People doing business in China know that attending business conferences is one way to get into the market, learn the terrain, form partnerships or find clients.
But for those who have attended some bad conferences and think they are all a waste of time, the global conference industry now use data to connect people, making conferences more interesting than before.
Here's a rundown of must-attend conferences and events for people interested in marketing, Internet of Things (IoT), technology and startups, as compiled by Forbes:
1. GMIC - The Global Mobile Internet Conference is one of the most established on the Asian conference industry. The conference, which will be held April 27-29 in Beijing, is focused on Internet startups and trends that affect business development in China.
2 RISE - One of the largest Asian conferences, the Hong Kong-based event will be held July 11-13 this year and features demo shows and a large trade booth exhibition, among others.
3. China Marketing Summit - The conference will be held in Shenzhen, July 14-15, with more than 8,000 participants expected to attend. It was organized for China-based marketers looking for Western clients. A preview event will be held on Jan. 14, featuring Peter Vesterbacka, the creator of Angry Birds and currently CMO of Lightneer, and Josh Steimle, author of Chief Marketing Officers at Work.
4. Cross Border Summit - The event, to be held on April 21-22, will be joined by international leaders in the e-commerce industry, who will discuss marketing, management, manufacturing and technology. It also features roundtable discussions and networking sessions.
5. Smart China Sourcing Summit - A popular event, it gather entrepreneurs and small business and show them how to create an Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) business. It will be held on April 17-19 in Hong Kong.
6. Tech in Asia - The online magazine hosts several events across Asia, such as Tokyo, Jakarta, Singapore and Bangalore. The events often cover topics related, not only about China, but also about tech, startups, funding and trends.
7. Echelon by e27 - Another publication, which is focused on tech and startup, it hosts many regional events in Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
8. Silicon Dragon - Created by Rebecca Fannin, an established journalist and author of Silicon Dragon and Startup Asia, it also hosts several tech and investment forums.
9. Enter China - The two-day event features the hardware industry. To be held in Guangzhou, the event brings together entrepreneurs of product-based businesses to discuss technology, manufacturing and operation issues.
10. TechCrunch Beijing - An event organized jointly by TechCrunch and TechNode, a Chinese tech and startup publication, it aims to connect China with overseas markets. The conference also hopes to build trust and understanding across regions to spur ideas and solutions.
11. Slush - A tech and startup conference that started in Europe, it is now in Asia. Held in Shanghai last year, the conference aims to encourage startup culture and bring European and Asia entrepreneurs together for collaboration and innovation.
12. Huawei Connect - The conference is held late summer or early fall, with more than 15,000 industry leaders who will discuss information and communications technology on global scale.