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With recent challenges facing higher education, now more than ever is when university and college marketers, academics, and staff will benefit from conferences and stay ahead of trends and changes in the higher ed sector.
While things haven’t quite ‘gone back to normal’—in higher education and in the world in general—travel, for one, is certainly easier than it was this time last year.
Event organizers have had time to plan, and the higher education conference circuit is gearing up for 2023.
And with that comes increased confidence and an excellent opportunity to mix up a bit of networking, learning, and sharing of best practices.
We’ve compiled some of our favorite higher education and digital marketing conferences to get excited about, covering a broad list of highly relevant topics.
Also, note that some event programs and locations haven’t been announced yet, but we’ll update this article as that information becomes available, so watch this space!
Skip to:
- UCISA23 Leadership Conference
- 2023 UPCEA Annual Conference
- Ellucian 2023
- Confab 2023
- Higher Education Marketing Conference
- CASE Annual Conference on Marketing and Branding
- PSEWEB Annual Conference
- eduWeb Summit
- EDUCAUSE 2023
- HighEdWeb 2023 Annual Conference
- AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education
March
When: 21-23 March, 2023
Where: Liverpool, UK
What you’ll get out of it:
If you’re in IT, in higher education, and in the UK, then this is the conference for you. UCISA is an organization that represents a majority of UK universities and higher education colleges, and this conference is more specifically for senior IT leaders in higher education institutions and shares challenges, best practices, and lots of networking over dinners and receptions. Look out this year for the return of the UCISA Awards, now a permanent fixture of the Leadership Conference.
UCISA23 is held in Liverpool, UK
When: March 22-24, 2023
Where: Washington, DC, US
What you’ll get out of it:
The University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA)’s Annual Conference values its higher education community and leverages its combined strengths every year for senior leaders and teams in various departments responsible for the administration and management of education programs. In 2023, they’re focused even more on partnerships, resilience, access, and inclusion, as well as sustainability and equity, to help find solutions to the current challenges facing universities and colleges.
This year’s UPCEA Annual Conference is held in Washington, D.C., US
When: March 26-29, 2023
When: New Orleans, Louisiana, US
What you’ll get out of it:
Ellucian is a leading higher education technology solutions provider used by many universities and colleges in the US and beyond, and they have their own annual technology conference aimed at higher education executives, technologists, and administrators. This year, they’re focusing on four core themes and challenges:
- Building resilience (cybersecurity & compliance)
- Empowering staff & faculty (data governance)
- Accelerating student success (reducing friction with the right tools)
- Driving innovation ( agile technologies)
- Don’t miss the popular Customer Appreciation reception
Ellucian Live 23 is held in New Orleans, Louisiana in the US
April
When: April 30-May 3, 2023
Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
What you’ll get out of it:
Known for the past 12 years as THE content strategy conference, this is the year not to miss it—it’s the Confab Grand Finale, the final in-person Confab event. With mostly speakers from industry, this is the place for higher education professionals to look beyond their sector and discover new perspectives and voices and the latest content trends and challenges. Confab deals with all aspects of digital content strategy, with topics focusing on content design, web content, accessibility, SEO, analytics, and much more, and mixes in plenty of deep dives, workshops, and breakout sessions.
Content marketers from higher education and beyond will meet in Minneapolis
June
When: 22 June, 2023
When: Central London, UK
What you’ll get out of it:
The Higher Education Marketing Conference 2023 brings together the UK’s higher ed marketing leaders and staff, admission managers, student recruitment managers, and more. The conference delivers 22 sessions with 12 workshops looking at high-impact, content-led student recruitment and marketing campaigns, storytelling, and how to optimize the funnel and drive interaction at every touchpoint.
Join higher education marketing colleagues at HE Marketing Conference 2023 in London, UK
When: June 26-28, 2023
Where: Seattle, Washington, US
What you’ll get out of it:
Intended for mid-level marketing managers, brand managers (yes, it’s now a thing in higher education), and marketing officers, this conference will be useful to anyone who’s planning a brand initiative and redeveloping their brand strategy and market position. Organized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)—dedicated to alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services—the conference also looks at building stakeholder support, developing the right metrics, and restructuring the marketing department with the right priorities. CASE conferences are useful for sharing and learning from industry leaders and using this knowledge to apply to their own institutions.
Marketing and branding higher education professionals are meeting up in Seattle, Washington, US, this year
July
When: July 12-13, 2023
Where: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
What you’ll get out of it:
If you’re in Canada and working in higher education with anything to do with marketing, web development, recruitment, IT, or administration, this is the place to be. Known for its open community of higher ed marketers who have been sharing tips, best practices, and innovation together for more than a decade, this conference focuses on finding ways to help students and alumni connect to communities, universities, and colleges through storytelling. Continuing to build on the idea of community, this year’s theme is on building bridges and connecting with purpose.
PSEWEB says, See You On The Island
When: July 18-20, 2023
Where: Washington, DC
What you’ll get out of it:
eduWEB has been around for 18+ years, and this year’s Summit isn’t one to be missed. With a unique and novel approach to conferences, they’re switching up the traditional program model with a blend of industry and higher education experts, delivering ‘tracks’ focused on specific higher education challenges. The program is based around the challenges chosen from among those submitted by their friendly community, and the mixture of .com and .edu specialists—as well as the many networking opportunities—promises refreshing new perspectives on shared challenges. This year, the track themes will focus on:
- Marketing
- Web & digital experience
- Recruitment marketing
- Innovation & leadership
- Analytics
eduWEB is held in Washington, D.C., in 2023
October
When: October 9-12, 2023 (also online October 18-19)
Where: Chicago, Illinois, US
What you’ll get out of it:
EDUCAUSE’s Annual Conference is a staple in higher education conferences for IT and marketing professionals in higher education. It’s a large conference with a pretty packed higher education program every year, with plenty of networking events and opportunities to meet with vendors and suppliers. The program isn’t out quite yet, but you can check back here when it is (we’ll update this page) or follow #EDU23 on Twitter for updates.
EDU23 will be in Chicago this year, as will the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education (see below)
When: Oct. 8-11, 2023
Where: Online and Buffalo, New York
What you’ll get out of it:
HighEdWeb Annual Conference is known for its friendly networking and sharing of best practices and success stories. Great for marketers, managers, developers, designers, and programmers, there’s usually something for everyone. Many HighEdWeb participants return year after year for the many sessions focusing on everything from strategy and accessibility to design and content.
Buffalo is the place to be for HighEdWeb23
November
When: November 12-15, 2023
Where: Chicago, Illinois, US
What you’ll get out of it:
This conference, organized by the American Marketing Association, is specifically about higher education only, with examples and best practices from other higher education marketers, as well as lots of networking. This year’s sessions and workshops isn't out yet in detail but will be all about practicable tips and solutions that can be applied at other higher ed institutions.
The AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education is held in Chicago, Illinois, in 2023.