Employee experience has never mattered more – and rarely has it felt harder to get right. People professionals are being asked to improve engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and retention at a time when energy is low, workloads are high, trust is fragile, and expectations have fundamentally shifted. AI, economic uncertainty, challenges around hybrid working and constant change have impacted how our people experience work on a day-to-day basis, yet many organisations are still relying on frameworks, processes and assumptions that no longer fit the reality people are living in.
This is why Employee Experience Expo 2026 is such an important event. It recognises that EX is no longer a “nice to have” or a standalone initiative – it’s a strategic, cultural and leadership challenge that sits right at the heart of performance and retention. The conversations at this year’s Expo focus on what genuinely shapes experience today: how leaders show up, how work is designed, how listening turns into action, how technology supports rather than erodes humanity, and how organisations create environments where people want to stay, grow and contribute.
We’ll start the day with the AI People Operations Panel debate when HR Director Claire Horner, Director of People Jo Mountney, People & Leadership Partner Marie Proctor, People Transformation Manager Stanislava Gaspar, and HR Analyst Mervyn Dinnen (panel chair) discussing the future of work and how AI can be an enabler for productivity and retention. We’ll then have another panel discussion led by Pip Donnelly and Vanessa Russel, representing Diligent and GTS Rail Operations, discussing about how the ‘ripple’ effect of everyday peer to peer recognition boosts connection, retention and creating a more inclusive and empowered workplace culture. Recognising that AI is now the ‘front door’ to work with a large impact on how our people find information, make decisions and collaborate, we’ll have a discussion session ‘Trust is the new Ex’ with Elsevier’s Sarah Meurer, Kevin Ferneyhough and Lisa Pantelli sharing a simple leadership framework and practical comms playbook.
Gen Z will no doubt be featuring in a few sessions and Selecta’s ex-people leader Marie Proctor will be offering advice on how to manage expectations and really engage and develop this generation. And the impact of hearing the six dreaded words that no employee wants to hear ‘I Have Some Feedback for You’ will be explored in a drama based workshop by Helen Buchanan of Enact.
On Main stage 2 we will hear about the recent rise in sickness absence as leading voices from workplace well-being and absence management sector unpack the underlying trends and how organisations can address this. Financial wellbeing is also on the agenda with Financial Wellbeing consultant Ashraf Sherdel will explore the critical role this plays in fostering a healthy, productive and engaged workforce. Three of the UKs largest wellbeing leader communities will come together for a unique panel to talk about the future of workplace wellbeing and what we can all be doing to support it. Workplace design also has a big role to play in wellbeing and Isobel Elton, of design consultancy ‘Future of the Office’ will run an interactive session exploring how to build genuine inclusive workplaces, also looking at how physical environment and everyday culture can either help – or hinder – your people.
In the Experience Theatre we will be showcasing some thought-provoking sessions. Working Families will be explaining how the key to exceptional employee experiences is flexible working, whilst the gulf between actual wellbeing outcomes and organisational intent will be explored by Natasha Rhone-Parkinson from Every Wellbeing, and Emily Pearson (Wellbeing Lead Academy) will be talking about why wellbeing initiatives fail without proper design and intent.
On a more serious, and vital, note we will hear from Joann Hitchen and Indra Herbert from Living Works, who are the global leaders in suicide prevention and intervention training, about what we can all do to create a suicide safer workforce, and Clare Gunn (Workplace Bereavement Advocacy) will help HR managers and leaders – and wellbeing professionals – better understand grief and loss in the workplace, with insights into the emotional and cognitive effects of grief.
Marie Djela – from the NDSA (Neuro Diverse Self Advocacy) – will run an insightful session ‘Inclusivity in Employee Wellbeing’ exploring inclusivity in employee wellbeing through the lens of neurodivergence, highlighting the key factors that make wellbeing programmes effective, supportive and sustainable for diverse workforces, and HR analyst Mervyn Dinnen will be looking at why our people seem to be receiving less feedback, and reporting weaker engagement, at a time when they are much clearer on their goals – effective leadership is the key.
If you’re a people professional navigating the pressure of doing more with less – balancing care with performance, empathy with accountability, and innovation with trust – then the Employee Experience Expo 2026 is your chance to step back from firefighting, learn from those tackling these challenges head-on, and reconnect with the purpose of the work we do.
You’ll leave with sharper insight, practical ideas, and renewed confidence to shape experiences that truly make a difference for both people and organisations.
To Register visit :
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/employee-xperience-expo-2026-london-tickets-1964574038835
