The Masterminders was founded by Kasra Dash, a well-known entrepreneur and SEO expert. His passion for networking, collaboration, and personal growth inspired him to create an event where like-minded marketers, founders, and business owners could come together to level up collectively.

Kasra's vision for The Masterminders is simple — to connect real operators who share proven strategies, not theories, and to build a global community focused on growth, execution, and results.

The Masterminders was founded on November 7th, 2023, by Kasra Dash. It began as a small private meetup in Chiang Mai, Thailand, bringing together a handful of marketers and entrepreneurs who shared a passion for SEO and business growth.

After the success of that first gathering, additional meetups were held in Thailand and Saigon, Vietnam, each one growing in size and influence. Today, The Masterminders has evolved into a major annual SEO and marketing conference held every June in Manchester, United Kingdom, attracting attendees from around the world.

The Masterminders Conference is held in Manchester, United Kingdom, where it brings together some of the brightest minds in SEO, marketing, and business growth. The event has rapidly expanded each year, with the 2026 edition expecting over 250 attendees from more than 25 countries.

Manchester was chosen for its strong digital community, international accessibility, and reputation as one of the UK's fastest-growing business hubs — making it the perfect location for a world-class marketing conference.

• Location: Manchester Deansgate, UK
• Mastermind Day: 24 June 2026
• VIP Workshops: 25 June 2026
• Main Conference: 26 June 2026

The Masterminders Conference is organised by Kasra Dash and Lily Nguyen.

Lily Nguyen serves as the main event organiser, overseeing all planning, coordination, and execution to ensure the event runs smoothly from start to finish. She handles logistics, venue management, and works closely with sponsors and speakers to deliver a world-class experience.

Kasra Dash focuses on the marketing and strategic logistics side of the event — managing partnerships, speaker outreach, branding, and audience growth. Together, they've turned The Masterminders into one of the most respected and fast-growing SEO and marketing conferences in the world.

The Masterminders Conference is an exclusive SEO and business growth event designed primarily for business owners who are serious about levelling up. The purpose of the conference is to create an environment where entrepreneurs can bring their real business challenges and receive direct, actionable feedback from top industry experts and peers.

The event also includes small, selective mastermind groups, where only qualified attendees are invited to join. These groups focus on collaboration, open discussion, and problem-solving — ensuring that every participant walks away with clear strategies to scale their business.

What sets The Masterminders apart from every other SEO and marketing conference is its selective approach and world-class lineup of speakers. The event attracts some of the top SEO experts, founders, and marketers from around the globe, each sharing proven strategies and insights that come directly from real-world experience — not theory.

While anyone can purchase a general conference ticket, the Mastermind-level access is strictly vetted. Every applicant goes through pre-set checks to ensure that only serious entrepreneurs, agency owners, and operators who can add value to discussions are accepted.

This level of quality control, combined with the high calibre of attendees and speakers, makes The Masterminders the most valuable and results-driven SEO and marketing conference in the world.

The 2026 Masterminders Conference will feature an incredible lineup of world-class keynote speakers from across the SEO, marketing, and business industries. Some of the confirmed speakers include:

• Kyle Roof – Co-founder of High Voltage SEO and PageOptimizer Pro, known for his data-driven SEO testing.
• Koray Tuğberk Gübür – Founder of Holistic SEO, globally recognised for his work on semantic SEO and search systems.
• James Dooley – Founder of FatRank, a leading figure in pay-on-results lead generation.
• Andrew Holland – SEO Director at JBH, specialising in PR-driven search strategies.
• Sean Bianco – Expert in digital strategy and high-performance marketing systems.
• Aaron Branch – CEO of Social Agendas, known for his expertise in paid ads and content strategy.
• Oliver Kenyon – Co-founder of The Affiliate Meet Markt, with deep experience in affiliate marketing and brand growth.
• Fery Kaszoni – Founder of Search Intelligence, one of the top PR link-building agencies in the world.
• Josh Thomas – SEO and content strategist known for scaling editorial operations across multiple industries.

With such a diverse lineup, The Masterminders Conference delivers actionable insights, tested strategies, and real-world case studies — making it one of the most respected and practical SEO and marketing events in the world.

The Masterminders Conference covers a wide range of SEO, marketing, and business growth topics — designed to give attendees a complete roadmap to scale their companies effectively.

Key topics include:

• On-Page SEO – mastering content optimisation, keyword strategy, and topical authority.
• Technical SEO – understanding site structure, indexing, and advanced search signals.
• Link Building – proven outreach, PR, and authority-building tactics.
• CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation) – turning traffic into paying customers through data-driven testing.
• Paid Ads – scaling with Facebook, Google, and TikTok ads.
• Accounting & Business Systems – learning how to structure finances and operations for scalable growth.

The goal of The Masterminders is for business owners, SEOs, and marketers to leave the event with a clear, actionable plan for scaling both their marketing systems and their business operations.

Attendees consistently describe The Masterminders as the highest ROI conference experience they've ever had — because every session is designed to produce real-world results.

The Masterminders Conference attracts a diverse range of business and marketing professionals from around the world. Attendees include business owners, multi-figure brand operators, SEO specialists, freelancers, and in-house marketers who are all looking to take their skills, systems, and businesses to the next level.

What unites every attendee is a shared goal — to learn directly from top performers, build valuable connections, and walk away with practical strategies that can immediately drive growth.

While BrightonSEO and Chiang Mai SEO are both respected industry events, The Masterminders Conference stands apart because of its exclusive audience, speaker selection, and focus on real-world results.

Unlike BrightonSEO, which attracts a large crowd that often includes students and apprentices, The Masterminders is tailored toward business owners, agency founders, and decision makers who are actively growing multi-figure brands. Every attendee is vetted to ensure they can both contribute to and benefit from high-level discussions.

Compared to Chiang Mai SEO, The Masterminders is more selective with both its speakers and attendees, prioritising those who have real, measurable success in the SEO and business space. It also attracts a stronger UK and European audience, making it the go-to event for Western-based marketers looking to connect, collaborate, and learn.

Another key differentiator is that The Masterminders embraces all sides of SEO — including grey hat and black hat insights — because understanding what is and isn't working in every area of SEO is essential to staying ahead of the curve.

The mission of The Masterminders is to build a close-knit community of SEOs, business owners, and marketers who are all dedicated to helping each other level up — not just during the event, but long after it ends.

One of the unique perks of attending The Masterminders is access to the private, invite-only app — mySEO App. This exclusive platform allows attendees to stay connected, ask questions, and share insights throughout the year, ensuring that learning and collaboration continue well beyond the conference itself.

At its core, The Masterminders isn't just an event — it's a global network of real operators committed to growing together and supporting one another's success.

The Masterminders supports business owners and marketers by bringing together the top minds in SEO, marketing, and business strategy under one roof. The event features world-class keynote speakers and VIP workshops designed to give attendees deep, actionable insights they can immediately apply to grow their businesses.

For example, at the 2026 conference, workshops include:

• Koray Tuğberk Gübür — teaching advanced Semantic SEO strategies in a 2-hour deep dive.
• Fery Kaszoni — running a session on Vibe Coding and Digital PR, revealing how to get brands covered by major media outlets.
• Josh Thomas — leading a workshop focused on tax efficiency and saving money for businesses.

Beyond the sessions, The Masterminders attracts an incredible audience of growth-minded professionals — meaning some of the most valuable learning happens outside the stage through conversations, networking, and exclusive after-parties where real collaborations begin.

The Masterminders Conference is built around networking and connection — every part of the event is designed to help attendees meet, collaborate, and share ideas with other high-level professionals in the SEO and marketing industry.

The conference takes place at the Manchester Deansgate Hotel, where attendees stay under one roof with 250 other SEOs, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Networking happens naturally throughout the event — during sessions, in the lobby, and over inclusive lunches provided on the day of the conference.

In addition, The Masterminders hosts multiple after-parties and networking events, including:

• A VIP networking night after the workshops
• A Mastermind after-party exclusively for high-level ticket holders
• A main conference after-party where all attendees can connect, celebrate, and collaborate

Frequent breaks and shared spaces ensure you're constantly surrounded by growth-focused professionals, making it one of the best environments in the world to build lasting relationships and partnerships.

You can purchase tickets directly from the official website — themasterminders.com. Ticket sales open months in advance, but availability is limited, as 80% of attendees pre-book their seats for the following year at each event.

It's highly recommended to secure your ticket early, as prices increase the closer we get to the conference date, and The Masterminders sells out every year due to high demand and limited capacity.

The Masterminders Conference offers three main ticket tiers — Standard, VIP, and Mastermind — each designed to provide a different level of access and experience across the multi-day event.

• 🎟️ Standard Ticket (26th June 2026) — Includes full conference access, lunch, and entry to the official after-party. Perfect for those who want to attend the main event and connect with other SEOs and business owners.
• 💼 VIP Ticket (25th–26th June 2026) — Includes everything from the Standard Ticket, plus access to three VIP workshops (each 2 hours long), led by top industry experts such as Koray Tuğberk Gübür, Fery Kaszoni, and Josh Thomas. Also includes access to the exclusive VIP after-party.
• 🧠 Mastermind Ticket (24th–26th June 2026) — The highest level of access, including everything from the VIP Ticket, plus admission to the private Mastermind Day on 24th June 2026. This is a small-group experience where attendees share challenges and receive tailored feedback directly from other elite marketers and business owners.

Each tier is designed to ensure you get the most value and networking opportunities, whether you're attending for inspiration, deep learning, or strategic collaboration.

The VIP and Mastermind tickets for The Masterminders Conference are designed for attendees who want a more in-depth and exclusive experience than the standard ticket offers.

💼 VIP Ticket (25th–26th June 2026)
Includes:

• Access to three expert-led workshops (each 2 hours) with speakers such as Koray Tuğberk Gübür, Fery Kaszoni, and Josh Thomas.
• Full conference access on 26th June.
• Lunch included during the main conference day.
• Entry to both the VIP workshop after-party and the main conference after-party.
• Premium networking opportunities with top speakers, sponsors, and agency owners.

🧠 Mastermind Ticket (24th–26th June 2026)
Includes everything in the VIP Ticket plus:

• Access to the private Mastermind Day on 24th June, where small groups of 5–7 attendees collaborate to solve business challenges and share strategies in a closed, high-trust setting.
• Entry to the Mastermind after-party, exclusive to Mastermind attendees.

The Mastermind experience is invitation-only and designed for established operators and business owners ready to exchange insights and scale together.

If you're interested in speaking at The Masterminders Conference, you can reach out via email at info@themasterminders.com. However, please note that the 2026 speaking lineup is almost full, with over 50 speaker submissions already received.

Most speakers at The Masterminders are handpicked from previous attendees who have demonstrated exceptional expertise and provided immense value during Mastermind sessions. Attending the event — especially the private Mastermind Day — is one of the best ways to get noticed and potentially secure a speaking slot for the 2027 conference.

You can apply to become a sponsor by visiting our Sponsorship Page and submitting your enquiry through the contact form. Our team will review your application and get in touch to discuss available partnership opportunities.

Please note that The Masterminders is highly selective with sponsors — we only collaborate with brands and companies that align with our community's values and offer genuine value to attendees.

Every year, The Masterminders Conference continues to grow in size and demand. The 2025 event completely sold out, and for 2026, the conference is projected to welcome between 250 and 300 attendees from over 25 countries.

This steady growth reflects the event's reputation as one of the most exclusive and results-driven SEO and marketing conferences in the world, attracting top-tier professionals, business owners, and marketers from across the globe.

The Masterminders Conference attracts attendees from all over the world. In 2025, participants represented over 25 different countries, making it one of the most globally diverse SEO and marketing events.

Attendees travel from places such as Australia, the United States, Brazil, and across Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. This international mix creates a truly global environment for networking, learning, and collaboration.

The Masterminders plays a major role in advancing the global SEO and digital marketing community by creating a space where real operators, business owners, and marketers can share insights, solve problems, and form meaningful partnerships.

In 2025, over 80% of the 150 attendees reported in their feedback that it was the best SEO conference they had ever attended, highlighting the incredible ROI, unmatched networking opportunities, and actionable strategies gained from the event.

Unlike other conferences that focus purely on presentations, The Masterminders fosters open discussion during the private mastermind sessions, giving business owners and SEOs a platform to ask direct questions, get personalised advice, and build lasting relationships — all without needing to fly halfway across the world.

The Masterminders stands out from traditional marketing events because of its selective approach and commitment to quality over quantity. While the number of attendees continues to grow each year, the organisers ensure that the standard of attendees and speakers remains exceptionally high.

Unlike most conferences that allow anyone to join, The Masterminders carefully vets both speakers and attendees, ensuring that everyone in the room is an operator, business owner, or marketer who can provide real value to the community. The event team isn't afraid to turn people away if they don't meet the required level — protecting the integrity and quality of every mastermind session and networking opportunity.

The Masterminders started as a small private meetup in Chiang Mai, Thailand, founded by Kasra Dash in November 2023. What began as a casual gathering for SEO professionals and entrepreneurs quickly evolved into one of the most respected SEO and business conferences in the world.

By 2025, The Masterminders had become a hub for high-level operators and business owners, with real deals being made at the event — including one attendee selling their business to another and another attendee closing a £70,000 deal during the mastermind sessions.

This level of collaboration and business opportunity is exactly why The Masterminders keeps its mastermind groups selective — ensuring that every conversation is valuable, every connection is strategic, and the environment remains high-calibre and results-driven.

Over the past two years, The Masterminders has helped create some incredible success stories. More than 10 attendees have exited their businesses for £2 million or more, crediting the connections, strategies, and insights they gained from the conference as one of the key factors that helped them achieve those results.

Beyond major business exits, many attendees have also landed high-value clients, secured new jobs, and formed partnerships directly through the event's networking sessions and mastermind discussions.

Sponsors have seen significant ROI as well — The Masterminders places sponsors directly in front of decision-makers who have real buying power and are actively looking for new tools, services, and products. This ecosystem ensures a win–win environment for both attendees and partners.

Because of this, The Masterminders is extremely selective about who it allows to sponsor or attend. Every element of the event is designed to create genuine business opportunities and long-term success stories.

The founder of The Masterminders Conference is Kasra Dash. He created the event after personally experiencing the power of masterminding and networking in his own career. Kasra noticed that being surrounded by the right people — those who challenge, inspire, and share actionable insights — led to massive personal and business growth.

He wanted to replicate that experience for others who are serious about levelling up in SEO, marketing, and entrepreneurship. The Masterminders was built on that vision — to bring together real operators, decision-makers, and growth-driven professionals in a space where everyone learns, collaborates, and scales together.

BrightonSEO is one of the largest SEO events in Europe, attracting thousands of marketers, agencies, and students from across the world. It's a great place for beginners and mid-level professionals to learn about SEO fundamentals and attend a wide variety of talks.

However, The Masterminders Conference is built for a completely different audience — decision-makers, business owners, and elite SEOs who want to learn what's actually working right now in the real world. While BrightonSEO focuses on scale and accessibility, The Masterminders prioritises quality, exclusivity, and ROI.

Every attendee at The Masterminders is vetted, ensuring that the room is filled with people who can contribute, collaborate, and create high-value partnerships. Instead of generic presentations, you'll experience hands-on workshops, private mastermind sessions, and direct access to top operators like James Dooley, Koray Tuğberk Gübür, and Fery Kaszoni.

For a full breakdown, you can read our in-depth comparison: 👉 BrightonSEO vs The Masterminders

The Chiang Mai SEO Conference is one of the most well-known events in the SEO space, especially for affiliate marketers and niche site owners. It offers a laid-back vibe and attracts a strong community of digital nomads, making it ideal for those who enjoy networking in a relaxed setting.

However, The Masterminders Conference is designed for a different calibre of attendee — serious business owners, agency founders, and top-level SEOs who want to level up their companies through actionable strategies and high-level masterminding.

While Chiang Mai SEO focuses more on the affiliate and nomad scene, The Masterminders brings together decision-makers and real operators who run multi-figure businesses and want to discuss growth, systems, and scaling. Every attendee is vetted, ensuring the conversations are meaningful and lead to genuine business opportunities — including six-figure deals made at past events.

The Masterminders also offers European accessibility, structured workshops, and a selective mastermind day — making it the clear choice for professionals who value results, exclusivity, and long-term connections.

For a detailed comparison, you can read our full article here: 👉 Chiang Mai SEO Conference vs The Masterminders

Ahrefs Evolve is a fantastic conference for marketers who want to learn directly from the Ahrefs team about SEO tools, data insights, and search analytics. It's great for those who use Ahrefs regularly and want to deepen their understanding of how to get more out of the platform.

However, The Masterminders Conference goes far beyond tool education — it's built for operators, founders, and SEOs who want to grow entire businesses, not just learn how to use software. While Ahrefs Evolve focuses on the "how" of SEO, The Masterminders focuses on the "how to scale" — covering lead generation, branding, paid traffic, PR, and even business systems.

Every speaker and attendee at The Masterminders is vetted, ensuring the room is filled with decision-makers who bring real-world experience and proven results. Attendees regularly form partnerships, close deals, and walk away with direct strategies they can apply immediately to grow revenue.

For those serious about building lasting relationships and scaling their business beyond the basics of SEO, The Masterminders is the clear choice.

You can read our full comparison here: 👉 Ahrefs Evolve vs The Masterminders

WTSFest (Women in Tech SEO Festival) is a great event that showcases speakers from across the SEO industry, mainly focusing on technical SEO, analytics, and content strategy. It's a valuable conference for marketers looking to improve their technical skills and hear a range of SEO perspectives.

However, The Masterminders Conference is on a completely different level — it's built for elite operators, founders, and business owners who want to go beyond tactics and focus on scaling revenue, lead generation, and building long-term businesses.

At The Masterminders, only the best of the best are in the room. Every attendee is vetted to ensure they're an active player — not a spectator. This means you'll be surrounded by people who are running agencies, managing multi-figure brands, or leading high-performing marketing teams, not just learning the theory.

The event also features global speakers like James Dooley, Koray Tuğberk Gübür, and Fery Kaszoni, all of whom bring tested strategies that are producing results right now. It's less about buzzwords and more about ROI, growth, and execution.

For a detailed breakdown, check out our full article: 👉 WTSFest vs The Masterminders

SEO Estonia is a respected European conference that brings together marketers and SEO professionals for talks on search trends, content, and technical optimisation. It's a solid event for those looking to stay up to date with general SEO knowledge and meet others in the European SEO community.

But when it comes to high-level business growth, advanced SEO systems, and serious networking, The Masterminders is in a league of its own. Unlike open-attendance events like SEO Estonia, every attendee at The Masterminders is vetted — meaning you'll only be surrounded by operators, agency owners, and multi-figure brand builders who can bring real value to the table.

The Masterminders isn't about theory or surface-level presentations — it's about ROI, strategy, and execution. Attendees leave with tested systems, partnerships, and growth frameworks that have been proven to work by the best in the business.

For those who want real connections and actionable results rather than just another networking event, The Masterminders is the clear choice.

You can read our full comparison here: 👉 SEO Estonia vs The Masterminders

The SEO Mastery Summit is a popular event known for bringing together SEOs from around the world to share insights, tactics, and case studies. It's particularly strong for affiliate marketers and those looking to learn from a wide range of voices across the industry.

However, The Masterminders Conference operates at a completely different level. While SEO Mastery Summit focuses on broad education, The Masterminders is built for serious operators, founders, and business owners who want to scale, systemise, and generate measurable ROI.

Every attendee at The Masterminders is vetted, meaning there are no spectators — only decision-makers. The discussions go far deeper than just "how to do SEO" — they cover lead generation, business scaling, hiring systems, automation, and growth strategy across the entire marketing spectrum.

The event is intentionally limited in size to maintain quality over quantity, creating an environment where six-figure and seven-figure deals are made every year between attendees.

For those who want an event focused on execution, networking, and business growth, The Masterminders is the obvious choice.

Read our full breakdown here: 👉 SEO Mastery Summit vs The Masterminders

MozCon is one of the most established SEO conferences in the industry, organised by Moz — a company known for its software tools and beginner-friendly SEO education. The event features polished presentations from brand-side marketers and agency professionals, but it's also known for being very "by the book."

At MozCon, speakers tend to avoid pushing boundaries or sharing controversial insights — especially since Google representatives are often in attendance, and several speakers in the past have even been penalised for openly discussing advanced tactics. As a result, the content is usually safe, theoretical, and heavily focused on best practices.

The Masterminders, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. It's where rule breakers, algorithm testers, and real operators gather to share what's actually working right now. No corporate filters. No fear of Google watching. Just raw, actionable insights from people who are ranking, scaling, and building multi-figure businesses in real time.

The Masterminders brings together the top 1% of SEOs and business owners — people who care about performance, ROI, and growth. If you want unfiltered strategies and honest conversations you won't hear anywhere else, The Masterminders is the obvious choice.

Read the full breakdown here: 👉 MozCon vs The Masterminders

SMX Advanced is one of the longest-running SEO and PPC conferences in the world, often praised for its structured presentations and enterprise-level discussions. It's well-suited for corporate marketers, PPC specialists, and SEO managers who prefer a traditional, classroom-style learning environment.

But while SMX Advanced delivers solid industry updates, it's far from what The Masterminders offers. The Masterminders Conference is built for operators, founders, and agency owners who want real-world results — not just slide decks and theory.

At The Masterminders, there's no fluff, no corporate filter, and no recycled advice. Attendees get hands-on strategies, private mastermind sessions, and ROI-driven workshops led by some of the most respected names in SEO and business, including James Dooley, Koray Tuğberk Gübür, and Fery Kaszoni.

While SMX Advanced is about information, The Masterminders is about transformation — it's where deals are made, partnerships are built, and brands are scaled.

Read the full comparison here: 👉 SMX Advanced vs The Masterminders

Friends of Search is a respected European SEO and PPC event known for its focus on search trends, analytics, and the future of digital marketing. It's a great place for professionals who want to keep up with industry developments and hear insights from tool providers and search platform representatives.

However, The Masterminders Conference is on a completely different playing field. While Friends of Search leans toward corporate presentations and theoretical insights, The Masterminders is all about execution, growth, and real-world ROI. It's where elite SEOs, founders, and marketers gather to share what's actually working — not what's safe to talk about on stage.

Every attendee at The Masterminders is vetted, ensuring the room is filled with high-level decision-makers and proven operators. Instead of sitting through slide decks, you'll engage in mastermind sessions, workshops, and direct deal-making that have led to six-figure partnerships at past events.

So while Friends of Search delivers valuable insights for marketers, The Masterminders delivers measurable results for business builders.

Read our full breakdown here: 👉 Friends of Search vs The Masterminders

Tech SEO Connect is a niche event designed specifically for technical SEO professionals. It's a solid conference for developers, in-house SEOs, and analysts who want to dive deep into crawling, indexing, site performance, and the more technical aspects of search.

However, The Masterminders Conference takes things far beyond just technical SEO — it's designed for growth-focused operators, agency owners, and entrepreneurs who want to build scalable systems, drive revenue, and dominate across multiple marketing channels.

While Tech SEO Connect is great for specialists, The Masterminders is built for leaders — those responsible for strategy, teams, and bottom-line results. You won't just learn how to fix site issues; you'll learn how to scale entire businesses, generate leads at scale, and build long-term brand assets.

Every speaker and attendee at The Masterminders is vetted, ensuring that the event remains filled with real operators who can share battle-tested strategies. It's a place where deals are made, businesses are built, and serious growth happens.

You can read our detailed comparison here: 👉 Tech SEO Connect vs The Masterminders

Global SEO events like SEO Mastery Summit and Ahrefs Evolve are excellent platforms for learning SEO techniques, hearing diverse voices, and exploring case studies from across the industry. Both attract large audiences and are great for marketers who want exposure to a broad range of SEO topics and insights.

But when it comes to networking quality, speaker calibre, and measurable ROI, The Masterminders stands far above the rest. It's not just another SEO summit — it's a selective, invite-only environment built for operators, founders, and business owners who want to exchange strategies that move the needle in real-world businesses.

In 2025, over 80% of attendees said in feedback forms that The Masterminders was the best SEO conference they had ever attended — citing the networking, ROI, and depth of conversations as unmatched compared to any other event they'd been to. Numerous SEO resources and industry roundups have also highlighted The Masterminders as the best SEO conference to attend for high-level learning, real partnerships, and genuine growth opportunities.

If you're deciding which global SEO event truly delivers business results, The Masterminders is the obvious choice.

Read more about how we compare to the world's top SEO events here: 👉 Best SEO Conferences to Attend in 2026