After checking in at the registration desk and grabbing your badge, join us for a drink while nurturing valuable connections with fellow attendees.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast while continuing to build meaningful connections with fellow attendees.

In a world powered by AI, traditional leadership skills aren’t enough. Today’s leaders must go beyond IQ and technical expertise—they must integrate cognitive smarts with emotional intelligence to build organizations that are adaptable, resilient, and relentlessly innovative. These leaders don’t just analyze data, they understand people. They create cultures where creativity thrives, psychological safety is nonnegotiable, and teams feel genuinely understood and appreciated. They are both strategic and human. In this transformative talk, you’ll discover how to elevate your leadership by blending EQ and IQ to unlock deeper engagement, stronger performance, and lasting success for you, your people, and your customers in our AI-fueled world.

Benefits leaders have spent the last several years navigating rising healthcare costs, evolving employee expectations, increasing regulatory complexity, and a growing number of point solutions—all while serving as the front line for employee well-being. Yet the well-being of benefits professionals themselves is rarely discussed. This session explores the causes and consequences of burnout within the benefits function and examines practical strategies for building resilience, setting boundaries, and sustaining impact in an increasingly demanding role.

Recharge and connect during our morning break session. This brief intermission provides the perfect opportunity to grab a cup of coffee, network with peers and prepare for the day’s engaging sessions.

As cancer rates rise and care becomes more complex and costly, employers are rethinking how they support employees across the full journey—from early detection to treatment and recovery. This session explores how more integrated, high-touch benefits strategies can close gaps in traditional coverage, improve outcomes, and deliver a better experience for employees while helping organizations manage one of their most significant drivers of healthcare spend.

This year, Employee Benefit News will honor standout benefits and HR leaders who are redefining what’s possible in the workplace. These individuals are implementing innovative, cost-effective programs and leveraging new technologies to support their employees—and move the industry forward.

Benefits complexity is accelerating. Employee expectations are rising. And AI is reshaping how work gets done. For CHROs, the challenge isn’t just adopting new technology, it’s making sense of a growing web of benefits programs, point solutions and fragmented experiences while delivering clarity, consistency and care at scale. In this session, we’ll explore how leading organizations are rethinking the employee experience by combining advanced technology with human expertise to simplify complexity and support people when it matters most. From navigating benefits decisions to orchestrating services across providers, discover how a smarter, more connected approach can create confidence for employees and measurable value for employers.

With up to five generations in the workforce, employers are under pressure to meet a wider range of expectations than ever before—from financial security and caregiving support to flexibility and career growth. This session explores how leading organizations are designing benefits strategies that resonate across age groups while remaining cohesive, cost-effective, and aligned to long-term talent goals.

Fuel up on insightful dialogue and connect with fellow professionals who share your goals during this networking break.

Despite expanded coverage, many employees still struggle to access timely, effective mental health support due to provider shortages, long wait times, and low awareness of available resources. This session explores how employers are rethinking their approach—moving beyond traditional models to improve access, drive utilization, and deliver more meaningful outcomes for their workforce.

Savor handcrafted drinks, indulge in delectable bites, and enjoy the company of fellow attendees in a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere at our networking reception.

Today’s leaders are navigating rising costs, an uncertain economy and the rapid pace of change with AI. Amid this period of disruption, the most future-focused organizations are not abandoning their employees. Instead, they’re doubling down on wellbeing as a driver of business performance. This session will explore actionable ways leaders can better support teams and leverage real-time data to help their people and business thrive.

Managing benefits programs is a complex process, made more complex by rising costs, pressures to improve administrative efficiencies, and the need to maintain plan compliance. In this survey of HR and benefits leaders/decision makers, EBN explores the top challenges companies are facing and the actions they are taking to improve benefits administration including use of third party administrators, investments in technology and more.

Recharge and connect during our morning break session. This brief intermission provides the perfect opportunity to grab a cup of coffee, network with peers and prepare for the day’s engaging sessions.

Chronic conditions—from diabetes and obesity to sleep disorders and mental health—are driving a disproportionate share of employer healthcare costs and workforce productivity challenges. This panel brings together leaders to discuss how they’re identifying high-risk populations, improving access to care, and designing integrated strategies that go beyond point solutions to deliver measurable outcomes.

What happens when fertility benefits are designed to meet employees where they are? Four years into its Fertility Center of Excellence program, Walmart will share key insights on improving access, supporting associates with wide-ranging health needs, and evolving benefits to meet the needs of a geographically diverse workforce. Leaders from Kindbody and Walmart will discuss how combining virtual and in-person care can help expand access across communities and social determinants of health (SDOH) nationwide. The session will also explore broader lessons learned around employee engagement, care navigation, and the role comprehensive family-building benefits can play in supporting workforce wellbeing.

As demand for more inclusive, comprehensive support grows, employers are expanding beyond traditional offerings to address the full spectrum of women’s health and family-building needs. This session explores how organizations are evolving their strategies to better support employees across life stages—while navigating shifting expectations, improving access, and driving meaningful engagement.

Recharge and connect during our afternoon break session. This brief intermission provides the perfect opportunity to grab a cup of coffee, network with peers and prepare for the day’s engaging sessions.

Many organizations offer robust benefits—but low awareness and engagement often limit their impact. This session explores how employers are rethinking communication, personalization, and employee experience to ensure benefits are not just available, but actively used—driving better outcomes for both employees and the business.