, and Evan Kelsay, Senior director of global accounts at seismic software. The list of speakers and panelists includes sales professionals from a wide range of industries discussing pipeline planning, complex deal management, and personal branding for sales professionals.

Scott Ingram of Sales Success Media organizes this event as an offshoot of the Sales Success Stories podcast. Sales Success Summit is a great way to improve your company’s sales by developing the team. This conference is available for in-person or virtual attendance.

Learn more about the Sales Success Summit.

15. Unleash

Powered by Outreach, Unleash is a hyper-hybrid conference focusing on how customers make buying decisions as the industry evolves. Hosted in a luxurious spa on a private island, Unleash is your team’s opportunity to escape, unwind and learn. The conference brings together sales leaders and professionals worldwide to learn and sharpen their sales and leadership skills.

Outreach also hosts sales execution seminars in major cities around the world. With in-house keynote speakers from Outreach and external speakers like the principal analyst at Forrester, Head of EMEA at Canva, and new business lead at Reddit.

Learn more about Unleash.

Conclusion

Conferences are a great way to get your team out of the monotony of office work and into the world. You should attend regular sales conferences to stay abreast of new trends and innovations in your industry. When choosing a sales conference, you need to know the theme to decide if it is the right fit for your sales team.

There are conferences targeted at retail leaders, female sales personnel, and sales representatives in the information technology sector. Most sales conferences happen annually, with dozens of sales experts and entrepreneurs sharing new ideas and insights. These events occur in physical locations, often with an allowance for virtual participation. The hybrid format means you can join from the comfort of your home while saving costs and time.

Next, check out these sales books and conference breakout session ideas.

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FAQ: Sales conferences

Here are a few common questions and answers about sales conferences.

What are sales conferences?

A sales conference is a series of meetings where sales professionals come together to share ideas about new products, services, and skills that can impact their productivity. Sales conferences expose you to cutting-edge innovations before they become industry standards, giving you a competitive edge.

What do you do at sales conferences?

Sales conferences are for research, learning new sales strategies, and networking. Conferences introduce you to higher learning through breakout sessions, sales skill building, and expert speakers. Hence, it is important to take notes so you can revisit new information and ask questions when you meet the speakers. Networking is also a crucial part of conferences you should not ignore. Other professionals with potentially better solutions than yours are often present and open to discussion.

What are the best sales conferences to attend?

Here is a list of the best sales conferences you and your team should attend:

  • Gartner CSO and sales leader conference
  • INBOUND
  • Dreamforce
  • Seismic Shift
  • SaaStr Annual

These conferences offer some of the best thinkers in the sales industry.

Author avatar

Author:

People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com.
Grace is the Director of People & Culture at teambuilding.com. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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