The 2026 HR conference calendar is out, and it’s shaping up to be a busy year. Whether you’re looking to attend an industry staple, a specialized event, or a virtual option with no travel requirements, there’s plenty to choose from.
Before booking your ticket, it’s worth thinking about what you’re hoping to get out of the experience. If you’re looking to connect with as many of your peers as possible, a big event makes sense. But if you’re keen to focus on a single topic, like meeting peers in your regional location or action planning, a smaller, more specialized event might be the answer.
We’ve gathered the HR conferences and events worth adding to your calendar.
Choosing the right HR conference isn’t just about picking an event with the best advertising or the biggest names. The best choice is a conference that directly supports your team’s goals while also matching your budget and time constraints. Here’s how to narrow it down.
Before you book a ticket for the hottest HR conference of the year, check how each event on your shortlist aligns with your team’s current goals. Key words to look for based on your needs:
If your OKRs center on increasing engagement or reducing point solution fatigue, look for sessions on personalization, activation strategies, and how to unify point solutions into a seamless experience.
If you're focused on culture and retention, choose events that address frontline workforce wellbeing, mental health, women's health, or equitable access to care - and how wellbeing connects to performance.
If you're focused on culture and retention, choose events that address frontline workforce wellbeing, mental health, women’s health, SDoH, or equitable access to care — and how wellbeing connects to performance.
Before you book, a quick alignment check helps ensure the event will yield actionable insights rather than interesting but disconnected or hard to action takeaways. Have questions? Ask your Client Success Manager, we have events experts on team to assist!
Conference ROI goes beyond the ticket price. Instead, it’s worth looking at the full investment and what you get back in return:
Not every conference has the same format, so choose one that works for your team and your goals.
The best format is the one that your team will actually benefit from. To make that choice a little easier, here’s our roundup of the HR conferences worth bookmarking for 2026.
When: March 17 - 18, 2026
Where: New York City
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and total rewards leaders focused on improving health outcomes while managing rising health risks and costs.
The Conference Board New York > focuses on the strategy of employee health and wellbeing. Sessions dive into benefits design, workforce health, and data-driven decision-making, with practical insights from employers navigating cost pressure, complexity, and outcomes accountability.
Attending Conference Board East? Navigate will be there! Join Stephanie John, Prisma Health's Director of Team Member Well-being and Matt Percia, Strategic Advisor at Navigate for our speaking session on Wed, March 18 at 11:20 ET. We also have an event booth and special surprises throughout the conference. Let your Client Success Manager know if you are attending so we can connect!
When: April 16 - 17, 2026
Where: San Diego
Tickets: $2895 - Navigate client's can get complimentary passes until April 3, 2026. Ask your Client Success Manager for details!
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and total rewards leaders focused on improving health outcomes while managing rising health risks and costs.
The Conference Board West > focuses on the strategy of employee health and wellbeing. Sessions dive into benefits design, workforce health, and data-driven decision-making, with practical insights from employers navigating cost pressure, complexity, and outcomes accountability.
Attending Conference Board East? Navigate will be there! We also have an event booth and special surprises throughout the conference. Let your Client Success Manager know if you are attending so we can connect!
When: April 22, 2026
Where: Des Moines
Registration: Opens March 9th
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and wellbeing leaders committed to strengthening workplace health, advancing prevention, supporting mental health, and building cultures where employees can thrive. .
Healthiest State Conference - Iowa > brings together employers, public health experts, and community leaders to advance practical, evidence-based approaches to workforce wellbeing. Sessions focus on real-world strategies to prevent chronic disease, address mental health, support caregivers, and reduce health disparities - all within the context of workplace impact. Attendees gain actionable tools to improve engagement, foster healthier cultures, and align wellbeing initiatives with broader organizational goals. The event is especially valuable for leaders who want to move beyond surface-level wellness programming and toward integrated, sustainable health strategies that support both employees and long-term business performance.
Attending Healthiest State Conference? Navigate will be there! Join Lindsay Waechter, Wellness Coordinator at Waukee Community Schools and Jim Barclay, EVP Client Experience at Navigate for their breakout session, Elevating Education by Investing in Employee Wellbeing. Let your Client Success Manager know if you are attending so we can connect!
When: April 22 - 24, 2026
Where: New Orleans
Registration: Now open here
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and health strategy leaders at large employers who are responsible for shaping workforce health and benefits strategy, managing cost pressures, and driving measurable organizational impact.
Business Group on Health > influential annual conference equips large employer leaders with deep insights into the evolving healthcare landscape and the most pressing cost, delivery, and wellbeing challenges facing today’s workforce. Over three days of curated sessions and peer discussions, attendees explore innovative solutions to optimize benefits strategy, improve health outcomes, reimagine vendor relationships, and leverage data and industry trends to strengthen workforce wellbeing and financial performance. Sessions emphasize actionable approaches for confronting rising costs, enhancing care quality, supporting mental and chronic health needs, and aligning benefits design with long-term organizational goals, giving HR and benefits teams the tools to drive strategic, evidence-based improvements in employer-sponsored health systems.
When: May 4 - 7, 2026
Where: Providence
Registration: Now open here for Public Sector attendees
Ideal for: Public Sector HR, benefits, and wellbeing leaders focused on employee benefits strategy, health plan design, and workforce wellbeing.
SALGBA > brings together public sector benefits professionals from states, cities, counties, school districts, and related entities for education, networking, and strategic insight. Sessions emphasize real-world approaches to benefit design, health cost management, policy trends, and strategies for improving the health and wellbeing of public sector workforces. With focused content tailored to this unique audience, attendees can benchmark with peers, explore practical innovations, and strengthen their benefits leadership toolkit.
Attending SALGBA? Navigate will be there! Let your Client Success Manager know if you are attending so we can connect!
When: May 5 - 6, 2026
Where: Chicago
Registration: Requires MBGH membership, learn more here >
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and health strategy leaders working to improve workforce health and wellbeing, strengthen benefits value, and drive systemic change in healthcare delivery and transparency.
Midwest Business Group on Health > equips employers with a practical blueprint for action - from leveraging data and employer influence to demanding transparency, accountability, and measurable outcomes in health and wellbeing benefits. Sessions highlight real-world strategies for shifting beyond short-term cost cutting toward long-term investment in prevention, chronic condition management, and employee wellbeing. Attendees gain tools to strengthen vendor partnerships, drive innovation, and accelerate meaningful change in employer-sponsored health systems.
Attending MBGH? Navigate will be there! Let your Client Success Manager know if you are attending so we can connect!
When: May 17 - 19, 2026
Where: Savannah
Registration: Healthcare and Health System Leaders open here
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and health strategy leaders in healthcare systems and organizations who are focused on workforce health, talent strategy, organizational culture, and HR excellence in complex care environments.
ASHHRA > delivers healthcare-specific HR strategy, practical workforce solutions, and peer insights tailored to hospitals and health systems. Attendees gain actionable ideas to strengthen recruitment and retention, support employee resilience and wellbeing, and align HR strategy with organizational performance all within the unique realities of healthcare delivery.
When: Throughout 2026
Where: Across the US
From Day One >’s event series hits major US cities across 2026, aiming to unite HR professionals for insightful conversations and actionable ideas. This year’s main theme covers how HR leaders can make technology empowering, and the series features location-specific speakers across a broad range of themes.
When: June 16 - 17, 2026
Where: Orlando
Registration: Open here >
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and wellbeing leaders who want a comprehensive, strategic view of HR from workforce health and engagement to benefits, talent, compliance, culture, and the future of work alongside peers from across industries and around the world.
SHRM > Annual Conference & Expo is the world’s largest HR event, offering hundreds of expert-led sessions, immersive learning tracks and a massive solutions expo that together help HR leaders stay ahead of emerging trends and translate insight into action. With content spanning health and wellbeing, talent strategy, legal and compliance, technology, culture and more, attendees walk away with practical strategies to strengthen benefits value, improve employee experience, and align HR initiatives with long-term organizational goals.
When: July 28 - 30, 2026
Where: Nashville
Registration: Open here >
Ideal for: HR, benefits, and wellbeing leaders focused on advancing workplace health, behavior change, resilience, and population wellbeing through evidence-informed wellness strategies that strengthen employee engagement, culture, and organizational impact.
Annual Wellness Summit > brings together wellness and interdisciplinary professionals to explore current trends, best practices, and practical solutions that support individual and organizational health. Attendees gain actionable strategies to improve employee wellbeing, enhance engagement through experiential learning, apply data-driven approaches, and build community with like-minded professionals — all through expert keynotes, breakout sessions, and high-quality networking opportunities designed for real workplace impact.
DFW Business Group on Health >
Wellness Council of Wisconsin >
Northeast Business Group on Health >
Attending a conference is only part of the work. The real value comes from planning how to make the most of your time and budget. Here’s what that can look like:
With a bit of planning, conferences can offer a real return on your investment. And if you’re ready to put that planning into action, here’s where you can meet your Navigate team in 2026.
Conferences are a wonderful way to connect with your HR, benefits, and wellbeing community! Are you attending or speaking at a conference in 2026?
Let us know and we'll update this post for our April Client Community Newsletter.
Send the event information you will be attending to clientcommunity@navigatewell.com