As a premier branding and marketing agency, nothing gets our juices flowing every year like exploring the nation’s top creative conferences. If you’re looking for your next creative infusion or want to find new ways to inspire yourself and your team, you’ll want to bookmark this list. We’ve compiled 10 of the best creative conferences in the nation that are sure to inspire imagination and innovation in 2023. Enjoy!
SXSW – Design Track
March 10-14
Austin, TX
sxsw.com/conference/design
While SXSW is not your typical design conference, their design track is a great way to start thinking about how design can help society achieve important goals. Learn how creatives build intentional physical, digital, and virtual spaces through thoughtful design.
Creative South
March 30 – April 1
Columbus, GA
creativesouth.com
Creative South boasts “collaboration, exploration, and lots of spectacular nonsense.” Doesn’t that sound fun? Don’t miss out on an entertaining weekend filled with creative thinking, lots of southern hospitality, and fellowship.
Crop
April 20-23
Austin, TX
cropcons.com
Crop is a 2-day experience celebrating all things creative including art, music, and design. You can expect lots of good vibes, workshops, keynote talks, parties, and more!
HOW Design Live
June 5-7
Nashville, TN
howdesignlive.com
In its 33rd year, HOW Design Live is a staple in the creative industry. Here you’ll find not only inspiration, but also concrete, applicable advice to take your design to the next level. Their website says it best: “HOW Design Live offers the creative inspiration to refuel your passion combined with the practical knowledge you need to achieve and advance in your career through incredible breakout sessions, keynotes, and workshops.”
Creative Pro Week
June 5–9
Phoenix, AZ
creativeproweek.com/savethedate2023
Creative Pro Week is the perfect opportunity to build your design skills and master industry tools through how-to workshops and tutorials. This conference will touch on a broad scope of topics: layout, image editing, illustration, retouching, design, production, and publishing.
Circles Conference
September 6-8
Grapevine, TX
circlesconference.com/#Experience
Are you ready to rediscover the world of design? During the three-day Circles Conference, you will be empowered through action-driven resources, inspiring speakers, creative connections, and like-minded innovators to get your creative juices flowing with fresh new ideas.
AIGA Design Conference
October 12–14
New York City
aiga.org/design/aiga-design-conference
AIGA is a hub for thought leaders in the design industry, and their conference is where it all comes together. AIGA’s conference features three days of cutting-edge keynote speakers, energizing breakout sessions, workshops and more. Big Apple, here we come!
Adobe MAX
While Adobe MAX hasn’t yet announced their 2023 date, their conference is impressive to both junior attendees and seasoned professionals. 2022 featured over 200 speakers, sessions, and workshops showcasing hundreds of inspiring creatives. We can’t wait to see what they have in store for this year!
Brand New
TBD
underconsideration.com/brandnewconference
Brand New Conference is a “two-day event on corporate and brand identity with some of today’s most active and influential practitioners from around the world.” We can’t forget their 2022 branding, which presented bold, responsive typography paired with eye-catching colors. We’re excited to see what forward thinking ideas and designs they present in 2023!
Design Camp MN
TBD
Minneapolis, MN
aigamndesigncamp.org
Design Camp MN has been a staple for AIGA members since the 1980s, but this longtime event hasn’t lost its spark! Design Camp MN is an approachable and inspiring event featuring “creative leaders at the forefront of the most pressing and provocative topics impacting design.” While they haven’t released dates for 2023, Design Camp MN normally takes place around October.
That’s a wrap! Did you go to any of the conferences on our 2022 list? Are there conferences you’d add to our 2023 list? Send us a note and let us know.