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Top 5 Must-Attend Events for Startups Gain actionable insights and network with brilliant minds at these upcoming conferences and summits.

By Jennifer Spencer

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Luis Alvarez | Getty Images

While startup life presents many hurdles, it's perfectly possible for goals to be achieved at an accelerated rate upon gaining the right insights from the right people and implementing them the right way. It all starts by expanding your social circle and making connections with people who've achieved the goals you're trying to reach.

Events, conferences, summits and expos oriented toward startups serve as a great starting point. It's empowering to hear experts speak on their path to accomplishment, and their actionable insights might provide shortcuts that spare your team from having to learn things the hard way. Plus, the networking opportunies are priceless.

Here's a list of some of the top events for startups that are absolutely worth attending in 2020.

Related: 6 Tactics to Get Through Networking Events

Stacking Growth Summit, April 29, Los Angeles

This summit culls some of business's greatest minds to share the secrets behind their success. Participating brands have included Nike, GUESS, Disney, TikTok, Under Armour, ABC, Twitch and Marvel, so attendees can expect a glittering list of speakers.

Stacking Growth also hosts a series of smaller marketing events across cities such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle, all of which I have found are just as impactful as the national summit itself.

You can follow along on social media here: https://www.instagram.com/stackingrowth/.

Startup Grind, February 11-12, Silicon Valley

As a key part of educating, inspiring and connecting more than two million entrepreneurs across hundreds of chapters worldwide, global startup community Startup Grind stafes events like this annual conference, during which founders, innovators, educators and investors behind most every industry share insights and lessons learned on the road to building great companies.

You can follow along on social media here: https://www.instagram.com/startup/.

GrowthHackers Conference, June 4, San Francisco

While most events of this type typically run for a few days, the GrowthHackers conference spans the course of a single, full day, attacting professionals and entrepreneurs who are looking to push the boundaries of innovation. At previous GrowthHackers conferences, I've been able to glean perspective from an outstanding lineup of speakers hailing from some of today's fastest-growing companies.

You can follow along on social media here: https://www.instagram.com/growthhackershq/.

ScaleUp Summit, May 5-7, Dallas

The ScaleUp Summit is best suited for business owners who are interested in learning how to grow their companies over the course of two intensivedays. Speakers include executives and their team members, as well as award-winning authors who arrive ready to reveal tips and tricks for nailing and scaling by way of conscientious leadership, marketing, sales, operations and finance strategies. I particularly enjoy ScaleUp because of its focus on fast-growing, mid-market firms through interactive learning, networking and idea-generation sessions.

You can follow along on social media here: https://www.facebook.com/scalingupgazelles/.

Related: 13 Upcoming Conferences Every Serious Entrepreneur Should Attend

Collision, June 22-25, Toronto

With past tallies of more than 30,000 attendees, Collision -- now in its seventh year -- is one of the fastest-growing tech conferences in North America. And in my experience, their stages offer something for everyone, covering topics ranging from data science and content to autotech and environmental sustainability.

You can follow along on social media here: https://www.instagram.com/collisionconfhq/.

It's never too soon, or too late, to sign up for any or all of the above and fast-track your business for a booming year ahead.


Jennifer Spencer

CEO of Energent Media

Jennifer Spencer is the founder of Energent Media, a digital marketing firm for tech startups. She is passionate about helping brands leverage content to share their stories with the world.

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