The 13 Best HR Conferences to Attend

The world of HR never sleeps—and conferences remain one of the best ways to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and strategies, as well as network with the industry’s finest.

To help you prepare, we curated this list of the must-attend HR conferences in 2020. Read on, and start planning today!

1. Talent Acquisition Week & EBrandCon
January 28-30 | San Francisco

Talent acquisition leaders, take note: Talent Acquisition Week brings together the biggest names and brightest minds to discuss sourcing, recruiting, and employer branding strategies. Based in San Francisco, the conference includes pre-conference workshops, three session tracks for social recruiting, talent sourcing, and employer branding, as well as a speaker lineup featuring Lori Sylvia (Rally Recruiting), Kevin Grossman (The Talent Board), Bryan Chaney (Indeed), and Lane Sutton (Walmart)—plus, our very own Jonathan Dale! This year, the event will coincide with EBrandCon to provide attendees with an even bigger and better experience.

2. Hiring Success
February 11-12 | San Francisco

Hosted by Smart Recruiters, Hiring Success brings together talent acquisition leaders and practitioners to shape the future of recruiting. Between sessions presented by industry-leading speakers (covering topics like analytics and candidate experience), workshops, networking events, and platform education, attendees will be challenged to re-think their approach to recruiting and leave with new inspiration to transform their strategies.

3. IAMPHENOM
March 3-5 | Philadelphia

Building a first-class talent experience is critical to stand out from the competition. To do so, you need to get candidates excited to work for your company, invest in employees through learning and development opportunities, and provide your team with the right tools and data to make smarter business decisions. IAMPHENOM is an experience conference for everyone involved in the talent journey—from recruiters to talent marketers to CHROs. Between motivational keynotes and sessions (presented by speakers such as Mahe Bayireddi, Chip Heath, and Ben Eubanks), CHRO-led panels, networking events, and pre-conference training workshops, you and your team will leave with new strategies that change the way you approach talent.

4. Unleash London
March 24-25 | London

If it seems like there’s a new HR technology solution popping up every few months, you’re right. Unleash London is here to help you navigate the tech wilderness that has dominated the industry for years. Discover the latest tools that are worth your team’s attention, and how to leverage them all in a way that enhances your talent strategy. With 120+ influential speakers such as Barbara Lee (Nielsen), Tim Munden (Unilever), Catalina Schveninger (Votofone), and Stefaan van Hooydonk (Cognizant), you’re guaranteed to get new ideas and connections.

5. Unleash America
May 12-13 | Las Vegas

Unleash America brings together HR leaders from Fortune 500 companies and leading HR technology vendors. Hear influential speakers from Salesforce, Starbucks, and Zappos, network with senior talent leaders and CHROs, and check out the biggest tech vendors on the expo floor. This year, attendees can choose sessions across six tracks: Digital Transformation, Talent, Learning & Experience, Workforce Tech, Masterclasses, and NextGen HR.


6. NACE Conference + Expo
June 2-5 | Minneapolis

The National Association of Colleges and Employers unites college career services and HR professionals focused on university recruiting. Their annual conference features over 90 professional development workshops, an Expo Hall, and networking opportunities, making it a prime conference for university recruiting teams.

7. HCI Strategic Talent Acquisition Conference
June 22-24 | Encore Boston Harbor

To address the global talent shortage, the Human Capital Institute (HCI) challenges HR teams to re-evaluate their approach to talent acquisition at every standpoint. Learn how to revamp your talent pipeline strategy, hiring criteria and attributes that predict performance, recruiting technologies, analytics, employment branding, and more. Hear from industry leaders such as Chuck Feltz and Jenn Flipikowski (HCI), Ben Eubanks (Lighthouse Research and Advisory), and Michael D. Blair (United States Office of Personnel Management).

8. Employer Branding Strategies Conference (EBrandCon)
July 28-30 | Chicago

One of the largest conferences for employer branding professionals, EBrandCon brings together the best and brightest to learn how to market their organizations. Whether you’re a talent marketer or recruiter who dabbles in employer branding, be sure to save your spot. Last year’s agenda covered topics such as creating authentic content, engaging passive candidates, and leveraging employee referrals. While you can find the EBrandCon team at Talent Acquisition Week in January, they’ll be following up with a dedicated event in Chicago during the summer. More details to come soon!

9. SAP SuccessConnect
September 14-16 | Las Vegas

Designed with their users in mind, the SuccessConnect conference is the place to go for everything related to SAP’s HCM software, SuccessFactors. Get a closer look at the SAP SuccessFactors roadmap, as well as one-on-one access to product and strategy leaders. Whether you’re an avid user of the platform or just getting started, there’s something for everyone looking to learn, get inspired, and network. For a taste of what’s to come, last year’s speakers included SAP SuccessFactors customers and partners.

10. Gartner ReimagineHR Conference
September 21-22 | London

October 26-28 | Orlando

Every CHRO and HR exec knows the future of work is now—and it's time to start preparing for the changes that are to come. Based on exclusive Gartner research, ReimagineHR delivers emerging trends and best practices that will help executives tackle the most critical challenges facing the workplace today, such as the evolving role of the CHRO, HR tech, and more.

11. Workday Rising
September 21-24 | San Francisco

If your company uses or is considering using Workday, this conference is a must-attend. And it’s not just for HR—sessions are designed for a variety of backgrounds, including finance and management. Although conference details are still TBD, the event is known for delivering incredible keynote speakers (Jerry Seinfeld was a highlight at last year’s event), networking events, and live performances.

12. HR TECH
October 13-16 | Las Vegas

HRIS/IT, this is a conference dream come true. For 20 years, HR Tech has been the go-to conference for driving HR success with technology—whether you’re on the hunt for your team’s next best HR system or looking for new strategies and tips to maximize the tools you’re currently using. Hear from dozens of HR practitioners and IT executives, browse an exhibit hall with over 450 vendors, network with fellow professionals, and be the first to know about the latest products and solutions. Registration isn’t open yet, but you can sign up for email alerts so you don’t miss it!

13. Unleash World
October 20-21 | Paris

With 4,400+ attendees, 250+ speakers, and 200+ solution providers, this is the biggest Unleash event of the year for senior HR professionals (directors and above). What’s unique about Unleash World: you have to apply to attend, which guarantees the attendee list is filled with the cream of the crop. Although the official agenda has not yet been announced, past speakers include Sir Richard Branson, Simon Sinek, and Sir Bob Geldof.

Which conferences are you planning to attend this year? Let us know in the comments—we hope to see you there!