Small business conferences 2027 The year’s main events, every date checked.

Six US small business and entrepreneur conferences for 2027, with dates, cities and official links, each read from the organizer’s site on October 29, 2026.

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  • NRF 2027: Retail’s Big ShowNew York, NY · Jan 10–12, 2027
  • SXSWAustin, TX · Mar 15–21, 2027
  • Small Business Expo New York (Spring)New York, NY · Apr 29, 2027

The main US small business and entrepreneur conferences in 2027 run from January to October: six events, each with its dates, city and official link below. We read every date from the organizer’s own site, not a listings site, and the page shows when.

Updated . Every date checked on the organizer’s own site.

The 2027 calendar

Six dates worth the trip.

In date order. The event’s name opens its official site.

  1. Jan110–12
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar115–21
  4. Apr129
  5. May0
  6. Jun24–5, 10
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep0
  10. Oct128
Events per month · days in small type
US small business and entrepreneur conferences in 2027, in date order
EventDatesCityWho it is for
NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show New York, NY
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center		 Retailers of every size, and the companies that sell to them.
SXSW Austin, TX Founders, creators and marketers; conference, music and film in one week.
Small Business Expo New York (Spring) New York, NY Owners and would-be owners; one day of workshops and exhibitors. The expo also runs in 13 other cities in 2027.
International Franchise Expo New York, NY
Javits Center, Hall 1C		 People buying a franchise, and franchisors selling them.
Small Business Expo Chicago Chicago, IL Owners in the Midwest; one day of workshops and exhibitors.
Small Business Expo Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Owners on the West Coast; the expo’s last date of 2027.

Each date was read from the event’s own site, linked from its name, on the day shown at the top of this page. Organizers do move dates, so confirm on their site before you book.

Which one

Pick by who is in the room.

The right event is the one where the people you need to meet already go.

  • 3New York, NY
  • 1Austin, TX
  • 1Chicago, IL
  • 1Los Angeles, CA
Events per city
  • You want a free or cheap day close to home Small Business Expo, in 14 cities
  • You run a shop or sell products NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show
  • You are thinking of buying a franchise International Franchise Expo
  • You build a brand, a product or a creative business SXSW
How to work the event

Meet fewer people, follow up with all of them.

Three habits for small business owners, then the follow-up that turns a badge into a client. The whole playbook is in our guide to digital business cards at events.

  1. Before
    1. Card in Apple Wallet
    2. Five people to meet
  2. At the event
    1. Show your QR
    2. They save you
    3. They can send theirs back
    4. Note one detail
  3. After
    1. Follow up within two days
    2. By name, one detail
    3. Draft and reminder

  • Bring the card, not a stack

    At a one-day expo you will meet more people than you planned for. A card on your phone never runs out, and the person can save you in one tap.

  • Ask what they would buy, not what they do

    Owners at these events are buyers and sellers at once. The note that matters is what they need this quarter.

  • Follow up the same week

    Small business owners decide fast and forget fast. A short note within two days, naming what they said, beats a long one next month.

  1. 1They scan your pass
  2. 2They save you
  3. 3They can send theirs back
  4. 4Pro drafts your follow-up

ExampleAnjali Rao and Tom Avery are invented.

Example · one swap, followed up

Cardr puts your card in Apple Wallet, so it opens with no signal on a crowded show floor. The person you meet scans it with their camera, saves you and can send their details straight back, and each exchange lands in your contact list with a note. For the card itself, see the digital business card for small business page. For the email afterwards, use the conference follow-up templates.

Go with your card in Wallet.

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Questions

Small business conferences, answered.

What are the main small business and entrepreneur conferences in 2027?

NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show (Jan 10–12, 2027, New York, NY); SXSW (Mar 15–21, 2027, Austin, TX); Small Business Expo New York (Spring) (Apr 29, 2027, New York, NY); International Franchise Expo (Jun 4–5, 2027, New York, NY); Small Business Expo Chicago (Jun 10, 2027, Chicago, IL); Small Business Expo Los Angeles (Oct 28, 2027, Los Angeles, CA). Each date is from the organizer’s own site.

Are there free small business conferences in 2027?

The Small Business Expo runs one-day events in 14 US cities in 2027; check its site for what each pass costs and includes. For the rest, the official site linked in the table has the prices.

Which cities does the Small Business Expo visit in 2027?

Its site lists Orlando, Miami, Charlotte, Washington DC, New York (spring and fall), Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The table shows three of them; the expo’s site has every date.

Is a trade show worth it for a small business?

It is worth it if your customers or suppliers are in the room. Go with a list of the five people you want to meet, and plan the follow-up before you go.

How do I follow up with people I meet at a conference?

Within a day or two, by name, with one thing they said. Our conference follow-up templates have one for each situation, and the trade show versions cover both sides of a booth.

Other industries

More 2027 calendars.

Months with events, by industry, 2027
JFMAMJJASOND
Real estate
Financial advisor
Insurance
Legal
Sales
Small business
Art
Each industry’s 2027 season
Real estate conferencesNine events, from Jan 26See the dates Financial advisor conferencesFive events, from Feb 1See the dates Insurance conferencesSix events, from Mar 31See the dates Legal conferencesSix events, from Feb 26See the dates Sales conferencesSix events, from Apr 12See the dates Art fairsFour events, from Apr 8See the dates

All US conferences by industry

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