There’s no way to replace in-person networking. In a city like Los Angeles, connecting with other marketers is a key way to learn about opportunities and generally feel supported as a professional.
Events like panels and happy hours have been key to my own success. It’s why I’ve been volunteering with one of the oldest social media networking groups in the world - Social Media Club - for over 12 years.
Whether you’re hoping to break into marketing, meet people at your level, or transition into the field, here are some organizations and calendars to follow to get you started.
Social Media Club of Los Angeles - https://www.eventbrite.com/o/social-media-club-los-angeles-1174279819
American Advertising Federation - https://www.aaf.org/Public/Public/Events/Calendar-of-Events/AAF_Calendar.aspx
American Marketing Association - https://www.ama.org/events/?event_type=all
Public Relations Society of America - https://www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/conferences
AIGA LA - https://losangeles.aiga.org/upcoming-events/
Think LA - https://www.thinkla.org/
Digital LA – https://digitalla.net/events/
CreativeMornings LA – https://creativemornings.com/cities/la
Annual Events: Ad Age/ Adweek, Tech Week, Canva Create, Adobe Express
Tips for finding Digital Marketing and Social Media adjacent learning and networking events:
Keep an eye on brands like: Adobe, Canva, YouTube, Google, Sprout Social, Buffer and similar organizations who have at least one free annual event per year in LA. (I’ve found following them on Instagram means they’ll serve me ads about their events. That, and being on their mailing list.)
Follow agencies like Hawke Media, Agency Guacamole and Zolay who host events.
There are influencer types who post about event opportunities. Of course, I do, I’m @mediamandy and Mandy Hoskinson on LinkedIn. Espree Devora is a long time promoter of awesome opportunities. We share a ton in the Social Media Club LA Facebook Group.
Eventbrite is one of the most common hosts. Luma is rising in popularity. Search these sites (not just Google).
On that note, lots of awesome events are not listed in an easily search-able place. Plenty of awesome events only share their information as a graphic in an Instagram post. Make a list of Instagrams, LinkedIns and Individuals and check it every 2 weeks to see if new events have been posted.
Ask ChatGPT to write a query for you for Google with your exact parameters.
Consider also: Chambers of Commerce, Entrepreneurship Events, Industry Specific Events (like Ecommerce or Nonprofit) and Alumni Affinity Groups for Universities or other organizations
Keep me posted on what you find. Oh, and tell me what I missed.