IT Conferences are great places to get a birds-eye view of the business technologies used to support a company. Whether it's a general cloud computing conference, or a vendor specific event, the end-goal is to come back after the show with a whole new set of ideas and contacts that are just as important as learning some basic skills. But some companies are leaning toward canceling these events. For instance, Intel recently announced it would be pulling the plug on its annual developer's forum.

Most, if not all, conferences are composed of packed keynote sessions, technical workshops, hands-on training, vendor expos on a showroom floor, and lots of after-hour networking events. Be prepared with good pair of walking shoes, a dependable power bank for your phone, business cards and light bag to carry all the swag you’ll be getting. These are the 15 you should plan to attend.