Apply as Host City

Social Media Week hosts two global conferences each year. Each conference takes place simultaneously in multiple cities around the world, with thousands of individuals and organizations working together to host panels, workshops, talks and industry networking events.

Local conferences are hosted by our City Organizers, who work collaboratively with leading practitioners, industry professionals, content partners, brand partners, event hosts and local advisory boards to produce more than two thousand events across 26 cities.

If you are interested in becoming a City Organizer to bring Social Media Week to your local market, please read the application guidelines below. Once you have read the instructions, complete the initial application below.

What are the benefits of hosting SMW?

Brand Awareness & Recognition – your organization is placed on the global stage and gains more exposure & credibility.

Business Development – your organization has the opportunity to develop valuable relationships with new partners/clients and deepen existing relationships.

Commercial Benefit - your organization has the potential to execute on profitable sponsorship deals.

How does the application process work?

1. You will need to fill out the initial application questionnaire to help the SMW global team better understand your organization’s and city’s collective qualifications to host SMW. This form can be found at the bottom of this page.
2. Once we have received your initial application, our selection committee will review and contact you if you have qualified for the next phase.
3. If successful, you will receive a written brief which we require all new City Organizer applicants to complete within 30 days, together with a video supporting your application.
4. Once received the application will be reviewed and the selection committee will be in touch with feedback and decision as to whether your application has been successful.

Are there upfront fees needed to host SMW?

There are no application fees or brand licensing fees for hosting SMW. Host teams can expect to budget for costs related to production and staffing at least 5-6 months prior to the conference. These costs can be offset with opportunities to generate profit by securing corporate sponsorships, of a which a small commission is allotted to Crowdcentric.

What types of cities are we typically looking for?

Typical SMW Cities are…

+ Globally recognized for media and communication innovation
+ Seeing a growing and vibrant start-up community flourish
+ Known for having a history of hosting large-scale globally renowned events

New cities that we’re specifically targeting in 2013 are New Delhi, Jakarta & Sydney.*
*if your city is not one of these 3, we’re still very interested to hear from you.

What types of organizations typically host SMW?

Organizations that….

+ are highly networked across multiple industries
+ have experience in event or conference production
+ have experience in securing and executing sponsorships
+ are highly collaborative in practice
+ are highly experienced in community management and building
+ have a history of producing and distributing compelling written and visual content
+ want to change the world for the better

What type of effort is involved in hosting SMW?

Your host team will need to have at least 2 people working full-time to organize SMW at least 6 months prior to the conference. 2-3 month leading up to SMW, you will need to have closer to 4-5 people working full-time.

Areas that need to be covered:

+ Programming / Event Partners
+ Sponsorships / Sales
+ Logistics / Event Production / Technical
+ Communications / Promotion / Media Relations
+ Community Management

Fill out the following form to see if your organization & city are eligible to qualify to receive a formal SMW city briefing assignment.