Looking for the 2021 version of this list? Click here.

2020 is going to be a big year for HR tech events. Why? As organizations look to merge their “people programs”—employee engagement, performance management, and learning and development—their partnerships with tech and industry leaders will be instrumental for success.

Not only are events a great way to expand your network and step out of your day-to-day, they also provide opportunities to demo new tech solutions and get exposed to different strategies.

As you plan for the year, here’s a list of events we think will provide you the most value as you continue to drive business results by helping your organization invest in its people. From intimate events that focus on relationship building to big conferences that bring in marquee speakers, there’s something for everyone. Hopefully we’ll see you there while we showcase our People Success Platform. 

Intimate Events

These employee engagement and HR tech events are perfect for one-on-one time with your peers. They also tend to provide better opportunities to connect with the keynote speakers and ask questions specific to your situation. 

People Analytics and Future of Work (PAFOW)

Location: San Francisco

Date: Jan. 29–31

A premier people analytics event led by the globally recognized Al Adamsen—a thought leader and advisor on talent strategy; workforce planning and analytics; talent measurement; and organizational change.

If you can’t go to PAFOW San Francisco, the conference will be in Sydney and London this year, as well. You can also join PAFOW’s online community. 

Employee Experience Summit NZ 2020

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Date: Feb. 27

This event will do a deep dive into case studies, and it will also cover topics like “Building a business case for employee engagement” and “How to ensure executive buy-in.”

HR Healthcare

Location: Austin, Texas

Date: June 23–24

Billed as “the conference for HR leaders in Healthcare,” this event focuses on the healthcare industry’s specific needs, like provider burnout and an aging US population, to inspire better people strategies. It attracts HR professionals from hospitals and health systems around the country.

The Glint Summit: Shaping the Path to People Success

Location: TBD (U.S. and Europe)

Date: Fall 2020 

The Glint Summit is designed to bring together leaders who are passionate about using data and innovative employee engagement methods to transform their organizations.

The Summit seeks to create a unique forum to discuss specific, yet practical, employee engagement strategies, challenges, and tactics. Meet, share with, and learn from top employee engagement and organizational change leaders in a collaborative, relaxed, and trusted environment.

Check out the highlights of the 2019 Glint Summit here.

To get a better feel for the event, check out the 2019 U.S. and Europe agendas.

Evanta Exclusive Leadership Communities

Location: Various

Date: Various

Evanta has a series of small HR tech events specifically for CHROs. It hosts meetups in many of North America’s major cities, and is expanding to Europe and Australia. Each city has a group of chairpersons who come from a wide range of respected organizations like Delta Air Lines, Harvard University, Nordstrom, and more. This is a great way to expand your network in your own market. Check the website for an event in your area.

For other regional events, which are often easier to get to and help you build a local network of peers, you can also check out:

  • Peer 150—regional dinners and on-site events at various corporate headquarters
  • Achieve Engagement—both in-person, interactive workshops as well as webinar events
  • Glint events—regional executive HR dinners

Industry Events

Industry events are typically a larger format, offering a wider variety of topics, speakers and technology. They can be interesting to attend as a team, as the content tracks are often tailored to different roles. They also often attract celebrity talent and industry influencers as keynote speakers.

HRD Summit UK

Location: Birmingham, England

Date: Feb. 4–5

Keynote speakers at HRD Summit UK include Margaret Heffernan and Bernard Marr. The approximately 1,500 attendees can choose among four programming tracks: strategy, experience, talent, and learning.

People Matters Tech HR

Location: Singapore

Date: Feb. 19–21

This event is billed as Asia’s largest HR tech conference and expo. The 2020 edition is expected to attract more than 3,000 attendees, who will hear from approximately 100 speakers. The theme is “Future Ready by Design,” focusing on how emerging technologies will impact people and their work. 

Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Location: Austin, Texas

Date: April 23–25

The premier event for industrial-organizational psychologists will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2020. You’ll cover several bases if you attend, from learning about the latest research to continuing your education and reconnecting with old colleagues or classmates. SIOP is great for HR professionals at each stage of their career.

HCI 2020 Employee Engagement Conference

Location: Chicago

Date: July 27–29

The Human Capital Institute’s annual conference is a mainstay event for employee engagement practitioners. As employee engagement continues to grow as a priority for organizations around the world, this event also continues to evolve to meet the needs of an engagement-hungry workforce.

Gartner ReImagineHR

Location: Sydney, Australia

Date: Aug. 17–19

Location: London

Date: Sept. 21–22 

Explore the future of HR at Gartner’s annual ReimagineHR event. You will hear both the latest Gartner research on HR and fascinating case studies on how organizations today are reimagining their HR strategies and tactics. 

There’s a multitude of other events you can attend. What events have had the most impact on you, both professionally and personally? Let me know your thoughts on Linkedin.