These 5 Tech Conferences Will Let You See the World Feel like some international travel? Check out the following shows taking place this year in Sydney, Vienna and more.
By Meredith Fineman Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Welcome to 2016. As you plan your year, a huge part of being an entrepreneur or part of a startup is figuring out if and how you will get to conferences to make connections and learn more about business, entrepreneurship, technology and beyond. In the third year of this piece (2014: influencers, 2015: what's worth the money), I asked: What conferences will let me see the world?
While an international conference isn't a traditional move, learning a foreign city is just as rewarding, challenging and valuable as meeting people and listening to talks at a conference. For the following, you might need some airline miles -- but it could open your eyes in a way that a domestic conference cannot.
Related: Why Many Tech Execs Are Skipping the Consumer Electronics Show
1. May 24 to May 26: C2MTL
Where: Montreal
Cost: $2,695.
What it is: "C2 Montréal is an immersive three-day event that appeals as much to the left half of your brain as it does to the right through a vast array of non-traditional experiences. World-renowned speakers, interactive exhibits, collaborative workshops and a collective experience all take place within a custom-designed Innovation Village built exclusively for the event by C2 Montréal."
2. August: Wired For Wonder
Where: 2015 was in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia
Cost: TBD
What it is: "At Wired for Wonder, we explore polar opposites. We bring together seemingly unrelated concepts. We create cognitive dis-inhibition. We provoke thought. We encourage convergent and divergent thinking. This year we will explore in and out. We will move beyond the boundaries. Explore within. Inside and out. Intrinsic and extrinsic. Inner and outer. Inside our minds, outside our worlds. Inside ourselves, outside the lines. Take a look inside -- are things what they appeared on the outside? Take a look outside, what discoveries are impacting you. Come and discover. We will again bring together storytellers, dreamers, doers, artists, musicians, technologists, writers, scientists -- to learn, to grow, to connect dots in different ways. We will explore the concept of in and out across technology, life, business, science and awe. Come wonder with us."
Related: 15 Conference Travel Tips to Reduce Stress and Save Time and Money
3. Feb. 9 to 12: Webstock
Where: Wellington, New Zealand
Cost: $1,395 until Jan. 23 for the main conference
What it is: "Webstock '16 will be a time to look at the challenges overcome, those we've still to face and the opportunities we have to make the web and the products and services we work on better. The golden central X marks both our 10th edition and our evolution from an event with origins in the web standards movement to our place and purpose now at the intersection of business, technology, design and culture."
4. Sept. 25 to 29: DLD Tel Aviv Digital Conference
Where: Tel Aviv, Israel
Cost: $1,844.44 until Jan. 31 for the early-bird discount
What it is: "With more than 4,000 people last year, the DLD Innovation Festival is back ! DLD Tel Aviv Digital Conference is Israel's largest international hi-tech gathering, featuring hundreds of startups, venture capitalists, angel investors and leading multinationals. Boasting top technological talent, the highest venture capital investments per capita and multi-national centers for industry leaders such as Intel, Google, Microsoft, Kimberly Clark, Amazon, GM, Amdocs, Facebook and more, Tel Aviv is the best location to get up close and personal with the entire hi-tech hub!"
5. May 24 to 25: Pioneers Festival 2016
Where: Vienna
Cost: Depends on how much you've fundraised, and then costs range from 0 to 1,195 euro. Application process.
What it is: "Pioneers Festival is the major event for future technologies and entrepreneurship. Join the juried and strictly limited community of 2,500 like-minded pioneers and build relationships that matter with startup founders, executives, investors and international media in a unique setting."
