Higher Education Conferences in 2024 to Put on Your Radar

By: Jesse Homan Jan 08, 2024

Looking for higher education conferences to attend in 2024? We’ve got you covered.

Participating in higher education conferences is a strategic investment in identifying better ways to engage and serve students. These empowering events provide front-row seats to the ever-evolving world of higher education, offering the inside scoop on the latest trends, challenges, and best practices. Beyond acquiring information, conferences for higher ed professionals empower you to lead with foresight, providing transformative benefits for both your college or university and personal career. Conferences also provide you, the attendee, with a number of personal benefits, including expanded networks, professional development opportunities, and a better understanding of the higher education landscape.

We’ve compiled a list of 25 higher education conferences we’re excited about in 2024. Use this list to narrow your choices for any upcoming must-attend events. We hope to see you at one or more of these conferences in the upcoming year.

InsightsEDU 2024 – Marketing and Enrollment Management for Adult and Online Education
Date: February 20-24, 2024
Location: Phoenix, AZ

EducationDynamics’ InsightsEDU is one of the only higher education marketing and enrollment management conferences focused on today’s adult and online students. Every year, InsightsEDU brings together thought leaders, decision-makers, and professionals from colleges, universities, and education-related organizations nationwide. The mission of InsightsEDU is to create a platform for the exchange of ideas, strategies, and innovations that propel higher education forward.
2024 Presidents Institute
Date: January 4–7, 2024
Location: Hollywood, Fl

The Council of Independent Colleges’ 2024 Presidents Institute emerges as a pivotal gathering amid the intense political discourse surrounding higher education. The 2024 gathering serves as a platform for affirming the shared commitment to the crucial role of higher education in fostering civic values. It provides an opportunity for over 300 independent college and university presidents, along with nearly 700 participants, to delve into pertinent issues, from the application of risk management principles to the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education.
SXSW EDU Conference & Festival 2024
Date: March 4-7, 2024
Location: Austin, TX

Immerse yourself in four days of unparalleled learning and collaboration at the SXSW EDU Conference & Festival. Designed for education professionals, industry leaders, and policymakers, this pivotal event ignites creativity and fosters innovation in the field of education.
2024 UPCEA Annual Conference
Date: March 26-28, 2024
Location: Boston, MA

UPCEA’s Annual Conference is one of the most significant assemblies of thought leaders and practitioners today in the field of professional, continuing, and online education. Deans and other senior university leaders, key staff, and teams responsible for the management, administration, and growth of professional, continuing, and online education programs attend every year to gain insights on the most pressing topics in the higher education landscape – including federal policy, finance and operations, marketing and enrollment management, instructional design, noncredit programs, alternative credentialing, and more.
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) 2024 – Racing for a Better Future Conference
Date: April 5-9, 2024
Location: Louisville, KY

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) hosts a premier professional development conference for leaders and stakeholders in community colleges, offering impactful keynote presentations, focused breakout sessions tackling key sector challenges and opportunities, demonstrations of disruptive technologies, intensive problem-solving sessions, and exceptional networking opportunities.
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO) 109^th Annual Meeting
Date: April 7-10, 2024
Location: Columbus, OH

Connect with a global network of colleagues and explore the ever-evolving landscape of higher education at the AACRAO Annual Meeting. Discover cutting-edge trends, gain valuable insights from experts, and collaborate with peers to find practical solutions to real-world challenges. Deepen your knowledge, expand your network, and contribute to the collective advancement of the field.
OLC Innovate 2024 – Education Reimagined
Onsite Date: April 10-13, 2024
Location: Denver, CO
Virtual Date: April 23-25, 2024

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a group of higher education leaders and innovators who work to advance quality digital teaching and learning experiences. OLC Innovate 2024 offers both an in-person and virtual higher education conference for educators of all experience levels to share best practices, test new ideas, and collaborate on driving forward online, digital, and blended learning.
2024 Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Annual Conference
Date: April 13-16, 2024
Location: Chicago, IL

HLC’s Annual Conference is geared towards administrators in the higher education community, including administrative professionals, faculty members, CEOs, presidents, and chancellors. Sessions, speakers, and workshops provide opportunities for institutions that seek accreditation and offer information on the latest developments, issues, and good practices in higher education.
This higher education conference empowers institutions to meet evolving student and societal needs through innovative approaches, fueling innovation and addressing pressing challenges.
ASU+GSV Summit 2024 – Here Comes The Sun
Date: April 14 – 17, 2024
Location: San Diego, CA

The ASU GSV Summit brings together leading thinkers in digital learning and workforce skills to create a future where everyone has equal access to opportunity. It is a community of educators, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators in the educational technology (edtech) and higher education industry who are motivated in reshaping society and education through innovation.
NAGAP, The Association for Graduate Enrollment – 2024 Graduate Enrollment Management Summit
Date: April 24-27, 2024
Location: Louisville, KY

NAGAP’s annual summit unites professionals engaged in every aspect of the graduate enrollment lifecycle—from admissions and recruitment to financial aid, academic affairs, and beyond. This event features a
Digital University Week – Inside Higher Ed/Times Higher Education
Date: May 6-8, 2024
Location: St. Louis, MO

Digital University Week, hosted by Inside Higher Ed and Times Higher Education, brings together leaders in higher education’s digital transformation to explore the opportunities and challenges of a digital-first future. With a focus on breaking down institutional silos, collaborating with industry, and maximizing resources, the event emphasizes a human-centered approach to ensure equitable and effective digital learning experiences for students, faculty, and staff.
2024 Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) Convention
Date: June 11-13, 2024
Location: Indianapolis, IN

The 2024 North American Career Education Convention is regarded as the largest gathering of private career education professionals nationwide. This higher education conference provides a forum for professionals in the postsecondary career education sector to network and share ideas about ways to provide skill-based education opportunities to non-traditional students.
Slate Summit 2024
Date: June 19-21, 2024
Location: Chicago, IL

This 2024 conference is hosted by Technolutions, a software development firm that specializes in the research, design and development of information management systems serving the higher education industry. The Slate Summit is an exclusive event led by members of the Slate community that dives deep into specific Slate topics and challenges in expert-led sessions and offers network opportunities to connect with like-minded peers in affinity group breakouts.
eduWeb Summit 2024
Date: July 9-11, 2024
Location: Philadelphia, PA

The eduWeb Summit is a community of higher education professionals and industry partners who are passionate about advancing their marketing, communications, and digital work. This conference attracts senior marketing, admissions, web, IT, and advancement professionals and has enhanced opportunities for attendees to network with peers and engage with current or potential partners.
UPCEA DT&L and SOLA+R 2024 – Distance Teaching & Learning Conference and Summit for Online Leadership & Administration + Roundtable
Date: July 22-24, 2024
Location: Minneapolis, MN

UPCEA’s DT&L and SOLA+R event combines 2 conferences into 1 seamless experience. It captures all the elements of digital transformation and leadership in a holistic way—from teaching and learning to leadership and administration—preserving the salient issues for two distinct professional communities, while catalyzing dialogue across all facets of the larger field. This event is ideal for key campus leaders – presidents, provost, deans, instructional designers, faculty, and other focused on digital leadership.
UNCF Unite 2024
Date: July 28-August 1, 2024
Location: Atlanta, GA

UNITE, powered by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), is the nation’s leading annual gathering for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs). This influential event brings together thought leaders, change agents, and community partners to accelerate institutional transformation, address shared challenges, and celebrate achievements. Through networking, discussions, and celebration, UNITE fosters innovation within higher education and propels institutions towards a brighter future for all students.
HighEdWeb Association Annual Conference 2024
Date: September 22-25, 2024
Location: Online and Albuquerque, NM

Sharpen your skills and connect with colleagues at the HighEdWeb Annual Conference 2024. This event offers a wealth of opportunities for professionals, programmers, marketers, social pros, managers, designers, and writers in the higher education industry who want to explore the web, digital media, and its influence on their organization. Dive deep with diverse track sessions led by experts, gain inspiration from a captivating keynote address, and participate in stimulating group discussions. Leave empowered with the latest knowledge and a renewed network of fellow higher education professionals.
NACAC Conference 2024
Date: September 26-28, 2024
Location: Los Angeles, CA

NACAC Conference 2024 will bring together over 6,000 passionate counselors to Los Angeles to share best practices, gain inspiration, and explore cutting-edge research shaping the future of admission counseling. This premier event offers counselors in higher education the opportunity to discover innovative strategies, be inspired by colleagues and thought leaders, stay ahead of the curve with the latest research, and connect with a diverse community of professionals.
UPCEA Convergence
Date: September 30 – October 2
Location: New Orleans, LA

Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education explores contemporary trends and emerging models within the realm of alternative credentials. This event, a collaborative effort by UPCEA and AACRAO, serves as a platform for key campus figures involved in credential innovation. This includes deans of professional education, chief online learning officers, registrars, and their respective teams. Together, they aim to delineate and refine institutional strategies concerning alternative credentials.
UPCEA Convergence 2024 conference details have not been released at this time, but you can view last year’s event page for more information.
P3 EDU – Innovation and Public-Private Partnership in Higher Education
Date: October 7-9, 2024
Location: Denver, CO

P3 EDU is an invitational-only annual conference for university administrators, government officials, and representatives from foundations and corporations to share best practices around public-private partnerships in higher education. We were honored to attend and take part in an engaging panel discussion in 2022. The importance of employers as true partners in addressing student needs was a topic discussed at the 2022 conference. Attendees left knowing the benefits of and how to maximize the partnerships between two institutions that work together for their students’ success!
Educause Annual Conference 2024
Date: October 21-24, 2024
Location: San Antonio, TX

The Educause Annual Conference is the premier event for higher education technology professionals, connecting the brightest minds in the field. This global gathering brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds within the higher education industry – practitioners, researchers, and solution providers – to share ideas, develop their expertise, and discover innovative solutions to contemporary challenges.
2024 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education
Date: November 10-13, 2024
Location: Las Vegas, NV

For over 30 years, the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education has offered a dynamic glimpse into the ever-evolving landscape of higher education. With a program featuring peer-reviewed content, attendees gain the strategic insights needed to elevate their marketing strategies, enhance their institutional reputation, and ensure financial strength. Beyond the wealth of sessions, the Symposium serves as a vibrant community where knowledge seamlessly transitions into actionable initiatives, making it an invaluable resource for marketers looking to shape the future of higher education, foster growth, and ensure vitality.
OLC Accelerate 2024
Date: November 18-21, 2024
Location: Orlando, FL

The OLC Accelerate 2024 conference will offer everything you need to know about the most innovative and impactful research and effective practices in the field of online, blended, and digital learning. This event will support administrators, designers, and educators alike by providing a comprehensive list of sessions and activities tailored to address the challenges and goals of our entire community.
UPCEA MEMS 2024
Date: December 3-5, 2024
Location: Philadelphia, PA

UPCEA MEMS is a must-attend conference for education professionals who want to stay on top of the trends in higher ed marketing. Presented from a variety of perspectives, sessions elevate the conversation about today’s higher education landscape. For over 30 years, MEMS has drawn professionals from institutions of all sizes to showcase thought leadership in higher education and explore trends in adult student recruitment and retention.
HashtagHigherEd 2024
Date: TBD
Location: TBD

HashtagHigherEd is a dedicated forum professionals in higher education marketing and communications to converge, fostering the exchange of best practices amidst the complexities of a competitive and ever-evolving landscape. This dedicated forum provides a space for these professionals to collaboratively discuss effective communication, marketing, and branding strategies tailored to the unique challenges of the higher education sector.
HashtagHigherEd 2024 conference details have not been released at this time, but you can view last year’s event page for more information.

The Value of Attending Conferences for Staying Informed and Connected

Conferences offer invaluable opportunities for higher education professionals to stay current with industry trends, discover innovative strategies, and connect with like-minded individuals. Whether you’re seeking to advance your career, enhance your skills, or simply stay informed, attending a relevant conference can be a hugely rewarding experience.

Sharpen your expertise: By participating, you stay current with industry trends in marketing and enrollment management, ensuring relevance in a dynamic landscape.

Unlock opportunities: Engaging with national leaders at these events goes beyond networking; it provides a unique opportunity to form invaluable connections that can significantly impact the future of your institution.

Discover innovative solutions: These conferences offer more than just ideas; they provide tangible, actionable strategies for program growth. Moreover, they serve as platforms for strengthening team dynamics, fostering collaboration, and aligning goals within your unit.

Invest in your future: Beyond being mere events, conferences are opportunities for professional development, allowing you to climb the career ladder with newfound knowledge and skills.

Expand your perspective: Attend not only to learn but to draw inspiration, as conferences have the power to inject fresh energy into your work, sparking creativity and initiating new initiatives.

Connect with the EDDY team at a higher education conference near you.

If you see any of our experts at EducationDynamics (EDDY) at one of these events, come and say hello! We’re excited about making new connections with people from all over the world who share a passion for learning more about what it means to understand, find, enroll, and retain adult, online, or non-traditional students.

We look forward to seeing you there; drop us a line if you’re attending any of the conferences above.