8:00 am
REGISTRATION & NETWORKING BREAKFAST: BUILD COMMUNITY CONTACTS
- Start your day off right and connect with EX and HR leaders.
- Get to know your industry peers and colleagues over a delicious breakfast.
- Source practical tips, discuss best practices, and prepare for the day ahead.
9:00 am
OPENING COMMENTS FROM YOUR HOST
Gain insight into today’s sessions so you can get the most out of your conference experience.
9:10 am
OPENING KEYNOTE
Building Company Culture: How the C-Suite Can Prioritize the Employee Experience
Empower your senior leadership team to cultivate a strong, values-based culture by focusing on the experiences of employees. Take away specific solutions to:
- Explore the pivotal role of CEOs in demonstrating behaviours and decisions that reinforce a positive workplace culture.
- Learn strategies to prioritize the employee experience, including transparent communication practices and proactive responses to employee feedback.
- Discover practical approaches for aligning company vision with employee values to enhance engagement, build trust, and foster loyalty.
Achieve purpose and authenticity by creating a culture where employees feel valued, heard, and connected to organizational success
9:40 am
C-SUITE PANEL
Adaptive Leadership in Evolving Work Environments
Equip HR and employee experience professionals with practical tools to navigate dynamic workplaces through adaptive leadership. Develop a blueprint to:
- Understand the core principles of adaptive leadership and its application in changing work environments.
- Discover actionable strategies that address complex challenges and drive innovation across businesses.
- Explore real-world examples of adaptive leadership in action, transforming employee experiences and building resilience.
Adapt your HR and employee experience strategies with adaptive leadership techniques to thrive in an era of constant change and uncertainty.
10:20 am
SPEED NETWORKING: MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
Grow your network by meeting like-minded individuals to share your latest ideas and projects with:
- Enjoy a quick icebreaker, exchange LinkedIn information, and build lasting business relationships.
- Achieve your conference networking goals in a fun and agile fashion.
- Join a community of HR leaders and gain invaluable support.
10:40 am
INDUSTRY EXPERT
Cutting through pain: How Sword Health and Manulife are rewriting the future of physical wellbeing
Join us to explore how digital solutions are redefining the way organizations approach physical wellbeing. As workforces face rising rates of pain-related absenteeism and escalating healthcare costs, digital health innovations are unlocking new opportunities to deliver faster, more accessible, and more effective care. This session dives into the growing role of digital solutions in the employee experience, the evolving expectations around benefits design, and the impact of smarter MSK strategies on workforce wellbeing and business outcomes.
11:10 am
REFRESHMENTS BREAK & EXHIBITOR LOUNGE VISITS
- Explore the latest HR technology and strategies with our industry-leading sponsors.
- Share your challenges with the biggest innovators in the business.
- Schedule one-to-one private meetings for personalized advice.
11:40 am
INDUSTRY EXPERT
Leading the Future: How L&D Drives Organizational Success
As organizations face rapid change, the role of Learning & Development is evolving from tactical support to strategic leadership. This session explores how L&D professionals can align with business objectives, anticipate future workforce needs, and foster a culture of continuous learning.
Key topics include:
- Emerging learning trends and their impact on current program structures
- Identifying and developing critical future-ready skills
- Meeting strategic responsibilities while supporting business goals
- Scalable and adaptable solutions to drive measurable impact
- Evolving your L&D team from executors to strategic advisors
Leave with practical insights to elevate your L&D function and position it as a catalyst for long-term organizational success.
12:10 pm
PANEL
Pay, Perks, and Purpose: Strategies for Inspiring Employee Loyalty
Discover the key factors that influence employee pride and loyalty in today’s workplace. Take away specific solutions to:
- Examine the roles of purpose, compensation, and workplace benefits in shaping employee satisfaction and pride.
- Explore data-driven trends and employee perspectives to uncover what matters most across diverse teams.
- Learn strategies for aligning organizational priorities with the values that resonate with your workforce.
Achieve a deeper understanding of what drives employee pride to create meaningful experiences that foster engagement, retention, and commitment.
12:50 pm
FIRESIDE CHAT
Building a Workforce with Employee Experience in Mind
In this session, we will dive into effective strategies for cultivating trust, motivation, and engagement across a diverse workforce. Discover how to create an environment that resonates with employees by embracing modern compensation structures and comprehensive employee experience initiatives. Learn more on:
- Understanding what drives today’s workforce: a focus on purpose, career growth, work-life balance, and inclusivity
- How to meet employee expectations in a world that demands flexibility, transparency, and meaningful work.
- The evolving importance of a holistic employee experience in attracting, retaining, and empowering talent for the long term.
1:20 pm
NETWORKING LUNCH: DELVE INTO INDUSTRY CONVERSATIONS
- Meet interesting speakers and pick their brains on the latest industry issues.
- Expand your network and make connections that last beyond the conference.
- Enjoy great food and service while engaging with your EX colleagues.
2:20 pm
EXHIBITOR LOUNGE VISITS
- Browse through different sponsor booths and test drive new technology.
- Enter your name for a chance to win exciting prizes.
- Take advantage of event-specific offers and special content.
2:30 pm
CASE STUDY
Training Leadership in Fostering Culture and Trust
Explore how leadership can actively shape a positive organizational culture and build trust at all levels. Achieve a step-by-step action plan to:
- Recognize the pivotal role of leadership in modelling values, behaviours, and actions that reinforce company culture.
- Implement strategies to develop trust through transparent communication, consistency, and authentic leadership practices.
- Utilize tools to create a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and empowerment that strengthens employee engagement and loyalty.
Transform leadership practices to establish a thriving culture and trust as the foundation for high-performing teams and organizational success.
2:30 pm
CASE STUDY
Elevating Employee Experience from Day One: The Power of Effective Onboarding
The employee experience begins the moment a new hire walks through the door—or even before. A well-structured onboarding process sets the tone for engagement, productivity, and long-term retention. Organizations that invest in seamless, supportive onboarding programs create a sense of belonging, boost job satisfaction, and accelerate time-to-productivity.
- Learn how to create structured, engaging onboarding programs that integrate employees into company culture from day one.
- Discover how digital tools, AI-driven onboarding platforms, and virtual mentoring can enhance engagement and efficiency.
- Measuring onboarding success through key metrics and feedback loops to continuously drive long-term employee satisfaction.
Unlock strategies that transform onboarding into a powerful driver of employee engagement and retention.
3:00 pm
VIRTUAL CASE STUDY
Hybrid team cohesion and how to prevent and manage conflict in remote teams
3:00 pm
CASE STUDY
Navigating Multi-Generational Workplaces, introduction of AI and mental health in modern leadership
Differences in characteristics and communication styles of the four primary generations in the workplace. Build a roadmap to understand:
- Their different approach to adoption and use of technology and AI
- The impact of increasing workloads, rapid changes and economic pressures on stress and burnout
- The challenges modern leaders face in such a complex workplace all at once
3:30 pm
REFRESHMENTS BREAK & EXHIBITOR LOUNGE VISITS
- Enjoy exclusive sponsor demos and experience the next level of EX innovation firsthand.
- Meet one-on-one with leading solution providers to discuss organizational hurdles.
- Brainstorm solutions and gain new perspectives and ideas.
4:00 pm
CASE STUDY
Innovating Organizational Design for Enhanced Employee Experience and Workplace Culture
Explore how organizations can leverage innovation in design and strategy to enhance the employee experience and company culture. Align your organizational goals with employee expectations through cutting-edge practices and tools. Master the success factors to:
- Create a toolkit for HR professionals to champion EX transformation in their organizations.
- Understand how the intersection of EX, company culture, and total rewards drives organizational success.
- Adopt practical methods to innovate for diverse and remote-first workforces.
Transform your organizational design to enhance the employee experience and foster a thriving workplace culture.
4:30 pm
PANEL
Employer Branding and Reputation: The Impact of Employee Experience
Elevate your talent strategies by understanding the vital connection between employee experience and your organization’s brand. Develop a blueprint to:
- Explore how employee experience shapes employer branding and directly impacts talent attraction and retention.
- Leverage authentic employee stories to showcase workplace values and culture effectively.
- Develop storytelling strategies that align with your organization’s mission and resonate with top talent.
Enhance your employer brand by integrating meaningful employee experiences that drive recruitment success and long-term retention.
5:10 pm
CLOSING KEYNOTE
Developing and Implementing Engagement Frameworks Companywide
Design scalable and effective engagement strategies tailored to the needs of a large workforce. Take back to your office strategies to:
- Recognize the unique challenges and opportunities in fostering engagement across diverse and expansive teams.
- Learn how to build comprehensive engagement frameworks that align with organizational goals and support employees at every level.
- Explore approaches for implementing engagement initiatives at scale, ensuring consistency, inclusivity, and measurable outcomes.
Increase alignment, boost morale, and foster a culture of connection across a large organization through a robust engagement framework.
5:40 pm
END OF DAY ONE SUMMARY & CLOSING COMMENTS FROM YOUR HOST
Review the key solutions and takeaways from today’s sessions. Source a summary of action points to implement in your work. Discuss tomorrow’s highlights!
5:50 pm
EVENING RECEPTION: ENJOY GREAT CONVERSATION, MUSIC, & NETWORKING
- Relax and unwind with tasty cocktails after a long day of learning.
- Don’t miss your chance to win fun prizes by scanning your badge at our exhibitor booths.
- Make dinner plans with your new connections and explore the best of what Toronto nightlife has to offer. Just be sure to set your alarm for Day 2!
6:45 pm