As the MENA region’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem blossoms and grows, so do the events, conferences, and competitions. And as any mentor will advise, attending events is key to helping you boost your business and your network. With that, here is our list of events we’re heading to or will be watching.

Banque du Liban (BDL) Accelerate 2016
When: November 3 - 5
Where: Beirut, Lebanon

Banque du Liban (BDL) Accelerate 2016 is Lebanon’s third annual international conference, and one the biggest in the region. This year, BDL Accelerate is hosting tech legend and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, making the event arguably the highlight of the year. But in addition to ‘The Woz’, the massive event will bring together over “20,000 attendees, 100 speakers from 50 countries, and 100 startups from 40 countries.”

Mix N’ Mentor, Nuwait Edition
When: November 3
Where: Kuwait City, Kuwait

Brought to you by Kuwaiti National Fund (KNF) for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Mix N’ Mentor is back in Kuwait. The event will to bring together entrepreneurs with industry experts, investors and mentors to discuss specific challenges related to SMEs. Today is your last day to register here.

Morocco Startup Altitude
When: November 5 - 10
Where: Casablanca, Morocco

Startup Altitude is a global entrepreneurship organisation. Next month it will host Morocco’s startups, brands and business leaders to network with the aim of building a stronger North African ecosystem. Read our coverage on the Maghreb Game Conference this month for another example of the exciting events happening in Casablanca as it blossoms into a new  startup hub.

Web Summit
When: November 7-10
Where: Lisbon, Portugal

Dubbed “Europe’s largest and most important technology marketplace”, Web Summit will address how disruption can transform businesses. Although a European event, the summit is also bringing together America’s finest expert leaders ranging for Facebook executives, Tinder’s CEO Sean Rad, and even Hollywood cutie Joseph Gordon-Levitt, founder of HitRECord.

Endeavor DealMakers
When: November 7-8
Where: Amman, Jordan

In its fourth annual event, Dealmakers brings together the biggest investors in the region with entrepreneurs to discuss ways to maximize investment in Arab startups and help them scale. Some conversations will feature rethinking how to fundraise and stories of failed investment deals.

MENA ICT Forum
When: November 9-10
Where: Amman, Jordan

Organized by Intaj, this year’s forum will focus on how industries are influenced by cutting-edge technologies whether in education, healthcare, clean energy, transportation and logistics, commerce, financial services, media, or humanitarian work. At MENA ICT, stakeholders will discuss ways your company can stay ahead of the curve on trends like IoT and cloud computing, and ensure you’re aware of what the future may hold for your business.

Social Media Week
When: November 15 - 16
Where: Dubai, UAE

This networking event is one of the biggest conferences in the world and this year is the first time it is hosted in the Middle East. The event includes teaching businesses how social media can be incorporated into their organisation and how consumers can take advantage of social media for empowerment. SMW will also highlight new technologies for participants to test and and even a platform for people to act out social media scenarios through plays on a stage.

The Entrepreneur Day
When: November 16-17
Where: Dubai, UAE

This annual startup event will feature speakers and panelists from the region’s ecosystem. Hosted by the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre (Dtec), it will also include a startup pitch competition, offering cash prizes and incubation.

Innovation Live
When: November 21
Where: Dubai, UAE

This summit will take place during UAE’s Innovation Week and will host regional industry leaders to discuss government-to-business and business-to-business ideas to help shape the Gulf country’s future. The event will have keynote speakers, and include TED-style talks, panel sessions, and debates.

PepsiCo Social Impact Competition
When: November 28
Where: Amman, Jordan

PepsiCo MENA recently launched the PepsiCo Social Impact Competition in partnership with Wamda for MENA-based social startups. The competition aims to promote, reward, and celebrate social startup enterprises from the Arab world that deliver profitability in a sustainable way. Selected startups are now being screened by a jury of regional experts and those chosen will pitch their idea at the end of November to a panel of judges and an audience of business professionals. Prizes are as much as $20,000.

More details on all listed events can be found here. Are we missing any? Leave us a comment below.

Feature image via pexels.com