Many devices today connect to the internet and talk to each other, including lightbulbs, medical diagnostic tools and traffic lights. This network of devices is known as the internet of things. IoT is a technology domain that encompasses consumer, industrial and embedded devices. Any individual thing that has some form of network connectivity, an IP address and can connect to the public internet is an IoT technology.
IoT deployments continue to grow as organizations engage in digital transformation initiatives. IoT devices generate large amounts of data that organizations use to get a better view of operations and to inform business decisions.
Following IoT blogs is one way to stay up to date on news and trends in the global IoT industry. Other popular approaches include enrolling in online courses to keep your skills up to date and attending IoT industry conferences and other events.
The top IoT conferences in 2024 are being offered around the world both in person and virtually. These include industry vertical-specific conferences, such as those for industrial IoT, manufacturing or power generation, as well as broader multivertical events. As with other topics in IT, there are academic conferences for IoT where researchers release papers on new processes and approaches. IoT is also a topic of conversation at larger industry events, particularly those that involve consumer electronics, cybersecurity and open source.
Here are some of the top industry conferences and events to keep on your radar in 2024.
1. Consumer Electronics Show 2024
When: Jan. 9-12, 2024
Where: Las Vegas
Cost: Deluxe conference pass: $1,700; Exhibit Plus pass: $350
Where to register: https://www.ces.tech/about-ces/registration-information.aspx
Description: Few if any events in 2024 are bigger than the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) conference, which focuses on consumer electronics. IoT isn’t the primary focus of CES, but with more than 2,000 exhibitors, IoT is well represented at the event with all manner of devices benefiting from internet connectivity.
Speakers: Among the many featured speakers are the following: Doug McMillion, CEO of Walmart; Patrick Gelsinger, CEO of Intel; and Corie Barry, CEO of Best Buy.
2. IOT Solutions World Congress
When: May 21-23, 2024
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Cost: Full congress ticket: €695; Expo +: €150; Daily congress ticket: €550
Where to register: https://www.iotsworldcongress.com/the-event/visit-passes/
Description: This event looks to serve the same role for IoT that the Mobile World Congress serves for the mobility industry. The sprawling event has a broad range of diverse speakers talking about IoT in government, process engineering and industrial use cases. Key themes include security, connectivity, business optimization, customer experience and data intelligence.
Speakers: Kirsten Davies, CISO at Unilever; Amir Gomroki, head of 5G North America at Nokia; and Mark Kraeling, solutions architect at GE Transportation.
3. IoT Evolution Expo
When: Feb. 13-15, 2024
Where: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Cost: Superpass: $1,599 (early bird: $1,299); IoT Platinum: $899 (early bird: $799)
Where to register: https://www.iotevolutionexpo.com/east/registration.aspx
Description: IoT Evolution Expo is one of the larger IoT events scheduled in 2024, hosting more than 7,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors. Event topics will have a strong business focus, including how to use IoT data analytics to help grow businesses. Industrial IoT (IIoT) is another primary topic with sessions on applications and security. There are also several colocated events, including ITExpo, MSPExpo, Future of Work Expo, Industrial IoT Conference, Enterprise Metaverse Expo, Generative AI Expo, 5G Expo and The Smart City Event.
Speakers: Matt Hatton, CEO of Transforma; Robert Spalding, CEO of Sempre; and Keith Robinson, deputy commissioner of City of Atlanta Dept. of Public Works.
4. 5th International Conference on Block chain and Internet of Things (BIoT 2024)
When: May 18-19, 2024
Where: Zurich, Switzerland
Cost: Not yet disclosed
Where to register: https://www.ccsea2024.org/biot/index
Description: The International Conference on Block chain and Internet of Things (BIoT) 2024 looks at the intersection of blockchain and IoT, including discussion on theoretical and practical aspects. The general theme of topics presented at this event tends to skew more toward academic research.
Speakers: Speakers TBA
5. RSA Conference 2024
When: May 6-9, 2024
Where: San Francisco
Cost: Full Conference (in-person): $2,195; On Demand: $495; Expo Plus: $495; Expo: $99
Where to register: https://www.rsaconference.com/usa/passes-and-rates
Description: RSA Conference is one of the largest cybersecurity conferences in the world and includes multiple sessions, tracks and speakers that deal with the topic of IoT security. Multiple sessions with a specific focus on IoT are spread across an agenda loaded with content covering every aspect of modern cybersecurity.
Speakers: The speaker list for RSA Conference USA events includes experts from the government, private sector, academia and law enforcement. Speakers for the 2024 event TBA.
6. IoTDI 2024 9th ACM/IEEE Conference on Internet of Things Design and Implementation
When: May 13-16, 2024
Where: Hong Kong
Cost: Not yet disclosed
Where to register: https://conferences.computer.org/iotDI/2024/
Description: IoTDI 2024 is the top event regarding Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet-of-Things (CPS-IoT) research. The conference has a strong academic and technical focus designed to further research, specifications and best practices for IoT systems design and operational implementations.
Speakers: Speakers TBA
7. IoT Tech Expo North America
When: June 5-6, 2024
Where: Santa Clara, Calif.
Cost: Ultimate Pass early bird pricing: $699; Gold Pass early bird pricing: $499
Where to register: https://www.iottechexpo.com/northamerica/
Description: This event covers a broad spectrum of IoT topics for decision-makers, including digital transformation, sensor development, cloud computing, smart energy and autonomous transportation. The event includes a mix of top-level executive and enterprise IT content, including keynotes, and individual and panel sessions.
Speakers: Among the many featured speakers are the following: Lori Norman, director, IoT and retail hardware engineering at Starbucks; Jens Fossen, senior director of product management at Georgia-Pacific; and Martin Miller, former director of AI and ML production operations at Levi Strauss and Co.
8. Embedded Open Source Summit
When: April 16-18, 2024
Where: Seattle
Cost: Not yet disclosed
Where to register: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/embedded-open-source-summit/
Description: The Embedded Open Source Summit (EOSS) is a new event from The Linux Foundation for open source embedded projects and developer communities. The event is an expansion of The Linux Foundation’s efforts in the embedded space. Open source plays a major role in the IoT ecosystem as a foundational software technology.
Speakers: Speakers TBA
9. Black Hat USA 2024
When: Aug. 3-8, 2024
Where: Las Vegas
Cost: Not yet disclosed
Where to register: https://www.blackhat.com/upcoming.html#usa
Description: Black Hat is a cybersecurity event that also discusses IoT topics, including sessions on the newest exploits of IoT. A key part of the event is the Black Hat Arsenal where researchers and vendors display and discuss the latest tools, with a strong representation of tools that often target IoT deployments.
Speakers: Speakers TBA
10. IoT Tech Expo Europe
When: Oct. 1-2, 2024
Where: Amsterdam
Cost: Gold Pass: €499; Ultimate Pass: €699
Where to register: https://www.iottechexpo.com/europe/ticket-registration-2024/
Description: This is one of the leading events in Europe for IoT where organizations can connect with experts and learn solution-based approaches to IoT across multiple industry verticals.
Speakers: Among the many featured speakers are the following: Ankush Gulati, Global Program Lead for Energy Efficiency at ABB; Thomas Kleine, CIO Germany at Pfizer; and Karinna Calin, Head of Global CX and Data Analytics at Unilever.
Other 2024 IoT conferences
Beyond the 10 events listed above, there are several additional IoT conferences in 2024 to take note of, including the following:
IOTBS 2024: 4th International Conference on IoT, Big Data and Security
When: Jan. 27-28, 2024
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
Where to register: https://ccnet2024.org/iotbs/index
ICICIT 2024: 18. International Conference on Internet Computing and Internet of Things
When: Jan. 29-30, 2024
Where: New York
Where to register: https://waset.org/internet-computing-and-internet-of-things-conference-in-january-2024-in-new-york
ICAITTA 2024: 18. International Conference on Agricultural Internet of Things Technologies and Applications
When: April 22-23, 2024
Where: New York
Where to register: https://waset.org/agricultural-internet-of-things-technologies-and-applications-conference-in-april-2024-in-new-york
ICITTS 2024: 18. International Conference on Internet of Things for Transportation Systems
When: June 27-28, 2024
Where: London
Where to register: https://waset.org/internet-of-things-for-transportation-systems-conference-in-june-2024-in-london
10th Annual Digitalization in Oil and Gas Conference
When: Sept. 4-5, 2024
Where: Houston
Where to register: https://www.digitalizationoilgas.com/
Sean Michael Kerner is an IT consultant, technology enthusiast and tinkerer. He has pulled Token Ring, configured NetWare and has been known to compile his own Linux kernel. He consults with industry and media organizations on technology issues.
