Every year, hundreds of technology shows, roundtables, and webinars take place to help IT professionals become better informed about the latest B2B technology products, trends, skills and, let's be honest, coping strategies that will enable you to make new contacts and build new talents to help you and your organisation advance.
But with so many to choose from, it can get confusing what you should attend and what you should skip. Don't worry though; we've drawn up a list of must-see events so you can badger your boss for a ticket and ensure you're on the next plane, train or automobile to elsewhere in the UK, Europe, or the US.
June
Flash Forward, Munich
1 June
This one-day conference and expo offers the chance to get up to speed on the latest advancements in storage and related technologies, take deep dives and discuss the ongoing challenges in today's data centres and IT infrastructures with experts and your peers.
Flash Forward will take a closer look at the developments and future of flash and SSD storage. The event is aimed at end users of storage and related technologies in companies of all sizes and from all industries. It will feature presentations from leading industry analysts, market watchers and end-users, including a keynote from renowned industry veteran Kurt Gerecke.
Register here
Snowflake's Cloud Analytics City Tour
1 June
The Banking Hall, 14 Cornhill, EC3V 3ND, London
The Cloud Analytics City Tour, kicking off in London this June, is a data-filled day featuring industry leaders from across data warehousing, big data and analytics.
Taking a detailed technical approach, it will cover the latest techniques in cloud analytics, with a range of talks tailored separately to either IT or BI practitioners' perspectives.
The day includes keynotes from Paul Miller, CIO senior analyst at Forrester, and Snowflake's Bob Muglia, and will feature a cloud practitioner panel presented by CNN, Ask.com, GTA and Outsystems. It rounds off with a networking reception.
Register here
Infosecurity Europe
6-8 June, London
Infosecurity Europe is the region's most prominent information security event featuring a comprehensive conference programme and over 360 exhibitors showcasing security solutions and products to 13,500 visitors.
There are 200 free to attend conference sessions and attendees can network with +18,000 industry professionals and learn how information security can enable their businesses. Visitors can also collect up to 5 CPD / CPE credits per day and choose from 160 hours of seminars and workshops.
Among the keynote speakers are former MI5 boss Dame Stella Rimington and Jeremy Paxman.
Register here
Datacloud Europe 2017
6-8 June 2017, Monaco
Datacloud Europe takes place in the small principality of Monaco and brings together cloud leaders, their customers and investors.
This year the conference will look at how to protect the critical ecosystem of cloud connectivity, fibre networks and data centres that effectively form utilities for the world's businesses, in light of recent cyber threats. TheWannaCryransomware attack on critical infrastructure has raised awareness of the need to appropriately assess threats and understand how it will affect the data centre.
Register here
IT Pro's Listen to your Business's Heartbeat webinar (ERP)
15 June, webinar
This webinar aims to shine a positive light onenterprise resource planning (ERP). Many think of it ascumbersome and confusing, but it's absolutely vitalforbusiness success. This webinar will discuss business outcomes and objectives and how important implementingthe right ERPsolution isin achieving that.
It aims to help businesses get on top ofmanagement so that they can spend more time innovating, outpacing competitors and delighting customers and employees alike, as well as demystify ERP, bringing it to life and highlighting why it's important. During the webinar you'll be able to discuss and debate the key pain points and issues relating to ERP.
Register here
EdTechXEurope
20- 21June, 2017, Kings Place in London, UK
EdTechXGlobal is now in its fifth year and brings together executive level investors, innovators and industry influencers from European and international education companies.
The event plays host to 850 global attendees and invites more than 150 speakers to showcase EdTech innovations and perspectives from around the world.
New for this year is London EdTech Week, which is a week-long event highlighting current and upcoming education technology innovations during a series of connected and collaborative events.
Register here
July
Inforum
10-12 July, Javits Center, New York City
Inforum 2017 will offer sessions focused on your specific product and industry, giving you an opportunity to see Infor's decades of expertise in action.
But more than that, delegates will get to see Grammy-winning, hot 100-chart-topping artist, Bruno Mars to headline Inforum's 2017 customer appreciation concert.
If that excitement is too much, the Infor Partner Summit 2017 will be held just prior to Inforum 2017 at the same location. This will give attendees a chance to hear from Infor's executive leadership team about its plans to help partners.
Register here
Collaborate and Communicate
11 July, City Summer House, London E1
Now in its third year, IT Pro'sCollaborate and Communicate event has gone from strength to strength. Highlights of the day include vendor panels, keynotes, Q&As and real-world case studies that help you decide how to implement a collaboration and tool and institute a flexible working culture at your organisation.
This event packs in everything IT and business decision makers need to formulate their own collaboration strategy and make the right decisions.
Themes this year include digital transformation, the office of the future, flexible working, making collaboration efficient, and avoiding pitfalls along your journey.
Go home with the know-how to put together your own working strategy for implementing collaboration andefficiency after hearing speakers including Dennis Publishing CTO Paul Lomax, and GoCompare's CTO Jackson Hull.
Register here
September
IFA 2017
1-6 September, Berlin, Germany
Billing itself as the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, IFA will take place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds (ExpoCenter City).
Unlike most trade shows, this one is also open to the public. The event generally sees the launch of a number of flagship products.
This year, all show space will be taken up by major brands with components moved to IFA Global Markets in a separate location.
If you get there the day before, 1980s German electropop outfit Yello will be playing a concert in the IFA Summer Garden. It'll be worth going just for that!
Register here
Microsoft Ignite
25-29 September, Orlando, Florida
This conference boasts 700+ sessions,insights and roadmaps from industry leaders, and deep dives and live demos on products. Delegates can also learn from peers tackling similar challenges, share best practices and come home with new ideas.
Among the keynote speakers will be Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, talking about the next generation of innovations that will shape the future of IT; Harry Shum, Microsoft's AI and Research Group 'visionary', talking about the company's strategic efforts towards AI through R&D; and Joseph Sirosh, corporate vice president of Microsoft's data group.
Register here
