Pictoplasma's Conference on Contemporary Character Design and Art will be coming to New York City on September 5 and 6. It's never too early to get the early bird rate. Speakers will include Tim Biskup, Friends With You, Fons Schiedon, and Tokyoplastic.
From the website:

Our visual culture is being taken hostage by a new wave of characters, abstract and reduced to minimal distinguishing graphic features. In the process of a truly explosive movement, they invade digital media, animation, advertising, art, fashion and street art. They playfully quote and remix such diverse phenomena as pop culture, tribal and folklore, brand logos and comics without restricting themselves to any single one of these genres. In such a way, characters speak to observers at an emotional level as well as crossing cultural boundaries.

And they are taking animation submissions, as well.