Interest levels, adoption rates and the demand by CXO for people analytics are all tracking upwards. Evidence of this can be seen in the number of dedicated conferences on the subject sprouting up around the globe and through the increase in analytics and data themed streams at major HR conferences.
This year I’ve spoken, chaired and attended conferences in San Francisco, Amsterdam, London, Sydney and New York, with further trips scheduled for Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Paris and Singapore amongst others before 2016 reaches the end of its cycle.
As such, I thought it would be helpful to create a resource collating the people analytics conferences that I know of around the world. So, here goes…
The Conferences I’ve spoken at, chaired or attended…
In no particular order, but starting with the dedicated people analytics conferences...
Tucana People Analytics World (London & Madrid)
I’ve had the honour of co-chairing the People Analytics World conference in London for the last two years. With 300+ delegates at the 2016 edition, this is by my estimation the biggest people analytics conference in Europe. It is also one of the best due to the varied format, array of great speakers (hat tip to chief curator Barry Swales) and the eagerness of delegates to interact and learn. This year also featured the People Analytics Awards, which proved a great success and another indication of the growing maturity of the practice. Dates are already confirmed for 2017 (see below) and watch out too for the People Analytics Forum in London in November.
Contact:Barry Swales | Tucana Global; Upcoming events: 22nd Nov 2016 People Analytics Forum (London); 25-26th Apr 2017 People Analytics World (London); Resources: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn Group, Blog; Read: My key takeaways of the 2016 conference
Stamford Global Workforce Analytics Summit series (Europe, US, Australia, Singapore)
The worldwide interest in people analytics is in evidence via this excellent global series of events organised by Mihaly Nagy and his team at Stamford Global. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking at the Amsterdam and Sydney legs and chairing the New York summit already this year. I’ve been really impressed with the format (a mix of workshops, plenary, panel and deep-dive sessions) and especially the inaugural European and North American Workforce Analytics Excellence awards, which brilliantly demonstrated the great work many organisations are doing in the people analytics space. Look out for the Singapore summit in November as well as the schedule for 2017.
Contact:Mihaly Nagy | Stamford Global; 2016 Event homepages: Amsterdam, Sydney, New York; Upcoming Events 2016: 8-9 Nov 2016 Workforce Analytics Summit, Singapore; 29-30 Nov 2016 The HR Congress (Amsterdam); 2017 (Provisional dates) 7-8 Mar 2017 – The HR Congress (Orlando); 28-29 Mar 2017 Workforce Analytics Summit Rome; 2-3 May 2017 Workforce Analytics Summit Sydney; 23-24 May 2017 Workforce Analytics Summit North America; Resources: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn; Read: My blog on the European Workforce Analytics Awards – The Oscars of People Analytics
Talent Strategy Institute - People Analytics & The Future of Work (US - multiple)
Al Adamsen is one of the leading and most knowledgeable influencers in the people analytics field globally and also has one of the widest networks of practitioners operating in this space. I attended the ninth edition of his People Analytics & The Future of Work (PAFOW) conference in San Francisco in January and was hugely impressed. Over 200 delegates enjoyed hearing from and interacting with analysts Josh Bersin and Kevin Oakes (i4CP) and leading practitioners such as Ian O’Keefe, RJ Milnor, Rebecca White, Heather Whiteman and Robert Lanning. The Talent Strategy Institute runs a series of conferences and meet-ups throughout the year (see below for a selection; the rest are on the TSI website). Keep up the great work, Al.
Contact: Al Adamsen | Talent Strategy Institute; Upcoming Events: - See full list here, but to pick a few highlights: 31 Aug – 2 Sep 2016 – Workforce Intelligence Academy, Santa Clara; 15-16 Sep 2016 - People Analytics & The Future of Work, Philadelphia; 2-3 Feb 2017 – People Analytics & The Future of Work, San Francisco; Resources:Website, Twitter, LinkedIn Group, Blog; Read:My key takeaways from PAFOW16, San Francisco
Clariden Global: HR Analytics, Measurement & Metrics for Strategic Decision Making (UK, Australia)
Another multi-continent conference series has been compiled by Clariden Global for the start of 2017. Building on the success of their inaugural HR Analytics conference in Singapore in January 2016, conferences have been confirmed for London (where I will have the privilege of being Chair) and Sydney (where the baton of Chair is passed to Audrey Ciccone). Look out for additional dates and locations around the globe as this conference series continues to grow.
Upcoming Events: HR Analytics, Measurement & Metrics for Strategic Decision Making - London (24-26 Jan 2017) and Sydney (31 Jan-2 Feb 2017)
IBM HR Summit series: next stop Boston 6-8 Sept 2016
There are a number of key ingredients that help make a great conference (see 4 ways to choose the best HR conference for you). All of these have been perfectly weighed, as part of the IBM HR summit series, which is now in its 10th year. Over 1,000 senior HR delegates have attended events in Toronto, Berlin and London, with the global finale taking place in Boston from 6-8th September. With the agenda focusing heavily on HR leaders sharing their HR stories, there is a great line-up of speakers sharing examples of how they are maximising the power of people analytics and cognitive HR in their organisations. Register before 31st July to take advantage of the early bird discount.
Contact: Click here to visit the event homepage; Read: Articles on the London Summit: How HR Analytics Can Transform Recruitment (Michael Carty), IBM HR Summit – Future HR Tech Insights to Watch Out For (Giles Slinger) and HR Can Be A Profit Centre in the Cognitive Era (Martin Oest)
HR Tech World (London / Paris)
Europe’s largest HR Technology conference takes place in London (March) and Paris (October). People Analytics has always been given prominent exposure by the HRN team and the Smart Data breakout, which I have the honour of moderating this year in Paris, habitually sees standing room only. I always enjoy HR Tech World. It not only has great speakers, content, the superb disruptHR zone and boat parties on the Seine, but it is visually stunning too. Who said HR can’t compete with the world of entertainment?
Contact: Marc Coleman | HRN; Upcoming Events: 25-26 Oct 2016 HR Tech World Congress, Paris; 21-22 Mar 2017 HR Tech World Spring, London; Resources: Website, LinkedIn Group, Twitter, Blog, Slideshare; Read: My regular blog series on HRN including my key takeaways from London 2016 and Paris 2015
Beyond – The Global HR Leadership Forum (Amsterdam)
The inaugural Beyond HR Forum took place in Amsterdam at the end of June with people analytics given a starring role alongside other emerging practices that will shape the future of HR. Luk Smeyers and Patrick Coolen ran an interactive workshop on predictive analytics whilst Ross Sparkman of Facebook demonstrated how strategic workforce planning and analytics go hand in hand. I also moderated a panel with Luk and Patrick on how to make analytics part of HR’s standard practice. Look out for this conference in 2017.
Contact: Ruud Rikhof and Sebastian Malinski | Beyond HR Forum Homepage; Events: 2017 – watch this space and check the homepage above for dates
Changeboard Future Talent HR Conference (London)
Those wonderful people at Changeboard (that's you Porteur Keene!) have now run three superb Future Talent Conferences in London since 2014. As the lens is very much directed on the future of HR, people analytics has featured prominently with speakers such as Robert Bolton, Peter Cheese and Helmut Schuster of BT (see video below) all very much focusing on this space.
Contact: Porteur Keene; Resources: 2016 Conference Homepage; Dates: 2017 - keep checking the 2016 homepage for updates
Other People Analytics Conferences to look out for…
In date order:
People Matters TechHR Conference (India)
Asia’s largest HR technology conference attracts 800+ delegates and has a great collection of Indian and international speakers. Whilst it is not a people analytics conference per se, expect the subject to feature heavily especially as the likes of Josh Bersin are on the roster of speakers. Event website: 4-5 Aug 2016 (Gurgaon, India)
Symposium Mission Critical HR Analytics (UK)
One day event in London on September 15th featuring speakers such as Neil Parkinson (CBRE), Ben Hawkes (Shell) and Edward Houghton (CIPD). Event website: 15 Sep 2016 (London)
IQPC HR Metrics & Analytics Summit (US)
The 16th edition of the HR Metrics & Analytics Summit takes place in San Diego from 19-21 September and features speakers from the likes of Twitter, Verizon, Visa and Cornell University. Event website: 19-21 Sept 2016 (San Diego)
IHRIM Workforce Analytics Forum (US)
IHRIM has scheduled two forums for 2016 – the Chicago event has already taken place with the San Francisco edition, featuring the likes of RJ Milnor, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and Chase Rowbotham confirmed for 20-21 September. Event website: 20-21 Sept 2016: San Francisco
SHRM Thought Leaders Retreat: Using Workforce Analytics for Competitive Advantage (Seattle)
This invite only retreat looks like a must-attend event for the lucky hundred or so who receive the golden ticket, particularly as it features Mark Huselid and Alec Levenson – two of the most knowledgeable thinkers in the world on people analytics. Event website: Retreat homepage; Read: SHRM/EIU White Paper: Use of Workforce Analytics for Competitive Advantage
HR Technology Conference & Exposition (Chicago, US)
To my knowledge HR Tech is the world’s largest conference on HR technology and services, and not surprisingly features a high profile workforce analytics track. Confirmed speakers include Mark Berry, Jeremy Welland and Al Adamsen and there is a closing keynote from Peter Cappelli. See you there along with 8,000 or so others! Event website:4-7 October: Chicago
Icon Strategic Workforce Planning & Talent Analytics Seminar (Netherlands)
The third edition of this conference takes place over two days in Amsterdam in October and features an array of great speakers including Max Blumberg, Luk Smeyers, Ian Bailie (Cisco), Esther Bongenaar (Shell) and Marcus Champ (Standard Chartered). Event website: 6-7 Oct 2016: Amsterdam
The Conference Board Annual Human Capital Analytics Conference (US)
The 11th Human Capital Analytics Conference hosted by The Conference Board runs from 19-21 October and kicks off with a seminar on the legal and ethical aspects of people analytics. The conference itself has a stellar line-up of speakers including Brian Welle (Google), Piyush Mathur (Nielsen) and Steve West (Citibank). Event website: 19-21 Oct 2016 (New York)
SIOP Leading Edge Consortium / Annual Conference (US)
Given how fundamental psychology skills are to mitigating bias and interpreting the results of our analytical work, it’s certainly worth considering going to the SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology) Annual Conference, which in 2017 will take place in Orlando. SIOP is also staging their 12th Leading Edge Consortium on people analytics in Atlanta in October. Event websites: SIOP Leading Edge Consortium Talent Analytics: Data Science to Drive People Decisions and Business Impact - 21-22 Oct 2016 (Atlanta); SIOP Annual Conference 27-29 Apr 2017 (Orlando); Resources: 2016 Conference homepage
hiQ Elevate (US)
One of the most prominent and fastest growing vendors in the people analytics space, San Francisco based hiQ Labs launched its Elevate series in 2016. Well-received conferences have already taken place in Santa Clara and New York, with the third one in the series scheduled for October, again in Santa Clara. Event website: 26 Oct 2016: Santa Clara
CIPD HR Analytics Conference & Workshop (UK)
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the UK has run a regular series of HR Analytics conferences and workshops over the past few years. Prominent contributors in the past have included the likes of Max Blumberg, Giles Slinger and Eugene Burke. Resources: 22-23 Nov 2016: HR Analytics Conference & Workshop
Wharton People Analytics Conference (Philadelphia)
This is top of my list of new conferences to grace with my presence in 2017 as it comes highly recommended from everyone I know who has attended. Perhaps not surprisingly, as it is organised by the Wharton School, it has a more academic and technical feel to it than the other conferences included here. Event Website: 30-31 Mar 2017 Philadelphia; Resources: Twitter; Read: 2016 Conference Takeaways Blog by Daniel Maurath,
Predictive Analytics World for Workforce (US)
Another conference that I’ve received rave reviews about is Predictive Analytics World for Workforce, which is curated and chaired by Greta Roberts, one of the leading global influencers in the people analytics space. This year’s conference featured the likes of Burke Powers, Cigdem Gencer and Holger Mueller. The date for 2017 has already been set with the conference confirmed for May 14-18th in San Francisco. Resources: PAW Workforce 2016 Conference homepage; Next event: 14-18 May 2017 (San Francisco) – see previous link
Minne Analytics PACON (People Analytics Conference) – (Minneapolis, US)
There was quite a buzz about the 2016 edition of this conference, which as suggested by the name of the organiser, took place in Minneapolis in March. A great line-up of speakers and 900+ attendees suggests the positive noises were well deserved. No details on the date of the 2017 conference yet – I’ll add this once it is confirmed. Resources:2016 Conference homepage including copies of speaker decks
Innovation Enterprise HR & Workforce Analytics Innovation Summits (UK/US)
With conferences in 2016 in London and San Francisco, the HR & Workforce Analytics Innovation Summit is a well-established conference series, which has proved popular amongst delegates and speakers. Having co-chaired the London edition in 2014 and 2015, I can happily recommend it as a good event. Watch out for dates for 2017. Events: London 2016 Event homepage, San Francisco 2016 Event homepage
TMA Human Capital Analytics Summit (US)
This year’s two-day event took place in Atlanta in April and featured speakers from companies such as Capital One and eBay as well as the excellent David Creelman. Resources: 2016 Event Website
Meet-ups, forums, networking groups etc
Outside the traditional conference format, those working in this space may want to consider a number of other more informal type resources. Whilst some of these groups are invite only, many are open to all interested parties. Some to consider include:
- The People GeekUps organised by Culture Amp, which have already taken place in Australia, the US and Europe in 2016;
- The Conference Board’s Human Capital Analytics Boards are also worth looking at for experienced practitioners (see Europe and US) who want to network with their peers.
- For those that live in or near to New York, the long established HR Analytics Meet-up sounds a lot of fun
Finally, a big thank you…
First to Andrew Gadomski, who inspired this article thanks to his request to me for recommendations of people analytics conferences he should attend. Thanks also to Luk Smeyers, Mike West, Richard Rosenow, Ian O’Keefe, Caroline Brant, Jan Pavelka and Cameron Kennedy amongst others who responded to my request for suggestions. Your contributions have helped make this list far more comprehensive than it otherwise would have been. It would be great if this continued to be a crowdsourced resource, so please do advise in the comments section any conferences I have missed – particularly those outside Europe and North America, which are already well represented here. I will then validate and add these to subsequent updates of this blog.
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About the author
David is a respected influencer, writer and speaker on people analytics and the future of work. He was recognised as Best Writer at the 2015 HR Tech Writers’ Awards, and was awarded one of ten LinkedIn Power Profiles for HR in January 2016. David’s role as Global Director, People Analytics Solutions at IBM enables him to help clients apply an analytical, insight led and business outcome focused approach to their talent strategies and people decisions.
David also speaks at and chairs industry events. He has been co-chair of Tucana’s People Analytics Global Conference in London for the last two years, was one of the judges of the 2016 Workforce Analytics Excellence Awards, is a keynote speaker at the Workforce Analytics Summits 2016 series in Amsterdam, Sydney, New York and Singapore, is a member of the HR Tech World Blog Squad, a #HROS Volunteer and moderated a session at Beyond - The Global HR Leadership Forum in Amsterdam in June.
Connect with David on LinkedIn, follow him on Twitter and read his blogs on HR Tech World and ERE.
Keywords: HR, Human Resources, HR Analytics, People Analytics, Talent, Recruiting, Hiring, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, HR Metrics, Cost Per Hire, Workforce Analytics, Talent Analytics, Data Driven HR, Employee Engagement, Performance Management, Future of Work, Quality of Hire, Evidence based HR, HR Open Source, #HROS
