The 6 Conferences every Mobile PM Should Attend [Plus Free Tickets]
“A product manager walks into a bar…waits tables, prepares cocktails, puts out fires…”
This twist on the standard “walk into a bar” joke pretty much sums up the role of a product manager — they wear many hats and juggle a lot of responsibilities at once. From facilitating the product development lifecycle to overseeing user interviews and research, their role can be quite multi-faceted.
That’s because PMs have evolved to become the true lifeblood of products, especially in the world of mobile apps. With that evolution, also comes an evolution in management, UX, and development strategies, which are still changing as we speak.
So let’s get to the essential question here:
How does a mobile product manager, like yourself, stay on top of it all?
Answer: By carving out time in your crazy schedule to attend at least one of the following top-notch conferences.
We’ve handpicked six conferences that are seriously worth that time in terms of quality content and people.
And the best part yet, we’re (the folks at Appsee app analytics) GIVING AWAY FREE TICKETS to five of these stellar conferences.
Want to hit the ground running and enter the raffle before it closes? You can fill out this quick entry form by clicking here:
Interested first in reading more about the top conferences? Scroll on down…
Mobile World Congress, Barcelona
For four days a city dedicated to all things mobile is built within a city (Barcelona to be specific). If you work in mobile, you likely have heard of MWC. So why has it made the list if it’s already so well known? Despite it’s gargantuan size of 107,000 attendees (which might deter some attendees), there are some fantastic pros to attending this conference as a product manager. First, this conference is essential for keeping a finger on the pulse of the mobile world. MWC’s keynote speakers (hailing mostly from massive enterprise brands) are simply visionaries. The topics that they will cover across the broad mobile ecosystem, could hint at trends that are set to dominate mobile technology in 2019 and beyond. You will also be able to get a front row seat to new products and cutting-edge technology that can directly impact your product management. In addition, for those who love to network and pick as many brains as possible, MWC is the conference for you. Just make sure to bring a Redbull or two.
Shoptalk, Las Vegas
If you are working in mCommerce, Shoptalk is a must. Every year critical retail trends emerge from this dynamic, relatively “new” event. The event comes fully equipped with one of the most impressive speaker lineups in the industry (retail’s giants and innovators), 1:1 meeting setups, and fantastic sessions for both attendees and exhibitors. Plus, if you hail from a startup and are looking to get matched with an investor, Shoptalk also offers a special Funding Founders program that matches startups and investors for pre-show intros and onsite meetings. At this particular conference the connections made and insights gained can help take your retail experience to the next level.
Mind the Product (Singapore & Hamburg)
Mind the Product is another very established name in the product space- both for its engaging, intimate events and its superb online publication. Thanks to the significant popularity of their flagship conferences in SF and London, MTP has recently added two more locations to their lineup: Singapore and Hamburg. What can you expect from these two new additions? Enlightening product advice, zero fluff, top-notch speakers, and passionate like-minded people.
ProductSense, Moscow
Although Appsee is not raffling off tickets to this particular conference, we had to give it an honorary shout out. There’s no debate, ProductSense has rooted itself as the top product conference in Eastern Europe. A more “intimate” conference than MWC at around 1,000 attendees, ProductSense assembles some of the brightest product minds for two days of deep discussion on best tools and product strategies, along with thought-provoking keynotes that challenge the standard.
MAU, Las Vegas
Hosted by the mobile growth pros at grow.co, MAU Vegas is the type of conference that should be on every mobile PM’s bucket-list. “Focused” is a great adjective for this world-leading acquisition and retention summit. Attendees are all serious players in the mobile app space with apps flexing at least 250,000 downloads. This year, you’ll get to hear from industry category leaders such as GrubHub, Lyft, Slack, Expedia, Bumble, and Blinkist. The conference’s tracks are also sure to surface some “off the beaten path” takes on gamification, acquisition channels, and product strategy.
We hope to see you at one of these exceptional product conferences. Good luck and safe travels!
