Tech industry events provide a valuable opportunity for professionals to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and innovations. While CES is the “big one” of the year for many companies, there are many other gatherings that generate excitement among tech teams.

With events focused on everything from gaming to cybersecurity (and everything in between), tech professionals can network with peers, learn from industry leaders and gain new insights into emerging technologies. Below, a panel of Forbes Technology Council members discusses some of their favorite industry events and why they generate so much buzz among today’s tech professionals.

Photos of featured Forbes Technology Council members.

1. Android Dev Summit

We are looking forward to attending the Android Dev Summit. This insightful event features top-tier industry experts and provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest development trends, get first access to products and resources that can help grow our app development business and network with other like-minded professionals. – Marc Fischer, Dogtown Media LLC

2. Association For Manufacturing Excellence Conference

One of our favorites is the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) International Conference. The event is unique in bringing together executives and practitioners to focus on industry 4.0, supply chain fundamentals and leadership. This is a great opportunity to see excellence in action with world-class tours of manufacturing facilities and to engage with fellow continuous improvement practitioners from across the globe. – Richard Lebovitz, LeanDNA

3. AWE USA

AWE USA is one of the noteworthy tech events dedicated to XR technology advancement. It connects immersive technology players, both software and hardware, from around the globe. Bringing together the most prominent industry experts, it allows us to grasp the current capabilities of immersive technology and the significant developments and advancements in XR. – Alex Dzyuba, Lucid Reality Labs

4. DEF CON

I’m looking forward to the DEF CON cybersecurity conference. It focuses on information sharing, competitions and specialized “villages” where you can experience everything from hacking IoT devices to picking locks. In addition to bringing kindred spirits together, DEF CON provides an educational aspect relevant to students, security professionals, hackers, researchers and others. – Brian Contos, Phosphorus Cybersecurity

5. Game Developers Conference

Technologies debuted at the Game Developers Conference are typically decades ahead of other industries. When we bring leaders from other industries (such as healthcare) to the GDC, it opens their minds to totally different solutions. Attending the right talks allows you to gain incredible insights into the neuroscience-based design of games—insights that are relevant to anyone trying to effectively engage audiences. – Sam Glassenberg, Level Ex

6. Google Cloud Next

With OpenAI enabling the search wars between Google and Microsoft, Google Cloud Next will be the most interesting tech industry event of 2023. Microsoft is working on ChatGPT for Azure, Bing, Edge, Office, Teams and its other applications, so Google must announce the future of Bard for Search, Chrome, Drive, Gmail and so on and explain why it’s the future of AI. – Jon Jessup, 1440

7. HANNOVER MESSE

HANNOVER MESSE offers an unparalleled experience and is one of my top events of the year. Automation in the industrial sector is on an upward trajectory, and this event enables companies to connect with customers and partners and see firsthand the technology and tools that are driving innovation. – Christine Boles, Intel

8. MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium has been one of my do-not-miss conferences every year. This conference brings together academics, tech executives, CIOs and exciting new startups for a day of in-depth discussion around a single topic. You walk away with a 360-degree view of the theme: academia, business via CEOs, and technology via CIOs and startups. – Jeffrey Ton, InterVision

9. The Mobile World Congress

The Mobile World Congress will be interesting. In this day and age, connectivity is of utmost importance. There are exciting technologies already ratified and coming, such as Wi-Fi 7, and 5G is ever-expanding. Add to that satellite internet and communication from mobile phones, and we’ll soon be able to have knowledge of the world, anywhere in the world. – WaiJe Coler, InfoTracer

10. New York Cyber Security Summit

The New York Cyber Security Summit educates attendees on how to protect their business applications and infrastructure. There are opportunities to network, share ideas and gain insights at this highly collaborative event. With excellent presentations and a huge turnout, it’s a valuable opportunity to enhance your knowledge and stay ahead of the curve. – Jennifer Gold, NY Metro InfraGard

11. Nocode Summit 2023

My team and I are looking forward to attending the upcoming Nocode Summit, an event focused on no-code and low-code technology. As a software development team, we are eager to learn more about this rapidly evolving technology, and we look forward to networking with other industry professionals and having the opportunity to hear from industry leaders and innovators. – Charos Boboyorova, boboyorova.com

12. POSSIBLE

I’m very excited about the POSSIBLE conference in Miami in April. It’s an inaugural event looking at the impact of technology on marketing, and it promises to be rich, robust and fascinating. I’m taking a few colleagues flyboarding after the conference, so we are putting our love of technology into practice! – Tod Loofbourrow, ViralGains

13. RSAC

RSAC is the cybersecurity industry’s go-to convention—it is the equivalent of CES on the consumer side. Companies showcase their new products and services, and buyers shop among innovative exhibitors and their booths. There are a lot of after-event private parties and complimentary open bars. It’s hard to not find what you’re looking for. – Steve King, Information Security Media Group iSMG

14. Space Symposium

The annual Space Symposium is the foremost gathering for space experts worldwide. It brings together global leaders from the commercial, government and military space sectors. The program provides networking and engagement opportunities with prominent people in a single convenient and extraordinary location. – Shelli Brunswick, Space Foundation

15. ViVE And HLTH

I’m looking forward to ViVE and HLTH, which are great events for those in the tech and healthcare industries. They provide opportunities for attendees to network, learn and grow. ViVE allows attendees to connect with other senior leaders in IT in healthcare, while HLTH provides a unique opportunity for healthcare technology startups to connect with investors and secure funding. – Charles Aunger, Health2047 – American Medical Association

16. Web Summit

Web Summit is a renowned technology conference that brings together business owners, financiers and executives from all over the world to talk about the newest developments in the digital sector. These events give IT industry professionals an invaluable chance to network, learn about new advancements and exchange ideas and perspectives. – Neelima Mangal, Spectrum North