In a way, the world today is a millennial event, as our generation’s influence can be seen, heard, and felt in nearly every aspect of life. However, generational divides still exist, and there’s nothing wrong with folks of different age groups having events tailored specifically to them. Right now, as in today and for the next several tomorrows, millennials are the ones representing the majority of the workforce, so it only makes sense that plenty of targeted conferences and events are happening now, and many of them can be utilized as powerful career-advancement tools. Here are five of the top millennial events to attend that have a focus on career development, leadership, entrepreneurship, social movements, and the careers industry itself.
- MCON: You guessed it. MCON stands for Millennial Conference and its been happening since 2012 (at least in its current form; it previously took place under another name). According to its website, “MCON gathers leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs from all generations to understand today’s social movements and how to turn interest in an issue into action,” so the goal here is to identify and discuss ideas while focusing on how to make them effective in changing the world for the better. The 2016 installment will take place in Washington, DC from June 21-23 and while a focus hasn’t yet been announced, tickets are already available.
- Global Young Leaders Conference: According to its website, the GYLC “is the premier leadership development program for motivated and accomplished students from across the United States and more than 145 countries around the world,” and it’s been around since 1985, so they know what they’re doing. To attend, you must be between 15 and 19, making this an event for the youngest millennials, and even some Generation Z kids.
- NCDA: Standing for the National Career Development Association, this massive conference features more than 1,200 professionals representing career-development practitioners, facilitators, counselor educators, counselors, specialists, and more. The 2016 installment is taking place in Chicago from June 30-July 2 and will focus on “Fostering Well-Being Through Meaningful Work.”
- ICSB World Conference: Small business professionals and entrepreneurs will flock to the tri-state area for this conference taking place in Hoboken, New Jersey. Just a quick train ride away from New York City, ICSB 2016 will take place June 15-18 and will focus on the role “of entrepreneurship and innovation in advancing the sustainable development goals of a society.” ICSB stands for International Council for Small Business.
- Career Thought Leaders: Known colloquially as CTL, this conference and symposium aims to advance and promote the careers industry in addition to improving the “job search, career, and leadership success of careerists around the globe.” Taking place in Denver, Colorado from March 30-April 1, the 2016 conference will focus on mindset, mastery, and momentum and will feature coaching, business development, and writing help for attendees. Check out the video below for more information.