Our 2027 Events and
Recognition Programme

Our community told us what it values most: recognition alongside real learning, more peer connection, and events that are easier to justify attending. As our global community has grown, HR leaders have told us they want recognition combined with practical insight, peer learning and meaningful networking. Evolving our event portfolio allows us to keep recognition at the centre while creating greater value for clients throughout the year.

Recognition is not going anywhere. Recognition remains a core part of the Top Employers experience. What is changing is the shape of it. Rather than one style of event, recognition will now be celebrated across our global conference, our People Summits and always-on digital experiences, giving you more opportunities to connect and celebrate throughout the year.

Our first Global Conference will bring the global Top Employers community together in one place. You will hear from leading HR thinkers and practitioners, discover our latest independent research and learn directly from organisations working through the people challenges we are all facing.

Through thought-provoking speakers, global best practice, peer learning and meaningful discussion, the conference will explore the trends transforming organisations today and help HR leaders return to their organisations with greater confidence for the decisions ahead.

Every attending Top Employer will also be recognised during the conference, as we mark your Certification together as one of the world’s leading HR communities.

All Top Employers are invited. Just as you could previously choose which Certification Celebration to attend, the Global Conference is open to our whole community.

Registration opens on 18 November. You can register your interest now for early access to registration and to be among the first to receive programme and speaker updates.

Register your interest now

Yes. Every attending Top Employer will be recognised during the conference, as we mark your Certification together as one of the world’s leading HR communities.

Yes. Global and Enterprise Top Employers will be invited to a dedicated Leadership Dinner on 11 May, the evening before the Global Conference. This invitation-only event will provide a dedicated moment to come together ahead of the conference.

Our first Global Conference will take place on 12 May 2027 in Amsterdam. Registration opens on 18 November, with more details on the programme and speakers to be shared in the coming months.

Registration opens on 18 November.

Early Bird tickets will be available for €649 from 18 November to 15 January, with standard pricing applying after that. Group tickets will also be available for groups of five or more, with pricing to be confirmed.

The Leadership Dinner on 11 May is by invitation for Global and Enterprise Top Employers.

You can register your interest now to receive early access to registration and be among the first to hear about the programme and speakers.

Register your interest now

Our People Summits bring together HR leaders from certified Top Employers and invited guests to recognise excellence in people practices while exploring the workforce challenges shaping organisations today and tomorrow.

Through client best-practice case studies, independent research, external experts and peer discussion, attendees gain practical insight into today’s most important HR priorities such as AI, workforce transformation, leadership, employee experience and organisational performance.

Every People Summit is designed to inspire new thinking, foster meaningful connections and equip leaders with practical ideas they can take back to their organisations.

Every People Summit will include a dedicated recognition moment, recognising your Certification alongside fellow Top Employers.

Recognition will form part of a broader experience combining thought leadership, peer learning and meaningful networking, so that we can celebrate excellence in people practices while creating opportunities to learn and connect.

Our 2027 People Summits will bring together certified Top Employers and invited guests at flagship regional events throughout the year. Your Account Manager will be able to advise which events are most relevant for your organisation as further details are confirmed.

We are finalising the 2027 People Summit calendar and will share confirmed locations and dates as soon as they are available.

Yes. Recognition remains a core part of the Top Employers experience. While the format will evolve, our commitment to recognising excellence in people practices does not change. Whether through the global conference, People Summits or other recognition moments, we are designing experiences that continue to celebrate your achievement in meaningful ways.

The standalone gala dinner format is evolving. From 2027, recognition will form part of a broader experience combining thought leadership, peer learning, networking and celebration rather than taking place as a separate celebration evening.

At the Global Conference, every attending Top Employer will be recognised during the conference. Every People Summit will also include a dedicated recognition moment alongside fellow Top Employers.

For Global and Enterprise Top Employers, there will also be an invitation-only Leadership Dinner on 11 May, ahead of the Global Conference.

Alongside these events, we are investing in new digital experiences that make it easier to show your Top Employer status to employees, candidates and stakeholders throughout the year, not only at a single moment.

No. The annual Certification announcement will continue to take place under embargo on 14 January 2027. From that date, you’ll be able to announce and promote your Top Employer Certification as you do today.

What’s changing is not when you receive or announce your Certification, but how we celebrate it together. Our Global Conference, People Summits and other recognition opportunities throughout the year provide additional moments to celebrate your achievement with fellow Top Employers, complementing the annual announcement rather than replacing it.

Our 2027 event portfolio will vary by region. Some Certification Celebration events will continue, some will evolve into People Summits, and all Top Employers are warmly invited to our first global conference. Please see the regional FAQs below for details relevant to your market.

Johannesburg will continue as a Certification Celebration in 2027, with a more in-depth content programme during the day. From 2027, attendance will be by invitation, for clients based in Africa. If you previously travelled to Johannesburg from outside Africa, you are warmly invited to join us at the global conference in Amsterdam or at one of our People Summits instead.

Shanghai will continue as a Certification Celebration in 2027, with a more in-depth content programme, for our Top Employers in China, as in previous years.

Both will evolve into our People Summit format, combining thought leadership, networking and recognition to create a richer experience that reflects the changing needs of today’s HR leaders.

Those three European celebrations come together into a single flagship: the global conference in Amsterdam. You are warmly invited to join us there.

The cities named were host locations, not events tied to where you are based, and you could always choose which one to attend. That choice continues: every Top Employer is invited to the global conference in Amsterdam. Recognition will also reach more of our community through People Summits and digital experiences across the year. Your account manager can discuss the best options for you.

If travelling to the global conference in Amsterdam isn’t right for your organisation, you will still be recognised. Recognition is no longer centred on a single event format. It continues through People Summits and other digital experiences across the year, and your Account Manager can help you understand the opportunities available within your region.

We will continue to share more about our 2027 events programme over the coming months.

Our first Global Conference takes place on 12 May 2027 in Amsterdam, with registration opening on 18 November. You can register your interest now for early access to registration and to be among the first to hear about the programme and speakers as they are confirmed.

We will also share further details on our 2027 People Summits and other events as they become available.

You don’t need to do anything today to stay informed. Every certified Top Employer will continue to receive updates about our 2027 events programme, including when registration for the Global Conference opens.

If you would like to be among the first to register, you can register your interest now. This will give you early access to registration, a first look at the programme and speakers as they are confirmed, and content before it is shared more widely.

Register your interest now