Leadership is essential to success in business, particularly when it comes to operations professionals and managers.

Imagine a room filled with brilliant minds, groundbreaking ideas, and a shared passion for transformative leadership. 

That's the energy you'll encounter at top leadership conferences.

There’s nothing quite like learning from your peers, sharing ideas and generally soaking up the energy of conferences like these.

They can provide cutting-edge insights, invaluable networking opportunities and the chance to become better leaders.

All great reasons to try one!

If you’re feeling inspired, here’s a list of the top 10 Top leadership conferences to attend in 2025.

We’ll see you there!

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Gartner Digital Workplace Summit

• Dates: March 12-13, 2025
• Location: Grapevine, Texas, USA // Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center
• Cost: Standard registration fee is $3,995 // Public-sector fee is $3,425
• Expected Attendance: 700 - 1,000

The Gartner Digital Workplace Summit 2025 is expected to attract more than 700 attendees primarily consisting of digital workplace leaders, with additional participation from Gartner experts and solution providers.

The Gartner Digital Workplace Summit concerns itself with the modern hybrid workplace, where staff work a mixture of at home, on the road and in the office.

It’s a very popular event that has several tracks covering the employee experience, engineering technology, governance, technology solutions, AI, infrastructure and operations, insights and advice and lots more.

The summit uses insights from Gartner research presented by the team as well as discussions from industry leaders and experts.

You’ll get to attend a huge range of interactive sessions, roundtables, workshops, one-on-one meetings, keynote presentations, technology demonstrations and network with others in similar leadership positions.

The summit is as much about learning as it is about networking and is very popular with leaders across the country.

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National Diversity & Leadership Conference

• Dates: April 7-10, 2025
• Location: Los Angeles, California // The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
• Cost: Tickets start at $899 and go up to $4,999 depending on package.
• Expected Attendance: Unknown
  
  

Focuses on fostering an inclusive culture and navigating the evolving landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The National Diversity & Leadership Conference is one of the hottest tickets in town for leaders that want to advance diversity, inclusion and equity within their organizations.

It’s a conference made up of thought leaders, public speakers, industry experts, academics and experts in the field. The main intent is to share best practices, discuss critical issues and develop effective strategies for dealing with challenges.

Not much has been released about the 2025 conference at the time of writing, only that keynote speakers will include Oprah Winfrey and actor and director Tony Plana.

The schedule includes training and discussions covering ERG Best Practices, Inclusive Leadership, Leading with EQ, Microaggressions in the Workplace, Self-Awareness 101, Tips on Securing the Corner Office, Intersectionality, Allyship Best Practices and other topics.

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Great Place To Work For All Summit

• Dates: April 8 - 10, 2025
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada // Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World
• Cost: Registration fee is $1,895 - $2,095
• Expected Attendance: Not specified
  
  

Ideal for executives and leaders responsible for business and culture strategies. 

The Great Place To Work For All Summit 2025 has a similar intent as the National Diversity & Leadership Conference. To help business leaders create a sustainable, equitable workplace.

Speakers usually include HR professionals, diversity and inclusion experts, business leaders, academics and the occasional well-known public figure.

Speakers this year include Candace Parker the 3x WNBA Champion, Angela Duckworth Professor at UPenn, Dr. Joy Buolamwini Artificial Intelligence expert and Michael C. Bush CEO of Great Place To Work.

Days begin with an optional yoga class followed by breakfast, talks and discussions, focus sessions, networking lunches, and mixers in the evening.

The summit is about more than diversity and covers all areas of positive workplaces. It could be useful across industry.

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World Diversity in Leadership Conference

• Dates: September 18 - 19, 2025
• Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada // Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre
• Cost: $450 – $850 depending on package selection.
• Expected Attendance: 2,000 – 2,500

Focuses on networking and growth, aiming to create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. 

The World Diversity in Leadership Conference follows a similar topic, inclusion, diversity and equity in the workplace. 

It’s a well-rounded conference that offers deep insights into one of the most significant challenges of the modern workplace.

Topics include women in leadership, managing religious diversity, gender diversity and developing inclusive mindsets.

There isn’t a lot of news of the 2025 version but previous years have included lots of space for discussion, talks from world leaders, representatives of minority groups, academics and industry personalities.

There are likely to be presentations, roundtables, networking opportunities and enough downtime between sessions to relax, unwind and meet other leaders interested in taking their workplace forward.

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World Business Forum

• Dates: November 5^th – 6^th, 2025
• Location: New York City // Jacob Javits Convention Center
• Cost: $2,790 - $3,990
• Expected Attendance: 5,000+

Gathers influential business leaders and professionals to discuss key issues and trends shaping the global business landscape. 

The World Business Forum hosted by WOBI is where business leaders and decision makers meet to share ideas and learn from the best.

It’s a two day event held multiple times a year across the world, including New York City, Sydney, Milan, Madrid and other locations.

Speakers at the New York event include Brene Brown, Adam Grant, Simone Biles, Scott Galloway and James Clear. 

You’ll have the opportunity to learn from experts, hear talks from leading figures, explore current challenges and their solutions and network with peers.

It’s a fantastic forum to learn new ways of working, discuss leadership challenges with your peers and learn from over 300 hours of digital content.

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Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala

• Dates: October 22^nd – 24^th, 2025
• Location: Phoenix, Arizona // JW Marriott in Phoenix, Arizona
• Cost: $1,995
• Expected Attendance: 2,000+

Celebrates the achievements of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States. 

The Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is a highlight of the leadership conference calendar and is held every year.

It’s a mixture of talks, classes, conversations, marketplace, golf, Inc. Masters, morning workouts, music and entertainment. There’s also the black tie gala to provide an excuse to dress up and enjoy a meal and some drinks!

On the serious side, speakers include Ryan Reynolds, Courteney Cox, Lisa Ann Walter, Guy Kawasaki, Mark Douglas, Ayesha Currey and other leaders.

Other highlights include AI bootcamp, book signings, guest appearances, private meet and greets and lots more besides.

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Global Leadership Summit

• Dates: August 7^th – 8th, 2025
• Location: Multiple locations worldwide and online
• Cost: $189 – 239
• Expected Attendance: Over 200,000 globally

A leadership development event bringing together a diverse community of leaders from various sectors. 

The Global Leadership Summit is 2 days of insights and encouragement from peers and special guests. 

Topics usually cover innovation, collaboration, creativity and challenges and insights and expert opinions on all aspects of leadership.

Guest speakers this year include Craig Groeschel, Christine Caine, Bradley Rapier, Tasha Eurish, Erica Dhawan and James Hewitt. Each offers their unique perspective on leadership challenges and how to overcome them.

The main summit is held live with online attendance for those who cannot attend in person.

It’s usually a packed schedule, with lots of talks, Q&As, fireside chats and other events and is well worth attending in whatever form you can.

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International Leadership Association (ILA) Global Conference

• Dates: TBA, 2025
• Location: TBA, will be a location outside the USA
• Cost: TBA
• Expected Attendance: 1,200 – 1,500
  
  

Brings together scholars, educators, researchers, practitioners, and students to discuss leadership theory and practice. 

The International Leadership Association (ILA) Global Conference is made up of business leaders and C-suite executives that make up some of the most powerful companies in the world.

Speakers are usually CEOs, venture capitalists, academics, business leaders, thought leaders and other influential people with something useful to say.

The leadership conference is a mixture of talks, discussions, teaching opportunities, networking opportunities and coaching. There’s also plenty of time to relax and chat to peers and other leaders.

While global, this conference is largely US-based, so if you’re mainly concentrated here, this is a great opportunity to pick up relevant and timely information.

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Ascend National Convention

• Dates: July 28-30, 2025
• Location: Orlando, Florida // Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Cost: $1,875 - $2,295 (packages)
• Expected Attendance: 3,000 – 3,500
  
  

Focuses on premier programming and networking opportunities across diverse industries and career levels. 

The Ascend National Convention concentrates on Pan-Asian business and provides some unique insights into this specialist area.

It’s a 3 day event that includes talks, professional development, discussions, networking and time to relax and chat.

Details for the 2025 event have yet to be announced, but previous events have featured business leaders, Ascend’s Got Talent (AGT), the Aspiring Executive Academy (AEA), wellness experiences, talks from business leaders, Continuing Professional Education (CPE) eligible sessions and Ascend Talks.

It’s a packed itinerary with lots to see, do and learn with some time to chill in-between.

There are also forums, celebrations, the API Futures Podcast and Ascend Cares spotlights to view or participate in, should you want to.

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National Leadership Conference

• Dates: July 5^th – 9th, 2025
• Location: Orlando, Florida // Orange County Convention Center
• Cost: To be announced
• Expected Attendance: Not specified
  
  

Dedicated to empowering and inspiring the next generation of leaders. 

The National Leadership Conference is run by the FCCLA and invites members, supporters and those with links to the organization to attend once a year.

The leadership conference is an excellent opportunity to influence the next generation of leaders and help them learn from our mistakes.

Previous events have been more about two-way engagement, with many established leaders learning just as much from future leaders.

The conference includes talks from motivational speakers, workshops, meetings with youth leaders, training, competitions, career advice and networking opportunities.

The speakers have yet to be announced but this is one conference that’s usually about much more than just leadership.

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Future Festival

• Dates: September 23rd - 25th, 2025
• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Cost: $2,999 - $6,999 depending on package selection.
• Expected Attendance: 10,000+

Trend Hunter calls its Future Festival “the world’s best innovation conference,” and we have to agree.

Many prolific companies rely on this festival to help them train their leadership, such as Starbucks, Netflix, Samsung, Lego, Google and even NASA!

Highlights include:

• 1:1 Assessments — Personal advice from industry experts
• Trend Safaris — Head off-site and see emerging trends in action
• Future Party — Learn what new technology is on the horizon

97% of attendees rate the Future Festival World Summit as the best innovation conference they’ve ever attended.

If you want to network with top leaders in operations, this is an event to look into.

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Executive Leadership Development

• Dates: Various
• Location: Stanford, CA or Online
• Cost: $5,100 - $56,000 (Varies by program, length, and format.)
• Expected Attendance: null

Organized by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Executive Leadership Development Conference describes itself as follows:

“Learn to lead with confidence in this rigorous general management program for executives on the verge of achieving even greater things.”

The curriculum is designed for leaders of companies in any industry or role (including operations) wanting to improve their performance and contribution to their organization.

Specifically, you’ll walk away from this conference with:

• Improved core analytical skills
• Design thinking principles
• Awareness of your leadership style and how it’s perceived

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Business Agility Conference

• Dates: March 26th - 27th, 2025
• Location: Online
• Cost: Free
• Expected Attendance: Online only

Business Agility Institute’s Business Agility Conference features two full days of conference programming:

• Stories from executives, thought leaders and practitioners on their business agility journeys
• Deep-dive conversations where you’ll get to share your stories and connect with others to brainstorm new perspectives
• Social events at top-level New York attractions

If you’re in operations and want to hear a range of amazing speakers, then the Business Agility Conference should be on your to-do list.

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MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

• Dates: May 19th & 20th
• Location: Cambridge, MA
• Cost: $195 - $1195 depending on package and registration date.
• Expected Attendance: 350+ senior-level IT decision-makers

The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is an in-person event held at the campus’s Sloan Samberg Center and Wong Auditorium. But you can also gain full digital access to the conference via the Mighty Network platform.

Geared towards operations professionals and leaders in information technology, it includes various panels and interactive learning features.

The conference keeps two main goals in mind:

1. Help CIOs, CDOs, and other IT managers deal with an ever-changing industry.
2. Provide practical education and networking opportunities.

Leadercast: Human Intelligence

• Dates: April 8th, 2025
• Location: Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre
• Cost: Ticket prices are tiered at $199, $249, and $299.

Human Intelligence is the 2025 edition of Leadercast, a one-day event where operations experts can learn various leadership skills at breakout sessions hosted by exhibitors in the managerial world.

The goal is to help attendees rise to the top of their industries.

Above all, Leadercast doesn’t like to deal purely in the abstract: they promise tangible lessons you can immediately put in place in your workplace.

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EntreLeadership

• Dates: May 18th - 21st, 2025
• Location: Denver, Colorado @ Gaylord Rockies Resort
• Cost: $2,000+ depending on package.
• Expected Attendance: 2,000 - 4,000

If you’re interested in attending a leadership conference, you’ve probably heard of business finance and personal growth guru Dave Ramsey.

His leadership conference, EntreLeadership, is said to go “beyond business theory” to give you “real-life, proven advice from world-class leaders who’ve done it.”

This one is perfect if you’re a business owner in the operations sector and want to:

• Improve customer retention
• Increase your bottom line
• Be a better leader

It features invaluable lessons and insights from top CEOs, business giants, thought leaders and more.

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ICON

• Dates: August 13th - 16th, 2025
• Location: Dallas, Texas
• Cost: $1,896
• Expected Attendance: 2,000 - 5,000

eWomenNetwork’s (eWN) ICON is their premier annual women’s leadership conference. ICON is all about empowering women in managerial and other leadership roles.

You’ll gain valuable advice from your industry’s best and brightest mentors — since most of its yearly guests are their company’s owners or CEOs.

In 2025, their primary goals include teaching you:

• Keys to becoming an influencer
• Technology hacks to save you time and money
• Hottest growth insights and strategies from Google

And as always, ICON is dedicated to helping your business break through the million-dollar revenue threshold.

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International Conference On Business Operations, Research and Management

• Dates: December 9th - 10th
• Location: New York City
• Cost: $312

The ICBORM, organized by the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET), is a two-day event every year in December.

Its goals are similar to the WASET conference for ICIEOM (more on that later), except that this one is specifically dedicated to business operations.

You don’t have to stay in the audience at ICBORM.

The leadership conference maintains an open call for authors and presenters who wish to “contribute to and help shape the conference through submissions of their research abstracts, papers and e-posters.”

If you’re interested in cutting-edge research roundtables with the greatest minds in business operations, research and management, this conference should definitely be on your radar.

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Strategic Growth Forum

• Dates: November 2025 (exact date TBA)
• Location: TBA (Usually in Palm Springs, CA)
• Cost: TBD

EY’s Strategic Growth Forum is “the country’s most prestigious gathering of CEOs, high-growth entrepreneurs, C-suite executives representing global market leaders and professional investment fund managers.”

Here’s what you can expect to do at the Strategic Growth Forum:

• Learn the latest information about strategic transaction marketplaces and capital
• Network and meet with other potential customers, investors, buyers and acquisition targets
• Form new business partnerships
• Hear inspiring stories of success from other entrepreneurs

If that sounds like a way you’d want to spend a weekend, this is the conference for you!

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YPO EDGE

• Dates: February 18th - 20th, 2025‍
• Location: Barcelona

The Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) is “a global leadership community of chief executives” driven by the belief that “the world needs better leaders.”

And YPO Edge is their annual global CEO thought leadership summit.

This summit is said to connect “the top minds from business, science and the humanities with YPO’s global members to engage and explore tangible ways we can make a difference.”

Their YouTube channel has some incredible videos from events they’ve held in the past.

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