CPHR BC & Yukon’s HR Conference & Expo 2026 welcomed just under 1,400 participants. As the 63^rd of the annual series, this event was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre East (Canada Place) from May 4 to 6, 2026.  

The theme for this year’s HR Conference & Expo was “Spark,” which highlighted how imagination can fuel transformation, inspired HR leaders to channel their energy into positive, human-centred change and innovation within their organizations and communities.

Filled with information and insights, this event offered a wide range of discussions and topics relevant to today’s HR professionals, who are working in an environment facing numerous headwinds. Some of these challenges include upskilling teams with AI adoption, navigating the continued geo-political tensions and uncertainties, as well as managing stressed and burnt-out teams who are navigating increased cost of living and affordability issues.  

On the topic of AI, Dr. Bailey Parnell, a globally renowned pioneer in digital well-being and an expert in AI and human-centered leadership, kicked the event off with a keynote address about how the next great leaders will use AI to become more human. Dr. Bailey asserted that the next era of great leadership is evolving towards a human-AI amalgamation: a partnership which can be better and more human than either could be on their own. She emphasized that there are things that AI can do better than humans and things that humans can do better than AI. Together, leaders can use a model of co-intelligence that scales their connection, empathy, impact, and humanity.

Throughout day one, various concurrent sessions examined topics like how confidence, culture, and equity in the workplace can help HR create environments where diverse talents flourish and thrive. Building resiliency was another key topic that was explored against the backdrop of population shifts, talent shortages, and changing employee expectations. Attendees gained clear guidance on how to design practical, human-centered strategies that strengthen engagement and retention while creating frontline experiences that help people excel in their roles.

Undoubtedly, burnout, which the World Health Organization has declared a key issue facing workplaces, was a topic that was explored with Shauna Moran, an expert in this area. She used her experience working with Fortune 500 companies to ensure attendees left with takeaways on how to transform their approach to talent retention and development, enhance leadership effectiveness across all levels, boost organizational performance while reducing burnout risk, and elevate HR’s role as a strategic business partner.

On day two, attendees were treated to a thought-provoking keynote by authoritative political commentator and author, David Frum. He shared his perspective on the current state of affairs and explored how economic, political, and social trends are influencing employers, workplace culture, and the HR profession.

This was followed by an engaging fireside chat with David and CPHR BC & Yukon’s Board Chair, James D. Kondopulos, CPHR, that connected the dots between global events and the evolving world of work.

The breakout sessions on day two continued to deliver topics like developing talent in the age of AI, with speaker Rishi Behari making the argument that the real challenge for HR leaders is not adoption—it is design and strategy. He talked about how practical frameworks and leadership decisions are required to develop talent in AI-enabled organizations, while preserving human judgment, accountability, and trust.

In an open forum that explored where the HR profession is heading, AI, of course, was discussed.  As shared by multiple HR practitioners, AI is increasingly seen as an additive tool on which teams can be trained, and hence not always a job displacer. Burnout came up, with attendees recognizing that employers have a role in breaking the burnout cycle. It means moving beyond slogans about resilience and toward genuine organizational change — listening to employees, re-examining workloads, and confronting the habits that no longer serve.

The topic of annual performance reviews and their relevancy was also discussed, generating some interesting responses. In the post-pandemic hybrid, traditional, and/or remote workplace, and with the speed that AI is impacting the workforce, along with generational differences in terms of expectations of feedback, the consensus was that annual performance reviews may be losing their value.

Many HR leaders indicated that instant and timely feedback was not only better received, but it also contributed to an organization’s ability to pivot, adapt, and remain agile — something that organizations must become better at on an ongoing basis.

Finally, the closing keynote was delivered by Fenton Jagdeo Jr., Strategist, Innovation Catalyst and Advocate for Radical Curiosity, who introduced attendees to the Curiosity Compass, which he described as a practical, battle-tested framework designed to unlock innovation at all levels of an organization.

Fenton took the audience on a journey through some of the most iconic cautionary tales in business — Kodak, Blockbuster, Nokia — revealing what happens when organizations cling to the familiar while the world changes around them. He then showed how leaders and employees alike can use curiosity to challenge assumptions, borrow ideas from other industries, rethink broken systems, and broaden stakeholder impact.

Next year’s conference will take place on May 4-5, 2027. So, if you have been sitting on the sidelines about whether to attend, we urge you to save these dates and act by signing up for next year’s event when registration opens later this year in December.

Each year, our conferences evolve and if the feedback and responses on LinkedIn and other social media channels is anything to go by, attendees overwhelmingly indicated how enriched they came away from this year’s event!

Thank You

CPHR BC & Yukon would first like to thank you, our delegates, for attending and participating in this year’s conference.

We hope you continue to nurture your new and renewed connections made during the conference, and to maximize your learning and CPD hours by watching the recorded content on demand.

Thank you also to Conference Chair, Kara Butler, CPHR and the rest of the Conference Advisory Committee and Track Sub-Committee members for the countless hours they contributed to building the program.

Thank you to the CPHR BC & Yukon Board of Directors for their dedication and guidance ensuring we executed yet another successful conference.

Thank you to Kevin Lim, who entertained us as emcee for the third time throughout the event. Our deepest gratitude to all the speakers for sharing their knowledge and expertise.

Thank you to our volunteers for their outstanding work over the two-and a half day in-person conference. Your support to us is invaluable!  

Thank you to our valued sponsors and exhibitors for your support of the event and the HR profession. This year, we had 92 booths in total! In addition, we featured a Pop-Up Marketplace for the first time in the Expo this year, showcasing 20 local creators, artisans and small businesses.

Thank you to our incredible suppliers that helped make this event possible: Vancouver Convention Centre, Encore Canada, iilo Creative Alliance, PheedLoop, and Levy Show Services. Thank you also to our other service providers and entertainers: Butter Studios, Rintzylee Designs, Blue Monkey Photobooth, Soulful Indulgence, The Happy Hera, St. John Ambulance, Corycatures, Coast Coal Harbour Vancouver Hotel, Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront, The Rec Room Granville, Envirosax, Promo Plus, BBW International, Elder Bob Baker of Squamish Nation, Lenny Pallerstein, Marie Hui, Ben Parker, DJ Morgan Lily, DJ Yeppa, Limbo For All, The Printing House, Anto Yukon, and MyBadges.

And last but certainly not least, thank you to the CPHR BC & Yukon Events team, particularly to Jessica Ng, Annie Wong, Isabella Bacon, Robert Chorner, and Kelly Aslanowicz, for all their hard work and efforts to put together our conference and creating an event experience that delegates really appreciated.

Please feel free to check out the CPHR BC & Yukon Google Drive for photos from this year’s HR Conference & Expo.

As a reminder, access to all the recorded sessions of the conference will be available to registered delegates between May 14 and July 13, 2026.  

Sponsors

For more information on our sponsors, we encourage you to visit their websites.

Platinum Sponsors

• Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia
• Desjardins Insurance
• Western Compensation & Benefits Consultants Ltd.

Gold Sponsors

• BCIT School of Business + Media
• Harris & Co
• HUB International Insurance Brokers
• Mercer
• Perkopolis
• Roper Greyell LLP
• Science & Humans
• UKG
• WELL Health Medical & Longevity Centres

Silver Sponsors

• ADP Canada
• Applauz Inc
• Equitable
• Fairleigh Dickenson University of British Columbia, Foundation
• HRid
• Independence Pet Group Inc.
• Workday

Bronze Sponsors

• Achieve Centre for Leadership
• AMJ Campbell
• Disability Management Institute
• FSEAP Vancouver
• Johnston Group
• Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC & Yukon Branch
• C. Tanner
• TeksMed
• University of Calgary Continuing Education