HR Tech 2026 Returns to Las Vegas October 20–22 — With Cisco, Microsoft, and Russell Reynolds on the Keynote Stage and AI Integration as the Central Theme
HR Tech 2026 — the industry's premier event for forward-thinking HR leaders — returns to Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas from October 20–22, 2026. Now in its 29th year, HR Tech is the world's largest dedicated HR technology marketplace, uniting HR leaders, HRIT professionals, talent acquisition teams, solution providers, analysts, and innovators for three days of content, community, and real-world product evaluation. The 2026 keynote line-up features Kelly Jones, Chief People Officer at Cisco; Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Chief Science Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates; and Prerna Ajmera, General Manager of HR Digital Strategy and Innovation at Microsoft — three leaders who together capture the defining tension of the 2026 HR moment: moving from AI experimentation to responsible, enterprise-grade execution, while keeping humans at the centre of that transformation.
"HR Tech 2026 will explore the new reality for HR leaders: where organisational success depends on workplaces designed for humans and AI to coexist. This year's event focuses on moving beyond experimentation to thoughtful integration, showcasing how HR teams can deploy AI to amplify human potential, strengthen decision-making, and build trust across the workforce."
— Rebecca McKenna, SVP Brand and Innovation, HR TechThree Keynotes — AI Execution, Human Judgment, and Continuous Reinvention
Kelly Jones (CPO, Cisco) opens the conference on Tuesday 20 October at 3:45 pm PT — speaking on how leading global organisations are moving from AI experimentation to enterprise-grade execution, and what it truly takes for HR leaders to drive responsible, scalable transformation. Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (Chief Science Officer, Russell Reynolds Associates) delivers the Day 2 keynote on Wednesday 21 October at 8:15 am PT — drawing on his position as an international authority in people analytics, leadership development, and the human-AI interface to bridge academia and enterprise practice. Prerna Ajmera (GM HR Digital Strategy and Innovation, Microsoft) closes the event on Thursday 22 October at 3:15 pm PT, presenting "The Future is Unbound… There is No Finish Line" — taking the position that in the AI era, there are no end states for HR leaders, only continuous reinvention. Ajmera will explain that HR operating systems, not just technologies, need to be built for constant change — and offer a practical approach involving agents, copilots, workflows, and models reshaping how work gets done.
"In the AI era, there are no end states for HR leaders — only continuous reinvention. HR operating systems, not just technologies, need to be built for constant change, with agents, copilots, workflows, and models reshaping how work gets done."
— Prerna Ajmera, GM HR Digital Strategy & Innovation, Microsoft — HR Tech 2026 Keynote PreviewSix Focus Areas, the World's Largest HR Tech Expo, and New 2026 Features
The 2026 conference agenda spans the full HR lifecycle across six focus areas: The Intelligent Enterprise (AI, Automation & People Strategy); The Evolving CHRO (Leading with Clarity, Courage & Influence); and four additional tracks covering talent acquisition, workforce management, employee experience, and people analytics. The Expo Hall — the world's largest HR technology marketplace — features hundreds of solution providers across Case Study Sessions, Demo Theater Presentations, and Pitchfest. New for 2026: the AI Playground for hands-on AI tool exploration; the Startup Pavilion for emerging innovators; and HR Tech Intensives — pre-conference workshops at $150 each covering Building a Business Case, Redesigning Work, Operationalising AI in HR, and Women in HR: Building Influence. Pre-conference add-ons also include the HR Executive Strategy Summit (free for qualified HR executives) and the HR Icons Awards Evening. Registration is now open at hrtechnologyconference.com/register — teams of three or more receive 25% off Conference Passes.
HR Tech 2026 — essential event details. Dates: October 20–22, 2026. Venue: Mandalay Bay Convention Center, 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas NV 89119. Organised by HR Executive (established 1987; 220,000+ subscribers worldwide; part of Arc Network LLC). Premier event series since 1997; 29th annual US flagship conference. World's largest dedicated HR technology marketplace. Portfolio includes additional annual events in Europe and Asia. Registration open now: hrtechnologyconference.com/register. Group discount: 25% off for teams of 3+.
Three keynote speakers. Tuesday 20 October, 3:45 pm PT — Kelly Jones, Chief People Officer, Cisco: AI experimentation to enterprise-grade execution; what it truly takes for HR leaders to drive responsible scalable transformation. Wednesday 21 October, 8:15 am PT — Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Chief Science Officer, Russell Reynolds Associates: international authority in people analytics, leadership development, and the human-AI interface; bridges academia and industry. Thursday 22 October, 3:15 pm PT — Prerna Ajmera, GM HR Digital Strategy and Innovation, Microsoft: "The Future is Unbound… There is No Finish Line" — no end states for HR leaders in the AI era; HR operating systems built for constant change; agents, copilots, workflows, and models reshaping how work gets done.
Six focus areas and new 2026 features. Six content tracks spanning the full HR lifecycle: The Intelligent Enterprise (AI, Automation & People Strategy); The Evolving CHRO (Leading with Clarity, Courage & Influence); plus talent acquisition, workforce management, employee experience, and people analytics. New for 2026: AI Playground (hands-on AI tool exploration); Startup Pavilion (emerging innovators); HR Tech Intensives ($150 each) — Building a Business Case / Redesigning Work / Operationalising AI in HR / Women in HR: Building Influence. Expo Hall: hundreds of technologies, Case Study Sessions, Demo Theater Presentations, Pitchfest.
Pre-conference add-ons and registration options. HR Executive Strategy Summit — free for qualified HR executives. HR Icons Awards Evening — $165 individual ticket / $1,085 table for 7. HR Tech Intensives — $150 each. Conference Pass: full access to all sessions, keynotes, expo, and intensives. Expo Pass: expo hall access only. Media and industry analyst registration available. Student and academic discounted rates available (call 1-800-727-1227). Exhibitor/sponsor registration through Exhibitor Hub. Early registration encouraged to secure preferred rates. hrtechnologyconference.com/register.
Strategic significance — HR Tech 2026 as the AI integration inflection point event. The 2026 theme — moving beyond experimentation to thoughtful integration — reflects precisely where the enterprise HR market stands. The prior two years of HR Tech conferences were dominated by AI discovery and experimentation. The 2026 agenda shifts the conversation to execution: how do HR leaders actually deploy AI responsibly at scale, govern it, measure it, and build the operating systems that can continuously adapt to it? Kelly Jones (Cisco CPO), Prerna Ajmera (Microsoft GM), and Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic (Russell Reynolds) together represent the practitioner perspective (Cisco's real-world AI transformation), the platform perspective (Microsoft's AI HR operating system vision), and the science perspective (the human-AI interface research that should underpin both). For HR leaders, solution providers, and analysts, HR Tech 2026 is the most important market event of the year for setting strategy, evaluating solutions, and building the peer network needed to navigate the next phase of AI-era HR.