Pubcon has been a leading digital marketing conference for over 16 years now, offering marketers plenty of opportunities to grow, learn, and network. It’s the type of conference that combines the very best in online marketing, social media, and SEO to attendees from over 130 different countries.

This year will be especially great for Pubcon attendees as the conference grows in attendance and content. Read on and discover why Pubcon is a must-attend event this fall.

The Sessions Are Jam-Packed 

The speakers at Pubcon know their stuff. Months and months of preparation go into each panel to craft a thoughtful, educational, and inspirational presentation for attendees. This year is heavily focused on optimization, covering mobile, social, and SEO. Focusing on optimization this year is key as digital marketing campaigns continue to innovate themselves with mobile and require more optimization.

Photo Credit: Pubcon Facebook 

The Attendees Represent All Types of Marketers

Each year you’re guaranteed to run into Pubcon noobs, veterans, and Pubcon pioneers. It’s a conference that combines the code-obsessed SEO’s, the PPC addicts, and the social media “gurus” under one roof. Attendees come from completely different backgrounds from around the globe, each with unique goals and reasons for attending Pubcon.

Some come just for the great networking and exhibits, while others come for the sessions and to learn new info. Whether you were sent by the company that employs you or you’re representing your own business, each attendee at Pubcon is worth striking up a conversation with and learning their story.  

The U.S. Search Awards is Our Awards Show

This awards ceremony is in it’s fourth year in association with Pubcon and will take place Wednesday, October 12. It’s an evening full of recognition as attendees gather together to honor the biggest names in SEO, PPC, and digital marketing in the U.S. The award categories cover the best of the best displays of digital marketing with categories like the “Best Use of Search for Retail”, “Best Local Campaign”, and “Best Innovative Software”.

Get your smart and glamorous attire laundered and purchase your ticket for this awards ceremony in advance. Each ticket includes a 3-course dinner, a half bottle of wine per person (oh, yeah!), and an open bar until 11:30pm.

The Networking Opportunities Are Unlike Other Conferences

Pubcon is full of networking opportunities, from meeting someone walking down the hall, to introducing yourself to a table of new faces at Monday evening’s kick off event. There is an opportunity for networking all day everyday during Pubcon. With so many different ways to meet new friends in the industry, make sure to always have a business card handy, with plenty of extras in your back pocket.

The Pubcon Labs Provide an Intimate Way to Ask Questions

These peer-to-peer discussions give attendees the opportunity to ask as many questions as they can in 20 minutes in a private setting. Located in the expo hall, chose a topic that jumps out to you from the session list, sit across from an experienced speaker, and start asking away!

Pubcon Labs is only available to gold and platinum pass holders and is reserved on a first-come basis.

The Masters Group Training is Mind Blowing 

Get hands on experience with this optional add-on full of workshops led by some of the top speakers at Pubcon. This year there will be seven workshop tracks covering everything from organic traffic optimization to social media advertising. Two of the newest workshops that were added to this year’s itinerary feature Google Adwords automation, psychographic targeting and neuromarketing.

This is a limited-attendance day so be sure and add on the Masters Group Training to your registration in order to take advantage of these workshops:

• SEO: ORGANIC TRAFFIC OPTIMIZATION
• SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS
• ADWORDS PPC / PAID SEARCH
• SEO: FUNDAMENTALS
• SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
• ADWORDS AUTOMATION
• PSYCHOGRAPHIC TARGETING & NEUROMARKETING

Product Launches Are Almost Guaranteed to Happen

You never know when a product launch or big update is going to take place, but most likely at least one will happen during Pubcon Las Vegas. Don’t think of this as a bad thing, though. Your clients may be calling you in a panic, everyone from the office won’t stop emailing you, you’ll be among hundreds of other digital marketers impacted by the change or update, too. Can you say.. brainstorming sesh?!

In the past, Business Pages for Google Plus and Disavow Tool were both launched during Pubcon.  

“We launched Google Plus Pages For Businesses just earlier at Pubcon on Monday,” Google head quality control engineer and webspam team leader Matt Cutts told Pubcon audiences during his keynote address.

Although most of your day is going to be busy and somewhat overloaded with new information, keep your eye out and be on the lookout for new industry updates announced on Twitter.

The Get-Together at Señor Frog’s #bethere

One of our favorite networking opportunities is at Pubcon’s official networking event. As always, this event is held Tuesday evening at Señor Frog’s Restaurant & Bar at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Year after year, this event remains one of my most favorite parts of Pubcon.

Not only is the food great, the atmosphere is chatty, and the drinks are pouring, but this end of day event is an opportunity to sit in a room among some of the industry’s best. Take advantage of this event and strike up a conversation with one of your favorite panelists.

Here are the details for this must attend Pubcon party:

The Keynotes Are Incredible

As always, the keynotes at Pubcon are worth the trip itself. Each keynote is not only well known and recognized in our industry, but is chalk full of new and innovative ideas to keep us digital marketers inspired. Start each day off by catching one of the 7 keynotes:

SCOTT STRATTEN

Stratten, with more than 181,000 avid followers on Twitter, is known as a leader in the viral, social, and authentic marketing framework he calls Un-Marketing, and he’s set to deliver an insightful and energetic kick-off keynote presentation during the conference.

If you’ve never experienced a keynote address by author and top Twitter influencer Scott Stratten, founder and president at Un-Marketing, you’re in for a treat at Pubcon Las Vegas 2016, where Stratten will deliver a major kick-off keynote in his uniquely energetic and information-packed style.

DEBRA JASPER

Jasper is an international keynote speaker who specializes in helping business leaders take advantage of powerful new platforms and visual approaches to engage audiences and build deeper connections.

Thousands of people from across the United States are enrolled in her firm’s highly visual, online courses in LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, SEO, mobile marketing and digital advertising.

BILL HUNT

Search marketing expert Bill Hunt, president at Back Azimuth Consulting and last year’s U.S. Search Awards lifetime achievement award winner, will also present a major keynote address during Pubcon Las Vegas 2016.

Hunt has developed global search strategies for brands such as IBM, P&G, Nestle, Dell, HP, Cisco, Absolut Vodka and many other global brands, and will be delivering his first Pubcon keynote address.

ROBERT SCOBLE

Scoble is a technology geek who grew up in Silicon Valley, and since 1985 he has been building online communities. In 2000 Scoble started his technology blog, Scobleizer.com, and his life has been on a rocket-ship ever since.

During Pubcon Las Vegas 2016 Scoble will deliver a keynote address, “Beyond Mobile,” featuring the latest insights from one of the leading voices in virtual reality and augmented reality technology.

GARY ILLYES

At Google Illyes is dedicated to creating a better search experience for users by helping webmasters create amazing websites, and during his Pubcon Las Vegas 2016 keynote Illyes will his share his always fresh and thorough take on the industry.

“Pubcon Las Vegas 2016 attendees can look forward to Google’s Gary Illyes presenting an important industry keynote this October 10 – 13 at the Las Vegas Convention Center,” Pubcon founder and chief executive Brett Tabke said.

JIM LOUDERBACK

Louderback is a recognized thought leader who has participated in industry events including Collision, The Video Marketing Summit, Digital Leaders San Francisco, and Reel Online Video Marketing Summit, among others. Louderback is based in San Francisco.

Louderback is among the most respected figures in digital media, with a twenty-year history of leadership at the intersection of publishing and technology, and during his Pubcon Las Vegas 2016 keynote he’ll share his always insightful take on the industry.

SCOTT MONTY

Scott Monty Strategies is a consultancy for brands and agencies on communications and marketing strategy, influencer management, the customer experience, and digital transformation initiatives.
Monty was ranked by The Economist as number one atop the list of 25 Social Business Leaders and by Forbes as one of the top 10 influencers in social media. Alan Mulally, the CEO of Ford Motor Company, called him “a visionary.”

Need even more convincing? Follow along in the official Pubcon Group on Facebook!