Whether you're a business owner, executive, or professional looking to boost your visibility and solidify your authority, attending and speaking at the right events can transform your business with leads and referrals. The right stage—whether it’s in front of 10 or 10,000 people—can generate business opportunities, expand your network, and elevate your personal brand. But how exactly do you find those game-changing events?

Below is a breakdown of ways to identify and select the best events to attend or speak at.

Later, if you’d like to take the next step and pitch your speeches to event coordinators, then check out this article, How to Effectively Pitch Yourself for Speaking Engagements But, before you start pitching, let’s explore how to find the events that will make the biggest impact.

Use AI Tools to Find Events

We live in a time where information is just a question away—literally. AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can serve as personal assistants when searching for the right events. All you have to do is ask the right questions.

Prompt #1

“List upcoming conferences in [your industry] between [specific months/year].”

If you don’t specify the date, you might receive results for past events.

Prompt #2

“Give me a list of upcoming conferences for [specific profession] in [specific city or state] with speaking opportunities.”

Location is an important consideration with events. Some people are willing to travel anywhere, while others might prefer to stay closer to home. During my “road warrior” days as a professional speaker, I embraced the hustle of constant travel from Los Angeles to all sorts of cities and towns. Now, living in Austin, I prefer engagements that are either driving distance or a direct flight away from our lil’ airport—a choice that supports not just my business objectives but my chosen life balance as well.

In searching for events by location, you might also consider specific destinations that you could turn into a nice vacation. When I plan my events for the upcoming year, I also do specific searches around cities where my family lives to tack on a visit.

Prompt #3

“What are some events similar to [EVENT NAME] and [EVENT NAME]”

I find this prompt particularly helpful when searching for niche, industry-specific events. This prompt helps me find more independently run retreats, workshops, and mastermind groups. If you know the names of a couple niche, harder-to-find events AI is great at discovering similar gatherings.

Bonus Tip

You might also consider telling the AI the number of results you’re wanting. Depending on the tool you’re using, your initial answer may contain only 3-10 results. I find that asking for 30-50 to be a good range.

After you get your first results, then ask, “Are there any more that you have not included in your initial list(s)?” Feel free to keep asking this question until you start seeing repeated result findings.

Using Google to Find Events to Attend or Speak At

I rarely Google much these days, but I have found it to be a helpful supplement to AI searches. Your Google search will likely reveal a few interesting events that slipped through the AI cracks. A simple search like, “Top conferences for [industry/profession] in [year],” can do the trick. When I did my search for the upcoming year, the second search result was a LinkedIn article published on a week prior from someone sharing their top event picks for B2B Marketing and Sales.

Check Convention Center Calendars in Major Cities

Another option is to look up the calendars for convention centers in cities you want to travel to. Major convention centers host the biggest, most impactful events across all industries - along with smaller corporate and industry-specific events.

Most convention centers will have an events calendar on their site. You can find these calendars by searching for “[city] convention center event calendar.” I recommend making it a habit to check these calendars quarterly or even annually.

Explore Industry Associations – Local, State, and National Chapters

Professional associations host some of the most valuable events because they cater directly to niche industries. Whether it’s a local chapter lunch or a national annual conference, associations are where you’ll find engaged professionals.

Searching AI or Google for “[Target Market] Associations” is easy enough. Depending on your speaking and networking goals, you might narrow your search to “[Target Market] Association [city or state]” to find local chapters for speaking opportunities closer to home or places you simply enjoy traveling to.

Use Event Aggregator Websites to Find Speaking Opportunities

Aggregator websites can be another helpful tool in finding conferences, trade shows, and summits from around the world. These platforms help you filter by date, location, and industry.

Some Platforms to Consider:

• 10times: Global event discovery platform with conferences across industries.
• All Conference Alert: Covers a wide variety of industries and is easy to navigate.
• Conference Monkey: Aggregates conferences, workshops, exhibitions/fairs worldwide.
• Eventbrite: Designed more for finding workshops and smaller events in your local area, some larger events do also use this tool.
• Conal Conference Alerts: Specifically covering academic conferences worldwide, conference themes will cover a wide array topics.

Set Up Google Alerts for Target Markets

By setting up Google Alerts, you can stay updated without having to manually search for events.

Here’s How to Set It Up:

1. Visit Google Alerts.
2. Input keywords like “[industry] conference, summit, event”
3. Choose how often you want to be notified—daily, weekly, or as they happen. (I find weekly perfectly fine.)

This automation saves you time and ensures you don’t miss out on new event announcements or opportunities to submit speaking proposals or get early bird ticket prices.

Create and Maintain Your Event Database

When you identify events that align with your business goals, it’s a good idea to create your own event database. Most events tend to occur around the same time each year, so having this information in one place allows you to plan ahead and submit your proposals in time for their call for speakers.

Review your database quarterly or annually to prioritize upcoming events and update any details. Stay informed about new and emerging conferences to add to your list.

Finding the right events to attend or speak at can takes just a bit of research. Thankfully, it’s now easier than ever. With a little planning, you can engineer an event strategy that will grow your business, expand your network, and establish yourself as a trusted, go-to thought leader in your industry.

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How Elevated i Can Help

If you’ve ever had the sneaking suspicion that your message isn’t pulling its weight, you’re not alone. At Elevated i, we specialize in helping professionals like you maximize your impact at both in-person and online event opportunities. Whether it’s refining your message or crafting a comprehensive strategy, we’re here to support you.

How we can work together:

• Executive Communication Coaching: Collaborate directly Sharí Alexander for high-level consulting and practical coaching. Together you’ll elevate your personal influence and your brand’s impact.
• Thought Leadership Strategy & Execution: Whether fine-tuning a presentation, seeking a holistic event strategy, or or building an online thought leadership presence, Sharí’s team has you covered. From creating presentation slides and follow-up nurture sequences to crafting your thought leadership editorial calendar, we ensure your messaging is both consistent and compelling.
• Workshops & Intensives: Laser-focused sessions tailored for individuals or small teams, covering topics like target market avatar development, editorial calendar creation, lead magnet strategies, pitching for speaking engagements, and signature program creation. Sharí also offers keynotes on influential communication skills.

If you're ready to spark a conversation about working together, contact us here for a consultation, and let's unlock new opportunities for your business.

Not quite ready for a phone call? Check out Sharí’s open office hours and sign up for the invitation list.