Best B2B Marketing Conferences for Lead Gen (2026)

The best B2B marketing conferences for lead generation in 2026 are the ones where your buyers actually show up, networking is structured, and your team has a repeatable meeting and follow-up system. This guide breaks down the top events by region so you can build a realistic calendar, justify spend, and turn attendance into qualified pipeline.

Quick picks by region:

• US: B2B Marketing Exchange for demand gen practitioners, Forrester B2B Summit for strategic alignment, INBOUND for ecosystem networking
• UK: B2B Marketing Live for hands-on tactics, Technology for Marketing for martech decisions
• EU: DMEXCO (Cologne) for cross-border reach, OMR Festival (Hamburg) for digital innovation

Always verify timing and registration on official event sites before booking travel.

Best B2B marketing conferences in the US (2026)

B2B Marketing Exchange (B2BMX)

Director+ level demand gen, ABM, and marketing ops professionals at mid-market to enterprise companies. Practitioner-focused with strong martech representation. Book meetings 4-6 weeks in advance using the event app.

Timing: Late February/Early March (Scottsdale, AZ) Link: b2bmarketing.exchange

Forrester B2B Summit

CMOs and VPs making strategic decisions about marketing investment and technology. Best for long-cycle enterprise opportunities requiring CFO-ready measurement frameworks.

Timing: Spring (varies) Link: forrester.com/events

Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo

Marketing executives at Fortune 1000 companies actively building RFPs or shortlists. Bring ROI frameworks aligned with Gartner methodologies.

Timing: Spring and Fall (multiple locations) Link: gartner.com/en/conferences

INBOUND (HubSpot)

Marketing managers at SMB to mid-market companies in the HubSpot ecosystem. Volume play (20,000+ attendees) with moderate decision-making authority.

Timing: September (Boston) Link: inbound.com

SaaStr Annual

Founders, CROs, and CMOs at SaaS companies from Series A to public. Fast-moving conversations requiring clear value props and proof of ARR impact.

Timing: May/June (San Francisco Bay Area) Link: saastrannual.com

Best B2B marketing conferences in the UK (2026)

B2B Marketing Live (Manchester & London)

UK's anchor B2B event with 10,000+ attendees. London event is larger and more strategic; Manchester skews regional and mid-market. Your shortcut to concentrated UK buyer access.

Timing: March (Manchester), November (London, ExCeL) Link: b2bmarketingexpo.co.uk

Technology for Marketing (London)

Marketing ops managers and martech specialists actively evaluating platforms. Technically sophisticated audience wanting live demos and integration roadmaps.

Timing: November (London, ExCeL, co-located with B2B Marketing Live) Link: technologyformarketing.com

Advertising Week Europe (London)

Marketing directors and heads of brand at large UK and European companies with £500K+ advertising budgets. Stronger B2B representation than US counterpart.

Timing: March/April (London) Link: advertisingweek.com/europe

Best B2B marketing conferences in EU/Europe (2026)

DMEXCO (Cologne, Germany)

Europe's largest digital marketing expo (40,000+ attendees, 400+ exhibitors). Concentrates DACH and EMEA decision-makers. Pre-book meetings; don't rely on booth walk-ups.

Timing: September (Cologne) Link: dmexco.com

OMR Festival (Hamburg, Germany)

Digital marketers and growth leaders at tech-enabled companies (SaaS, ecommerce, fintech). Skews younger and more experimental than DMEXCO.

Timing: May (Hamburg) Link: omr.com/en/festival

Web Summit (Lisbon, Portugal)

Tech mega-conference (70,000+ attendees) with Series A-C startup representation. Requires aggressive pre-event outreach; this is a 1:1 meeting environment, not booth-driven.

Timing: November (Lisbon) Link: websummit.com