Top 8 social media conferences for Australian marketers (2025)

If you’re managing social or digital marketing in 2025, it’s easy to fall into survival mode.

Platforms shift, algorithms change and the content treadmill never stops. That’s why marketing conferences matter.

They’re not just networking events, they’re a chance to pause, reset and hear from the people shaping what’s next.

In this guide, you’ll find eight of Australia’s top social and digital marketing events, so you can get in the right rooms, hear from the right voices and leave with ideas you can actually put on your content calendar.

Why social media marketing conferences matter for your brand

When trends are shifting weekly (sometimes daily) and platforms update their features constantly, attending conferences isn’t a luxury—it’s more of a necessity.

Australian marketers (especially those hoping to lead the way) need access to fresh insights, strategic perspectives and the right tools to act fast: conferences offer all three. And while hybrid and virtual events are gaining popularity, 55% of B2B event attendees prefer in-person events. Why? They provide more opportunities for networking, brainstorming and collaboration.

Source: YouTube

These types of events exist to help marketers stay ahead and connect the dots between social execution and brand outcomes. Don’t just take it from us, 70% of attendees say that in-person events are the best sources for training and professional content.

1. Social media marketing moves fast, conferences help you keep up

Social media never sits still, and it isn’t just the networks themselves that are fickle. Consumer expectations shift faster than most teams can track. When you’re in marketing, waiting six months to course-correct failed campaigns or strategies isn’t an option.

That’s where conferences come in.

Source: Mumbrella360

Attending digital marketing events allows Australian marketers to recalibrate their strategy in real-time, with hands-on advice and proven case studies or examples. You get access to timely insights from global giants like TikTok and Meta, as well as local brands that are crushing content and paid performance. When you hear what’s working right now, from the people doing the work, it becomes easier to adapt before falling behind.

The right conference session can spark the next big campaign, especially when your team is in the room together, absorbing it live.

2. You don’t just get insights, you gain perspective

Social media often gets treated as a daily to-do list: publish content, check analytics, repeat.

Even the most innovative marketers can fall into a routine. But conferences offer a valuable zoom-out moment. They help you reconnect your day-to-day tasks with bigger business goals.

When you listen to CMOs talk about brand equity or media buyers discuss cross-platform attribution, it reframes the way you approach your job. These events provide a 10,000-foot view of the landscape and show how social media content helps to fuel entire marketing ecosystems.

Sprout tip: When you’re back at your desk, Sprout Social’s Publishing and Analytics Tools make it easy to execute those high-level strategies. Need to see your metrics? Sprout can provide you with presentation-ready social media reports in an instant.

3. Enjoy real conversations with other marketers that spark ideas

Panels and keynotes are great. But some of the most valuable insights happen between sessions, at networking drinks, in the lunch queue or during post-talk Q&As. These candid chats often unlock trends, ideas and inspiration for social media content you won’t find on LinkedIn or webinars.

It might be a creative director mentioning an emerging platform. A content strategist venting about short-form fatigue. Or a community manager revealing their secret to 60% story engagement. That’s the kind of juicy, valuable information you can’t afford to miss.

Sprout tip: Keep your finger on the pulse year-round (even when you’re not at conferences) by using Sprout’s Listening Tools, which use AI to spot audience shifts and creator trends long after conferences wrap.

4. Conferences help teams realign and reset strategy

Marketing teams are busy. Cross-functional syncs get pushed back. Campaigns run in silos. Finding the time for all departments to get on Zoom together? Forget about it.

Attending a conference together, on the other hand, can act as a reset button. Whether you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Brisbane, a few days away from the desk gives your team space to reflect and realign.

That means tightening up your brand voice, setting new goals and rethinking what success looks like heading into Q4.

Sprout tip: Equip everybody on your marketing team with the tools for a collaborative workflow, using Sprout Social’s Team Collaboration Tool.

8 Australian marketing events worth bookmarking in 2025

Australia is a diverse country and, as a result, marketers can find standout conferences and events in every major capital city.

Whether your team’s focus is on social strategy, content marketing or digital innovation, there’s a conference tailored to your goals. Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of the biggest social media and marketing events in 2025.

Social media and digital marketing conferences in Sydney & NSW

1. Mumbrella360

Source: Mumbrella360

As one of the largest media and marketing conferences in the Asia Pacific, Mumbrella360 brings together more than 2,000 industry professionals. The three-day event covers everything from branded content creation and media buying to diversity and tech innovation. Attendees can look forward to insightful panels, deep-dive workshops and plenty of networking opportunities.

Date & location: 27–29 May 2025, TBA 2026, Carriageworks, Sydney
Audience: Marketing professionals across media, digital, PR and brand
Themes: Media innovation, content strategy, future of marketing

2. DigiMarCon Australia

Source: DigiMarCon Australia

DigiMarCon is a staple on the Australian digital marketing calendar. The 7th annual 2025 edition will feature top speakers from across APAC, with sessions on conversion optimisation, influencer marketing, martech and data-driven storytelling. Great for marketers and teams wanting practical takeaways and understanding of high-level trends.

Date & location: 13–14 August 2025, Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
Audience: Digital marketers, content creators, brand leads
Themes: Online marketing, social strategy, mobile innovation, AI

3. 2025 AMA Global Marketing SIG Conference

Source: American Marketing Association

If you’re looking for a more research-driven view of the marketing world, this is the event. Hosted by the American Marketing Association’s Global Marketing Special Interest Group, it attracts top scholars from around the world. Expect academic insights paired with practical business implications, covering topics from search marketing to artificial intelligence and more.

Date & location: 23–25 May 2025, 2026 TBA, Sydney
Audience: Academic and research-based marketing professionals
Themes: International marketing, global strategy, cross-border branding

Social media and digital marketing conferences in Melbourne & VIC

4. Digital Marketers Australia (DMA) Conference

Source: Digital Marketers Australia

Founded by entrepreneur Stephen Esketzis, DMA is geared towards performance marketers, startups and entrepreneurs. The speaker lineup often includes agency founders, tech leaders and tactical pros with a strong focus on performance marketing for ecommerce. It’s perfect for marketers looking to scale through data-backed growth strategies.

Date & location: 9–10 October 2025, Amora Riverwalk Melbourne
Audience: Business owners, marketers, agency teams
Themes: Acquisition, retention, paid social, SEO, affiliate marketing

5. Marketing Leaders Summit

Source: Marketing Leaders Summit

This is the thinking marketer’s event. Rather than surface-level trends, the Marketing Leaders Summit dives deep into the strategic role of marketing within modern business. With intimate networking and C-suite speakers from huge companies like Canva, Uber and MasterCard, it’s a high-value event for leadership teams.

Date & location: 29–30 October 2025, Crown Melbourne
Audience: Senior marketers, CMOs, brand and strategy leads
Themes: Innovation, brand building, customer-centric design

Social media and digital marketing conferences in Brisbane & QLD

6. Content Summit Australia

Source: Content Summit Australia

As content marketing continues to dominate digital, Content Summit Australia provides tactical and strategic insights into creating content that converts. You’ll leave with fresh approaches to planning, distributing and repurposing content across social platforms thanks to a wide array of over 600 thought leaders.

Date & location: March 2025, TBA 2026, Brisbane QLD
Audience: Content creators, digital teams, brand storytellers
Themes: Content strategy, storytelling frameworks, production workflows

7. iMedia Future of Marketing Summit Australia

Source: iMedia

An invite-only event designed for high-level marketers, iMedia offers a curated mix of keynotes, roundtables and one-on-one meetings. It’s ideal for brands looking to level up their marketing tech stack and meet solution providers face-to-face.

Date & location: 25–27 August 2025, The Langham, Gold Coast
Audience: Senior marketers, brand managers, tech vendors
Themes: AI, personalisation, omnichannel marketing, consumer insights

Social media and digital marketing conferences in Perth & WA

8. State of Social Australia

Source: State of Social

Billed as Australia’s “favourite digital marketing conference,” State of Social is big on inspiration and actionable ideas. With speakers from leading agencies, tech companies and global brands, it’s two days of creativity and clarity that are well worth the flight if you’re out of state. State of Social covers current and future trends across all avenues of marketing, including email, search, content, data science, automation, artificial intelligence and more.

Date & location: 24–25 November 2025, Optus Stadium, Perth
Audience: Social media managers, content strategists, creatives
Themes: Emerging trends, platform innovation, creative strategy

How to get the most out of a social media conference

To squeeze each drop of juice from these events, you’ll need more than a lanyard and a notepad. It’s strategic planning, live engagement and post-conference execution that turns your ticket purchase into tangible ROI for your marketing efforts.

1. Map out your must-see sessions

The best conferences offer dozens of sessions, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Treat it like a music festival. Start by reviewing the agenda as soon as it’s released. Prioritise sessions that align with your business goals or skills gap. For example, if your team is focusing on short-form video, look for TikTok, Reels or creator economy talks.

Go one step further and research the speakers. Look at their recent work, podcast appearances or case studies. This ensures you’re getting insights from those actively shaping the industry.

2. Post BTS content for engagement

Social media events aren’t just for learning; they’re also a goldmine for engagement.

Bring your phone, camera and content calendar along with you. Live-posting key quotes, behind-the-scenes shots or takeaways in real time helps your brand participate in the larger conversation.

Encourage your team to tag speakers, use event hashtags and share on-the-ground perspectives. You’ll not only expand your network but also boost visibility for your brand.

Sprout Social’s publishing tools make it easy to schedule pre-written posts or even collaborate on reactive content as it happens.

3. Measure takeaways for ongoing campaigns

Once the event ends, the real work begins. Block time with your team to debrief, highlight key lessons and brainstorm how to incorporate them into your roadmap. Not every idea will be a fit, but some will be game-changers.

Sprout’s analytics tools let you test and track new initiatives quickly. Whether it’s a new content pillar, campaign structure or creative style inspired by the conference, you’ll know what’s resonating and what needs refinement.

Turn conference inspiration into real brand impact

Conferences are the catalyst. But it’s the follow-through that creates real momentum.

The biggest hurdle holding back most marketing teams isn’t finding inspiration, it’s knowing what to do with it once they’re back at their desks.

And that’s where Sprout Social comes in.

It doesn’t matter if you’re flying home with 20 pages of notes and a head full of ideas. Sprout Social’s marketing and content tools help teams organise, act and measure (without missing a beat):

• Campaign Planner: Transform conference takeaways into clear content plans, upcoming launches or integrated campaigns. It’s perfect for syncing your team around new priorities and locking in deadlines that drive execution.
• Analytics: Don’t just guess what worked, prove it. Sprout’s analytics make it easy to track new initiatives and measure success against pre-conference benchmarks. Whether it’s engagement, reach or share of voice, you’ll have the data to back your pivots.
• Listening Topics: Conferences surface themes that dominate the industry conversation. Sprout’s Listening lets you build topics around those ideas, so you can continue monitoring how they evolve post-event. Stay on top of trends like AI-generated content, creator licensing or platform shifts. You can also track event-related hashtags, keywords and locations.
• AI Assist: Use AI Assist to quickly recap your notes, summarise key sessions or draft social content on the fly. Whether you’re sharing learnings with the team or publishing insights externally, it cuts your writing time in half.

By turning inspiration into strategy (and strategy into action), Sprout Social gives marketing teams the toolkit they need to make every event count.

Make your conference experience count with Sprout Social

Switched-on marketers aren’t just attending conferences to collect ideas and get a free lunch. They’re attending to build momentum and stay ahead of competitors.

By engaging with industry leaders, absorbing current trends and actively applying new insights, you can keep your brand at the cutting edge, too. The key? Pairing inspiration with the right systems.

With tools like Sprout Social, every note you scribble down at a keynote can become a real campaign, an insight-led pivot or a data-backed success story.

Try Sprout Social free for 30 days and turn what you learn at conferences into lasting brand growth.