With the rapid evolution of technology and social media, keeping  up with changing marketing and PR trends can be a full- time job. Lucky for us, there are some great conferences in Toronto that will  update us on the latests and greatest in the PR and marketing fields.  So, if you are looking to brush up on some of your skills, here are our top conference picks for 2014:

Social Media Marketing Conference | April 29, 2014

Social media evolves at such a quick pace it makes it very difficult for companies to keep up with changing platforms. The Social Media Marketing Conference, provides insight into the social media world and how companies are diversifying their interaction with audiences.

Digital Media Summit | May 7, 2014

If you are into social media or digital marketing, this is the conference for you. Focusing on the digital side of branding and marketing, the Digital Media Summit introduces ideas that are hugely relevant to today’s changing media environment. Featured speakers include: Umang Shah (Director, Social Strategy, Walmart), Mike Tippet (Hootsuite) and Creighton Burke (VP, Mobile Strategy, Live Nation)

The Art of Marketing | May 28, 2014

With guest speakers including: Malcolm Gladwell, Marc Ecko, Denise Lee Yohn, Matthew Dixon and Scott Stratten; this years conference is sure to be an educational one. Taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this one-day event brings together some of the most renowned thought leaders in the marketing business.

Ideacity | June 18-20, 2014

This three-day Conference is ram packed full of thought provoking idea makers. Ideacity brings 50 of the most creative minds together to present to a highly engaged audience. Past speakers include: Jake Andraka (6-year-old cancer researcher), Carl Dietrich (inventor of a flying car) and Joseph Coughlin (Director of MIT’s AgeLab).

(Image Courtesy of Blissdom)

As PR pros, we’re always looking for chances to learn new techniques and embrace the changes digital innovation is bringing to our industry. There are many opportunities to attend networking events and listen to industry leaders speak on a variety of communication topics. Here at EDPR, we value the educational aspect of many of the wonderful conferences that occur every year in Toronto, so much so that we thought we would take a minute and share our top picks with you!

Marketing Magazine’s Data Driven Marketing Conference (August 20, 2013)

Providing information for businesses to stay competitive in today’s market. This one-day conference will have you hearing from industry leaders and examining a variety of case studies.

Register here.

Incentive Works 2013 (August 20 + 21)

Does event planning fall under your job duties? For those PR pros who also plan events, there will be workshops available to those who want to learn the newest trends in event planning, improve skills and learn from industry experts.

Register here.

BlissDom Canada 2013 (October 3-5, Mississauga, ON)

Bringing together bloggers, social media specialists, relevant brands and agencies to engage in a conversation on new ways to connect, create and up their game using social media. You’ll be able to catch the EDPR team here for the entirety of the conference – be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay in touch!

Register here.

Public Sector For Social Media 2013 (November 5-6, Ottawa, ON)

Okay, so maybe this doesn’t fall under Toronto, but Ottawa is not too far away! This conference focuses on the rapid growth social media has had over communication in today’s work space. Here, you can use expert advice on how to start, grow and maintain your social media strategy.

Register  here.

Mesh Marketing Conference (November 7, 2013)

meshmarketing is the place to interact with digital marketing thought leaders, connect with peers and prospects, and get a better understanding of the impact new developments are having on your strategy, business and job. Get ready to explore topics such as content marketing, Website optimization, social marketing and digital tools.

Register here.

Here’s some screen grabs of my insights so far. I always take notes at conferences via twitter – that way I’ll always have them, and they’re shared with all my followers so they can learn along with me!

Amber Mac speaks of her childhood

Amber showed a cool video of her young son playing angry birds before being able to speak!

Great suggestion

More to come later, it’s almost time for the next set of speakers to hit the stage.

Click here to see a quick video about the conference.

There’s many reasons why going to industry events is (and continues to be) important. No matter how many articles you read in a day, and how many blogs you follow – there’s immeasurable value in networking. I always find it’s great to get perspective on your industry from the true experts and pioneers, and that’s exactly what I plan to do at Social Mix 2012!

The Social Mix speakers I’m most looking forward to are:

Amber Mac (obviously)

• Amber Mac is an internationally known speaker, bestselling social media author, TV host, and entrepreneur. She’s been called “…a leading voice of the Web generation” and “a virtual Swiss Army Knife of networking” and is a highly regarded thought leader in the social media field.

Gary Vaynerchuk

• Gary Vaynerchuk is a 36 year old New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-Selling author, wine entrepreneur, and social media expert. Gary launched Winelibrary.com in 1997, helping to grow his family’s wine business from $3 million to $45 million by 2005. He continued to break ground in the often haughty wine world, creating Wine Library TV in 2006, and gaining 100,000 viewers a day with his irreverent humour and everyman wine reviews.

and Gini Dietrich

• Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communication firm. She also is the founder of the professional development site for PR and marketing pros, Spin Sucks Pro, and co-author of Marketing In the Round.

All bio/pictures are from http://socialmix2012.com/speakers.html

The topics being covered over the course of the day at the Royal York are vast, and promise to be informative! From blogging, business, sales and social – there’s plenty to be learned, and so much to expand on. With the digital landscape constantly changing  – it’s always great to gather together with like-minded people, and share our industry knowledge.

To grab a ticket to Social Mix on July 26, 2012 (they’re $299) click here.

Are you going to Social Mix? Tell me in the comments!