Controversies SymposiumControversies is my favorite conference. It uses a panel format; every hour a panel of 5-6 faculty comes onstage to address a topic. They each speak for 5-10 minutes, and then are quetioned by the audience. The format keeps it from getting too tainted by indistry bias, since people will get called out on it. The conference is held every summer, usually in nice places. In 2019 it will be in San Francisco! Link here.
Masters of AestheticsAnother great conference. MOA is held every August in Southern California. There is a lot of overlap between MOA and controversies, but I would recommend going to one or the other every year. Link here.
CSFPS Winter SymposiumThis conference is a small, intimate conference held every winter in Squaw Valley. Although it is put on by the CSFPS, its open to all specialties including non-core. It’s half ski boondoggle and half conference - very worthwhile to go to if you are new to the field, less valuable if you have been around for a long time. And doubly good if you like to ski! Link here.
IMCAS ParisThis is a huge huge conference held in Paris every January. Greatest boondoggle ever! Link here